Islamic Revolution Redefined Iran’s Destiny Toward New Direction

Kuala Lumpur, Feb 9, IRNA - A foreign affairs and economic analyst in the Philippines said that the 1979 Islamic Revolution marked a simultaneous struggle for social justice, national independence, and democratization, bringing together activists, scholars, and workers from all walks of life, who collectively redefined Iran’s destiny towards a new direction. Richard Javad Heydarian in an interview with IRNA on Saturday said, the Islamic Revolution was among the most important social uprising of the 20th century, ushering in a new era in Iran and the broader Islamic world. He added that Imam Khomeini was a pivotal figure in the revolution, steering a nation towards a unique republican system, found upon the principles of Velayat-e-Faqih. Heydarian mentioned that the revolution brought about a genuine transformation of the Iranian body-politic, toppling a centuries-old monarchic system in favor of a republican regime, which was neither aligned to the West (liberal capitalism) nor to the East (communism). He said: in this sense, the Iranian revolution promised a new model of self-governance, which inspired not only Islamic social movements across the region and beyond, but also rekindled the hopes and dreams of resistance movements across the Third World. This lecturer at Ateneo De Manila University added: in geopolitical terms, the Islamic Revolution also ended the decades-long era of Iran-West alliance, which underpinned the regional order for much of the 20th century. Richard Javad Heydarian also said that despite all the sanctions and international pressure, post-revolutionary Iran has managed to achieve impeccable success in the realm of human development as well as science and technology. He emphasized that overtime, the post-revolutionary Iran has evolved, guided by the dialectical relationship between its national interests and revolutionary ideology. This, among other things, explains the relatively diverse and pluralistic nature of the political debate in Iran, with conservatives, reformists, and moderates constantly reshaping and negotiating the trajectory of the nation’s domestic politics and foreign policy. This policy advisor mentioned that more than three decades after the Islamic Revolution, the country seems to have achieved a new political synthesis based on the principles of pragmatism, moderation, and national dignity. According to the analyst Rouhani’s administration is an indubitable reflection of this new political reality in Iran. No wonder, much of the international community, ranging from European powers to the emerging powers of the East, has embraced the new government in Iran with an unprecedented amount of optimism and respect./end