By Buhari Bello Jega
February 11 1979 will ever remain historic in the minds of millions of Iranians, Muslims and lovers of freedom across the globe. This was the day the curtain of oppression, tyranny, immorality, disbelief and hopelessness was uprooted and destroyed forever.
At the time the Shah of Iran was overthrow, the government was the largest and strongest army and power in the Persian Gulf, but, humble not by heavy weapons and long years of guerrilla warfare, but, by the power of peoples’ protest and civil disobedience under the spiritual guardianship and leadership of 20th Century Imam, Imam Ruhullah Musawi Khomeini.
It was a revolution unanticipated in the history of the 20th Century; because revolution and counter revolutions had taken place across the continents of the world, from Bolshevik Revolution in Russia 1917, Chinese Revolution in 1945, the Cuba Revolution of 1958 and pocket of unsuccessful revolution across the globe. Unfortunately, all these revolutions follows a normal long arm struggles, before victory was achieve; but, the Iranian revolution represents one of the biggest miracles and spiritual fulfilment of Allah’s mercy which he shower to His great servant Imam Khomeini to inspire and guide the powers and energies of the Iranian people, to defeat not only the biggest Western puppet, but, the strongest military in the Persian Gulf. It was a revolution that stunted Shah, Western arrogant powers, historians, political scientists, sociologists, international relations, Geopolitical, and military and security experts and analysts for decades to come.
Indeed, it was a revolution never anticipated in the history of the world. Nobody gave the revolution a chance of surviving a year. A year pass by, the revolution was gathering momentum and consolidating and making progress. Killing and assassination of prominent leading lights of the revolution like Ayatollah Behesti, Ayatollah Mutarza Muhhateri and others could not cripple the revolution; even though these men where the leading light and intellectual barometer of the revolution under the spiritual guardianship of Imam Khomeini, the revolution matches on to greatness, restructuring and resistance under Islamic banner. Undeterred, the enemies of the revolution from Muslim countries and their Western allies engineered Iraq –Iran war. The Iraq-Iran war was a global war against the new Islamic country through the evil eyes and hands of Saddam Hussein. Saddam Hussein acting the scripts of Western and some Gulf countries informed the world, that he will conquers the new fragile and unorganised Islamic country in two weeks. It is interesting to say, at the time of Iraq-Iran war, Iran was just trying to get herself together without organised army, without strong economy and resources, but, gave a heavy blow of resistance, resilient and positive responsiveness to Saddam Hussein and his western backers.
Unfortunate, from two weeks to Eight (8) years, the war waged on, until Saddam Hussein calls for peace and truce. This was the first victory for the revolution which consolidated the new Islamic Nation as the new beckon of hope and direction for Muslims and Islamic Nations. The spirit of Khomeinism spread rapidly and resonates among young people, freedom fighters, and activists across the Islamic world and beyond. The Islamic revolution in Iran became a direct answer to years of yearning and aspiration for Islamic reawakening by Muslims across globe. Interestingly, the Islamic Revolution in Iran was a turning point to humanity, especially in changing the perceptions and narrative about compatibility of Islam and contemporary global reality. It is a common narrative for people to conclude, that Islam is not compatible with modern system. With such narrative a lot of Muslims found comfort in Marxian ideology especially with its ideology of global justice and the so called solution to such. The Islamic Revolution dislodges and destroys the idols of Marxism and it so called greater solution, when it declare either West nor East, but, ISLAM ONLY. Islam only became the slogan of the revolution and Muslims around the world include here in Nigeria, found a principle to hold unto and champion the return to Islam in totality. Muslims around world found a rally point and voice to demand Islam as a guiding principle to their worldly lives.
The principle of neither West nor East but ISLAM ONLY stunted historians, political and geopolitical analysts and policy makers; this is because, in a period of cold war between Western capitalist or Eastern Socialist bloc; it is expected for any new nation or revolution to allied itself with any of the so called Superpower. In case of Islamic Republic of Iran was a different case study. Here lies a fragile Islamic Nation not allying itself with any of the so called super power, but, raising their voices of relying on Allah and Islam only. The world was not only confuse, but, this is an unprecedented political, diplomatic, historic and policy thrust by Imam Khomeini. Scholars both secular and religious were of the opinion that, Imam Khomeini and the new Islamic Revolution in Iran was in a suicide mission because of the various trajectories of politics and global political system. But, Imam Khomeini and the new found country replied to world with this very important verse of the Holy Quran where Allah is saying “Say: nothing will afflict us save what Allah has ordained for us. He is our Patron, and on Allah let believers rely”. Indeed in the Glory of Allah, the Islamic Republic has survived global conspiracy; sanctions, isolation and economic blockage to an emerging regional power and global power in the Persian Gulf through the diplomatic policy of resistance, economic self reliance and global responsiveness.
In retrospect, 36 years after this great Islamic Revolution in the heart of signpost of global hegemonic headquarters of Western puppetries, a nation has finally emerged to the admiration of freedom lovers and enemies of hegemonic builders; an Islamic nation from the crumbling walls of puppetries and economic stagnation under the Shah of Iran to now a regional and global power. The global hegemonic builders and International Zionists machineries no doubt, couldn’t stomach seeing and absorbing an Islamic society in a strategic Persian Gulf and Strait of Homzhul. Therefore, sanctions, unethical standards, and conspiracy became the object of the global economic order to cripple the new Islamic Nation; unfortunately, 36 years after sanctions, isolations and conspiracy an Islamic nation is still standing and waxing stronger with technological breakthrough, economic and military resistance; human resilient and global responsiveness. The hallmark of 36 years of Islamic Republic of Iran revolution is the character of resistance against global hegemonic builders and International Zionism, who believed and concluded that, they can control global humanity to their advantage, unfortunately the Islamic Republic of rise up to these hegemonic builders and come out victorious either at the short or long run, was the biggest assets of the Islamic Republic.
Resistance indeed is the best world to define and explain the victories and development in the Islamic Republic. Resistance come with the sacrifice for self, Islam and humanity. If not for the resistance and sacrifice of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Islam and humanity could have be conditioned and enslave forever. The element of resistance can be seeing in assistance to the good people of Palestine, Lebanon, Bosnia, Iraq and Syria. The development in Lebanon which led to the creation of Hezbollah was the biggest policy decision and achievement of exporting the revolution outside the Islamic Republic after a lot of conspiracy and policy thrust of Western and Arab countries to confine the revolution to Iran alone. Ever since the emergence of Hezbollah resistance movement in Lebanon, the cancer of the Middle East (Illegal state of Israel) has found it difficult to navigate and achieve the dream of greater Israel till today.
The Hezbollah resistance movement has conditioned and frustrated Israelis and western arrogant powers from achieving the goal of Greater Israel in the region. Equally, in the name of resistance, the Islamic Republic is assisting resistance movement around the world. A classical example is the good people of Bosnia-Herzegovina. In the word of Nouruddin Shireen, a Turkish writer, whose interview was published in the Turkish newspaper "ALAMDAR", upon his returned from the ravaged and destroyed Islamic country Bosnia-Herzegovina during their struggles and war engineered by the hegemonic builders. He writes as follows: "As far as helping Bosnia by other governments was concerned, there was only one single government and that was the Islamic Republic of Iran. In principle, it should be mentioned that the goal of Imam Khomeini and his holy struggle was to free all Muslims and to accomplish freedom and independence for the entire Islamic Community. He stood for the defence of oppressed Muslims all over the world. Till the Islamic Republic of Iran exists (inshaallah), the Muslims of the world will never remain without defence and support. Indeed as the nation marked its 36 years of achieving true freedom and real sovereignty, the resistance still continue in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, Afghanistan and Palestine. The Islamic Republic of Iran is not only expanding its assistance, but, is equally assisting with technical and logistic support to the resistance movement to the chagrins and frustration of global empire builders.
The resilient nature of the Islamic Republic of Iran is unbelievable. Here lies a nation that has been under various degrees of sanctions and isolations by the major arrogant powers, yet never broke down nor pleaded for mercy, but, still talks tough and passionately expresses her opinion against the untouchable bride of arrogant powers Illegal state of Israel. This is unprecedented in the history of world politics. Compromise and humiliation has never been a lexicon of the Islamic Republic. The courage, commitment and resolute of the leadership and people against global conspiracy and hopelessness fired the collective will of the nation to self determination. A self determination drive that created various sphere of achievement in science and technology, military prowess and discoveries, economic buoyancy, political stability, socio-cultural integration and spiritual uprightness to the chagrins of arrogant powers. Resilience to sanctions and isolations have fire the nation into global powers in the last 36 years to come.
Indeed, it is interesting to say, sanctions and economic isolations have failed to achieve the desire results. The reality is that, the Western world, knew if they don’t apply the sanctions mechanism, nothing is going to stop the nation from emerging as regional and global power in 21st century. The sanctions, blockage and conspiracy were met to slow down the achievement and power status of the Islamic Republic. Indeed in the history, struggles, resistance, resilient and responsiveness of Islamic Republic of Iran will the underdeveloped nations in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe draw inspiration and lessons of survival amidst hostility, sanctions and unjust global economic system. The Islamic Republic has withers various storms against her and have come up with pragmatic responds to the confusion and hopelessness of global hegemonic builders. Indeed Imam Khomeini was right when he say: "It is our duty to struggle in this fashion, and the result is with Allah". Indeed Allah Has proven the Imam right because, victory, spirituality and leadership lessons can be seen in the progress and development recorded in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
In term of responsiveness to both domestic and global issues, the Islamic Republic has always stood for Islam and humanity. Islam and Muslims have been the focal points of their diplomatic relations, and assistance to real resistance movement across the Islamic worlds. The foundation of the Islamic Republic has always been Islam and how to rescue the religion from the hands and distortions of empire builders who have subjected Islam and Muslims to hopelessness and untimely death. Indeed, it has been 36 years of Islamic re-engineering, activism, resistance and engagement. 36 years of responsive service to Islam and Humanity. The level of responsiveness to the issues of Palestine was exceptional policy responsiveness amidst cowardice, fear and humiliation by the larger Islamic countries and their puppetries in leadership position. Indeed, the Islamic Republic of Iran has never failed to respond to the crying Muslims around the world. Today, we can say, the arrogant powers having failed in their dreams of attacking the Islamic Republic of Iran has created buffer zones in Syria, Iraq and Southern Lebanon to test the strengths or weakness of the Islamic Republic of Iran. A zone of death indeed for the Westerner created pigs in the name of Jihadist or Islamic insurgences. Without stationed army, but, just a pocket of security experts and trainers the axis of resistance is not only given the Western created mulls and cowards a heavy lessons about combat operations, but, the Syrian-Iraq axis has become graveyard for these hopeless evil western machineries.
No doubt, if not for the pragmatic and spiritually guided responsiveness of the leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran, excuses could have created to either attack the Republic or create disaffection among Muslims. The Islamic Republic through pragmatism and sagacity have always avoided confrontation with global arrogant powers, not because of fear but, as way of sending message of universal spirit of peace and peaceful co-existence Islam enjoys us, yet, the arrogant powers still continue with their act of provocations against the Islamic Republic. The ongoing discussion between the P5+1 in the last 2 years shows the peaceful nature and commitment of the Islamic Republic of Iran to peace and cooperation around the globe.
36 years of sanctions, conspiracy, demonization, blackmails, has failed to cripple the Islamic Republic of Iran. It is an Islamic Republic with all the beautiful attributes of resistance, resilient and responsiveness to Islam, humanity and global chess game of injustices, imbalances and International Zionist machineries at its level of sophistication. The resistance, resilient, responsiveness, sacrifice, courage and perseverance of the good and spirited leadership and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the path of championing the course of Allah and Islam gave them the grace and successes they are recording so far. In the words of the Holy Qur’an, Allah has promised us that “Allah has promised, to those among you who believe and work righteous deeds, that He will, of a surety grant them in the land, inheritance (of power), as He granted it to those before them; that He will establish in authority their religion — the one which He has chosen for them; and that He will change (their state), after the fear in which they (lived), to one of security and peace. They will worship Me (alone) and not associate aught with Me. If any do reject faith after this, they are rebellious and wicked. So establish regular prayer and give regular charity; and obey the apostle; that ye may receive mercy. Never think thou that the unbelievers are going to frustrate (Allah’s plan) on earth: their abode is the Fire, — and it is indeed an evil refuge! Quran 24:55-57′.
In the world of Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (a.s.) can one find accommodation and answers to 36 years of resistance, resilient and responsiveness by the leadership and good people of Islamic Republic of Iran. The commander of the faithful was quoted to have says: "When Allah witnessed their patience in resisting the tortures and hardships, which were inflicted upon them, because of their love for Him and following the path of truth. He opened over them gates of divine assistance in the midst of those difficult bottlenecks of misfortunes. The deprived of yesterday, after that found themselves as rulers and governors. Their glory, fame, prestige, reached to a point, which had never been imagined by them in their best of dreams." Indeed this beautiful spiritually guided words can be attributed to this wonderful Islamic Republic that has continue to amaze political scientists, histories, diplomats, geo-strategic-military and security industrial complexes around the world. Indeed your Independence is our independence; the continuous existence of Islamic Republic is indeed our continuous existence as Muslims and humanity; with the policy of resistance, resilient and responsiveness so also shall resistance and freedom fighters continue to find faith, patience, courage and commitment fight on and resist the evil empire builders and their local agents indeed.
Indeed 36 years of resistance, resilient and positive responsiveness has given us independence, right, faith, freedom, grace and hope to hope on in the coming of felicity and justice for the rest of the rest of belligerent global oppressed. Finally, we conclude with the words of Adamu Adamu when he was quoted says, that, “Whether the West likes it or not, the path taken by Iran is the one that will ultimately be taken by the rest of the Muslim world”. Congratulations to the Leadership and good spirited people of Islamic Republic of Iran, on your 36 year independence anniversary of resistance, resilient and responsiveness.