Due to the predominance of the cultural aspect of the Islamic revolution, the nations and societies that had more common cultural features with the Iranian nation have had a greater positive impact; In such a way that the Muslim nations generally expressed their happiness about the victory of the Islamic revolution and actually considered the revolution as their own.

Due to its appealing slogans, goals, methods, content, and outcomes of movements as well as its shared religious and historical background and regional and international environmental conditions, the Islamic Revolution of Iran has had a significant impact on the Islamic world. These factors, whether natural or planned, have been reflected in Muslim countries. Today, even the opponents and enemies of the revolution acknowledge that its victory in Iran and the fall of the imperial regime in 1979 was a critical turning point not only in the history of social-political developments in the Islamic world but also in the world of humanity.

The Islamic Revolution in Iran has significantly impacted various Islamic and social movements in different countries. Due to its shared religious and historical roots with Islamic countries, its success in overthrowing the imperial system and establishing a religious government, and its emphasis on the unity of the Islamic world and anti-tyranny, the revolution has projected a powerful image. Additionally, Iran’s unique strategic position has caused the dimensions and scope of the revolution’s impact to extend beyond its borders. The “ Islamic Umm al-Qura” plan was created in response to this movement, an attempt to centralize the identity discourse of the Islamic Revolution to mobilize Islamic, liberating, and national movements. As a result of the revolution’s victory, there has been a wave of renewal of Islamic life in other countries, and thinkers such as Iqbal Lahori that are now seen as the future leaders of Islamic movements.

The socio-political movements during the revolution were influenced by libertarian, anti-colonialism, anti-capitalism, and independence-seeking, which in turn affected other countries. Islamic movements were encouraged to follow this path due to these factors:

A) The same enemy:

Islamic revolution and Islamic movements have a common enemy. This common enemy is global arrogance led by America (the great devil) and Israel (cancer).

With the slogan “Neither East nor West”, the Islamic Revolution has carried the banner of the struggle against the common enemy of the Islamic world. In the internal field, Muslims have a common enemy, this common enemy is backwardness, and this is the problem that has kept all the countries of the Islamic world at the level of third world countries.

B) Common ideal

The Islamic revolution of Iran and contemporary Islamic movements want to dismantle oppression and corruption, implement the laws of Islam, establish the Islamic government in the Muslim society, and raise the flag of Islam all over the world by negating the powers and relying on the eternal power of God and the masses of people. However, some Islamic political movements only seek to follow the rules of Islam in their countries, while others wish to form an independent government without emphasizing the Islamic form of government. The most significant effect of the Islamic Revolution’s victory was the formation of “self-confidence” among the movements that had just started their reform movement. The Islamic Revolution gave new life to Islam and Muslims, saving them from isolation and humiliation. It confirmed the incapacity of Marxism, liberalism, and nationalism in governing and guiding Muslims. It presented Islam as the only solution for the life of Muslims.

Sense of pride, self-esteem,

and religious values

One of the reasons for the emergence of Islamic movements and the consequent mobilization in Islamic countries is the search for an authentic and indigenous culture that can instill a sense of pride, self-esteem, and religious values. In some Islamic societies, ruling elites and skilled classes believed in mostly secular ideologies that were either pro-capitalist or pro-socialist. However, these ideologies did not offer anything to the middle and lower classes and instead created a sense of cultural humiliation. As a result, the middle and lower classes felt threatened by the gradual destruction of their cherished moral values.

Effects of revolution in Islamic countries:

In general, some of the major effects of the Islamic revolution in Islamic countries can be listed as follows:

1- the revitalization of Islam as a social and political school.

2- the promotion of political Islam and Shia as a provider of the government system at the international level,

3- Revival and reappearance of Islamic movements.

4-the idea of unity among Islamic nations,

5-a reevaluation of the relationship between the Islamic world and the West,

6- Unification efforts of Imam Khomeini and government officials of the Islamic Revolution in the framework of the unity of all Muslims.

7-The establishment of “Dar al-Taqreed of Islamic Religions”, “Week of Unity”, “Establishment of the World Quds Day” and “Supporting liberation movements all over the world” were among the areas that pushed the effects and consequences of this revolution beyond its borders. Emphasizing these unification aspects caused a wide range of Islamic-Shia and even non-religious movements to take advantage of the successful experiences of the Islamic Revolution and take it as the meaning of trying to awaken all nations and governments and save them from their troubles in strengthening and expanding the transnational dimensions of the revolution movement. Islam became effective, in fact, after the revolution was institutionalized, efforts were made to create the basis for the spread of revolutionary ideas in the Islamic world by establishing a link between Shia and Sunni and bringing them closer together.

The preamble to the Iranian Constitution states the necessity of such an idea: “With regard to the content of the Iranian Islamic Revolution, which was a movement to defeat the oppressors by the oppressed, the Constitution provides the grounds for the continuation of this revolution both inside and outside the country. One of the Arab writers in the book ‘Khomeini, an Islamic Model’ writes: “What happened in Iran not only speaks of Shiism, but also the power of Islam, and it should not be considered a movement that favors one particular faction of Islam over others. The Iranian Revolution is simply carrying a message that recognizes the inherent power of Islam in the struggle against oppression.”

The impact of the revolution on

Islamic movements

The impact of the revolution on Islamic movements is visible in some Muslim countries. The Islamic revolution’s principles of globalism and support for the oppressed have had a significant influence on the dimensions, effects, and consequences of these movements. As a result, a new and unique model for Islamic movements has emerged across Islamic countries, presenting a different approach to activism.

There have been three types of Islamic movements in different social conditions:

1. Some Islamic groups and movements have tried to establish an Islamic government by challenging the political system and gaining political power. This is based on the experience of the Islamic revolution in Iran and the belief that the current political system is illegitimate.

2. Other Islamic groups have focused on implementing Islamic Sharia law, without necessarily seeking revolution or political transformation.

3- a type of Islamic movement that emerges in tense racial or ethnic contexts; Here, Islamism helps to express the interests and identity of heterogeneous religious groups to form a part of a broad political society.

A) The direct effect of the revolution

The Islamic Revolution has had both direct and indirect impacts on contemporary Islamic movements.In connection with the direct effect, in the early years following the victory of the Islamic Revolution, several Islamic groups emerged and declared their existence. They became significant political forces in the Islamic world, owing much to the influence of the Iranian Islamic Revolution, which they chose as their model. All of these movements sought to establish an Islamic government while opposing the ruling regimes, inspired by the struggles of the Iranian people. They celebrated the success of the Islamic revolution and aimed to initiate similar political movements in their own countries.

B) The indirect effect of the revolution

However, in some countries such as Egypt (Muslim Brotherhood Movement, Islamic Liberation Organization and Jama’ah al-Muslimeen) and Syria (Syrian Muslim Brotherhood and Syrian Islamic Front), the impact of the Islamic Revolution was indirect and had two consequences:

First, Radicalization was the policy of some Islamic movements and their recourse to violent methods. Secondly, the reactivation of movements that were moderate and behaved in peaceful ways against governments. The leaders of these movements considered the Islamic revolution as “the only Islamic government in the world” that should be considered as a model for Islamic movements. According to this analysis, “Iran’s Islamic Revolution is the revolution of all Islamic movements in the Islamic world, although there may be different schools of thought among these movements.”

A change in the understanding

of Islamic teachings

It can be confidently stated that the perception of Islam among non-Muslims underwent a significant shift, leading to an increased desire to understand the religion. While there are no exact figures available, the available information suggests that following the Islamic Revolution, there has been a notable rise in the number of individuals converting to Islam through the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt school of thought.

(Source: Ensaf News)