Islamic Revolution example essay topic

Introduction Iran has always, it seems, been the breeding ground for some kind of political upheaval or another. In recent times, back in 1979, there was a major revolution which was, in some ways, similar to the revolution we are seeing today. The people were angry and they were tired of being controlled by the government that was in power. They had concrete ideals and were incredibly passionate about their revolution. The revolution Iran is experiencing today does not appear to be quite as passionate and does not appear to maintain a belief in any real solid political system.

They just know they want something different. In the following paper we present an illustration of the current revolution that is taking place. We detail why it is occurring, why it seems heavily associated with Egypt, and why it may well pose a threat to the Western world, in terms of Islamic fundamentalism. 1. Why is Iran leading a worldwide Islamic revolution In order to understand what is happening now, we must first go back in history. And, in examining this we should understand how history repeats itself in many ways.

For example, we can look at the 1960's of this country and see a small illustration of a cultural revolution. Now, while we have not seen anything quite like this since, we had seen such in previous generations, like the 1920's when people were openly rebelling against the constraints of a society. Countries and the citizens who live within them will always come to particular periods in their historical lifeline where there is a great deal of conflict. Obviously with Iran, their history has been full of such conflict.

And, in discussing their present revolution, we must first examine some similar aspects of the revolution of 1979:" Iran's pre-revolutionary students (many of whom were communist rather than Islamist or democratic) were far better organised than the current lot. They had the determined aim of getting rid of the shah, his corrupt entourage and his western ways and buddies. They were in tune with many sections of the population, alienated from the shah and his security apparatus. Moreover, by the late 1970's, the shah's support had crumbled. He had no solid base fighting to keep him in power" (Anonymous Iran's second revolution? 13).

Now, the revolutionists today began with a limited protest set against a law that was designed to reverse the relative press freedom that one of the reformist government's tangible achievements. This was one reverse too far, for Iran's young "cherish a packet of grievances, ranging from the acute shortage of jobs to the social restrictions that ban most boy- and-girl outings. Restrictive though it is, the system allows discussion of these complaints, and many niggling rules have been quietly eased since Mr. Khatami took over" (Anonymous Iran's second revolution? 13). It was, however, after the police and their allies, the Islamist bully-boy militia, raided the dormitories in Tehran University, where they killed at least one student and probably more, that the shout for change began to penetrate "out-of-bounds areas. The students started to call for fundamental reforms, questioning the legitimacy of clerical control" (Anonymous Iran's second revolution?

13). They even went so far as to challenge the sacrosanct heart of Iran's Islamist edifice, the ultimate authority of the "supreme leader". Clearly the young Islamists are unhappy with the current state of affairs and their apparent lack of freedom of the citizens of Iran. But, at the same time it is also believed that they are very eager to become a more active participant in Western society. They long for the media and the influence that is felt here in the United States. Ebtekar, the highest ranking woman to serve in the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in an interview with Grades, illustrates this in the following:" The doors of the world today are wide open, whether we like it or not.

Our youth, like those in other societies, are attracted to the seeming glamour of this entertainment culture. 'Aren't we allowed to have any fun in an Islamic society?' they ask. 'Is Islam a religion that prohibits everyone from enjoying life?' Indeed, it is a challenge to the Islamic revolution to find another model of enjoyment and fulfillment than the casual, carefree, sensate lifestyle 'Hollywood,' to use the catchphrase, promotes as universal" (36). Essentially, it appears as though the youth began to be unhappy about particular constraints that were not that negative, and when they were actively attacked, went on a rampage to demonstrate many varied desires and beliefs. The result is that there is an active revolution that is taking place, which initially began because there were some unhappy youth who wanted more from their country.

2. Why is the Islamic revolution taking root in Egypt In order to understand the answer to this, it is again, imperative that we understand some historical facts related to the revolution of 1979. Abdelnasser states that, during the revolution of 1979, "The different Islamic groups in Egypt, namely, the Muslim brotherhood, Islamic associations and organizations, and the Salami movement, held conflicting opinions on Iran's preference for Shiite Muslims, and its call for jihad. The groups, however, expressed unified support on Iran's call for unity among Islamic countries, opposition of the US and former USSR, and the exclusion of Jews from Palestine" (25). What we see here is a support system that, although focused on primarily religious concerns, could possibly prove to bring the influence and power desired by the youth involved in the revolution today. They see this historical support offered by Egypt and see that it is potentially very powerful.

And, even if it isn't very powerful, in the political or religious sense, it presents itself as powerful to the youth. This is a very important aspect of the revolution, for the students, by feeling there is support somewhere, find more strength and conviction to continue with their demands and desires. This idea is further supported by the fact that, since the revolution of 1979, "political Islamic actors charged that there were attempts to project Egypt as an alternative regional power to the Shah's Iran. The movement also charged that the underlying objective of the Egyptian media campaign against Khomeini and the new regime in Teheran was to widen the gap between Sunnis and Shiites" (Abdelnasser 25). The fact is, however, despite any hint of support, real or otherwise, there is some serious link between many Islamic and Egyptians, and that combined force could prove to surface one day and present itself as a reality to be concerned with. 3.

Why the West should be wary of the spread of Islamic fundamentalism, or should they? In many ways, if not most, there is little need for the West to be overly concerned about the influence of Islamic fundamentalism. For the most part they are not posing any serious threat, as they appear to, in many ways, deep down, only desire to be able to partake in Western civilization to one degree or another. But, on the other hand, there are some concerns that people should be aware of.

For example, the fact that the previous generation was able to win their revolution illustrates that a real concrete focus of the students rebellion, if aimed at the West in any real way, could prove influential, and thus, potentially harmful if ignored. For many, winning the revolution means that "in practice, Islam could win against imperialist powers and oppression. Even though some political Islamic actors in Egypt did not support post-revolutionary developments in Iran, they did learn an important lesson from the Iranian revolution; namely that the traditional leadership was not passe, and that it could still lead a revolution and win" (Abdelnasser 25). Now, while this was obviously a different revolution, and did not desire to be a part of the Western culture, today's students are interested in connections with the West.

If they were to succeed somehow, and get what they demanding, they stand a chance of influencing the West through their assistance gained in Egypt. This could happen unknowingly. For example, Egyptian support, to the students in their innocence, would mean more freedom and more Western exposure. But to the real Islamic fundamentalists, this could mean a way into Western society.

This has the potential to spell disaster if not watched for and realized. The chances of such happening are very slim, but they should not be ignored, considering that "Islamic fundamentalism has become the principal threat to the survival of regimes throughout the Arab world" (Anonymous The Islamic threat 25). Conclusion There are obviously a myriad of possibilities and causes here in the story of the present day revolution in Iran. It is clearly a very serious issue that needs to be addressed, and it is clearly an issue that the West should not ignore.

This does not mean we should become involved. It simply means that the possibility of future problems is a very real possibility that should not be ignored. While this present day revolution may merely blow over, with a few slight changes, there is also the possibility that it won't, and assuming it will does nothing but endanger all those who believe such.

Bibliography

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352 i 8128, pp. 13. Anonymous. "The Islamic threat. (to Arab governments) (Editorial). ", The Economist (US), (1993): March, vs.
326 n 7802, pp. 25 (2). Gardens, Nathan. "The Islamic revolution: from the Shah to the Spice Girls. (interview with female Iranian politician Masoumeh Ebtekar) (Interview). ", New Perspectives Quarterly, (1998): Spring, vs.