The Nature of the Islamic Revolution

Abstract

What is ‘revolution’? ‘Revolution’ is an expression for the rebellion or uprising of the people of one region or one land against the existing ruling order for the purpose of installing some desired form of rule. According to another explanation, ‘revolution’ is a kind of rebellion or uprising against the governmental status quo with the aim of establishing another status quo. It will be understood, therefore, that two features lie at the root of every revolution: one is discontent and exasperation, directed towards the existing situation, and the other is the aim of establishing another, different situation. Understanding a revolution means knowing the causes of discontent, and knowing the aim which the people have.

This chapter has been composed from extracts from a selection of speeches and interviews which Ayatollah Morteza Motahari gave after the Revolution, and which were gathered together in a volume called Piramouneh Enqelabeh Eslami, published by the Entesharateh Sadra in Qum in 1980.The common strand to this volume is an analysis of the Revolution, and it marks the first steps towards an understanding of what the Iranian people had been through, the tremendous upheaval which had occurred and the direction in which they were to go.