Mahmoud Reza Sanam-Zadeh, Neda Parsa

Islamic Awakening is a term under which different Muslim nations can attempt to rebuild their dignified personality and identity. This terms is considered so important and universal that the modern century can be named “Islamic Awakening era”. On the other hand, many commentators and researchers regard the Islamic Revolution as an important and influential factor in formation and advancement of Muslims’ Awakening and the broad uprisings of the Middle East and the North of Africa. Accordingly, considering Imam Khomeini’s eminent and unique role in Islamic Revolution, this questions is raised that what coordinates and principles? In order to answer this fundamental written question, in addition to studying the conceptual basics, history and the factors of Islamic Awakening, with a documentary method and by using his invaluable statements, we explore and explain Islamic Awakening in Imam Khomeini’s view and study the general principles and the obstacles of Islamic Awakening from his perspective.

Introduction

Recently, Middle East and North of Africa have been observing widespread public uprisings and massive protests that have never existed in these countries before. These public movements which had been started initially following self-immolation of a young Tunisian and which have caused to prevalent revolutions and changes in the region, and consistent with wisely prediction of the Revolution’s Leader, has even penetrated to Europe, are addressed in the form of Islamic Awakening[1]. When speaking of Islamic Awakening, a chain of concepts and words, which puts us in a sense within the “political culture” of Islamic Awakening emerges. These words bring us truly and clearly to the real nature and identity of Islamic Awakening, and reveal its deep reality. In this regard, we can pay attention to words such as: Muslims’ Awakening, sense of humiliation, revival of Islamic identity, esteem-seeking, Muslims’ unity and unison, Islamic civilization etc.[2]

Although Islamic Awakening has crossed the middle of the history of Islamic countries’ past two centuries like a river’s raging waves, and depending on the conditions and circumstance, each time in a country a movement or a cry for peace has risen, in some stages, this movement has gained depth, range and symbolic model effects. In February of 1979 (Solar’s Bahman of 1359), the victory of Islamic Revolution and the establishment and continuation of Islamic Republic themselves come to be the “effect” of Islamic Awakening and after that the “cause” of Islamic Awakening as a comprehensive and living model[3], and it was the Islamic Revolution of Iran that could advance the depth and the dimensions of Islamic Awakening through revival of political and social life of Muslims in a vast country. This being a model and inspiration-giving of Iran’s Islamic Republic for Islamic Awakening returns to two important and main factors. First, offering the theoretical model of “religious democracy” in the form of Constitution and the political structure of Iran’s Islamic Republic which, by reliance on the text of Islam’s instructions and values, gives an absolute and real role to people in governing their own destiny; and second, the continuation and evolution of this theory which has presented the political systems of Iran’s Islamic Republic as the model of the world of Islam[4]. In the book “The Universal Reflection of Islamic Awakening”, Dr Manouchehri states the influence and role of Islamic Republic in Islamic Awakening as follows:

“Without doubt, revivalism and Awakening of the world of Islam gained a new meaning and sense with victory of Islamic Revolution, and reached from theory to practice. Although from about one century ago thinkers like Seyyed Jama-O’dean Asad-Abadi and Mohammed Abdah were born to this world and cried for return to Islam and contrast to the culture of the west, victory if Islamic Revolution proved to all Muslims that the matter of return to Islam has not been just a fantasy, but it can turn into reality… which has been increasing Muslims’ hope and confidence and made them more hopeful of returning to golden era of Islam”[5].