Islam in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives - Islamic Books ...

Shi’ite Islam in Contemporary Iran 8 9forms of governments. This interpretation of velayat-e faqih was considered aradical reinterpretation, which later thinkers are now challenging (Sachedina2001, 1988).Other Shi’ite clerics also emerged during this time period, such as MurtazaMutahhari (1920–1979) and Sayyid Mahmud Taleqani (1910–1979), who employedShi’ite thought in their writings and sermons to overthrow the shah.Whereas Shariati was highly critical of certain clergy and mixed Marxist and Islamicideas to legitimize social change, Mutahhari argued that Marxist and liberalideologies were not needed to bring about transformation of society andthat people must turn away from Western secular ideologies and look towardIslamic philosophy for inspiration on legitimizing social change (Mutahhari1986). Taleqani, like Mutahhari, also battled Marxist and liberal ideologies, expressinghis political message within his Qur’anic commentaries (Ta l e q a n i1983). Both Taleqani and Mutahhari were influenced by the great Shi’itecleric Allamah Tabataba’i (1903 or 1904–1980), who wrote seminal works in allareas of Muslim learning, especially philosophy and Qur’anic commentary. Hewas conversant with modern European philosophy and wrote a well-knownbook refuting the claims of Marx and Sartre, but through Islamic philosophicalprinciples (Tabataba’i 1977, 24, 239). However, unlike Mutahhari and Ta l e-qani, Tabataba’i remained apolitical in both his life and his writings.The Revolution and Khomeini’s Islamic RepublicThe shah’s poor economic and political policies, oppressive police force, weakleadership, and failing health combined with decreasing support from theUnited States to produce growing discontent in Iran during the 1970s. By Janua ry 1979, the political and religious climate in Iran reached a breaking point,culminating in the shah’s departure. Within a month, Khomeini arrived inTehran, after years of exile, inaugurating the Islamic or Iranian Revolution. AlthoughIslam did play an important ideological role in the Revolution, manyof its supporters within the intelligentsia had secular justifications for governmentalchange. In the spirit of Shariati and other lay thinkers’ politico-Islamicideological teachings combined with the religious figurehead of Khomeini,Iranians of all classes united to bring about the Revolution. Khomeini useddeeply entrenched religious messages to justify his overthrow of the shah.Khomeini drew on the idea of the Hidden Imam returning to dethrone theunjust rulers of the world, and he came to be seen as the destroyer of evil andrestorer of justice, paralleling the actions of the twelfth Imam.After returning to Tehran, Khomeini used his moral authority to implementa new vision of government, and he eventually came to run the new governmentas an absolutist monarch. His revolutionary vision was not a religious