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A Comparison of The Iranian Revolution and The Rise of Afghan Mujahidin

Introduction

Iran and Afghanistan are known to have been on the verge of revolutionary activities in the

1970s and 1980s. In more straightforward terms, individuals tend to give religious aspects as the

reasons for the revolution; however, things were much complex than just religious

fundamentalism. Additionally, both revolutions had various aspects in common, even though the

one in Afghanistan was known as the rise of Afghan mujahidin.

Ultimately, the Iranian revolution was also known as the Islamic revolution that was

popular between the years 1978 and 1979 the same years in which the Afghan mujahidin took

place. The word mujahidin refer to the Muslim individuals who proclaim themselves as the

warriors of faith and engaged in jihad warfare. The Iran revolution and the rise of Afghan

mujahedeen are known to have embodied both religious and non-religious aspects of the revolution

in the 20th century, each having different factors that led to the revolutions.

The Iranian Revolution and The Rise of Afghan Mujahidin as Religious

Revolutions.

To begin with, the Iranian revolution and the Afghan mujahedeen embodied a religious

revolution in which both marked the Islamic revolution in the 20th century. A point to note, as
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mentioned earlier, is that the Iranian revolution was also known as the Islamic revolution (Zahedi,

22-24). The Persian Englab-e-Islam that became a popular revolution in Iran in the year 1978. The

revolution led to the toppling of the monarchy that was present in the country in the year 1979,

leading to the establishment of an Islamic republic. The revolution involved jihad wars, which, as

mentioned earlier, is related to the Muslims who call themselves the warriors of faith.

Consequently, the jihad warriors were also known as the holy warriors, an aspect that one moment

was considered as Muslim revivalism by various individuals. The term Muslim revivalism was

commonly used in Iran at that particular year and century.

During that particular year, the mujahideen of the people in Iran made up of a group of

Islamic and Marxist ideologists were involved in long-term guerrilla warfare against the Islamic

republican who was in control of leadership during that time (Hilali 52-58). Ultimately, similar to

the Iranian mujahideen, the term was commonly used by the warriors in Afghanistan that fought

with an attempt to oppose the invading soviet forces that ended up toppling the afghan communist

government. Moreover, the tern jihad associated in the Iranian revolution and the Afghan

mujahideen ha soften been used to refer to the aspect of Muslim groups that are involved in

hostilities with non-Muslim and secularized Muslims individuals making it a form of religious

war.

The modern definition of mujahideen can be described as spiritual or religious Muslim

warriors. Associated with the revolution in afghan and Iran, mujahideen also involved the

preaching of war against the none Muslims and secular Muslims leadership regime by various

religious leaders at the particular time (Moshiri 116-118). During the mujahideen war, Muslims

form different other countries assisted in the wars. Another factor is that despite the united states,

Pakistan, and other Saudi Arabian countries offering financial support to both the Iranian
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revolution and Afghan mujahideen, the primary source of financing was from private donors and

religious charities, giving it a religious ideology.

Ultimately, the central aspect that brings out the religious ideology is the fact that the

revolution essentially replaced a secular totalitarian monarchy with a religious democracy that was

established on the rule of the Islamic jurists as the guardians of democracy. On the other hand, the

mujahideen in Afghanistan was considered as the war of God and the warriors as the solders of

God (Hilali 64-67). The mujahideen had a religious nature from an Islamic perspective in which

the soldiers of God as they were considered fought in the name of Allah, where they chanted the

name of Allah while shooting out. The religious perspective in both the Iranian revolution and the

Afghan mujahideen is what established and bridged a strong dedication and devotion to stir up and

maintain the revolution.

The use of mujahideen strategy in both the revolutions in Iran and Afghanistan brings out

the religious symbolism that was present during the revolution. There were the aspects of

religiously driven murders, bombings, and beheadings, which turned to significantly ritualize

violence during the transition that was brought about by the revolution. Additionally, the

mujahideen held organizational links perpetuated by the religiously conservative movement,

which was known as jamaat-e-Islamic, its apparent political party.

Differences between the Iranian and Afghanistan mujahidin revolutions

Conversely, despite the ultimate connections and the similarities in which the revolutions

happened, as mentioned above, they were also distinct in various aspects. Firstly, the Iranian

revolution took a different form in which after being incensed by an aspect that was thought to be

slanderous remarks made by a given newspaper, saw a demonstration by madrasa religious

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students all over the street (Ratz 122-126). During the demonstrations, the students were joined by

various other Iranian youth who were unemployed due to their recent immigration, an aspect that

led to the killing of many people by the government forces.

On another dimension, the revolution aimed at suppressing the influence that was brought

about by western culture. The event led to the persecution and violence directed to the many of the

educated western elites that led to them fleeing the country (Ratz 127-128). Therefore, this

revolution was an antiwesternism movement that saw the eradication of the westernization aspect.

Moreover, during this given period, the Shah, which is the title of leadership, was at the moment

receiving treatment in the united states of America. The movement even further wanted their given

Shah to be extradition from the united states.

The revolution further saw the formulation of a constitution that was based on Islamic

religious aspects. Troops of Islamic militias strolled the streets and towns, ensuring that the Islamic

codes were strictly enforced to the community and executed those who did not agree with codes

of conduct. Above all, the revolution succeeded in overthrowing the last monarchical government

and fighting the western culture with support from various groups made up of the leftist, Islamic

foundations, and the student movements (Moshiri 128-132).

A point to note is that the Iranian revolution lacked the primary or rather customary sources

towards a revolution, which could be in the form of defeat in the vent of war, financial crisis,

rebellion from the peasants, and military disgruntlement. Additionally, the revolution also

occurred with the fact that the country was economically well off. Consequently, its uniqueness

was that it was a relatively none violent form of revolution, an aspect that led it to be considered

as the redefined meaning and aspect of modernized revolutions.

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On the other hand, the Afghanistan revolution was the best-known mujahideen revolutions

that were outside the Islamic world (Cragin 292-296). In this Afghanistan revolution, the available

opposition groups worked together with the British army against the pro-soviet democratic

republic of Afghanistan. Unlike the Iranian revolution, which was relatively none violent during

is beginnings, the Afghanistan revolution started with a series of chaos where fights began locally

and eventually grew sophisticated. The Afghanistan revolution was more tribal based in which the

mujahideen competed with the other tribal groups for power in the country.

The revolution was financed by various Muslim groups all over the world, among other

countries such as Pakistani, the united states of America, and Saudi governments (Hilali 69-70).

The mujahideen led to the conquering of various lands that eventually fell under its rule. The

uniqueness in the rise of the Afghan mujahideen was that they were against the form of the Islamic

religion that was brought about by the fundamentalism of teaching an interpreted form of Islam.

None the less the most used form of invasion and rebellion was the guerrilla war fought against

the soviet unions.

Conclusion

In conclusion, both Iran and Afghanistan are neighbors having several connections that

have been present from one century to the other. Consequently, the countries experienced a huge

revolutionary change in the 20th century between the late 1970s and 1980s. Known to many would

say that the revolutions were spanned by religious factors, an aspect that is not perpetually true

since the revolutions had a much complex form other than just the religious aspect. The Iranian

revolution and the rise of Afghan mujahideen as they were known had both similarities and

differences in various factors. It can be noted that though the revolutions began in the same period

in different countries had a common aspect of religious characteristics.

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The similarity was that the revolution embodied a religious form of revolution in which the

mujahideen driven jihad was a form of religious fight against non-Muslim and corrupted or rather

secular muslin cultures. Additionally, both revolutions embodied a religious revolution where both

received financial support from Muslim religious organizations. Ultimately, both revolutions were

directed towards establishing a devout Muslim led government that would ensure for a religiously

conservative environment. Moreover, the concept of mujahidin works hand in hand with the jihad

perspectives that are related to religious warriors and holy wars.

Apart from the given similarities, it is also evident that the revolution had a distinct nature

in which they occurred and concerning the factors that led to the revolutions. Firstly, the Iranian

revolution was caused by the need to get rid of the western elites and western related culture in

their country. The Iranians argued that the revolution of the west only created social problems as

an individual were prone to leave the Islamic religion that was their essential culture. Additionally,

the Iranian revolution was entirely financed by Islamic religious organizations. On the other hand,

it can be seen that the Afghanistan revolution was wholly built on a traditional basis in which the

mujahidin were locally fighting for power in the country.

Ultimately, the Iranian revolution also arose as a result of the Soviet Union activities that

were brought about in the country. Additionally, the revolution employed a guerilla tactic of

warfare that was financed by various groups that were interested in the country, such as the united

states, Pakistan, and Saudi governments. Lastly, unlike the Iranian revolution that was nonviolent

at its beginnings, the Afghanistan revolution was characterized by chaos and fights.
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Work cited

Cragin, R. Kim. "The challenge of foreign fighter returnees." Journal of contemporary criminal

justice 33.3 (2017): 292-312.

Hilali, A. Z. US-Pakistan relationship: Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Routledge, 2017.

Milani, Mohsen M. The making of Iran's Islamic revolution: from monarchy to the Islamic

republic. Routledge, 2018.

Moshiri, Farrokh. "Iran: Islamic Revolution Against Westernization." Revolutions of the Late

Twentieth Century. Routledge, 2019. 116-135.

Ratz, Sergey. "On Ongoing Conflict: Lessons from Afghanistan (1978-1989)." International

Relations 7.03 (2019): 122-129.

Zahedi, Dariush. The Iranian revolution then and now: Indicators of regime instability. Routledge,

2018.