Republicanism and Despotism in the Views of Imam Khomeini, and Seyed Qutb and its Impact on Contemporary Islamic Movements

Islamic movements in the last two centuries in the Islamic world, especially after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, have raised many questions about their nature and their actions. After the new Arab revolutions in the region and the recruitment of violent religious groups, it has become a widespread concern for the international system and global analysts. Meanwhile, one of the main questions is the understanding of their view of general satisfaction or the use of force and the conquest of the establishment of a religious government and its maintenance and survival.
In this paper, by comparing the views of Imam Khomeini and Sayyed Qutb, two contemporary revolutionary thinkers of the Islamic world, on republicanism and despotism, and the attention to the theoretical foundations and historical sources, and their reflection on the movements affected by each of these two views. And it turns out that the element of violence is to look at the negation of republicanism and the legitimacy of despotism. Imam Khomeini's positive attitude toward republicanism and the rejection of violence has led Islamic groups affected by the Islamic Revolution and Imam Khomeini to have a democratic and largely peaceful approach to their political encounters; on the contrary, a negative attitude toward republicanism and the acceptance of violence in the way of creation of an Islamic state by Sayyed Qutb has led to the formation and expansion of the spirit of militarism and zealot among his followers.