The Ideation Reflections of the Islamic Revolution in Iran on Islamism in the Middle East

The Islamic Revolution of Iran in 1979, like all other phenomena, had various impacts on its immediate neighborhood. The powerful discourse of the revolution has increased importance of the study of its influences beyond the borders of the Islamic Republic. Since the second half of the 20th century, the Islamic world has been witnessing an upsurge in Islamist movements and tendencies, which seek to revive Islam in various social areas. After victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, such movements have been greatly influenced by the Islamic uprising of the Iranian nation, which is manifested in the Islamic Revolution and the political system arising from it. That influence has been seen again in the wave of the Islamic Awakening in the early months of the second decade of the new century. As a result, the main ideas embedded in the general discourse of the Islamic Revolution can now be seen among the dominant concepts which characterize various Islamist movements. This situation has caused the Islamic Revolution to emerge as new enemy of the West following demise of Communism, which has given birth to a rival discourse as counterweight to the liberal democracy; a discourse whose aftereffects can be seen in the form of the Islamic Awakening in regional Arab countries.