Islamic Revolution or Revolutionary Islam?

Islamic republic of Iran is the only country in the world which is established according the pure Shia thoughts, in 1979, 29 years ago after toppling down the U.S. supported shah’s regime. Iranian Islamic revolution invalidated the thoughts of political thinkers who believed that there won’t create a religious- driven state in the new era. But it happened and has lasted since 1979 and it's in strongest positions after the revolution. Since then Iran has been a target of many accusation from the West camp. From the beginning of the Iranian revolution, West labeled Iran as fundamentalist, terrorist, etc. the crux of the matter is that the West does not differentiate between Islamic revolution and revolutionary Islam.

Islamic revolution means an uprising to eradicate cruelty, corruption, discrimination, etc according to Islamic thoughts which do not preach violence and terror in their essence. In better words in this school of thought war or jihad is one of the tenth branches of the religion, which will be necessary if its conditions prepare. Islam has many instructions which jihad is one of them. Islamic revolution is a way in which its goal is Islam and Islamic values and jihad is only a tool to establish Islamic values, in better words jihad is not the end but a means.

Contrary to this school, in revolutionary Islam or militant Islam, war is considered to be the base of the religion and indispensable part of it. This school of thought purses its goal by violent actions. So they think jihad is the core of Islam. For them jihad is an end, and Islam is a tool for war. Wahhabis, bin laden and Taliban mostly think like that. But Shia basically belongs to the first school of thought. Islamic Republic of Iran is a Shia state in which revolution comes from Islam and Islam defines its borders, characteristics and features, instead in militant Islam, Islam is lessened to an instrument to achieve the goals of some radical Muslims.

All Muslim’s actions should not be attributed to Islam. Having good relations with Islamic nations, west must differentiate between these two approaches of Islam. Even this distinction can promote the west interests better as America to some extent, has done in Iraq.