On February 11, 2016, the 37th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, the Urdu-language service of the Iranian government-run television channel Sahar TV devoted its Andaz-e-Jahan ("Way of the World") program to "The Islamic Revolution and the Wave of Islamic Awakening." The Iranian state-run Urdu television channel is aimed at Urdu-speaking Shi'ite audiences in Pakistan and India.
Still from TV program on Iranian Sahar TV's Urdu service
The following is a summary and excerpts from the program:[1]
Since Iran's Islamic Revolution, "The Wave Of The Islamic Awakening In The World Of Islam Has Been Regenerating And Increasing Day By Day"
Program host Ali Abbas Rizvi began by stating: "Greetings to all of you on the 37th anniversary of the success of the Islamic Revolution. Today's day marks the domination of the faith over Kufr [unbelief]. Today's day is the day of Islam's victory over ilhad [atheism]. Today's day is the day of success of the oppressed over the oppressor. Today's day is when the Iranian nation challenged the superpowers of the West and the East. Today's day is when the existence of the imperialist powers was shaken...
"From that day to now, the wave of the Islamic awakening in the world of Islam has been regenerating and increasing day by day. The historic day of February 11, 1979, when under the leadership of Imam [Ayatollah Ruhollah] Khomeini... the people of Iran terminated the 2,500-year-old kingship from Iran forever, and from that day to today, Iran is the Islamic Iran. The Islamic Revolution was not just a nation's revolution. The Islamic Revolution was not a mere political revolution. The Islamic Revolution was not for bread, clothes and house... From the ideas of the Iranian Islamic Revolution, not only the Muslim nations but also the freedom-loving nations of the world are receiving intuition, inspiration and courage."
The program then screened a clip of celebrations of the anniversary across Iran, with background commentary, including footage stated to be of rallies in over 1,000 cities and more than 4,000 villages in which millions participated. According to a commentator, the crowds shouted slogans in favor of self-determination, freedom and the Islamic Republic. The commentator noted that the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had told them that in the 1979 Islamic Revolution, "the world saw how a religious leader [Imam Khomeini] can rule over the hearts of people even in modern times... We are aware that the Islamic Revolution is not simply a political revolution..."
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Program host Ali Abbas Rizvi on the left; Pakistani guest Ali Raza Alvi on the right
According to the commentator, "A resolution was passed at the end of the rallies in which imperialist powers were warned that if they attempted to threaten Iran or weaken it, then the Iranian nation will give a mouth-breaking response to the enemies." The resolution also noted: "The anti-imperialist Iranian nation even now considers America its biggest enemy." The participants in the rallies condemned the Islamic State (ISIS) and other Takfiri groups (i.e. Muslims who declare other Muslims as apostates) and expressed support for the governments of Syria and Iraq as well as the Iranian-backed armed "volunteer groups" - according to the program.
Program Host: "It Was Clarified To The World That If Someone Somewhere Has Doubt That After [The JCPOA] A Warm Corner Has Birthed In The Hearts Of The Iranian People For The Imperialist Powers, Then That Is Just Their Whim"
After the clip, program host Ali Abbas Rizvi stated: "And the air of the Islamic Republic of Iran was filled for hours with the slogans of 'Allah is the Great, Death to America, Death to Israel' - and it was clarified to the world that if someone somewhere has doubt that after the nuclear agreement [with America] a warm corner has birthed in the hearts of the Iranian people for the imperialist powers, then that is just their whim..."
Next, two experts joined the program, Prof. Ahmed Taimuri of Iran and journalist Ali Raza Alvi of Pakistan. Prof. Taimuri said: "The Iranian Islamic Revolution is not specific to Iran. The Iranian Islamic Revolution has international aspects." He added that the Iranian people's relationship with the leader (an apparent reference to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei) has frustrated the enemies' hopes to weaken Iran through the international economic sanctions. "The Islamic Revolution has been successful in all aspects, despite the fact that they imposed different types of sanctions and tried to crush Iran in many ways," he added.
Iranian Prof. Ahmed Taimuri
Journalist Ali Raza Alvi, speaking from Islamabad, was asked by the program host: "What is the spirit and motivation behind the success of the Islamic Revolution, even after 37 years?" Alvi responded: "Even after 37 years [since the Islamic Revolution], a third or fourth generation [of Iranians] has the same love for and agreement with the revolution that their forefathers did."
Stating that despite Western propaganda, the Islamic Revolution had been accepted by the Iranian masses, Alvi said: "There is something in the Iranian Revolution that keeps them [the masses] tied to it," adding that it is the ideology of the Rule of the Jurisprudent that binds them to the Islamic Revolution. He added: "Due to this rvolution, the honor of Islam has risen in the entire world."
Asked to comment on the Islamic Revolution's impact on the Palestinian issue, Alvi said that the Arab countries were not raising the Palestinian issue at various international forums and were maintaining silence about it, as if to show that they had no sympathy for the Palestinian children killed by Israel. He added: "Since Iran's Islamic Revolution, Iran has been the country mostly raising the issue of Palestine. Generally, it was thought that the Palestinian issue is a matter for the Arabs, and mostly Arabs are impacted by it."
Endnote:
[1] Youtube.com/watch?v=PydoQdSK5DA, February 11, 2016.
