February 11, 2024
45 years ago, with the people's revolution on 22 Bahman 1357 (February 11, 1979), the Pahlavi regime fell. The Bahman revolution, like any other unpredictable event, produced double results. On the one hand, it ended the monarchy's tyranny and the victory of the people against an authoritarian regime became a reality. On the other hand, a regime emerged from this revolution and took power, which started suppressing people's freedoms from the very beginning, and it did not take long to act far more authoritarian than the previous regime. This fact also makes dealing with this revolution more complicated and is a cause for denying this revolution and turning it into a disaster, especially by those who have their heart set on returning to the previous regime.
The Bahman Revolution did not happen in a vacuum. That revolution was the uprising of our society against the ruling authoritarian regime, discriminations and injustices existing in the society. That revolution happened when all the ways to change and improve people's lives were closed, repression and regime authority had become an obstacle to progress and an obstacle to transformation. The Bahman Revolution was in its own way a rebellion against a system that had ignored the people's right to enjoy political and social participation; It did not tolerate the slightest opposition, it did not tolerate the activities of parties and civil institutions, including trade unions and independent trade associations. The elections in that system were a formal ceremony. Members of parliament and members of the government and all government bodies were appointed from above and were subject to the orders of the "Crown". That flimsy structure, which in the last years of its life, experienced a single party and the merger of insider parties, collapsed within a few months with the nationwide uprising of the people. Dictators and autocrats are usually immersed in their illusions and do not listen to the wishes of the people. Mohammad Reza Shah once heard the voice of the people's revolution and thought of change, but it was too late and he had missed the opportunities to withdraw and make changes in the system. Shapour Bakhtiar's attempt to control the flood of the revolution also failed. The storm that arose did not stop.
During his rule, especially after the coup d'état on August 19, 1953 (August 28, 1332), the Shah imprisoned, executed, or kept in confinement opponents and critics, whether from the left, democrats, or nationalists. Only the activities of religious organizations had freedom of action. When the revolution started, those religious institutions were the only ones that had an organized presence in the society, and the Shia clergy was able to take power by relying on the wide and long system of mosques and religious institutions. Ruhollah Khomeini, who revolted against women's suffrage and land reforms in 1963, entered the field with the slogan of establishing the Islamic Republic. Gaining power by this force led to a disaster that is still going on.
The Bahman Revolution of 1979 ended the royal tyranny, but the Islamic Republic turned people's Spring of freedom into a graveyard of their dreams and hopes. From the very first days, the elimination of opposition forces, the persecution of dissidents, and the suppression of people's freedoms began. Our society was pushed step by step to the depths of the Middle Ages. Iranian women lost their social status and the achievements of their struggles overnight and became second class citizens. Independent organizations such as labor unions, organizations and civil institutions were put under pressure, and regime-made institutions such as Islamic councils took the place of people's councils and unions and became the regime's oppressive arm in the workplace of workers and other social groups. The war in Kurdistan and Turkmen Sahra started on the days after the revolution. Radio and television, newspapers of the country all served the new regime. Independent press and publications were closed. Universities were taken over by the regime mobs and dissident professors and dissident students were purged.
But during the past forty-five years, the struggles of the people of our country against the Islamic Republic and for the realization of their libertarian ideals have always continued and important steps have been taken. The confrontation with this regime started the day after its establishment. The women's march on the first International Women's Day against the mandatory hijab, the large workers' march on the International Labor Day, the resistance movement in Kurdistan and Turkmen Sahra against regime repression, etc. are among them. People's movements against the Islamic Republic have always flourished despite all the difficulties and have expanded despite the repression and have challenged the regime's repression system. With strikes, massive protests and numerous uprisings, they have dictated the demand for change to the regime and hastened its collapse. Today, like the previous regime on the eve of the Bahman 1957 (February 1979) revolution, the Islamic Republic is nearing its end, and the signs of its collapse are more apparent than ever. In continuation of previous popular movements, the revolutionary movement "Woman, Life, Freedom" has shaken the foundations of the regime's power. Its excitement is still flowing in the heart of society. The force of change in society is stronger than ever.
The Left Party of Iran, by learning from the outcomes of the Bahman 57 revolution, the biggest and most far-reaching event in Iran's contemporary history, believes that it is necessary to learn from the bitter past after the Bahman 57 revolution and to think about building a better future for the country and the people of Iran. Revolutions happen when all the ways to transform society are blocked. Even today, after forty-five years, our society is stuck in another impasse, and we are facing another revolutionary process that is on its way and can uproot the foundation of the Islamic Republic. We should not be afraid of the revolution, but we should be afraid of the continuation of autocratic and despotic regimes and the disasters they bring to the people and the country. We support the struggles of the Iranian people to establish a democratic and secular system in the form of a republic and the ideals of the revolutionary movement "Women, Life, Freedom" in realizing freedom and justice in Iran, and we strive to achieve these goals.
Political-Executive Board of the Left Party of Iran
February 11, 2024
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