44 years have passed since the revolution of Bahman 1357 (February 1979) as an important event in the contemporary history of our country. A revolution in which the Iranian society came to the streets on an unprecedented scale and paralyzed the ruling system by organizing large and continuous strikes in universities, schools, factories, offices and government institutions and later by calling for disobedience in the barracks, dismantled the monarchy in Iran.
The Bahman Revolution was legitimate and successful in terms of confronting tyranny, standing against dictatorship and coercion, and ending the autocratic reign of the Shah. But with the establishment of another type of autocracy, the poisoned cup was poured into the people's palates from the day after the revolution. The new tyranny was born with “the Islamic Republic, not one word less and not one word more”, and by turning the spring of freedom into the dark autumn of repression and suffocation, it covered the sky of Iran with a cloud of destruction.
The Bahman Revolution was the product of the crisis of the authoritarian regime and Individual dictatorship of the Shah, which provided the ground for the emergence of anti-modernism in the traditional society and the anti-authoritarian tendency of the new middle class. The Bahman Revolution was actually the product of two general processes. The first movement was the continuation of the activities of the religious supporters in opposition to the “Constitutional Revolution” and the uprising of Khordad 15, 1342 (June 5, 1963) against the Shah's reforms, which was formed with the support of traditional social classes and groups and mass mobilization, in which the clergy, the market and the unruly masses of the city played a significant role. The second movement was the continuation of the “Constitutional Revolution” and the national-democratic movement before the 1332 (1953) coup d'état, which sought to curb centralized political power, change the autocratic way of government, ensure freedom and establish democracy, and modern social classes and groups, especially the new middle class and industrial workers were its driving forces. During the Bahman Revolution, an alignment was formed between these two, albeit a fragile one, which led to the removal of the Shah's tyrannical regime.
Although the Pahlavi dictatorship closed the legacy of constitutionalism in the field of political freedoms and democracy, to the extent that it existed at that time, it more or less advanced the authoritarian and traditional modernization and development. The Islamic Republic, however, plunged a dagger into the heart of freedom and democracy and rose against modernity and secularism to leave behind a dark and bloody record of the revolution that was full of desire for progress and freedom.
The Shah's regime played a major role in driving the people towards the revolution and in creating the ground for the replacement of religious tyranny. Mohammad Reza Shah, especially after the 1332 (1953) coup d'état, from the time he was returned to power by foreign powers, lacked national legitimacy, but by expanding the tyranny, he set his own fate in the fall, and by oppressing progressive forces, he gave field to the Islamic dictatorship.
Pahlavi's authoritarian modernization based on an unbalanced development program, on the one hand, and the superstructure of a political and violent security dictatorship that did not tolerate any disagreement between the people and the Shah, on the other hand, could not fail to explode and it did. Shah's individual authority mobilized everyone against him by creating a wide rainbow of dissatisfied groups in society with different socio-political goals.
Despite all this, the unforgivable mistake of the Shah's regime should in no way justify the shortcomings of the secular opposition, and its role and contribution in the coming to power of the religious tyranny should not remain hidden. The secular opposition has its responsibilities that can be emphasized, both in terms of creating a discourse in the pre-revolution period and not valuing democracy, and in not taking advantage of the political opportunities that emerged on the basis of the formation of the popular force during the revolution. Although the Bahman Revolution was the result of closing the door of democratic participation in the political life of the country on the majority, at the same time, it should be emphasized that the insufficiency of political thought in the field of democracy in the society played a very important role in gaining power of the new "clergy" dictatorship.
What is happening now in Iran against the system that emerged from this revolution is the explosion of people's anger against the Islamic Republic and the rise of a rebellious Iran in the direction of another revolution that is rooted in all kinds of crises and social divisions. A roaring stream that moves on the boiling bed of society and goes through various upheavals. A revolutionary process, which is supported by the rich experience of the Bahman Revolution.
The revolutionary movement "Women, Life, Freedom" is a sign of the high level of political maturity of the Iranian people, which has made the world admire. This movement should not be seen as a sudden bolt of lightning in a cloudless sky, but rather a reflection of the people's reflection and hesitation on their contemporary experience and the outcome of Iran's advancement to the level of modern, non-discriminatory, libertarian, democratic and secular thought.
The campaign of the harbingers of the return to the previous tyranny and dictatorship and their supporters against the generation who participated in the Bahman Revolution, on the basis of the voice of "Woman, Life, Freedom" are looking for a platform to take over this movement and they are deliberately turning a blind eye to the transformation of all generations in Iran and in the fight against the tyranny of the Islamic Republic, they aim to take revenge for the Bahman Revolution and restore the political situation before the revolution. However, the profoundly secular and democratic movement of "Zhina" is a critique and at the same time the continuation of the 1979 revolution and the rejection of any dictatorship.
The Left Party of Iran (People’s Fadaian) considers the Bahman Revolution as a big step towards overcoming tyranny and autocracy in Iran. A development that failed and its offspring became another monster in our society. Today, what is important is not to go back, but to learn from the lessons of the Bahman Revolution, which can open the horizon for a brighter future, pave the way for establishment of a system in the form of a secular and democratic republic. The lessons of the Bahman Revolution should be applied in a united effort to transition from the Islamic Republic to fulfill the long-standing aspirations of a nation that has been seeking to create a free and just society based on the free will of the people since the constitutional revolution. The revolutionary discourse of our people this time, in the revolutionary movement of “Women, Life, Feedom”, is based on the foundation of civil rights, and this makes the hope for a better future more alive and the return to the painful past more impossible.
Political-Executive Board of the Left Party of Iran (People’s Fadaian)
February 11, 2023
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