Imam Khomeini’s Islamic perspective of social integrity was comprised of a number of elements. It firstly embodied a popular nationalist sentiment that was central to the Iranian revolutionary movement. This widespread collective disposition related partly to a worldview shaped in conjunctural circumstances and influenced by a dominant international ideology coloured by ‘Third Worldism’ and ‘anti-imperialism’. Its discourse reflected the pro-people rhetoric of the Revolution as on the one hand being the ‘protector of the deprived masses’, offering the solution to their social problems, and on the other being a movement for national independence and of struggle against global imperialism. The Islamic discourse was imbued with that of liberation theory. One of the main tenets of Islamic social mobilization was that the social ills of society, inequality and oppression could only be eradicated by the termination of dependent relations with foreign powers and the severance of their influence in the country. The creation of ‘Islamic government’ that comprised an alternative more just social system entailed national independence through ‘self-sufficiency’. The latter concept did not imply comprehensive ‘de-linking’ from the world economy, but revolved around the idea of independence from the world-dominating states. It was repeatedly stressed that purchases would not be made from the dominant states, but rather resort would be made to the world market. Imam Khomeini also appeared to suggest that it would be preferable to forego economic development and material progress than to be ‘dependent’: If we could erect a wall like the Great Wall of China between East and West, between the Islamic countries and whatever ... so that our country can be saved from their grasp and even if we do without their progress it will be to our benefit ... do not be under the illusion that our relations with America or our relations with the Soviet Union ... [is] advantageous for us. This relationship is like the relationship between a wolf and a lamb which is not very advantageous for the lamb. The East must stand on its own two feet ... free itself completely from the West, and if this is not completely possible, at least to save its culture.
Shah's Miscalculated American Dream
