IRAN: ROUND 2

 

I am of the opinion, and currently working on a paper, that Iran’s bold move in standing up to the USA and, by extension, the quest for a Greater Israel, and outsmarting them thus far, will have a profound impact on Muslims all over the world, especially the youth. The impact in Malaysia will be deep as well. I have been suggesting and writing about this for many decades.

I titled this entry IRAN: Round 2, as Round 1 was Iran’s Revolution in 1979. The 1979 Iranian Revolution had a profound impact on the Islamic world by demonstrating, for the first time in the modern era, that a Western-backed secular regime could be overthrown and replaced with an Islamic system of governance. This inspired a surge of confidence in Islamic identity and political Islam across many Muslim societies, including Malaysia, encouraging movements to frame politics, resistance, and social justice in Islamic terms. It energized both Shi’a and Sunni groups, sparked Islamic activism and, in some cases, uprisings across the region, while also intensifying debates about the role of Islam in state and society.

In an article I posted at 5 pm on May 5, 2013, polling day of GE13, I stressed and predicted that PAS would do much better. In that article, I wrote:

“That Malaysia will turn more and more ‘Islamic’ is a foregone conclusion. I will share two main reasons for this; one being local while the other, global.

In Malaysia today, the Muslim majority are giving birth more than the rest. Owing to this rate, by 2050 Muslims should make up about 70% of Malaysia, compared to the current 60%. A survey on young Muslims aged 15 to 25 years old in Malaysia, published on the Merdeka Centre website, reports that more than 70% of them aspire to adopt the Islamic way of life and desire to see society move forward in the same manner. These statistics are more than just numbers; they indicate where Malaysians are heading and how that journey is reshaping our nation.

At the global front, while by the 80s and early 90s communism and nationalism, two of the forces obstructing world dominance by the USA, were no longer in a position to pose any challenge to Washington, the Iranian Revolution of 1979 thrust Islam to the fore in both national and international politics. A decade later, in 1989, the Mujahideen’s victory over Soviet Russia in Afghanistan showed that a small, organised, determined, and united group of Muslims could resist and defeat a superpower.

A new kind of confidence and consciousness was injected into the Muslim world. Muslim revivalism, which began in the nineteenth century, experienced renewed vitality. Muslims, especially the youth, rethought, reflected, and revived their rich and often forgotten history, bringing it into present memory and rekindling the spirit of their own golden era.

Furthermore, events in the Middle East, especially the treatment of Palestinians by Israel and its allies, and what is perceived as double standards by the West towards Muslim nations, continue to fuel this growing consciousness. Muslims today increasingly see Islam as a possible alternative framework for managing society and the nation. Malaysian Muslims share these ideals.”

You can read the full article here:
https://letusaddvalue.blogspot.com/2013/05/a-stronger-islamic-flavour-after-ge13.html

In a recent research paper by Syaza Shukri, “Why Young Malay Voters in Malaysia Are ‘Turning Green’,” this position is further reinforced.

Syaza's paper was written before the current conflict in the Middle East. I have strong conviction that IRAN: Round 2 will create an impact and momentum that has yet to be fully realised, not only among Muslims in Malaysia but across the world.

I look forward to sharing my full article with you after Raya, God willing.

Peace.