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5-3- Cultural Independence and Rejection of Western Culture
Cultural independence issue is a more complicated task compared to
other aspects of independence, for firstly, the culture's realm is a vast one;
secondly, the corrupt Pahlavi regime with the help of West-enchanted elements
had spread West-enchantment in this country during its fifty-year rule. Hence
widespread, long-term attempts were required to rescue the youth from the
whirlpool of Western corruption. Of course the revolutionary fervor helped a
lot in solving these problems.
"The Islamic Republic showed from the very beginning that it would not
surrender to the corrupt, vulgar Western culture. I would like to add another
point, that is, the real domination of the powers is cultural domination: that
is, if a nation succeeds in spreading its own culture, beliefs, dogmas, rites,
customs, habits, and above that its language and script among another nation,
it is dominating the latter nation and its domination is real one. What the
French did with other nations during the past 200 years, and what the British
did in another period, and later the Americans did, was to export their
language, script, culture and lifestyle to any country did could. Even if a
country is economically independent and is not dependent on the powers, if the
alien powers succeeded in spreading their culture in this country, they would
dominate it. Islam has determined the duties of the Muslims in their
interaction with others, their individual lifestyle, their food and eating,
their clothing, studying, their relations with the government, their relations
with each other and their transactions. We do not want to learn them from the
Westerners or to imitate them. The Islamic Republic has demonstrated it from
the very beginning."[52] With
all its claims for democracy, when the West confronts the firm, clear stance of
the Islamic Revolution in rejection of the Western culture and
West-enchantment, it shows a strong reaction and through leveling baseless
charges of violation human rights in Iran, launches widespread efforts to
influence the friends of the Revolution, the people's mentality, particularly
the youth and distorting the facts of the Islamic system for the public
opinion. While the West tries to underestimate the conscious commitment of the
Iranian nation to religious and cultural values of Islam, it bigotedly defends
the methods of its corrupt, unhealthy culture.
The West criticizes the Islamic Republic because of compulsory uniform
dress code for the women in this country; but the countries that make nakedness
and lack of veil between men and women compulsory are not criticized by the
West! Why it is so? Because it is against the accepted Western culture. They
are very sensitive about this issue. The West is sensitive in the spread of
alcoholic drinks and considers it a positive point among the nations and their
customs and habits. If in a country alcoholic drinks were banned and their
drinking had some penalties, the Westerners would show reaction, considering it
reactionary; but if alcoholic drinks were allowed and prevailed in a country
and the government did not show sensitivity towards it, or rather spread it,
they would consider it good."[53]
