The Islamic Revolution of Iran was an exceptional, unique phenomenon of the twentieth century. The inherent features and its specific messages as well as its sphere of influence turned the Islamic Revolution into a bright, firm revolution that became the focus of attention of the world. Both the Islamic world and other nations, including the peoples and the politicians, were influenced by this revolution and became acquainted with new aspects of Islam as a state religion. The Islamic Revolution of Iran was a development that was carried out by the people and was based on their religious principles and pillars. Hence, the Islamic Revolution had two major features that were manifest in the name of the political system it founded, that is, "Islamic Republic".
"I am going to discuss these two features, which have left major impacts on the image of this revolution in the world as they did in the victory and perpetuation of the revolution in our Islamic country. One of these two features was that the foundation of this revolution was based on religious values, ethic, and spirituality; and the other was that the revolution was based on the people's will and determination who wanted to play their role in the formation and administration of the revolution. In other words, in the post-revolution era, people's role was not undermined and they remained in the scene of the revolution as a significant element. These two features exist in our revolution."[32]
Before the victory of the Islamic Revolution, the politicians, scholars and peoples of the world were acquainted with the name of Islam, but they had knowledge of an Islam, whose features were grossly different from what happened in the Islamic Revolution. The best explanation in this regard was given by Imam Khomeini, the founder and leader of the Islamic Republic. He classified Islam into two categories: one, what is known in the world as "American-style Islam" and, second, what was introduced by the Islamic Revolution as "genuine Mohammedan Islam".
The genuine Mohammedan Islam is the Islam of justice and equity; Islam of dignity and Islam of protection of the downtrodden, barefooted and disinherited; Islam of defense of the rights of the oppressed and wretched; Islam of jihad (holy war) against the enemies and uncompromising with the bullies and plotters. It is Islam of ethic, virtue and spirituality. American-style Islam is something in the name of Islam which is in the service of the arrogant powers and justifier of their acts; it is a pretext for the isolation of a major chunk of the believers and evasion of attending to the affairs of the Muslims and the fate of the Muslim nations; it is a tool for separating a great chunk of the social-political decrees of Islam from the corpus of religion and confining the religion to the mosques (of course, mosque not as a base for running the affairs of the Muslims as it used to be in the early years of the development of Islam but as a corner for renouncing from the worldly life and separation of the this world from the hereafter).
The American-style Islam is the Islam of indifferent people, who do not think of anything except their own animal-like welfare and consider God and religion as a capital for trade and a means for accumulation of wealth or gaining power and would shamelessly forget, or give a biased interpretation of, all the Quranic verses and traditions that are against their interests or will. The American-style Islam is the Islam of the kings and rulers who sacrifice the interests of the their deprived, oppressed nations in the altar of their deities, the United States and Europe, as a quid pro quo for their support of their government and stigmatic power. It is the Islam of the capitalists who trample upon all the values and virtues in order to preserve their own interests. Ye, this is American-style Islam which invites the people to keep away from politics, understanding, discussion and political action. But the genuine Mohammedan Islam considers politics as an inextricable part of religion and calls on all Muslims to political understanding and action. And this is what the Muslim nations should always remember from their late Imam and the impressive tongue of Islam."[33]