The specialized course, “Mutual Services of the Islamic Republic and Iran,” held at KHANA, featured Dr. Mohammad Hossein Rajabi Davani who provided a historical and cultural analysis. He detailed the greatness of Iranian Civilization and the dynamic, living relationship between historical Iran and the Islamic Republic system. According to him, Iran is the embodiment of one of the “longest-lasting known human civilizations” that has never yielded to idolatry or the cultural dominance of foreign invaders.
Iran: A Civilization That Refused to Be Conquered
Iranian people are people who may have suffered apparent military defeats, but who have always been victorious in culture, thought, and Iranian Civilization.
- Iran, during the Achaemenid era, was not only the first global superpower but also held sway over regions stretching from China to the Balkans.
- The cause of Iran’s historical defeats was not the weakness of the nation, but the incompetence of its rulers; for whenever a brave and wise leader was at the helm, Iran never feared any power.
- Unlike the civilizations of Egypt, India, China, and Greece, which were either dissolved or assimilated in later eras, Iran has endured from antiquity to the contemporary age in its original civilizational standing, often absorbing its enemies within.
From Seleucids to Abbasids: Absorbing the Invader into Iranian Culture
- Following Alexander’s invasion, Greek generals like Seleucus and the Ptolemaic dynasty ruled Iran for about 80 years, but ultimately, Greek culture failed to endure in Iran. Conversely, Iranian thoughts found their way into Greek philosophy.
- The fall of the Sassanids was due not to the faith of the Arabs, but to the demoralization of the Iranians and the corruption of Khosrow Parviz. [… However…] In none of the regions of the Maghreb, Levant, or Egypt did nations resist Arabization; yet, Iran in its acceptance of Islam, preserved its language and culture.
- The Arabs in Iran became Iranian themselves.
The Islamic Republic: Reviving Identity and Continuing Iran’s Historical Mission
The Islamic system is not merely a continuation of the same spirit of resistance and cultural absorption inherent to the Iranian Civilization; it initiates a new stage of human civilization—a modern Islamic civilization defined in the “Second Step Statement”.
- From the first day of the Revolution until today, the Iranian nation has preserved its historical mission against ideological and military aggression. Iran today is the same Iran of yesterday, possessing a religious faith, national pride, and cultural capacity that no other nation, religion, or civilization has managed to dissolve or assimilate.
- Today’s youth are the heirs of the great Iranian and Islamic civilization, and they must pass on this trust to future generations with awareness, faith, and effort.
