“The Revival of Islam”: a French view of the Islamic Revolution in Iran

Abstract

In this article, the author investigates the responses of French diplomats and experts to the events occurring in Iran during 1978–1979 and their consequences. This analysis is conducted primarily in the context of the rising prominence of religious considerations in international relations. To this end, the author draws on materials from the archives of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In France, the dual nature of these events was acknowledged. Firstly, there was a notable “re-Islamisation” of the populations in Muslim countries. In many of them, Islam became an influential factor in the formation of national identities after independence, serving to unify and stabilise communities. Secondly, French diplomats emphasised that while religion played a part in these developments, it was not the sole driving force. Rather, it was employed by local leaders as a political tool to advance their own agendas. The French experts demonstrated a tendency to overestimate the degree of Western influence on educated and wealthy sections of Muslim populations, while simultaneously underestimating the capacity of nationally oriented Islamic leaders and movements to modernise their respective countries. Furthermore, these experts also underestimated the ability of these leaders and movements to defend their right to development in accordance with their own customs and traditions. It is notable that many of the conclusions drawn by French diplomats at the turn of the 1970s and 1980s do not align with the contemporary interpretations of the French authorities. A review of the French Foreign Ministry notes from 1978 to 1979 revealed no mention of the issue of Islamic influence and its radical form in the Maghreb and the Middle East on the Muslim community in France.