• Surprise, Surprise! 🎉: When everyone thought an Islamic revolution would pop up in an Arab nation, it happened in...Iran.

• The Shah and His "Invincible" Rule 🤴

  • The Shah of Iran had a strong army 🪖 and a not-so-friendly secret police 🕵️‍♂️.

  • But guess what? He got overthrown!

• A New Republic 🕌

  • Massive popular movement = Shah out!

  • Iran established a republic based on Islamic law, with big boss Ayatollah Khomeini leading the way. 👳‍♂️

• Shots Fired 📢: Khomeini & his squad weren't fans of other Middle Eastern governments, especially those BFFs with the West or Soviet Union. Why? They thought they were corrupt and not really Islamic. 😒

• Arab World's Reaction 🌍

  • Initial Reaction: "Wow! Go Iran!" 👏

  • Afterthought: "Hmm, maybe not." 🤨 Why?

    • Iran = Persian, not Arab.

    • Religion Mix-Up: Iran = mostly Shiites. Arab World = mostly Sunnis.

    • Iran vs Iraq, 1980: Most Arab countries sided with Iraq. 🇮🇶

• 1978 Drama 🎭: Afghan communists (with Soviet buddies) took control. Result? Islamist groups = Super mad. 😡

• 1980s Action Movie 🎬: December 1979 - Soviet troops come in, Afghan guerrillas (mujahideen) fight back. Imagine a 10-year-long blockbuster!

• International Fan Base 🌐

Team Mujahideen 🌟: Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, USA, Britain, and others. Why?

• Saudis & Pakistanis: Fellow Muslims helping out. 🕌

• USA & West: "Down with the Soviet ‘evil empire’!" said President Ronald Reagan.

• Weapon Drop 💣: The West, especially the USA, went Oprah: "You get a missile, and you get a missile!" 🚀

• The Saudi Star 🌟: Osama Bin Laden.

  • His role: Used his wealth to create an underground fortress in Afghanistan. ⛏️

  • Founded: al-Qaida. (Fun Fact: "al-Qaida" = Arabic for "bases").

• Training Camp Time! 🏕️: Around 15,000 volunteers from Saudi Arabia and several thousand from Egypt trained to fight in Afghanistan.

• 1989 Mic Drop 🎤: Soviets pack their bags and leave.

  • Death toll: A heartbreaking 1 million Afghans. 😢

  • After-Effects: The birth and growth of many Islamist groups. If they could beat the mighty Soviets, why not other weaker governments?