from The crisis of Islam"- Bernard Lewis

"The word revolution has been much misused in the modern Middle East, being applied to - or claimed for - many events which would more appropriately be designated by the French coup d'etat, the German Putsch, or the Spanish pronunciamiento. The political experience of the English speaking peoples, interestingly provides no equivalent term."

"Does this mean that Islam is a theocracy? In the sense that god is seen as the supreme sovereign, the answer would have to be yes indeed. In the sense of governement by a priesthood, most definitely not. The emergence of a priestly hierarchy and its assumption of ultimate authority in the state is a modern innovation and is a unique contribution of the late Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran to Islamic thought and practice."