Ayatollah Khomeini describes himself as the "champion of the Islamic revival" and unity

When Ayatollah Khomeini describes himself as a "champion of Islamic revival" and unity, he emphasized matters on which Muslims might agree, such as the struggle against Zionism and imperialism, while downplaying Shia-specific concerns that would cause Shia and Sunni to disagree. Khomeini was adamantly opposed to having intimate ties with either Eastern or Western Bloc countries because he thought the Islamic world should form its own bloc or merge into a single, undivided force.

He believed that Western culture was essentially decadent and that it corrupted young people. Western pop culture was restricted or outlawed in the Islamic Republic, including popular music, movies, and books. He is credited with turning Islam into the virtual face of Western popular culture, inspiring dread and mistrust of Islam, and turning the title "Ayatollah" into a colloquialism meaning a dangerous lunatic in the West.

This has been the case, notably, in the United States, where several Iranians have stated that they felt compelled to conceal their nationality, even at colleges, out of concern for physical attack. There, Khomeini and the Islamic Republic are blamed for the hostage-taking at the American embassy, accused of funding terrorist acts and hostage-taking, and they continue to impose economic sanctions on Iran.