This is a response on the letter "Another
Shahanshah? No thank you." I was only six-years old when the revolution
took place. I left Iran nine years after witnessing a horrifying war and
having both my parents jailed and tortured at Evin "university."
Both my parents were "purged" and many other members of my family
experienced the same ordeal. Let me tell you my mother was a midwife and
in my family there were teachers, doctors and engineers. On top of that
we were denied to get a passport and leave the country. In those days of
war, blood and long lines for basic necessities of life, I was always reminded
of the days when Iranian singers and dancers entertained people with our
rich culture.
Let me save you from any prejudgment. I am not a monarchist. No member
of my family enjoyed favor with the previous regime. We were as apolitical
as one could be. We were Iranians who were not SHI'ITE Muslims. Since 1979,
that has been a crime in Iran. I am not writing this to defend monarchy
or the late Shah. I am here to remind my distinguished countryman that
he is wrong to assume that everything was terrible in pre-1979 Iran and
that everything was fine between 1979-80.
The Pahlavi regime committed many crimes. But which government doesn't.
Compare the shah's regime to anywhere else in the area. Was the Pahlavi
regime more corrupt and unjust than those in Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia,
Jordan, or even Turkey and Egypt? Can anyone name any government in all
of the Islamic world that was any better than the shah's regime. I think
perhaps it was the best of all evils. The shah missed many opportunities
to advance our country towards democracy and a true "Great Civilization"
but don't democracies commit mistakes?
The shah ended feudalism in Iran, introduced modern education and women's
liberation. Iranian art, culture and historical pride was rejuvenated in
post-1925. Read history, in 1925, Iran was the MOST BACKWARD country in
the Middle East. It lacked an educational system, a judicial system, a
national army and central authority. Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians, Baha'is
were forced to live in their own quarters and forbidden to engage with
the rest of the population. There was no guarantee of life and property
for them. The achievements of Cyrus, Darius, Ardeshir and many other great
pre-Islamic Iranian thinkers and rulers had all been forgotten. Who revived
the pride in being Iranian? Iranian people did but it was under Pahlavi
leadership.
YES, there were countless injustices and mistakes. Let's, however, compare
that 55 years to the first 12 months of the Islamic Republic. The courageous
men of Iranian armed forces were shot by hundreds. Religious freedom for
all disappeared. Singers, painters, musicians fled or were killed. Women
were packed in mournful clothes. In Shiraz, Islamic militants destroyed
archaeological remains of pre-Islamic Iran. They told our people that for
2,500 years EVERYTHING was bad, horrible, a waste. A nation had been a
bad child for 26 centuries. They forgot to remind us that we were the cradle
of first monotheistic faith, human rights, religious tolerance, the Suez
canal, beautiful architecture in Isfahan, Shiraz and on and on. From and
international destination we became a nation of overnight executions, and
terrorism. Not only the name of Iran was degraded, the faith of Prophet
Mohammad suffered a blow from which it will take it centuries to recover.
To blame the previous regime for current ills is understandable but
not legitimate. If you didn't like certain things why not try to move towards
progress instead of turning back the clock. Following a molla is going
back 15 centuries. Those who responded to Khomeini's call made a mistake.
Instead of being apologetic they talk of how "wonderful" things
were for 12 months and then they were betrayed. And all this is the shah's
fault that they were misled and out-smarted by a molla from Qom.
M. Jalili
hjalili@eden.rutgers.edu
