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 Fifth time a charm?Why test the monarchy again after four failures? By Kazem Alamdari February 13, 2002 The Iranian 1. Following several promotional statements by the supporters of Reza Pahlavi, this time Mr. Mehrdad Khonsari does a bad marketing for him. It seems he is neither a solid monarchist nor a solid democrat, hence not even consistent in his own recommendation. Just compare the two following paragraphs from his note. In the beginning of his letter, he writes: "He [Reza Pahlavi] is the most widely recognized figure - outside or inside Iran - who is able to obtain access to the international media for articulating viewpoints in opposition to the IRI. No one can question that he enjoys a unique position in anything having to do with Iran." In the end, he writes: "In conclusion... given the unpredictability factor in Iran, it is important to remember that 12 months before the Iranian revolution of 1979 or the presidential election of 1997, not too many experts had heard much about Ayatollah Khomeini or Mohammad Khatami. So, lets not write anybody off just yet." Wow? If Mr. Khonsari is honest in his conclusion, then why should the Iranian people bother to waste their time for someone who has proved incompetent in even managing his own office and personal financial matters? 2. According to several statements, Reza Pahlavi wants to be a monarch only if people elect him to be so. Does anyone know an elected king? What is his term limit? Should his son will also ask the people to elect him as a king after his father's death? No, these pro-Pahlavi people are not serious in their own enterprise. They underestimate the Iranian people's conscience and rationality. This trick is being used by monarchists because they have learned that Iranians are far beyond letting someone rule over them simply because his father was a king, leave alone a very bad and repressive one. One thing is certain, if people find a chance to vote freely, then there are thousands of qualified political leaders in Iran -- inside and outside the jails. People do not need someone to lead them from America. 3. I think for some monarchists time froze 23 years ago. They don't recognize the drastic changes that have taken place in Iran after the revolution, particularly major developments in Iran's political culture. If before the revolution, people only knew what they did not want (the Shah), today they also know what they DO want (democracy and freedom). 4. Why do Iranians have to choose Reza Pahlavi? Does he have a special inherited biological or genetic makeup to qualify him and only him as the ruler of 65 million people? His grandfather came in power through a coup, and his father followed suit. 5. Iran has had four shahs in the past 85 years (Mohammad Ali shah Qajar, Ahamd shah Qajar, Reza shah Pahlavi, and Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi). All four shahs took the oath and swore to God to respect the constitution. Yet, all four lied and betrayed the constitution and the people, and all four were forced to leave Iran and died abroad. Isn't 85 years of despotism and dictatorship enough to learn not to let another monarch betray the people and the constitution? 6. Why do people have to swap a four-year limited term of an elected president to a lifetime monarch? Iranians have already paid a heavy price for a revolution. Why do monarchists want to kill the chance of future generations to elect their own political leaders when their time arrives? Today the Iranian people are in a process of leaving behind all non-elected rulers, be it Sheikh or Shah, and there is no reason to go backward instead of moving forward. Don't bank on a failed enterprise! Author Kazem Alamdari is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at California State University in Los Angeles.Dr Alamdari received his PhD from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He has taught at several institutions, including University of Tehran, and University of California, Los Angeles. More information here.
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