Fariba Amini

Why Reza Pahlavi is feared?

Have you ever seen a single article or a blog appearing on this site that has singularly targeted and attacked, say Mossadegh, or his first partner Kashani, or his second partner Kianouri, or their joint offspring Khomeini?If yes, please let me know. because I couldn't find any. Remember I said, an article or a blog, and not a response  or comment, solely written to bash any of the above personalities. Even if you find one or two, the frequency of such articles appearing on Iraniandotcom is literally once in a blue moon. Now compare this with the frequency (and ferocity) of the articles, essays, news and video clips and many more that keep appearing every month, if not every week or even on a daily basis. Makes you wonder why. 

The last Pahlavi king left the political scene of his country more than three decades ago and passed away within a year of his departure. Whatever is the verdict of his time in office, even the most anti-Shah activists of those days (and I mean those who mattered and not the mere foot soldiers and cheer leaders) agree that his son had no hand in the good and bad of his father's reign. 

Then why is it that Reza Pahlavi is continuously and viciously attacked, slandered and derided by the very people who claim to be human rights activists? Has he done anything in breach of human rights or has he ever advocated such deeds? Has he ever approved of the breaches of human rights during the reign of his father?If anything he has condemned any such breaches whenever or wherever they may have happened.

Is the source of his wealth the only thing he has to account for? Aren't our human rights activists aware of the principle of "one is assumed innocent until proven guilty"? Why our so called human rights activists cannot wait until there is a democratically run judicial system in place in Iran and then through the due process of law they bring Mr Pahlavi to the dock? why is that Reza Pahlavi's human rights so disrespected by our supposedly human rights activists?

Could it be that their interests are threathened by Mr Pahhlavi? Is that why they fear his being in the spotlight?

But apart from such wanton disregard for rule of law, the most undemocratic feature of our human rights ativists is their deaparate struggle to relate Mr Pahlavi to his father and grand father!

If I want to relate the  collusionist deeds of the fathers to those f their offspring the site's censorship will come to the aid of the "party."

FR

FYI/Daryush Shayegan Global Dialogue Prize Winner

Keep them coming ... I love This ...

Daryush Shayegan Global Dialogue Prize Winner by DK

LOL

Recommended Reading:

Letter by Her Majesty Farah Pahlavi to Aarhus University Denmark Congratulating Dr. Shayegan and the Academy's choice

Muhamed Khatami's UN Speach on the Necessity of a Dialogue of Civilizations Sept 5th, 2000 (Iranian.com)

Folks - slow down

Do not let your emotions cloud your path.  Many of the avatars I see here want the best for Iran.  Fariba may have lost loved ones during Shah's regime and looking for some appology, but others have lost even more during the past 31 years in a more repressive regime. 

I am not a monarchist, but I have been listening to RP's speeches and been impressed by his words.  However, I am still critical of him for not changing / modifying / amending the 1906 constitution accordingly, since the monarchists always default back to that particular document with its own faults.  I am looking to see what/how RP proposes a path of action rather than get down to his knees and fess-up to the sins of his fathers.  Analogously, although rather satisfactory, it would as if we expected Ahmadinejad or Khamenei to say that the 1979 revolution was a farse.  Ain't gonna happen.

Instead of fighting each other, let's put our energy into agreeing what is best for Iran; namely a future government who respects the UN charter of human rights, believes in equality (gender, race & religion), believes in freedom of expression and believes in separation of religion and government.

Thanks, VPK

I don't know about Mammad, the poster. I wouldn't undermine everything he types...(as I'm  sure that his views are a reflection of quite a chunk of Iranian society). He "contextualizes' very well.

There is a book by Daryush Shayegan (published 1982 and I don't know if there is an English version)  'Qu'est-ce qu'une Révolution religieuse?', in particular there is an excellent chapter 'L'ideoligisation de la tradition', which explains a lot.

From(not totally about the chapter and going off topic of the blog...)

//globaldialogueprize.org/page.php?idMenu=5&i...

"...Shayegan describes the cultural experience of ‘Eastern thinkers’ who in
their encounter of ‘Western’ thought find themselves in the
intersection of two fundamentally different cultural “paradigms of
knowing and being in the world.” The two paradigms, which he calls the
“traditional view” and the “view of modernity” are different in the
radical sense that they are incommensurable—there is not overlap, their
parts (concepts and practices) cannot be mapped onto or imported into
another. Individuals and societies are thus caught in a “cultural
schizophrenia” which must be understood and addressed as such to
preserve social and international peace....

Thus the program of ‘Islamic democracy’ consists in negotiating “two
mutually repellent paradigms, one structuring the mutilated perceptions
of the outlook [i.e., the political theory], the other conditioning the
emotional content of beliefs.” (ibd. p. 50). Shayegan himself does not
see much hope for this project (see Qu’est-ce qu’une Révolution religieuse?), at least as long as the diversity of the paradigms are underestimated.  ..."

Poland, different kettle of fish....

"I still have my own teeth. 'Just can't remember where I've put them."

mammad's tanvirat (to VPK)

I rarely agree with you, but after his tanvirat the other day (in Fred's blog) I wonder why mammad does not take it easy with Fred, let alone Shahis, or socialist supporters of imperialism such as yourself!!?

FYI/¿Por qué no te callas? ...

King Juan Carlos to Chávez: "Shut up" (ENGLISH SUBTITLES):

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3Kzbo7tNLg

Marjaneh

You got one point right. The global communications is really helping open our eyes. Before arguments for IRI's creation passed by Mammad may have held water.  But Poland and nations transition from communism proves the opposite. With easy access to this infomration we can see that dictatorships may easily go to democracies. It makes the excuses weaker. Or I at least hope it does.

Maybe people will finally get up and take responsibility for their mistakes.

Lets hope so.

VPK

Mammad

• I have repeatedly said I only speak for myself. Why do you and your like minded people always accuse people like me of this? When did I claim to talk for others.
• I have heard the argument about eliminating all the other opposition. But the facts disagree. If Shah had eliminated all the other opposition where did the JM and MKO come from? I was there, I remember there was plenty of other opposition.
• What about my argument about other nations? How do you explain other nations which transitions from dictatorship to democracy. How about Poland which also had a religious based freedom movement? Why did it not become a theoocracy?
• Good for you being from Khorasan ; it does not change my arguments.

Ahura. Thank you for your elaborate post

" 
The giant vulnerability of Iranian culture is the
despotic mindset that breeds bigotry, intolerance, superstition,
corruption, and ignorance. In such culture sycophancy abounds while
objectivity and democracy remain elusive and unattainable. "

Agreed to a certain extent, which is one of the reasons it's impossible to "modernize" - forced overnight... -  without "modern fundamental  rights" and education....

However, my hopes are pinned up high - for one, because of global communication, exchange and consequent understandings and expectations....

"I still have my own teeth. 'Just can't remember where I've put them."

socio/political movements suddenly jump out of a vacuum, yeah!

They just big-bang out of  the blue black holes.

Oh, Fredsy and his/her "brethrens".*;) Humor is a good thing; humour even greater (fun).

"I still have my own teeth. 'Just can't remember where I've put them."

* that is a supercilious attempt at copying Fredsy lingo

“the Gates of Hell.”

Thanks Ahura, for a well-written comment. 

visit....//www.tudehpartyiran.org/mardom.asp

Hilariously funny Haji

Islamists like Haji nuke are really funny.

Now with what all the innate barbarity of their brand has done to Iran and Iranians is undeniable--which this Haji nuke wants to prolong by having them armed with nuke--they are saying it  is someone else’s fault?

Wasn’t their first “Prime Minister” none other than their stupendously clueless Islamist Mehdi Bazargan?

Weren’t their other charlatan Ali Shariati puppies who established and operated each and every murderous organs of the Islamist Rapist Republic like its intelligence services, Basij and Pasdars?

And the core of the current Islamist Rapist version II movement is not headed by another charlatan Ali Shariati hubby & wifey Mousavi duo of which the hubby needs a date with ICC to answer for crimes against humanity?

Besides being hilariously funny, the nerve of them Islamists is truly amazing.

VPK

First of all, like everyone else, I only express my opinion, and unlike you, do not claim to speak for anyone.

Secondly, that you are a prophet does not give you the power to expand your universe of a few people like yourself to include everyone else and make a grand statement! Not so fast! This is again one of those typical comments on IC whereby one person represents everybody else.

Third, instead of espousing mumbo jumbo and impulsively say something as soon as you see people like me say anything, try to think for a minute:

The reason that I said the regime of VL is the legitimate child of the Pahlavis is that the latter eliminated all the secular leftists, nationalists (NF), and moderate nationalist-religious forces like Bazargan and comrades who did not want to overthrow the Shah, but wanted him to be a constitutional monarch. That left no one but Ayatollah Khomeini and his followers. It is as simple as that.You have a good argument to counter it? Let's hear it.

Mammad

P.S.: I am from Khorasan and Mashhad

Culture of Despotism

Thank you Ms. Fariba Amini for this comprehensive article. The giant vulnerability of Iranian culture is the despotic mindset that breeds bigotry, intolerance, superstition, corruption, and ignorance. In such culture sycophancy abounds while objectivity and democracy remain elusive and unattainable.

The Pahlavi kings did continue the despotic rules of previous monarchy regimes in Iran, although they modernized a very underdeveloped country using oil revenues, and services of many patriotic Iranians.  I recall Mohammad Reza Pahlavi proclaiming “Kurosh sleep comfortably that we are awake” and “Iran is reaching the gates of Great Civilization”, but alas M.R. Pahlavi was sleep and Iran ended up arriving at “the Gates of Hell.”  I know Shaholahi friends attribute the latter to Guadeloupe, intellectuals, too much prosperity, full stomachs, Jimmy Carter, big oil companies, leftists, Jebheh Melli traitors, and MKO.  

On Iranians and democracy the fact remains that majority of Iranians are believers in Islam and by a vote of 98% approved the IRI constitution on October 24, 1979.  No one can nullify that vote except the people themselves through a referendum, which will not happen, or a regime change. Lots of damage has been done to Iran and Iranians by IRI theocracy since its inception. Many informed Iranians are striving to change this regime and many more need to be mobilized to complete this mission.  After the inevitable demise of IRI the tough work will be to undo years of despotic religious dogmas by mullahs. To realize the formidable difficulty of this task see how much of the ways of democracy you practice, assuming you have been only exposed to secular despotism.

Here are some links that I got from Google search on Pahlavi kings and recent Iranian history. Learning some basic facts, before embellishing them with one’s personal interpretation, beats lobotomy by far. No offense to learned residents of this site, this is just introspection.

//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reza_Shah 

www.mideastweb.org/iranhistory.htm

Anglo-Persian Oil Company - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 

VPK: An anecdote

I think you raise good points. Let me tell you a little anecdote: several years ago I visited Iran. While there, I went on a bus tour of Gilan and Azarbaijan just to do some "sightseeing". The people on the tour were mostly Iranians from different parts of Iran (middle class people) and a few Iranians who lived in the U.S., including me. The atmosphere on the bus was relaxed; the tour operator told jokes; played Mansour's music; people could pull the shades on the bus; and women could relax their hejab. On this tour was a family from Mashhad: a grandmother, her daughter and the daughter's son. They were very nice people and the daughter struck me as a very nice and genuine person--"momen" but in a good way. While talking with the grandmother she told me that one of her husband's students in Mashhad had been Ali Shariati. I nodded my head respectfully as if to say, "Yes, he was a great scholar, blah, blah". The next thing she said was: "Shariati was one of the people who got us into this disaster, along with Al-e Ahmad". That's a true story, and I thought you might enjoy hearing it. Cheers!

same politics

Ms. Amini that syasate.... (yeki be naal-yeki be mikh) is not going to work any more get over it please.

BTW is there any relation with gran lodge sir Amini who served before or after sharif emami ?

We may (I) enjoy reading all Iran related blogs of pre 79 to present just to keep my self at home and out of trouble .

And personally I don't buy any thing from IRANIANS that hold kharchangi passport next to their western one so they can travel (vacation ) East and West whenever they desire .           

Mr. Reza Pahlavi is fortunate and unfortunate to be born in a family of TRUE IRAN loving Pahlavi; fortunate being part of Pahlavi dynasty who brought PRIDE & GLORY to all Iranians,and unfortunate ..... you can fill the blanks.

Why don't you and some of your like minded not sending any money to that cause you're talking about ? UNHCR and red cross will gladly take your tax deductible donation GUARANTEED              Maziar

Fatollah

I basically agree with you here. People are not willing to accept their guilt. Those who supported the revolution still want to blame someone else. The Shah is convenient since he is not around. So they blame him.

It may be too much to admit how wrong they were. So they still try to claim that the revolution was a good thing. That it replaced some sort of "evil fascist" thing. That it then got hijacked by Khomeini. They forget they were marching for Ayatollah knowing full well he will gain power.Somehow that is always lef out my Mammad or Amini.

I also agree that if Khomeini was killed someone else would have taken his place. The BBC had its marching orders and followed it to the letter. That is why I never pay attention to BBC and do not take them as a legitimate news service. 

We need to take responsibility. Stop blaming others and stop following fake leaders. Thankfully there are people like you out there.

Mrs. Amini

"However, he does not state the reasons why we are all facing the present disaster"

Do you? How about asking mr. Sandjabi? Well, he's not alive, is he? Neither is Shah!  So, let's end the blame game once and for all! 

...

unfortunately most people won't just accept the failure and misery they brought upon themselves and Iran in 1979.  Admitting to own guilt and taking responsibilty for one's actions isn't an Iranian trait, even among our most educated lot ... as for JM [Jebhe Melli] they did their share of damage post 1953! blaming the Shah is too easy! 

Mossadegh is a martyr, we love martyrs, bless his soul. somebody suggested that khomeiny being put to death, the problem -Amir khan- is that there were many Khomeiny's to replace him ...  either in 63 or in 79 when he suddenly was elavated to the level of sainthood. Thanks to BBC and the rest, he was given free room [700 interviews within 6 month in Neauphle-Chateau, not bad for 78 years old].

by the way, I recommend Dr. Abbas Milani's books. 

p/s we are our own making.

No Mammad

The VF is not the child of Pahlavi. You like the rest of Pahlavi bashes are grasping at straws. Many nations had dictatorships and did not devolve into VF style dictatorships. It was fake Islamists intellectuals and leftists who built the IRI.

VF itself was the brainchild of Khomeini and his worshipers. It is sickening that people like you are still trying to blame the Shah for IRI. Have you no shame?  Do you even know what Fascist means? Should I post a Wiki link for you.

I am glad that Amini and you are not being taken seriously. The people were fooled in 79. As you are trying to fool us again along with Amini and your ilk. But we are not falling for it. We had enough of Islamist and leftist charlatans and won't by it.

The only sin Shahhanshah Aryamehr Bozorg Artesh Daran

committed was that he did not unleash his military might on the commies, the MKOs, the mullahs, and the subversives. Of course the mullahs did exactly that during the 80's and see what happened. 

A good commie is a dead commie!

A good mullah is a dead mullah!

Amir

I am not sure that executing Khomeini would have prevented the revolution. But it would have prevented his rise to leadership. The revolution may have had a better path. Khomeini was the single most evil man to come to power in Iran in recent history. I am with you on that and agree that Shah should have done that.

However a more effective thing would have been to execute Shariati early on. It was Shariati and his ilk who set the stage for the Islamic republic. He was the intellectual basis for this disaster. For some reason people listened to his garbage. If the Shah had him "taken care" of early on the whole Islamist crap may not have happened. 

VPK

Velaayat-e Faghih and the Pahlavis

Regime-e Velaayat-e Faghih farzand-e Khalaf-e regime-e Pahlavi ast.

Without the dark dictatorial rule of the Pahlavis and their numerous tools of repression, some of which you, Ms. Amini, enumerated, we would never have had the Velaayat-e Faghih regime. If Iran's and anti-colonial nations' hero, Dr. Mohammad Mosaddegh, had continued his path, Iran would have been a model democracy.

And, the 1979 Revolution did not happen in a vacuum. It was not because a vast majority were fooled by a tiny minority, although even if the claim by the monarchists is true, the question would be, what conditions had the Pahlavis created that enabled a tiny minority to fool a vast majority? The Revolution came about because it was its time. The fact that it was hijacked does not discredit its root cause: The dark, fascist dictatorial rule of the Pahlavis.

Thank you Ms. Amini for saying once again what I have saying for years, and in particular in this site, for which I am always attacked by Moridaan-e baargaah-e Pahlavi! 

Mammad

His father's biggest sin

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's biggest sin (though certainly not the only one during the 38 years of his reign) was listening to Hasan Pakravan and/or Ayatollah Shariatmadari and NOT executing Khomeini for his Islamist hooliganism and treachery. This was the single deadliest sin of the Shah because it set the stage for the catastrophe of 1979 and the Iran-Iraq War. Just think how many hundreds of thousands of Iranian lives (and even Iraqi lives) could have been saved if the Shah had simply done the right thing and executed Khomeini. It is wrong and "sinful" not to kill Islamist terrorists when given the opportunity. The historical lesson of the Shah's "sin" is that killing Islamists can save countless lives. I think decent people always need to remember that lesson.

"My grandpa"

I wish your grandpa had married let's say SP's grandma, or grand aunt, so to speak.  Iran needs a middle-minded new generation, out of two extremes. 

visit....//www.tudehpartyiran.org/mardom.asp

Mehrdad

I will absolutely use the IRI as a yardstick to compare with Pahlavi. When people replace one regime with another what do you expect? We knew right then what the choices were:

• Pahlavi Bakhtiar
• Pahlavi regular
• Islamist Khomeini
• Islamist Mojahedin

Note I put them in the order from best to worst. Once we got Bakhtiar people should have stopped. But no, they used an irrational hatred to Shah to replace him with Khomeini. Any idiot would have known what we were getting. The only silver lining was that we did not get MKO. Think of what that would have got us.

How did anyone want an Islamic government whether regular or communist. Did these people not think of the obvious violation of non Muslim rights. Had they not read Khomeini's writings? If not then how dared they support him. Had they not realized that the Soviet Union was right behind the Mojaheding.

The revolutionaries act like this was all secret. It was not. We and they knew what was gonna happen. Yet they opted for it. Then all of them pack up and move to the West. From their nice cushy homes they make "demands" of RP! Why not go back to Iran and make real demands of AN? 

I have no respect for the ex revolutionaries who are blaming RP. The guy was a kid when this happened. Have people forgotten what a "toman" used to buy. Oh sure the Phalavi were real criminals. If you call love of nation criminal. The real problem with the Shah was he got too arrogant.

VPK

P_J

You think that using "cap" makes your arguments right? You are wrong it just makes them be capitalized. 

The Pahlavi did a great deal for Iran. But it was ungrateful people like you and Amini who are the problem.

On the whole the Shah was very soft on political dissent.Yes there were problems. Political opponents did get persecuted and that was wrong.  But compared to IRI the Shah did very little to his opponents. We should have had freedom of  speech but then many nations do not have it. In fact if we did then people would have known how full of shit Khomeini was. 

The Pahlavi were not a criminal enterprise. You are flat wrong on that. Show me proof of what you mean or admit you are wrong. People like you and Amini want to validate your revolution by trashing Pahlavi. It won't work and yes you were guilty of bringing IRI to power. You will never live this down so just accept your guilt.

Seconding Bavafa's post of P_J's but in particular

Bavafa's way of putting. 

Absolutely agree! 

"I still have my own teeth. 'Just can't remember where I've put them."

Thanks P_J, I concur with your entire statement.

Folks need to stop using this regime (IRI) as a yardstick for democracy, freedom and prosperity.  The choices are not Pahlavi vs. Khomeine, the choices are freedom, independence and democracy vs. misery which we had during the Pahlavi and many more fold now.

Mehrdad

Elham57

You wrote:

"SAVAK was rough. In reprospect, it should have been rougher."

How nice!

Then, you wrote:

"Was there ever a woman exected [sic]? No! Was there a teenager executed? No! Was there ever an old man executed? No!"

Was there  supposed to be?

I can't reread your post to respond to the rest.

For your information, she's also written another article:
//iranian.com/main/2010/jul/why-should-we...