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satar Jaan Why don't you ask him ?

Well Maybe you will find answers to these questions by reading his book. I believe it will be translated into english soon.

But If you are asking my personal opinion, here is what I can say by being honest and sincere about it.

I am not infatuated by Reza Pahlavi. I think he is an intelligent man with a difficult and heavy heritage on his shoulders. I would not like to be in his shoes. But I also believe that his love for his country and people is genuine and respectable as anyone else in our community.

From what I understand RP believes that the monarchy is accountable and from what I read in his book, I should say that I was surprised by his open mindedness and modesty in reading some passages and at times I even disagreed with some of his strong critics towards his fathers reign. I did not share those sentiments not because I found him unfair but because I lived during that era and can draw my own conclusions to a large degree. But I found that his Mea Culpa for his fathers reign, shortcomings and crimes commited by his regime were sincerely critisized and his opinions genuine without being simplistic. The book is anything but a tissue of propaganda or attempt to convert anyone to the cause of the monarchy or even rally people to his own role as eventual monarch or president. It is about Unity for a common cause and that is Liberating Iran from the middle ages regime that this theocracy has become.

I would like to ask you a question in return. What do you really know of him or his father's personality ? I am not asking this with aggresivity but with genuine curiosity. 

I have noticed that most people don't bother to bring up arguments to oppose the Pahlavi's other than what we have heard from the mullahs in the past 30 years.

I have no complex as far as the monarchy is concerned in its constitutional form. I defend it and am proud of our Royal heritage that has greatly shaped our nation's identity for 25 centuries even to this day in the way we Iranians consider ourselves maybe in an exagerated way as the descendants of Cyrus the Great.

Maybe Iranians in America are just too American or have become too American and like most of their US compatriots see things through a particularly insular political perspective. In Europe a constitutional Monarchy and its restoration are nothing new or particularly strange. It has occured in many European States today and Spain, Belgium ( in the 20th century) and Great Britain ( in the 18th century after Cromwells Religious Republic) are no exception to the rule.

Europe like the Middle East are ancient lands with complex historical legacies and the concept of monarchy is not just linked to Royalty as such. It is essentially linked to the notion of Power and how it is exercised.

Democracy however have been established on this side of the Atlantic either by Revolution ( leading to Republics) or Reform of the Monarchical institutions into a truly democratic Constitutional Monarchy in its Parliamentary form.

Mentalities evolve and being stubbornly opposed to dialogue with monarchists by reducing them to fanatic shahollahis is as absurd as those monarchists who refuse to dialogue with secular republicans by claiming that they are dangerous revolutionaries.

The Period of Kings or Queens with Divine Right as in the case of RP's father is finished and most pragmatic monarchists are open minded people. If you want to consider the LA TV's as a reference well I can tell you I do not like them nor watch them. But I do not despise them for that matter either. They are Iranians just like you and me.

But it is not because a family member is intolerant that that person's attitude is shared by all the family. In politics its the same.

I don't know if RP will succeed, What I do know is that he is an oppurtunity and to ignore what he says or does simply on grounds that one does not like who he is or represents without trying to inform yourself at least on what he is really saying, seems to me a sign of if not arrogance at least of lack of openmindedness which is a prerequisite to knowledge. And as you would probably agree, Knowledge is Power.

Up to you to make up your mind on RP or his relative importance or not.

But the minimum requirement before objectively criticizing someone and indulging into character assassination of his intentions or personality, it would be good to inform yourself on what that person is saying.

Otherwise well what can I say ? You are free to dislike him and insult him and ignore his book or even burn it. But don't claim that everyone is entitled to think the same way.

In the end it is a case of personal Choice and that explains the title of his book:

IRAN l'heure du choix

You are Free to have your own even if it differs from mine. 

Best,

DK

DK

First, thanks for your well-mannered response! I expected a nasty reply with a ton of irrelevant videos.

Secondly, how many more years does RP need to do something positive for Iran and Iranians other than giving occasional Royal interviews here and there?

Thirdly, why should Iranians invest their future on someone who has come from a non-democratic aristocrat family and has not proved himself in the past thirty years?

If you choose to reply, please keep your cool and do it in a civilized manner. And no videos please.

satar Jaan

Well that is perfectly your right to think this way, but the French Press seems to think differently. While I am writing these words as a matter of fact, RP is in a talk show and you would be surprised by his comments including on his fathers reign. Only Time will say if he is indeed relative or on the contrary an asset to Iranian people in their struggle for democracy and human rights.

Best,

DK

DK

He is (and has always been) irrelevant. And you are wasting your and our times with your irrelevant posts. You are best at commenting on cheesy movies and songs. Why don't you just do that if you insist on blogging?

NOTHING NEW with him

We all have ras-le-bol with the same old repetitious stuff he says in all his interviews.

talk talk and more talk

He'd better make up his mind!

What good will all these books do?

people are really fed up! they want action, firmness, decisiveness, not some confused wanna be king/author giving interviews to this or that, apprearing on TV shows, here and there to promote a book!

He disappears for months from public view and then resurfaces with a book! How many more years is he going to go on with these kinds of games?

I believe he'd be better off washing his hands off politics (apparently his favorite pastime activity)and instead, like a good father, focusing his attention on finding good husbands for his girls.

Apparently YOU DO ! ;0)

Otherwise you wouldn't comment !

LOL

Ce que je veux pour l'Iran

Who cares!