Open Letter to Reza Pahlavi

“The intent of this letter is not to remind you of history but to respectfully examine your place in it.”

Your Excellency Prince Reza Pahlavi

30 years ago millions of Iranians jointly demanded an end to the rule of your father as the king and to the Pahlavi dynasty. After failing to stop the movement, in a statement your father stated that he heard the message of the people and proposed a constitutional monarchy with Dr. Shapour Bakhtiar as the prime minister, as opposed to the dictatorial monarchy that he had maintained since 1953 when with the help of United States Central Intelligence Agency the elected popular government of Prime Minister Mossadegh who was a supporter of a constitutional monarchy was toppled.

Regardless of the outcome of the 1979 revolution, it can not be denied that Iranians almost unanimously rejected the rule of your father and Pahlavi dynasty in any form. Obviously we all know that despite the promises of Ayatollah Khomeini for mullahs to go back to mosques, gradually they took full control of the affairs of Iran and formed their own theological dictatorship.

During the past 30 years you have stated that you support the separation of religion and state as well as a parliamentary democracy. You have further stated that the choice of the form of government lies with the Iranian people and you have also referenced to a future referendum to determine the future form of Iran’s government. At the same time you have referred to the historical responsibility that has been bestowed upon you as the inheritor of the 2500 years of Iranian monarchies.

Your Excellency! Referendums are forms of official censuses to determine the will of the people, however history and the present is filled with the examples of people’s will, being expressed in different forms and shapes which have resulted in change of governments and nation’s destinies. Iranian people in millions already expressed and enforced their will 30 years ago which signified an end to the monarchy in Iran.

Just like your grandfather, whom without any referendums ended the monarchy of Ghajar dynasty, Iranians also ended the monarchy of Pahlavi dynasty in 1979. The return of Ghajar , Zand, Afshar and prior Iranian dynasties are not practical or no longer realistic and at this point such is the case with Pahlavi’s dynasty and monarchy in general. Histories of many countries in the world are the best examples to prove that societies evolve and move on forward from the past and typically once a nation has shifted from a monarchy to other forms of government, the history has not reversed. .

Your Excellency, it is also a historical fact that your grandfather and father made many contributions to the modernization of Iran and its progress from the 1900 to the 20th century, During the same time period many of the similar improvements were experienced in many oil and non-oil producing developing countries such as Turkey, India, United Arab Emirates etc. At the same time it is also a recorded fact that during your father’s rule the freedom of expression, political opinions and parties were strongly subdued by Iran’s Information and intelligence Agency (SAVAK) . A simple Google search of independent human rights organizations such as Amnesty International shows many recorded documents of political prisoners, tortures and executions during that era.

However the intent of this letter is not to remind you of history but to respectfully examine your place in it.

Your Excellency! except minimal references to the shortcomings of the past, after 30 years you still have not officially, clearly and frankly acknowledged the flaws of your father’s regime in the matters of human rights, corruptions, lack of freedom of expression and the political prisoners. In the western democracies it does not take long before politicians publicly acknowledge their mistakes or of those who preceded them.

We have heard from few who claim that Iranians need a Shah in order to remain united as a nation which is made of various regions, religions, languages and dialects. During your father’s era, not yet tested, such idea may have had some followers but the experiences of the past 30 years have shown that Iranians care about their country Iran first and foremost and they do not need a Shah or Imam to maintain a nationalistic feeling toward their country. During Iran-Iraq war many Iranians from all provinces rushed to defend the integrity of their nation regardless of their political and religious beliefs and backgrounds. Iranians are united in their commitment to one nation just as they have jointly voiced their opposition to any foreign interventions and wars regardless of the underlying causes.

Your Excellency! until in an official statement to all Iranians you acknowledge the mistake of your father and until you officially resign from your potential claim to a throne, that is held in a museum, you will only be known, addressed and heard as the son a monarch who was once toppled by the majority of Iranians and in some people’s views a prince who wishes to regain the throne or power.

In fact, your insistence in maintaining your title as the “potential” future Shah of Iran has been a divisive factor among some of the Iranians.

I also understand that there are those among the circle of your advisors and family who may oppose such suggestion but then the true leaders take bold initiatives and the rest including those surrounding them, if well intentioned, tend to follow. It is worth mentioning that it was the same type of advise that lead to the loss of trust of Iranian in their Shah and the rest is now history.

Today more than ever our nation is in need of unity and you can play an important historical role in this path if you chose to! If you wish to be a true positive force in the path of this unity, I suggest that you rise to the occasion. Thereafter, it is your choice to remain as a prince (in title but not in claim) or to be a leader, a politician, a human rights advocate, a businessman ….or simply a citizen. That choice will remain to be yours as it should be of any Iranian citizen. No matter what, by removing this cloud of division, you will be doing your country the most service that you can ever imagine and no matter what lies in your future you will be respected in the history of Iran and the world for such courageous and selfless act .

Your Excellency, great men are known by being leaders in action and this is how you can rise to an important, memorable historical occasion and role . It is then that you too – free of any guilt by associations- – acknowledge in action and not only in words that no one is above another and you too confirm that all Iranians are truly equal regardless of blood, religion, title, gender, relations, race, culture and language .

The message that your father eventually heard, was actually being voiced for a very long time, at least for 26 years since Dr. Mossadegh, but it was heard too late. I only hope that you learn from that mistake and that you hear it sooner than later. 30 years have already passed.

I respectfully ask you to free yourself of your royal title and any potential claims to it and to come together with all Iranians in a NATIONAL RECONCILIATION (Hambastgi va Ashteye Melli) towards a future free and democratic secular Iran.

Iranians had already spoken and it is your turn.

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