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A Culture of Death
26-Oct-2009
“Innocence is to be presumed, and no one is to be held guilty of a charge unless his or her guilt has been established by a competent court.” -- Article 37, chapter III of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Thirty-one years ago, a few months after the 1979 Revolution, the generals and close associates of the Shah, including his long time PM Amir Abbas Hoveyda, were shot to death without trial. The crowds cheered. When the father of the Rezai brothers, was asked to fire the shots, he refused. He was not a killer even though three of his own sons, members of the Mujahedin-e Khalq, had been killed under the Shah.
One of those generals was Hassan Pakravan who had long been retired at the time of his execution. Pakravan had spared Khomeini's life in the 1960's when he went to the Shah and asked for a special decree to reduce Khomeini’s sentence. (He and Khomeini used to meet for lunch each week). Pakravan was not allowed access to a lawyer and the charges against him were vague. Around the same time, Faroukh- Rou Parsa, the Shah’s Minister of Education, became the first woman executed for “spreading corruption among the youth.” PM Mehdi Bazargan, dismayed and deeply troubled about the killings, went to see Khomeini to ask him for clemency for the 85-year-old General Matbouei. In response, Khomeini said, “this class must be eradicated.” And so he was executed too.
One day, many years ago, I entered my father’s room. Bed-ridden, he could hardly move, but alert of mind, he would still read and follow the news in Iran. I saw him crying. I asked “why are you crying baba”? He told me, “because I just read about the execution of the Shah’s officials.” I said, “but weren’t they guilty? Were you not in prison six times during that period only because you belonged to the National Front?” He said, “still, they should have had a fair trial, with attorneys present, and be given prison terms.” I sighed. My father was right.
Once it began, the carnage never stopped. The mass executions at Evin have been well documented. The new regime eliminated those they disagreed with. In Kurdistan, summary executions took place; young men--future Pasdaran--shot to death many Kurdish revolutionaries. The new judges, endowed with aba and turban rather than knowledge and judicial education, took over the judiciary and started handing down execution orders. Khalkhali, nicknamed the ‘hanging judge,’ was one of the first ones. He was the judge, the jury and the executioner. When asked, -what if they were innocent? –he responded by saying, if they were innocent, they will go to heaven!
Few people objected to the execution of the Shah’s associates. A few expressed their dismay about the killing of Fedayeen and Mujahedeen. Many more voiced their horror at the mass executions in Evin. Those who did convey their rage were either ignored or imprisoned.
But the culture of death continued and was encouraged in our society.
In October 1986, Grand Ayatollah Montazeri, after receiving various reports from inside the prisons, wrote to Khomeini, “Do you know the crimes that are taking place in the jails of the Islamic Republic did not even take place during the Shah's regime? Many people have died due to torture.” Khomeini dismissed the issue.
The dadgostari (Ministry of Justice) became the bee-dadgostari (Ministry of Injustice). Mohsen Kadivar, an enlightened cleric, said it all too well; the dadgostari of the Shah’s time was much more humane than all the courts of the Islamic Regime. In these courts, the innocent and the guilty are all mixed and the sentences are carried out swiftly. No time wasted. No stay of execution in almost all cases even if the Constitution of the Islamic Republic states otherwise.
“No one may be arrested except by the order and in accordance with the procedure laid down by law. In case of arrest, charges with the reasons for accusation must, without delay, be communicated and explained to the accused in writing, and a provisional dossier must be forwarded to the competent judicial authorities within a maximum of twenty-four hours so that the preliminaries to the trial can be completed as swiftly as possible.” (Article 32, Chapter III, the Rights of the People).
Whereas Article 38 states the following, “all forms of torture for the purpose of extracting confession or acquiring information are forbidden,” from the early days of the Revolution up until now, hundreds of prisoners have undergone physical and psychological torture, often with lethal results. The 2009 elections have brought yet more torture leading to death.
The IRI brought a culture of death to Iran and legitimized it. In many ways, Iran and a majority of Iranians came to accept it. Whether guilty or innocent, death, as punishment, became the norm rather than the exception.
In the Islamic Republic, in recent times, the death sentence for political prisoners has come to be used as a scare tactic, designed to prevent others from engaging in any “subversive” activities. Often, especially in the case of political prisoners, the sentence is eventually commuted to time in prison. The Islamic regime intimidates through fear.
How do you determine that a person has engaged in activities against Iran’s national security? It is a broad allegation, leveled against each and every opponent of the regime, including journalists, political activists, and writers. It is easy and convenient. The regime in Iran does not need any justification to kill. The law of qesas,(which in Arabic means reprisal and punishment in kind) a discriminatory penal code ratified under Rafsanjani and the regime of the Velayat-e- Faqih, allows for death by execution under varied circumstances. According to Mehrangiz Kar, the Iranian human rights lawyer, “under another provision of the law [qesas], if a man kills a person and proves in court that the victim was worthy of death by religious decree’, then he walks out of the courtroom a free man.”
The recent execution of a youngster, Behnoud Shojayee, who was 17 upon his arrest and 21 when he was executed, brought rage and condemnation. However, there were those who were not too bothered with the idea of executing a “criminal.”
In fact, on Facebook, there was a discussion that one should not turn him into a martyr, for he was no angel. The circumstances behind his sentence were more than suspicious. No one knows what really happened because the truth is always hard to come by in Iran. The coroner reported that the victim’s wounds did not correspond to the blows he received in the first place. The parents of the victim were all too eager to let go of the chair that would hang Behnoud. What happened to Behnoud has happened to hundreds in Iran, and it is likely to happen again. Whether engaged in a criminal act or not, none of these souls should not have been given the death penalty, especially if they were under-aged. Article 156 of the Constitution even stipulates that suitable measures should be taken to reform criminals. This has rarely taken place. In many parts of the US, people who commit atrocious crimes are given the death sentence but usually it takes years of investigation and appeal before the sentence is carried out. According to Amnesty International, in 2007, China (470), Iran, (377) and the US (42) had the highest number of executions in the world. Iran has retained its second place until today. (Even Afghanistan has abolished capital punishment).
I remember a few years ago watching the movie “Dead Man Walking.” The parents of the victims were furious with the Catholic sister when she asked for clemency. They wanted the men who had committed the rape and the murder to get the death sentence for their heinous crime. They watched as one of them was put to death by electrocution. They were relieved.
Did it bring their daughter or son back? No. Did it console them? Maybe. But at the end it is only a partial remedy. The lives of both families were shattered forever.
A different scenario—in real life—took place in another part of the world. A white American girl went to South Africa to help and was murdered by three black Africans. The parents went back to the place where she was murdered. The three guys were put on trial but in a last minute act of courage, the parents decided that they did not want revenge; they did not want to see the death penalty pronounced on their daughter’s murderers. Instead, they hired them to work in a factory they established in her name. Was that an act of courage?
Yes, and it takes courageous people to do that.
The fact is that the IRI has implanted the culture of death. In Iran, death has become more consequential than life. The idea of martyrdom is deeply engrained in the Shi’a religion. In Shi’ism, becoming a martyr is the ultimate act of bravery. In every town and city in Iran, the first tableau you see, is “welcome to the martyr making city of …” (be shahr shahid parvar…. khosh amadid), referring to those who died in the Iran-Iraq war.
Did they sacrifice their lives for protecting Iran? Indeed. But did they have to die? Not all of them, not necessarily. Khomeini prolonged the war for political gains for as long as he could, for it allowed him to externalize Iran’s problems. The soldiers- many in their teens-carried the key to heaven and If there is a heaven, they surely deserved to go there.
One day soon, if and when a new judicial system is established in Iran, we must eradicate this culture of death, that is, if we ever want to establish a society where life has more significance than death.
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Dear ex-program-craig jaan jaan
by میرزاقشمشم on Sun Nov 01, 2009 11:20 AM PSTI really appreciate your valuble inputs. They are educating and refreshing and everything. About your CIA, which you complained about; I'd like to remind you of the fact that CIA today as you correctly pointed out' is not the same mighty organization which once was. Today's CIA thanks to Affirmative Action plan or something like that is run by the Jews who dive under their desk each time a light bulb burns out.
...
by ex programmer craig on Sun Nov 01, 2009 11:03 AM PSTInsensitive thing to say I'm sure, but I *really* wish America had that version of the CIA today, instead of incompetent professional full time "staffers" we have now.
FR
by oktaby on Sun Nov 01, 2009 10:56 AM PST60K was the specific amount of money (to some accounts) that Kermit Roosevelt (grandson of Teddy R. and quite a snake) ended up spending on funding the thugs and chaghookesh that crowded streets of Tehran, not the amount I suggested needed for buying the support of a nation. If you engage with that historic detail, you will appreciate my references. Your second assertion about financial mismanagement of the nation's finances, does not hold up to scrutiny. The national debt and deficit went down and several other key indicators improved. These are published numbers that can be gotten and not subject to interpretation. The orchestrated choking of Mossadegh government that British initiated is a whole different story:
"The British approached the CIA and under the leadership of Allen Dulles, a plan was concocted where they selected a retired Iranian general to be titular head of the coup. They also sent $1 million (about $8 million in today’s dollars) to the CIA station in Tehran to do what they could to destabilize the country. They spent another $150,000 ($1.2 million) to bribe journalists, editors, Islamic preachers, and other opinion leaders to criticize Mossadegh. Another $11,000/week ($90,000) was budgeted to bribe parliamentarians....."
OKtaby
Comical revision of history
by میرزاقشمشم on Sun Nov 01, 2009 10:33 AM PSTNow we know better. According to some people the coup never happened.
What brought Mossadegh down?
by Farah Rusta on Sun Nov 01, 2009 09:40 AM PSTOktaby
While I generally value your comments I beg to differ on a few issues with you. The title of one of your previous comments was "little knowledge is dangerous." I totally agree with you that. In you analysis about Mossadegh and the oil crisis, you missed one fatefully significant parameter: the Iranian people. The fall of Mossadegh was effectively accomplished by the inaction, or better to say the passive reaction, of the nation - his ultimate constituents. One cannot buy the support of a nation the size of Iran of 1950's by sixty thousand dollars. But one can drive the nation to the point of bankruptsy (and beyond) through mismanagement of the nations' finances - and that what ultimately brought Mossadegh down.
FR
Mirza
by oktaby on Sun Nov 01, 2009 08:36 AM PSTThe content of my response and its logic is quite clear and unambiguous. Your follow up question is leading, argumentative and contradictory to your earlier comment about balance of my responses. My intent is not to prove a point but to contribute to our collective discussion and learning. I will stand corrected when appropriate. What is your view and articulation?
Dear Oktaby
by میرزاقشمشم on Sun Nov 01, 2009 07:08 AM PSTThank you for your response. According to what I read out of your comment; it seems to be OK to steal like westeners; and it's not OK to kick it up a notch or, two like mullahs. Right?
I am really getting fascinated by this subject.
oktaby
by shushtari on Sun Nov 01, 2009 06:55 AM PSTperfectly said....
it makes is sick to see our children selling trinkets in the streets instead of being in school- all the while the fat akhoonds are raping away iran.....they should be exterminated
Pahlavis
by okhtapous on Sun Nov 01, 2009 06:36 AM PSTThe Pahlavis were an Iranian and very patriotic regime.The Shah was however quite dellusional and utterly detached from the people. What money they took was no different than what any other leader does. In fact nothing the Shah did compares to Bush/Cheney. Execept that here we got to replace the leadership in a reasonable way. That is why we need to have elected officials {with no prohibitions on who runs}.
The Islamic regime however is not Iranian; rather it is some sort of an Arab corruption. They put Islam ahead of Iran and that is a crime that cannot be accepted. The greatest wealth they have stolen from Iran is its people: the hopes, the dreams and the ambitions of the people. Before the revolution most Iranians wanted to have a better life in Iran. Now most people's ambition is just to get out. When they do get out, they take with them their abilities and end up benefiting other nations by their work.This hellis the handiwork of our own intellectuals.We first lost the religious minorities; now we are losing pretty much anyone who is able to get out. As well as a whole generation in the war.
How could any sane person think of replacing Shah with the IRI? Then going out and pikcing an unnecessary fight with the USA, it is beyond reason. These people have no sense whatsoever.
As for their wealth; all they own and pass onto others should be confiscated and returned to the Iranian people. It is very similar to the Nazis. They have stolen from Iran and it should all be returned.
Mirza
by oktaby on Sat Oct 31, 2009 09:59 PM PDTThanks for the kind words. from a historical perspective Pahlavi corruption is more in line with western leaders that have been implicated (Kohl, Miterand, Burlusconi....) or not. It seems the elite everywhere pocketed somehow whether caught or not and consistent with a seemigly global decline in moral standards. islamic regime on the other hand has created a whole new level of thievery and corruption, raped and plundered Iran and continues to do so not just via the dollars they steal in trucks (18.5 billion in cash and gold at Turkish border is just one known example) but the wealth they have stolen in terms of Khazar rights, or Gas that Qatar steals everyday...
For myself, anyone who took country's wealth in any form must be held accountable, Pahlavi's included. However, lets be sure that we correctly measure a country's wealth and then prosecute on that basis & priority. The 2 generations of Iranians that the islamic regime has destroyed, the giveaway of Khazar rights, allowing Qatar to steal our Gas resources... amount to a lot more than Pahlavi's could imagine or want to steal. On top of all this Pahlavis are Iranians, islamic regime is not. So the priority to go after for both prosecution, rehabilitation and recovery is as follows:
1-Foreign invaders:islamic regime and all their cohorts, including the many turn coats and traiters in the West that supported them
2-Iranian thieves and corrupts.
3-All bank accounts, assets and any tangible and non-tangible goods they own, directly and indirectly, anywhere in the world. In extreme cases of bloody hands their whole blood-line is fair game including assasinations. Very much the model Jews applied to Nazis
Oktaby
by میرزاقشمشم on Sat Oct 31, 2009 04:15 PM PDTSince I find you both fair and knowledgeable I'd like to know your opinion on the Pahlavis' corruption.
My simple, very simple, question goes like this:
Should we neglect or, even better, forgive Pahlavis' being corrupt just because mullas are as corrupt or, even more so?
Farah jaan, Agreed aziz.
by Farhad Kashani on Sat Oct 31, 2009 02:45 PM PDTFarah jaan,
Agreed aziz. Lot of our political parties lost their ways, but I do have to say the biggest mohallel was the Left. They really made IRIs rise to power easy with their anti Western propaganda and with their twisting of political terms such as “independence” and “sovereignty” and things like that.
Mirza
by oktaby on Sat Oct 31, 2009 12:17 PM PDTPahlavi's sin and foolhearty strategic mistake was exactly doing away with democratic institutions. Rastakhiz party nonsense was the culmination of that foolishness. Given Iran's financial success Shah could have gradually turned the country democratic, strengthened himself in the process and became one of the greatest in our history but that is just another what if (he claimed to have such intentions). Shah was intelligent and a nationalist but a true politician or strategist he was not, nor were most of the people around him. However, the nuances of balance of the superpowers at the time gave Iran, and other countries around the world the opportunity to build their countries and Iran was blessed with plenty of natural resources to fund that. But this whole story is rather convoluted and can only be fully appreciated in its global context that included post war rearrangement of the world. This is too large a topic for a post which is why I have recommended a bit more due diligence.
There is no question that people wanted freedom and just about had it with Shah's shenanigans but the kinetic energy of Iranian people was leveraged to create the mutiny of 79 and could not have found a better servant than the Shiite mollas to deliver it. The green belt strategy was in full force as was the Christian version in Eastern Europe but without the islamists and a full court western press and meddling it will have never materialized. Margaret Thatcher's response to an interview question in 2004 is telling: She was asked what she considered to be the most profound events of the second half of the twentieth century. She quickly relied, the election of Ronald Reagan and the Iranian revolution of 79. We have observed the consequences of that broad change of world order in the West and ushering of Friedman economics era and the so called globalization and what it has wreaked, and at the other end of the world the wholesale changes that we have witnessed from taliban to Central Asian puppet show that is ongoing....
Naomi Klein's book on Shock Doctorine is a good read on this general area.
On the corruption question I can only say one thing: Whatever corruption the Shah era had pales to insignificance in comparison to the plundering, thievery and cultural/national damage that these ajnaby mollah scum have done to Iran. Moshiri described them best in their own terms when he said: Asfal olsafelin now rule Iran.
Oktaby
by میرزاقشمشم on Sat Oct 31, 2009 10:35 AM PDTI enjoyed your balanced analysis. Have you left out the "internal" element of the Pahlavis corruption and lack of democratic institutions during the majority of their reign by intention or, you think that the "green Belt" theory could have never been put to the test without people's genuine desire for getting rid of a corrupt ruling family, anyway?
Little knowledge is dangerous
by oktaby on Sun Nov 01, 2009 11:06 AM PSTThe culture of death discussion became Shah-Mossadegh, however, metaphorically it can apply to supporting dead scholarship. There are literally hundreds of quality books and memoirs written on this subject that would readily dispute claims made here pro or against Shah and Mossadegh. I suggest a little humble pie for all who claim so much knowledge on this subject.
Mossadegh played an astute game but he had misread a few things. He was neither gullible nor Dumb. Indeed had this whole thing unfolded while Roosevelt was in power, Mossadegh will have won the day. British and U.S. were not on the same page and British basically sold the Communist B.S. and Eisenhover just swallowed it. By all credible accounts (including direct accounts) Mossadegh always stuck to the law and indeed he had the power at one point to do away with the Shah but he did not. He was also the idol of the post war global independence movement and inspired people like Allende, Peron, and Fidel to name a few. JM after him became a gavshotorpalang with mostly a bunch of confused doctor and engineer psuedointellectuals many of whom sold the country to anyone who would listen to them. He did beat the British in the court of international law. And specific statistics that refelect his short period where he controlled the economy, show a stellar progress (I mean numbers not hyperbole) compared to any.....
Shah, because of his western education and exposure wanted progress and did deliver tremendous progress to Iran but he had a large ego that grew into megalomania. By late 70's Iran had more students in American universities than all other Amrican friends combined. That, without the shepeshoo's 79 mutiny led by a global effort as part of the green belt around soviet, will have by now elevated Iran to a level that will have made South Korea (world's 6th ranking economy) look like retards compared to Iran. Now we just brag about Iranians outside of Iran having accomplished so much (the richest, most educated minority in U.S.). His show of mighty Iranian Air Force power to American (700 fighter jets from around Iran landed simultaneously in Shiraz ) generals was a step too far. Americans themselves could barely accomplish such a feat. Isreali's took note....
I can go on for hours but a little less emotion and a bit more research rather than repeating mixed and inaccurate historical accounts will elevate. There was a thread a while ago specifically on one American book on the subject from Stephen Kinzer's account of Shah and Mosssadegh //iranian.com/main/blog/noosh-afarin/all-shahs-men
Perhaps we can apply what we learn so we don't get 'cheated' again. On that note it is good to review the current American stance and what it may mean to Iran starting by getting to know Obama (I have a post on this-the Manchrian candidate) and what he represents as well as Putin and China syndrome
I smell a rat here...
by میرزاقشمشم on Sat Oct 31, 2009 07:00 AM PDTWho is KK, signing under Fariba Amini's name and avatar?
What's going on here?
Ms. Amini
by Nousha Arzu on Sat Oct 31, 2009 06:01 AM PDTYour nauseating Mossadegh worshipping habit is increasingly annoying, to the point that I may need to reach for a bucket to throw up in. Some of us Iranians seem to love to worship the dead. The man was a human being who made tons of mistakes, just like the Shah. Mossadegh was no angel either. His stading up to the British and the Americans was monumentally arrogant and DUMB!!! You think it was a sign of patriotism and courage, I think it was plain stupid!
Six years removed from occupation, Mossadegh's Iran, the economic equivalent of Zimbabwe, was trying to dictate oil terms to the two biggest oil bullys in the world!
The guy was an amateur! His standing up to UK and US did more eventual harm to Iran than any perceived good you hero-worshippers attribute to the man!
At the end of the day for me, he was a Qajar. And no Qajar prince can be as good as advertised, with the possible exception of Abbas Mirza, who the decadent Qajars killed off themselves.
LONG LIVE THE GLORY OF KUROSH
Khomeini's best move
by okhtapous on Sat Oct 31, 2009 05:56 AM PDTBy the way the best thing Khomeini did was to take care of the lettist movement. But then they did a fine job discrediting themselves too. At least we don't have those hypocrites to deal with.
Re: How nice... and we want to establish democracy!
by okhtapous on Sat Oct 31, 2009 05:55 AM PDTHow is this post made under Fariba's name but is critical of her. Do we have some sort of confusion on what post is attributed to whom?
How nice... and we want to establish democracy!
by Fariba Amini on Fri Oct 30, 2009 08:56 PM PDT
Fariba,Please stop regurgitating all the nonsense about Mosadeq, your father, and Jebhe Meli (JM). Your deceitful (Fariba) father and his conspirators (JM) were a bunch of charlatans who fell into the Dig'e Ash!
And If there is one positive move Khomenei made was that he kicked their ass to the point of extinction! At least, people in Iran say Noor Be Ghabersh Bebareh, that is the Shah's!
Do you know what they say about the member's of JM and your father's? Reedam Be Ghabereshan!? How do like that comparison!?
Truly yours, not!
KK
"and no Sheikh or Shah will be able to rule us again"
by Farah Rusta on Fri Oct 30, 2009 06:14 PM PDTMr Kashani
You missed the "mohallel" between the Sheikh and Shah. i.e. Jebhe Melli. Without such a mohallel there would have been no Sheikh.
FR
Wounded Royal hermaphrodite; Farah...
by فغان on Fri Oct 30, 2009 04:56 PM PDTReza Pahlavi with an IQ lower than "room temperature" is still smart enough to know that his father is his biggest liability. Are you OK? What kind of logic and comparison is this? What did they do to you at Hafiz graveyard? You are still wobbly in your thoughts.
With supportes and advisors like you, no wonder RP is still stuck in political mud.
The Pahlavis must disclose the source and the amount of their wealth.
In order for our country to
by Farhad Kashani on Fri Oct 30, 2009 04:55 PM PDTIn order for our country to be free, democratic and prosperous, we need to:
1- Establish the culture of life and reject the culture of death, specially the extreme version of it perpetuated by IRI.
2- Get rid of “Hasoodi” and “enviousness” within ourselves and our society.
3- Raise our kids to become responsible, mature and disciplined adults.
We do those three, and no Sheikh or Shah will be able to rule us again, or at least, we will significantly diminish the chances of that happening.
عذر بد تر از گناه
Farah RustaFri Oct 30, 2009 04:17 PM PDT
I was hoping that Ms Amini would come up with a less personal and more formal a reason behind her exclusive information. But true to her "character" (roo ke nist sange paaye ghazvineh) she has made it clear to us that unless you have (or had) such a special father like hers, your word musn't be accepted!! Sadly ninety nine per cent of us don't enjoy such a unique privilege. Bakhtiar, despite his shortcomings was man of honor (someting very strange to his comrades in JM) and this is why when Ms Amini's father (a lawyer sworn to be loyal to the constitution) phoned him to urge him to abolish the constitutional monarchy and declare Iran a republic, Bakhtiar turned him down with a stern and shaming message: " I have received my appointment from the Shah and by the constitution that I have sworn to uphold and to which I remain faithful." Apart from Dr Sadighi, and Dr Bakhtiar, other members of the so called Jebhe Melli had not even a modicum of honor or dignity. They rejected Bakhtiar and sold themselves to Khomeini (a revolutionary mistake!!!) and had their hands deep in the blood of all the victims of this regime.
Bakhtiar's appointment was chosen over Sadighi because Sadighi preferred the Shah to stay in the country. Thanks to Loius Ghotbi, a joint relative of Farah and Bakhtiar, his appointment was pushed ahead of Sadighi.
Last not on special fathers. Compare the conduct of Reza Pahlavi and Ms Amini. Unlike amini, Reza Pahlavi never talks about his father, perhaps his father was not as special as Amini's!! (LOL). - more sange paa please
FR
Bakhtiar-
by Fariba Amini on Fri Oct 30, 2009 01:40 PM PDTBakhtiar said in an interview in the book, Thirty- seven days after 37 years, "I am sorry to repeat this once again but it must be done for the sake of history: If during these 25 years, the Shah had allowed moderate political parties -- and not even those having Marxist or social democratic tendencies -- to exist, simple-minded people would not have followed the likes of Khomeini and believe his ideas."
Mohammad Heykal, the renowned Egyptian journalist wrote, "When the Shah finally decided to to form another cabinet in January 1978, he chose this Mossadegh disciple and stubborn man, who believed that simply by having spent years in prison and enduring pain and suffering he would be received by the majority of the people. That's why he accepted the nomination.
If he had been elected in any other third world country, Bakhtiar would have been an exemplary leader. He was a freedom-loving intellectual who was against fascism and tyranny.
No one knows what were the exact contents of talks between Mohammad Reza Shah and Bakhtiar at the time of his taking office. But sources close to the Shah told me in Cairo that the Shah was apologetic for his maltreatment of Mossadegh's followers and he had reiterated it to him."
When you have a father (or had) like mine, you would also talk about him all the time. it is not my family ties that are important ; it is the kind of father I had....
FYI: The Shah was jealous of Bakhtiar. Yes, I do have firsthand information. The Shah was a weak man but no question that he also loved Iran.
Jeez
by ex programmer craig on Fri Oct 30, 2009 01:22 PM PDTWhat a mouth on that guy! I'm flagging that one myself, and I hardly ever flag comments...
Who is personalizing the debate?
by Farah Rusta on Fri Oct 30, 2009 12:21 PM PDTThe one who relies on personal and family ties and connections to validate her points OR one who disputes such personal and prejudiced evidence. Here is a sample: " the Shah was even jealous of Bakhtiar because he spoke French like a Frenchman." This the pathetic quality of response given by Ms Amini. How did you know this? Did Bakhtiar tell you privately or was this one of those exculsive pieces of secrets passed to you by your late father? Or perhaps the Shah himself admitted it in his private memoirs. Source please?
And ...
thank you for solving a thirty year old riddle. Now all the victims of the Islamic regime and their families who were perished in the hands of the Bazargan's Imam and his regime will sleep sound tonight because they know that the culture of death that they were the victims of was simply a revolutionary mistake!!!
Dear Craig
Thanks for correcting the Mask (aka Mirza Choghondar) but I don't think he needs correction. He needs a Gin cock-tail (an insde joke)
FR
So...
by ex programmer craig on Fri Oct 30, 2009 11:51 AM PDTNow you are claiming to have a sense of humor? :O
Ex program
by فغان on Fri Oct 30, 2009 11:43 AM PDTDid you really have to spoil a joke between me and my Royal hermaphrodite?
Thanks!
The Pahlavis must disclose the source and the amount of their wealth.
Mask
by ex programmer craig on Fri Oct 30, 2009 11:19 AM PDTWhite wash is a racially loaded term.
No it isn't. White wash is a type of cheap paint that people used to use a long time ago. The term comes from a tendency some people had to paint over rotting wood on their houses/fences/etc to try to make them look like they were in good condition, instead of making repairs.