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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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Prune face
by فغان on Fri Oct 30, 2009 11:13 AM PDTWhite wash is a racially loaded term. You as a member of a minority group in Iran, should be the last one to use it.
Why you discontinued your therapy is totally beyond me.The doctor told me there in no medication to increase your logical thinking; therapy was the last resort.
Go Farah, go; have some time off...
The Pahlavis must disclose the source and the amount of their wealth.
It seems to me that Ms. or
by Fariba Amini on Fri Oct 30, 2009 11:12 AM PDTIt seems to me that Ms. or Mr. Rusta has a personal grudge, hence his/ her personal attacks against me. I do not wish to engage with your kind.
FYI: JM made a huge mistake not to work with Bakhtiar but it was a revolutionay period and people make mistakes. I wrote an article about the late Bakhtiar. BTW the Shah was even jealous of Bakhtiar because he spoke French like a Frenchman.
FYI: it is odd that my article was about the death penalty not about Mossadeq or the Shah.
stick to the subject matter.
More White Wash ...
by Farah Rusta on Fri Oct 30, 2009 11:39 AM PDTAt the risk of fattening up Fariba Amni's ego (more than it already is) by expanding this blog with adding to the number of comments, and only because a number of good comments are being posted, I am going to give you a piece of my mind.
Some well thought points are raised by Jamshid, Oktapous and Oktaby. Mosambagi insists on remaining ignorant and unwilling to receive a little education (if going agianst the constitution by Mossadegh was no problem for you then why you accuse the Shah for breaching it?!! or if being dictatorial to serve one's goal is OK for Mossadegh then why it was bad for Reza Shah). But let's not waste time on the ignoramus.
Jamshid is a courageous man - though him and I may have different views on purity of Persian :). Bravery, courage or whatever you may call it, is not to stubbornly insist that you are right and other are wrong. More importantly courage is not about idolizing your so called heroes and using every opportunity to shove them down the throat of the people ... and ... continue to White Wash the history using personal evidence!! And if courage is about standing up to Americans and the Brits, then Ahmadinejad is ten time more courageous than all other leaders before him. In fact Mossadegh was only a breath away from striking a deal with the Americans but the Brits would not have it. Oil nationalization did not begin with Mossadegh and he was not the only driver of the nationalization band wagon. The band wagon had already been set to motion by, among others, Haeri-Zadeh, Makki, Baghaee and the Shah himself. Mossadegh jumped on the band wagon in its last mile and drove it victory. But no thanks to his selfish and undemocratic/unconstitutional methods he wrecked what was built by others and himself and became the author of his own demise (by the way, if living frugally, as Mossadegh allegedly did (despite being a land owner), is a sign of caring for the people, then Khomeini must be a given a posthumous a noble prize in philanthropy!!).
Oktaby's has many good points (with a few historic commonplace errors) but as they say dear Oktaby: it takes two to tango - when one side is not prepared to dance to the right tune, there is not point to dance, is there?
Okapous has raised many excellent points: "Was the revolution necessary? The revolution was not stolen. Why did JM refuse Bakhtiar? How would a sane person prefer working for
Khomeini over Bakhtiar? I think that they were so blinded by their
hatred of the Shah that they "cut of their nose to spite their faces".
What is Amini's answer to these questions? Not that she represents JM but she is a sample of the guilt-ridden people who try to deflect the truth by coming up with the sickeningly lame excuse that we were fooled. Then the remedy is very easy: Repent!
FR
Iranian Dream
by Fariba Amini on Fri Oct 30, 2009 08:27 AM PDTYou my friend are gravely mistaken.
Iran does not need anymore spiritual leaders, neither in the shape of Khamenei or in disguise of Rafsanjani. How could you become a spiritual leader if you are corrupt as hell, your family has invested millions all over the world and your hands are bloodied?
Is this the new kind of spiritual leader-Iranian style?
Revolution
by okhtapous on Thu Oct 29, 2009 08:42 PM PDTThe revolution was not stolen. There were a mix of a competing groups and the Islamists won. It could have been the MKO or the JM. But the Islamists had Khomeini on their side who fully took advantage of his position.
The irony is that we did not need the revolution because people had already "won". If by winning you mean a representative democray. Shahpur Bakhtiar {a true patriot} was going to lead the transition to a more democratic system. But it was not good enough for some. They wanted a total break even if it meant ruining the whole country. Again instead of being pragmatic and reasonable they chose radicalism. Why did JM refuse Bakhtiar? How would a sane person prefer working for Khomeini over Bakhtiar? I think that they were so blinded by their hatred of the Shah that they "cut of their nose to spite their faces".
Why do people villify the reasonable and praise the hot heads and unreasonable? Whenever someone talks about courage I cringe. Because I fear that often they are trying to justify doing something incredibly foolhardy usually risking much more than they have a right to risk.
A Culture of death
by American Dream on Thu Oct 29, 2009 08:27 PM PDTA culture of death in Iran is exaggerated.
No matter how many streets in Iran they name after Martyrs of the Iran Iraq war people have forgotton them and moved on.
The executions that happened after the the Iranian revolution are ancient history.
The executions of leftists that happened in the 80s is ancient history.
We are now in October 2009. The June elections are over and the protests are gone. And reform leader Karoubi has said he is following the true path of Ayat'Allah Ruh'Allah Moosavi Khomayni.
Change will happen after the Iran's spiritual leader's death.
What that day will lead to? Who knows...
Western news media suggest that Rafsanjani will become the next Spiritual leader of Iran.
Rafsanjani is well liked by the West.
wisdom
by Fariba Amini on Thu Oct 29, 2009 08:24 PM PDTit is important to realize that all politicians make mistakes, some, more than others. No one should be glorified but in any nation, especially ours, we need heroes. I believe Mossadeq was a hero because he could have had it all. He came from nobility yet he rejected it and lived a simple life. His dwelling in Ahmad Abad was a simple down to earth place. He lived that life. He did not live a life of luxury even if he came from the lap of luxury. Did he make mistakes? Yes. But he lived in the era of the cold war and the enemies of Iran were everywhere, all around. He had to battle many fronts. Many years later, when he was exiled, he told my father that he would have been toppled even if he had agreed to the terms. Maybe he knew his destiny. but he remained loyal until the very end to his nation.
I don't idolize Mossadeq because he was my father's idol. But as I got older and started reading more about him, I came to the realization that he was ahead of his times. He truly believed in the principles of democracy and practiced it. The Shah's mistake was that he did not cooperate with his PM and did not rely on the will of his people. Instead, he took the sides of those who were there for their own gains.
The road was paved for more disaster that was about to come many years later. Even the Shah admitted that he should have asked members of the National Front to join him. They also made the mistake of being too stubborn. There were good people on both sides. At the end, the Iranian nation lost the hope of having a democracy when the Revolution took a different turn. The Revolution was stolen in bright day light in front of our eyes.
These are lessons in history. Now we are all faced with tragedy, a tragedy of enormous proportion. We have to set aside our selfish and one sided views and reach out to those who are putting their lives on line to achieve liberty. Liberty has a price and sometimes we all have to pay that price like many other nations.
We have to move on and think what is best for Iran and pick up the pieces and build a country that is in ruins morally, socially, economically and politically. it is a long and excruciating struggle.
But we owe it to ourselves, to those who died in recent months and to the future generation.
Courage or not
by okhtapous on Thu Oct 29, 2009 06:38 PM PDTSometimes an act is that of courage and sometime foolhardiness. By trying to take on the West head on Mossadegh guaranteed his own demise. Maybe he would have done better by taking a more cautious approach and actually survived to implement his ideas.
When people make dictatorial descisions they are taking a big chance. When the review process is lacking mistakes are made unchecked. Maybe more review would have allowed Mossadegh to realize what he was up against.
Unfortunately that is all history. Mossadegh got toppled. In doing so Shah's regime lost legitimacy and the road to the Mullahs was laid. Now the Mullah's have lost credibility and the road to who knows what is paved.I hope we do bette.
The ultimate form of respect to our people and heritage
by oktaby on Thu Oct 29, 2009 03:24 PM PDTIs to copy the civil and progressive conduct of the current movement. Our youth are getting prisoned, raped and tortured to defend freedom; Of thought and expression. Mossadegh and Shah are important figures in Iranian history, regardless of one's view of of them. Based on my reaserch and knowledge of history, which is by no claim complete or error free, I can readily defend or attack both if I choose to. What is important is that they are ours and our history and one can argue potential glorious outcomes had they done a few things differently. Both are of Iran and for Iran and neither can be classified as anti-iranian. That is not the case with the islamic disgrace and what it has done to our nation, psyche, honor, humanity and happiness as a people. We should be able to rally around that point alone and have our analyses and even sharp differences on Mossadegh, Shah, or for that matter father of Iranianhood the great Kourosh. The accomplishments of Mossadegh are nothing less than amazing given what he had to work with, including his character flaws and miscalculations with Roosevelt and so on. Shah's accomplishment are nothing less than amazing given the constraints he had to deal with despite his character flaws and miscalculations and yes the Americans did bring him back and Kermit Roosevelt did screw with Iran's history for 60,000 dollars or so. And yes we have had many traitors on both sides. But when you talk about these people (pro or con) please don't shit on them. Neither deserve that dishonor. With our history of civilization and scholarly heritage we should be able to decipher good and bad and put them in context to serve what will hopefully come post islamic humiliation and kheffat. The current fight is for nothing less than our heritage and who we are and how history will write of us. At stake is the heart of our collective claim or belief that the Persians perhaps had created for a brief period in history a civilization that with hindsight was more enlightened than all others and that we are of that lineage and philosophy, not the islamic shame of the past 30 years. I have a fear that when it is all said and done what will survive is the essence in the form of a collective wisdom that was our heritage and not necessarily Iran as we know or imagine it. I hope and wish that I'm dead wrong on this account. Kianoush Asa, Payman Amini, Akbar Mohammadi, Amir Javadifar, Ashkan Sohrabi, Neda, Sohrab... are watching us. We can fight about our views but need to elevate our discourse and interaction even in the limited context of IC posts.
Not an Emam
by Asghar_Massombagi on Thu Oct 29, 2009 03:17 PM PDTI'm not a Mossadeghist. I don't think he was a saint. He was a flawed politician (show me a perfect one). He made mistakes (who doesn’t?); he shouldn't have kissed the Shah's hand. He should have been more decisive than he was. He should've made the call to people to pour into streets. I don't frankly care whether or not he was in violation of the constitution. His historic act, his attempt to nationalize Iran's oil, was at that moment the embodiment of Iran's historic destiny. I'm sorry Jamshid but sometimes you have to act dictatorial when faced with powers that are going to crush you. My admiration for Mossadegh is for his courage. He had nothing to gain by going against the US and British imperialism and the Shah. To paint him as a power hungry autocrat as some people do, is just silly cliché. He also had very good people around him. If that culture had been allowed to flourish, as flawed as it was, the political culture in Iran would have been different.
Asghar
by jamshid on Thu Oct 29, 2009 02:47 PM PDT" history has vindicated Mossadegh and will continue to do so."
I beg to differ. I was a feverish Mossadeghi in my youth. I supported and participated in the revolution only because Jebheye Melli supported it. I had many compatriots who felt the same way.
But with the passage of time and away from the exitements of youth, and the more I learned, I realize that Mossadegh was not the emaam zaadeh that his followers falsely pictured him. All of the pro-Mossadeghis I knew from the past and who demonstrated side by side with me in the streets feel the same way.
I still believe that he indeed was a patriot but like most others, a flawed politician as well. His record during his short tenure as PM indicates that he would not hesitate to resort to dictatorial methods if that would have served his nationalistic goals.
This does not imply that Mossadegh was a "bad" person, but only that he was not the "perfect" emaam zadeh or symbol some are still trying to picture him as.
Although I understand the human desire of believing in Saints, but by createing emaam zadehs, be it Mossadegh, Shah, Khomeini or Hossein, we are only weakening ourselves and paving the way for ignorance.
Deeg be ojagh meegeh root siah
by Asghar_Massombagi on Thu Oct 29, 2009 01:13 PM PDTHow are you doing in the dustbin of history? Keep dreaming about the sweetness of life before revolution. Talk about fossiles! Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately? Your ilk are turning into dust.
Breaking news to the lovers of fossilized dinosaurs
by Farah Rusta on Thu Oct 29, 2009 12:47 PM PDTRecent excavations have revealed that the fossilized dinosaurs that were roaming the Iranian politics in the period between 1951 to 1953 were fake and did not possess the popularity and power that they pretended to possess. The distinguished political archeologist Dr Jalal Matini has unveiled that the leading fossil of that era known as Mossdeghosaltanatous, was indeed a much smaller in size and poorer in character than was originally imagined.
FR
News flash to "leftovers"
by Asghar_Massombagi on Thu Oct 29, 2009 12:08 PM PDTMs. Amini isn't the only one who "glorifies" Mossadegh, the Iranian nation has glorified Mossadegh. His name has lived through thick and thin of Iranian politics for the last 50 years and inspite of mud slinging by all sorts of political charlatans - monarchists, Islamists and even leftists - the name Mossadegh (and Fatemi and Amini) stands for the best Iran's politics has had to offer. So bark all your revisionist nonsense, history has vindicated Mossadegh and will continue to do so.
Culture of Death
by okhtapous on Thu Oct 29, 2009 08:25 AM PDTThere was no culture of death before the IRI. People's lives were valuable. It was only since the gift of "Islam" that Iran has turned into hell. The people who brought this know that their days are numbered; they will and should pay for their crimes.
There is a lot of anger among Iranians and that is why some express it more vividly than others. I myself am torn as how to express my outrage. The Pahlavis had their problems but compared to what came they were the best thing that happened to Iran in 100's of years. Reza Shah was Great by any standard. It is thanks to him that we are what we are. I find it more and more difficult to even associate myself with people who demonize the Pahlavis.
What were they thinking about to bring forth this disaster of a revolution? I don't want to hear about human rights from people who were involved in this disater until they fully admit their folly and publicly apologize to the whole world.
a chip on the shoulder
by Fariba Amini on Thu Oct 29, 2009 06:58 AM PDTIt seems that Ms. Rusta (what is your real name?) has a huge chip on her shoulders. She is either a very jealous person or just not a nice person. Nevertheless, we should forgive those who are still ignorant.
What are you jealous of? of my travels or that my late beloved father was a good man with a good name?
Why don't you write about your father or anyone else for that matter that you cherish in your life. There is nothing wrong with that dear lady or sir.
Dairus, please be who you are. Because you are a genuine person
and there are not many of those around these days. khoda bebaksheh badegandesh ra ke gomrahand!
//goftarazad.blogspot.com/
Mirza beetroot
by Farah Rusta on Wed Oct 28, 2009 09:04 PM PDTlaboo daagh chandeh?
khodet kam boodi phantom ro ham avordi? baba shoma ha kheili vazetoon kharabeh (LOL)
FR
Farah Rusta
by فغان on Wed Oct 28, 2009 08:18 PM PDTI was not talking to you, prune face.
Stop stalking me. You need a shrink.
Sing for me; daughter of a nobody
by The Phantom Of The Opera on Wed Oct 28, 2009 08:08 PM PDTWho let Pari Bolandeh out again?
There, right there, one can see the difference between a lady who has been raised in a good family and, a maid of the Mirpanjs.
My power over you grows stronger yet
The phantom of the opera is there; inside your mind.
Afghan!
by Farah Rusta on Wed Oct 28, 2009 07:54 PM PDTGo sip your cock-tail
FR
Too young for alzheimers
by فغان on Wed Oct 28, 2009 07:51 PM PDTI do remember replying your same comment some time ago somewhere else.
Royal jewelry or, a jet belonging to the national fleet is more liability than being an asset. He was a corrupt dictatorblinded by arrogance; not a fool.
I am just wondering how old you were when he ruled or when he escaped.
A tiny note!!!
by Farah Rusta on Wed Oct 28, 2009 07:51 PM PDTDear Darius
You are a gentleman and you know that I value your opinion and advice. You are honest and that is why your are liked by friend and foe alike. I wish I could say the same about tour friend Ms Amini.
From writing about her travels to boasting about her human rights activities she always makes a detour to the Pahlavi era, demonizing the Pahlavi kings and canonizing her idol Mossadegh - iterjecting her distorted versions and halft truths and gaining political points in the process. Even in her so called "tiny note" - sarcastically used as the title of my comment - she uses the opportunity to glorify him. And she personalizes the debates by bringing evidence from her late father (if she had any respect for her old man she would have left his name out of the argument).
The fact is that no one is a saint but if one wants to make a saint out of a sinner, one must expect a rebuttal.
FR
Ignorance is a bliss
by jamshid on Fri Oct 30, 2009 03:37 PM PDTEarly in the revolution, the IRI spent millions of dollars on an army of agents, attorneys and accountants across the globe to look for the Shah's alleged stolen billions.
They had another army in Iran searching and sifting through documents, bank accounts, oil contracts, deeds and everything else they could lay their hands on to find evidence of the stolen billions.
They summoned and interrogated hundreds of people. They ordered their men to look and find any evidence, even if it is a single needdle among the many hay stacks.
Yet, they came empty handed. They could not find even one single entity they could go after or they could sue, not even for the money, but for the principle and for the news media.
To save face, they quickly hushed the matter and set it aside.
The shah could have easily taken away the royal jewelery with him, but they couldn't find a single piece missing. He even returned the jet he used to fly away from Iran.
And now after 30 years, there are still leftover individuals from the years of lies and deceits who want to show off their ignorance by talking about Pahlavi's finances.
Enough of nonsense already; the real issue is:
by فغان on Wed Oct 28, 2009 05:36 PM PDTThe Pahlavis must disclose the source and the amount of their wealth.
FYI/Sassanid site bulldozed in southwestern Iran (Mehr News)
by Darius Kadivar on Wed Oct 28, 2009 04:28 PM PDTTEHRAN, Oct. 28 (Mehr News Agency) -- Part of a Sassanid tepe was destroyed last week near Ahvaz, the provincial capital of Khuzestan. The destruction was carried out by the Mehrab Housing Company for construction of a high-rise apartment complex, Khuzestan Cultural Heritage Lovers Society (Taryana) announced on Monday.
No permission had been granted by the Khuzestan Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department (KCHTHD) for the housing company at the site, Taryana spokesman Mojtaba Gahestuni said.
The mound, which covers an area of 10 hectares, had already been damaged by a road construction project, installation of telecommunication poles, other housing projects and establishment of a bazaar, he added.
More Below:
//iranian.com/main/news/2009/10/28/sassanid-site-bulldozed-southwestern-iran
Thank you
by Fariba Amini on Wed Oct 28, 2009 08:21 AM PDTThank you Darius , you are very kind. I wish there were more monarchists like you!
This discussion is really getting out of hand and we should come back to the article. However, one tiny note: What is it about this old man with a crooked nose but a lot of courage and love for Iran that we always come back to him? I guess even if the Pahlavi regime and the IRI tried in vain to erase his name from the pages of history , he will remain the most popular political figure of our times. Even Mousavi supporters had a picture of Mossadeq next to him , but there is a huge difference! no way, can anyone come close to the man who stood firmly against the enemies of Iran, both internally and externally and who insisted on the seperation of State and Religion. In fact, that was the point of departure with Kashani. Yet, he was tried in a military court for "treason." In many ways, we did not deserve him.
But let's go back to the real Goftegou. The death penalty. I just read that even though the US is a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, there are many cases here where under-aged kids 16-17 have been prosectued for armed robbery (not even murder) and given life sentences without parole which essentially means that they will die in prison.
it is a very unfair system. The other country that has not ratified this law is Somalia. (that is life without parole) Here we are not even dicussing murder cases.
In Iran, since the Revolution, the penal code in place, and the one pertaining to children have been devestating, in many cases, especially since the judges go by the law of Shari'a which reflects conditions in a 7th century tribal society.
This law must be overturned. Those who still want to continue with the same Constitution (of the Islamic Republic) should read every code and think twice...
Than you Mrs. Amini for
by vildemose on Wed Oct 28, 2009 07:16 AM PDTThank you Mrs. Amini for this timely and long overdue article. Also, thank you for your father's true love of Iran and the Iranian people. If we only could clone your father, we would be in much better shape as a nation.
Please Refrain From Personal Attacks on Mrs. Amini &Stick
by Darius Kadivar on Wed Oct 28, 2009 10:58 AM PDTPlease Refrain From Personal Attacks on Mrs. Amini & try to Stick to the subject of this article if you can !
I do not understand why some try to divert from the subject of this article which is to the point in setting the dark record of the Islamic Republic straight and in denouncing what has been a permanant shortcoming in our political culture and that is the use of violence to suppress freedom of speach and thought.
I have no problem to claim loud and clear that I am a Constitutional Monarchist but I will not shy away from any moral accountability for any blood shed in the name of an institution I respect or the responsability of the King/Shah which embodied it regardless of the dynasty in question.
The History of the Iranian Monarchy be it under the two Pahlavi Kings or in the past 25 centuries of the Iranian Monarchy is tainted by blood and often spilled unjustly and unfairly if we refer to the universal standards and values of human rights. So has the Islamic Republic FROM THE VERY START and This Article by Mrs. Amini has the credit of being an honest reminder to anyone who may claim the contrary by political biais ...
Mrs. Amini has been an outspoken defender of Human Rights for years and has bravely expressed her outrage against the current regime but also the current illegitimate President Ahmadinejad and his representatives when they were given warm accolades at the United Nations by many Iranians who prefered to overlook the Regime's Human Rights Record or his Stance on Wiping Israel off the Map.
I salute Mrs. Fariba Amini for her stamina and intellectual courage in acknowledging crimes commited by the current regime but also in acknowledging the mistakes of her generation due to lack of political experience or shortsightedness.
The Lack of Democracy and Democratic culture is a SHARED Shortcoming in our society for which one cannot hold one person, a generation or given political system as uniquely responsible of such an unfortunate outcome today.
As The former Crown Prince of Iran said himself the Revolution of 1979 may be a "blessing in disguise". It was a painful and certainly bitter experience on many levels but it may have taught us a hard lesson from which may emerge more mature and responsible as a nation but also more tolerant. Iranian civil society may well emerge even more triumphant than ever before in the form of an Iranian Solidarnosc and pave the way towards a Truly Democratic Iran where Human Rights are respected but also where our national pride can be of better use than to forge hatred, vengeance or blind destruction.
REZA's CALL: An Iranian Solidarnosc... By DK
May I remind many fellow Monarchists or Monarchist Sympathizers that Mrs. Amini's Father virtually SAVED Persepolis from destruction by openly opposing the Islamic Republic's Hanging Judge Khalkhali who wanted to destroy it with bulldozers and trucks. ...
I salute Dr. Amini's Memory as a Brave and noble Man in the TRUE Sense of the Word. Were Cyrus or Darius the Great Alive today they would certainly recognize in Dr. Amini one of their greatest patriots. The Land of Cyrus should and I am certain will remain eternally indepted to his genuine efforts in Keeping the Legacy of Cyrus' Cilinder alive.
As Such I also salute and respect Mrs. Fariba Amini for the power of her convictions and her genuine efforts to promote the intellectual and humanistic values that guided her own father through out his long and eventful life.
That Said, In the light of World History, the Monarchy as an "Institution" has no more no less blood on its record than any other Republic be it Secular Or Not, Theocratic or Not. A Look at the the number of military dictatorships in the 20th century that were implanted be it in South America, the Middle East, Asia or in the Eastern European Communist blocs could be a Fresh Reminder. Pinochet's Chili, Castro's Cuba or Cauechescu Rumania, or Saddam Hussein's Iraq, The Assad Republican Dynasty in Syria come to mind ...
All Middle Eastern Monarchies have been absolute even if more or less modern under the "authocratic" cloak like in Jordan or Morroco in North Africa but Saudi Arabia Royal oligarchy or the Emirats have not truly set the example in terms of democratic rule or respect for human rights.
In contrast Europe's Monarchies throughout the 20th Century at least have ALL successfully achieved their transition towards democracy particularly after being Restored one way or another. Belgium after WWII with King Bedouin or Spain in a not so distant past with the restoration of King Juan Carlos' on the Bourbonne Throne have been extraordinarily constructive examples of how an apparently Obsolete Monarchical institution could be restored into a modern establishment that serves first and foremost the nation's desire for unity and democratic aspirations that were crushed otherwise. Further back but with far reaching and positive consenquences, Great Britian's Parlimentary Democracy was truly established after the Restoration of the Monarchy with the Son of a Beheaded King. The Restored Constitutional Monarchy was a Revolution in disguise that preceded the far more bloody French Revolution. "Restoration" in Contrast to "Revolution" was a blessing that led to the first Parlimentary Democracy in Europe and decades earlier than the American Bill of Rights or the Universal Declaration of Human Rights under the French Republic !
The democratic success of the British Monarchy inspired other European Monarchies throughout the 19th century to evolve to this day.
Morocco and Jordan for instance have been inspired by the European Constitutional Monarchies and are striving more or less successfully in copying them in terms of democratisation and Human Rights accountability. The King of Morroco has not only been subject to Tax control like Great Britain's Queen Elizabeth, but the King is attempting to seriously reform the kingdom into a truly Parlimentary democracy where the King Reigns but does not Rule. The Test would be for him to succeed given the lack of democratic culture in North Africa where even Republics ( Tunisia, Egypt, Lybia) have all established long ruling dynastical families with a strong grip on Power.
That is why as a nation and as individuals we should try to be more open minded and less scornful towards one another if we genuinly wish to see a Free and Democratic Iran in a near future.
Nobody is Perfect !
BUT
I hope we will all learn to live up to those Great Expectations in the way we treat one another in regard to our political or ideological beliefs be it for the sake of Iranians back home who have put up with this sordid and dispicable regime for the past 30 years.
They Deserve Better ...
Best,
DK
Mossadegh, not again!!!
by Nousha Arzu on Wed Oct 28, 2009 01:39 AM PDTPrince Mossadegh Qajar was nothing more than a rabble-rouser, a shoologh-kon, who was not even the equal of his more capable cousins, Ahmad Ghavam and Vosough-e-Dowleh. Mossadegh did not smell the premiereship until he was 71 years old! Wouldn't you think that if he was all that capable he would have become Prime Minister much sooner???
Prince Qajar Mossadegh was way out of his league, and should have backed off his ridiculous stance against the parasitic British and followed a more sane approach. Who were we as a nation at that time, only 6 years removed from occupation, in total economic shambles, weak, backward, mismanaged for 200 years, to dictate OIL terms to the 2 most powerful countries (US and UK) in the world???
We were the Zimbabwe of Asia, and here is this Qajar Prince dictating terms to the 2 biggest bullys out there, specially when it comes to oil. It was MONUMENTALLY unrealistic, foolish and reckless. In fact, the coup of 1953, which in many ways Mossadegh was the cause of, lit the fuse to the 1979 revolution. After 28 Mordad, the Shah was irreparably stained with illigitimacy, which the mullahs stoked to their advantage in taking over the country.
I will go to my grave believing that Mossadegh was a good man, but WAAAAAAAAAAAAY over his head, and his recklessness and incompetence set Iran up for a foreign backed military coup, and later, a foreign backed revolution. By contrast, Razmara, who was assasinated by the Fedayoun-e-Islam, was far more reasonable. But of course, in our country of hotheads, reason is not a virtue.
LONG LIVE THE GLORY OF KUROSH
گفتگو با حسين مکي کودتاي ٬١٢٩٩ دولت مصدق ٬ نفت و تاريخ
Ali P.Wed Oct 28, 2009 12:07 AM PDT
مخالفت دکتر مصدق با شاه تا چه حد بود؟ آيا واقعاً مي خواست شاه را کنار بزند؟
دکتر مصدق مي خواست شاه را برکنار کند و مطمئناً چنين بود. از اوايل مرداد
١٣٣١ اکبر ميرزاي صارم الدوله را فرستادند به اروپا تا با بچه هاي محمدحسن ميرزا ٬
وليعهد احمد شاه ٬ ملاقات کند. دکتر صحت ٬ که طبيب مخصوص محمدحسن ميرزا
بود ٬ گفت بچه هاي محمدحسن ميرزا قبول نکردند. بنابراين ٬ مسلم بدانيد اقدامات دکتر
مصدق در جهت منقرض کردن سلسله پهلوي بود.
به نظر شما برخورد دکتر مصدق با شاه چه مقدار اصولي بود و چه مقدار جنبه شخصي
داشت؟
مصدق اوايل در نطق خود در مجلس مي گفت اگر خار به چشم شاه برود به چشم
١ . دکتر مصدق ٬ بقايي ٬ مکي ٬ حائري زاده ٬ عبدالقدير آزاد ٬ دکتر شايگان ٬ نريمان و اللهيار صالح.
من رفته. آن روز هم که هشت نفر بوديم ١ و رفتيم براي تحصن توي دربار ٬ بنده و
حائري زاده معتقد بوديم برويم در مسجد شاه متحصن شويم ٬ مصدق اصرار داشت که
بايد دربار برويم. ما هم رفتيم.
بنده رئيس انتظامات بودم. در آن زمان روزنامه ها نوشتند
در دربار از متحصنين پذيرايي شاهانه مي شود ٬ چون غذاهاي آنجا متنوع و آبرومندانه
بود. من گفتم از اين ساعت اعتصاب غذا مي کنم. دکتر سنجابي هم گفت اگر مکي
اعتصاب کند به شرفم قسم من هم اعتصاب مي کنم.
که ارسلان خلعتبري دادش در آمد
که اين توهين به شاه است اگر غذاي او را نخوريد. گفتم ما اول مي خواستيم مسجد شاه
برويم. رأي گرفتند و اينجوري شد. بالاخره اعتصاب غذا کرديم. خانم دکتر مصدق
مقداري بيسکويت براي او فرستاد. مصطفي الموتي ٬ سردبير داد که قوم و خويش عميدي
بود ٬ يک بسته قرص ويتامين ث به متحصنين داد.
بعد هم مصدق اولين بيسکويت را
داخل حلق بنده کرد و اعتصاب را شکستيم و بعد ازظهر هم غذا نخورده و از دربار بيرون
آمديم. يک روز سپهبد يزدان پناه آمد به منزل ما و يک خرده از اوضاع انتقاد کرد. گفتم
چرا اينها را به شاه نمي گوييد؟
يک دفعه متغير شد ٬ رگهاي گردنش متورم شد و گفت
مگر مي شود با شاه از اين حرفها زد ٬ بسکه مادرش به او گفته يک موي پدرت در بدن تو
نيست تحمل هيچ حرفي را ندارد. صدرالاشراف هم رفته به شاه گفته آقا شما چرا مثل
پدرتان حکومت نمي کنيد؟
شاه آنقدر ضعيف بود که وقتي مصدق گفته بود توليت آستان
قدس رضوي را ٬ که طبق وقفنامه توليت آستان با پادشاه وقت است ٬ بايد من انتخاب
کنم ٬ شاه جواب داده بود حرفي ندارم ٬ مصدق پنج نفر را معرفي کند تا من يکي از آنها را
انتخاب کنم. من به مصدق گفتم چرا شما بايد انتخاب کنيد؟
گفت براي اينکه از پول
توليت نبايد وارد دربار شود. شاه به قدري از مصدق وحشت داشت که حد نداشت.
مصدق گفت خواهر شاه بايد از ايران برود ٬ شاه گفت باشد. گفت مادرش هم بايد برود ٬
شاه گفت چشم! هر چه مي گفت شاه قبول مي کرد. يک بار شاه مرا به بابل دعوت کرده
بود. وقتي رفتم به من گفت آخر مصدق چه کار کرده که مردم اينقدر به او توجه دارند؟
گفتم يک مقدارش موروثي است يک مقدارش هم از روي آزاديخواهي است؛ شما يک
دکان بالاتري باز کنيد. گفت چهکار کنم؟ گفتم شاگردان اول دانشکده ها را به ناهار دعوت
کنيد بيايند پيش شما؛ به دانشکده ها ٬ مدارس ٬ بيمارستانها و شيرخوارگاهها برويد؛ دم از
آزادي بزنيد؛ هر کس را حکومت نظامي حبس و اذيت مي کند شما آزاد کنيد.
همه اينها
را گفتم. گفت بيا وزير دربار من شو. هر چه اصرار کرد قبول نکردم. يک بار هم وقتي به
دربار رفتم و وارد کاخ اختصاصي شدم مرا به کتابخانه اش برد. در آنجا من فرشي را
ديدم. براي اينکه حرف را از جايي شروع کرده باشم گفتم من لنگه اين فرش را در مشهد
٦٠ هزار تومان از او مي خريدند که نفروخت.
شاه گفت: منزل امير تيمور کلالي ديده ام ٬
من ديروز اين فرش را چهل و پنج هزار تومان فروختم؛ بيست هزار تومان آن را دادند ٬
رفته اند بقيه را بياورند که امروز فرش را ببرند. گفتم اعليحضرت! براي چه مي خواهيد
بفروشيد؟ ديدم رويش را به سمت ديوار برگرداند و سرش را پايين انداخت. بعد هم
براي اينکه توي چشمش نگاه نکنم چاي خود را هم زد و خورد.
دست کرد جيبش يک
بسته سيگار کامل که عکس شتر روي آن بود برداشت و به من تعارف کرد. در حال
روشن کردن سيگار بود که چشمم به چشمش افتاد. با بغضي که داشت يک دفعه ترکيد و
با حالتي برافروخته گفت از من مي پرسي چرا مي خواهم بفروشم؟ اينها که پيش شما
آمدند (منظورش خدمه دربار بود) حقوق نمي خواهند؟ وزير دربار و رئيس دفتر
علياحضرت ثريا حقوق نمي خواهد؟ گفتم چرا.
گفت مصدق دو ميليون بودجه دربار مرا
زده. من هر سال يک پهلوي عيدي به کارکنان دربار مي دادم و امسال کادوهايي که براي
عروسي به من داده اند دارم مي فروشم که نيم پهلوي بدهم. وقتي برگشتم نزد مصدق به
او گفتم آقاي دکتر مصدق! اين شخص تا حالا مثل موم در دست شما بوده و هر چه گفتيد
انجام داده ٬ چرا بودجه دربار او را زديد؟
حتي تأکيد کردم که او گريه کرد ٬ کاري نکنيد که
کودتا کند من با لگد او را بيرون مي کنم. Source: //www.iichs.org/PDF_files/O_makki.pdfبرود و با خارجيها سازش کند و با يک کودتا شما را سرنگون کند. گفت آن کسي که بتواند