می بخور، منبر بسوزان - مردم آزاری نکن

2500 celebration brought Iranians dignity, pride

Iranians were became well known in international community. It was not co-incident that Iranians were well respected around the world. They were welcomed in any country they applied for visa. Some critics might have said that money for 2500 celebration shouldn't be spent since some people were poor. They falsely believe if the celebration wouldn't take place, all those poor people became rich. What a none sense, but this is their believe system. We can't argue about it. Just don't buy such a none senses. The most aspect of shah's accomplishments was "white revolution". The first principal of white revolution was dismissal of oppressive relationship of Feudal and peasants. Virgin girls of peasant in rural area should have slept with Feudal the first night of her marriage. The first principal of White Revolution banned such a cruel practice. Rashed, the clergy man, used to talk about it every friday night in Iran state radio.

    At that time, 80% of population were living in rural area and 20% in urban.  Recent inventory suggests the configration has been drastically changed to 40% in rural and 60% in urban.

     In 50's, the rate of illetracy was over 90%. That mean over 90% of our people couldn't even read or write their names. The other principal of white revolutiion targeted "fight against illeracy". By late 70's, With shah deligent efforts, the rate of illeracy dropped to 45%. That means, there were still half of population couldn't read or write their names. That rate was very compatable with other developing countries such as Syria. 45% of people were uneducated and those were the ones who saw Khomainie's picture on the surface of moon. "Sepah Behdashat" was another ourstanding feature of white revolution. In that, graduates high school students mandated to go to rural and remote area of the country to teach those people about vaccination, birth control, etc. "Less child,better life" was slogan of the day. Upon shah' return in 1953, the modernization started in Iran. The university of oil was established. By early 70's Iranians had full control of their oil. Shah policy was sending youths to the western countries, get educated, come back and built the country. "No Iranian child should go to bed at night hungery". That was shah's idea. Because of that idea, the "Free nutrition" initiated in schools to feed our children. Some teachers were stealing food bringing it to their home and absued the system. By late 70's, Oil price reached about $40 per burrell, the highest price in the history of O.P.E.C. Iran was on the path to it's highest peak in it's history. It was amazing to see how the country was developing.

 By late 70's, Iran was part of Europe in the Middle East. The dimond of Persian Gulf. All neighbores and arab world were jealous of Iranians. That included Turkey, Arabs, Pakistani, and Afghnistan. Afghanistan always look highly at Iranians. Under shah's smart leadership, we were the most respected and the most powerful nation in the region. shah and his legacy of "cho Iran nabashad, tan-e man mabad" made Iran army invincible. The slogan that made Iran far from any invasion. No arab country dare to invade Iran, as long as shah was on power. Nothing will ever erase the glorious role of shah in our modern history.

Siavash 

شب همگی‌ بخیر ... تا آخر هفته بعد

Bad Stories for Bad Kids

Oon Yaroo is

right. There is a difference between right and wrong. The students in 1979 had a lot going for them. The trouble makders were really "trouble makers". Remember some of us were there and remember it for ourselves.

Arj: There is a big diff....

There is a big difference between the students during the Shah’s era and the students during IRI era. Back then, the students had everything including a high paying job when they graduated! Now, they have nothing! Those students who were pursued by SAVAK most likely attempted on the life of Iranian military officers and Americans!

In fact, as an anecdotal data point, I recall at a gathering at MIT in 1979, an Aryamehr U. MEK student (who was sent there to get a Ph.D. on Shah’s scholarship program) would brag about the morality of MEKs compared to the Marxist’s and how they would refrain from assassinating Shah’s military officers in front of their family members! You know MEK guys very MARD compared to the Marxists! This, I heard with my two ears! And, you think that SAVAK should not have gone after these SOB’s! You ought to be kidding me!

The IRI situation is totally different! IRI is an OUTLAW regime that must be brought down by all means available and at any cost. It’s a menace to the civilized world. So, today’s students have every right to harass the IRI regime.

Arj the IRI is right, if it disqualifes

they should disqualify all secular democrats and moderates that oppose it.

Iran could afford to remove extremists in 1970's because it was going from strength to strength economically & socially, only to be saboltaged by extremists. Today with extremists in power they are sliding down economically and socially, so the source of their difficulties won't be radicals. 

A good system defends the freedom of those that are serving it.  IRI should just come out and say that secular democrats and moderates are its enemy and disqualify them.  Just the way Shah should have made clear marxists and islamists were his enemies.  I know which one I prefer, do you?

Arj

You are not getting my point. I don't want to purge anything. I am just saying it would be nice if they actually spent some time studying. When I was in university I did not have time to do much more than study.

Where do there guys get the time to do all this? I am serious. So far the "students" gave us: IRI; MEK; Hostages; plans to blow up power lines. Maybe we were better off without their stupid ideas.

Signs of a pahlavi hater

he only used the national resources that belonged to everyone, not the
money that he and his family had stolen from Iranians. So, do not give
me the nonsense about "free education" and "namak nashnas." You do not
know what the words mean!

No Shame, you got to pity the inabilty of some to feel remorse.

APFSD, OY, VPK

Dear OY, VPK and APFSD, this is exactly what today's Basijis are saying now -- that universities must be cleansed from the "enemies of state and trouble makers!" and that students should stay away from politics and only concentrate on their studies and majors! Just replace Shah with Khamenei and USSR with U.S,, and you're good to go! 

Arj regarding students

I am talking from personal experience. My cousin was a normal happy person before he went to university. Within 6 monhts his Marxist "friends" has him so brainwashed I did not know him. 

If the universities were not so infested with radicals it would not have happened. No I don't want anyone executed. But would have preferred the "students" spent a bit more time on their major. A bit less time on radical and frankly stupid ideas. 

People at that age are very impressionable and easy to manipulate. They are very prime targets for anyone from Islamist to Soviet. That is also why soliders are picked from young men. Because they are hot heads who will do stupid things. Such as  take a gun and run off to war! There is a reason they have a minimum age for running for office in USA. In my opinion students should go to college to study. Not to spend all day long figuring out how to blow up power lines.

Arj: As long as students operate within the law and order…

No, one should not kill, arrest, or prevent students from expressing their legitimate rights from their respective governments as long as they stay and operate within the boundaries of law and order. However, not all students behave the same. When some students resort to violence and force their state to the verge of anarchy and chaos then all bets are off! This has occurred in America, Iran, Chile, and many other countries around the world.

Trying to ascertain who was on whose pay role in the 50’s, 60’s and the 70’s in Iran is an impossible task and beyond my ability. However, it’s not a secret that both the MEK’s and Marxists during the Shah’s era were receiving ideological, military, and financial support and training from many countries including the Soviet Union.

mammad why play clueless, your smarter no?

Some are incapable of looking at the history as it happened. One set of
standards for "our" side, another completely different set for the
opposition!

Can you agree that there is a major difference between IRI and Shahs administration?  That his was 100 times better at the minimum.  That is the basis for judging people differently, reality.  One was a country that had climbed to the 9th wealthiest and was climbing still with a bright future for its people, the other has had 10 times more monetary resources and has dropped so far down no one wants to think about it.  Why even pretend to play clueless to reality, the differences.  Thats what makes one namaknahnas and another a hero, the situation, which was very different not the sides.

Arj VPK only listed students that were sympathizers with Irans

enemies, we were at a state of war with soviet marxists/and colonialist islamists.  He is talking about extremist ideologies only.  Right to their opinions yes absolutely, but since they are preying on their society they forfeit many priveleges, especially a fully paid university education.  As you know in no country in the world is that a birth right.  Extremists helped send iran to the stone ages. No one is entitled to do that, no law protects radicals that insist on forcing people to change themselves and think only like them.  How ignorant to defend their non-right to fully paid university education.  Do you even understand who he is talking about?

Of course like the rest of the world they are still free to express themselves.

 Under an independent and

 Under an independent and democratic Iran, the governement should reduce oil export to half and invest in diversifcation of economy and start a period of austerity to develop other industries including alternative energy.

Reform requires the consent of the corrupt

Arj you are so factually wrong its hilarious

Dear SAM, I think for once I totally agree with you! Carter's
vilification by many Iranians as well as Americans is in most part
emotionally charged. He could not single handedly topple Shah or rescue
him. There were numerous factors involved which had nothing to do with
Carter or the U.S. for tht matter! If anything, Carter tried to reduce
the American dependance on foreign oil and attempted to reform the U.S,
banking and financial system. Whereas, Reagan made a deal with IRI
before even he was in the office! 

What can one even say, except you could use some enlightenment.

Shazde Asdola Mirza LOL Khomeini's nickname was

Mufti Flintstone.  What a mind job, without paralell.

Re "terrorists paid by USSR"

Dear Oon Yaroo, are you serious?! There are students protesting all over the world. are they all terrorists paid by USSR, or just the ones who protested against Shah?! And with regards to your call for the army to kill the protesters, what makes you any different from Hezbollahis who call on Sepah to do so?!

Dear VPK, expelling the "trouble making" students would not make them vanish -- remember many of the students expelled by IRI in the 80s were executed (many in summer of 67) ! Unless you advocate that Shah took them straight form university to the execution rooms which would still not stop others from joining their ranks! Have you ever wondered perhaps that's not the solution? Moreover, these are our nation's children (whether you like them or not!) and have the right to their opinions. I wonder what makes you think you have the right to hand pick university applicants, or better still, what makes you think that it's going to make the country a better place? Can't you see that your prescription is being filled by basijis to no avail?!

Dear SAM, I think for once I totally agree with you! Carter's vilification by many Iranians as well as Americans is in most part emotionally charged. He could not single handedly topple Shah or rescue him. There were numerous factors involved which had nothing to do with Carter or the U.S. for tht matter! If anything, Carter tried to reduce the American dependance on foreign oil and attempted to reform the U.S, banking and financial system. Whereas, Reagan made a deal with IRI before even he was in the office!  

Dear Divaneh: Khomeini was a mullah right out of middle ages

A look at the clergies and key religious figures of other beliefs (e.g. Christian, Buddist and Hindu) in the 20th century, shows how they have been most influential in bringing different peoples and nations closer together. Examples are of course Desmond Tuto of S. Africa, Dalai Lama of Tibet, and Mahatma Gandhi of India.

The Muslim mullahs and muftis, however and sadly, been often on the side of Fatwa's against basic human rights and dignity. The Shiite mullahs of Iran have been much worse than any other sect, in terms of callousness towards other people's sufferings; with plenty of edicts for the death and torture against their opponents.

Then there is Khomeini ... who is clearly unparalleled in blood-lust, even among the Shiite Mullahs!

All I would say in response is

nothing, absolutely nothing, protects a country, its territorial integrity, and national security and interests better and more powerful than having a political system that is accepted and trusted by its people, particularly in a nation like Iran with such a deep, long, and glorious history, literature, and culture, where nationalism and national pride are extremely strong. Both the Pahlavis and the VF regime did not and do not have that. One is gone, and the other one will eventually go.

I was born in mid 1950s, and grew up in the 1960s, did my undergraduate studies in the 1970s, and then moved to the US. I was a witness to what happened to the country in the 1970s when I was old enough to understand everything.

Mammad

Mammad Jaan: It appears that I may be younger than you are...!?

So, I am sorry if I hurt your feelings.

I was not alive in the 50’s. But this I know that it was an era where east and west were in life and death conflict and grid lock as others have alluded to earlier.

It was only in the 50’s and 60’s when the Soviets overtly and arrogantly invaded the eastern European countries.

It is well understood and established that they had eyes on invading Iran as well and in fact they did it during WWII.

For better or worse, Iran was enticed by America and they favored the Shah in the east-west conflict.

In retrospect, I am glad Iran didn’t end up the other side. Otherwise, we would have been another Afghanistan!

My limited ½ cent!

Regarding Universities

I wonder if the closing of universities by IRI was not to flush out the Marxists. The nominal reason was to "Make them Islamic". But we all know they were breeding ground for Marxists. And Mollahs did not want that!

I guess the Mollahs were a bit more on top of things than Shah. They just closed the whole thing and cleaned house. Shah should have done that in early 60 or 70. Get rid of anyone who was a Soviet or Islamist. 

It was not like there was a shortage of applicants! Just ditch the trouble makers and leave the place to real students. I mean people who wanted to actully learn the subject the majored in.

Yaroo

You ran out of response! Yes, the Shah should have killed them all! Absolutely! And, of course, that is the type of "democracy" you believe in! You are a "democracy lover," shouting [beating on your chest], "I want nothing but democracy for Iran, and if some people oppose me, I unleash the military might on them!!"

Hope the rest of your weekend is good.

Mammad

Mamad: Those were "terrorists" paid by USSR and SAVAK should

have got rid of all of them! Vis-a-vis schools NOT being free, you are a liar! They were all paid for by the Shah's regime. And yes, you had to pay your dues by working in remote areas!

In retrospect, Shah should have unleashed his military might on the subversives in 78-79 very much like the South American countries did in the 70's. Look where we are versus where they are!

Besides that, you may want to take a cold shower!

Yaroo, you have repeated your absurdities

so often that you actually believe in them!

Peaceful protests killed Mehdi Shariat Razavi, Ahmad Ghandchi, and Mostafa Bozorgnia, when they protested the 1953 coup and Nixon's visit at Fanny. Remember 16 Azar - student day - or you are too blind and deaf to see it or remember it?

//www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbure...

Peaceful protests killed at least 89 in 30 teer 1331 (july 1952). Peaceful protests killed many in 1959. Peaceful protests killed many in 15 Khordad 1963. Peaceful protests killed 79 in Jaleh Square in 1978. Should I continue?

The Shah had closed the door on peaceful protests. He had jailed everyone, from the leaders of National Front, to those of Liberation Movement and the secular left, etc. Bijan Jazani went to jail before he took up arms. Bazargan and comrades always called the Shah "alahazrat" and never took up arms. When the Shah put them on trial in 1965, Bazargan warned, "We are the last group talking to you peacefully. The next group will take up arms,"

//www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbure...

But, the Shah was too arrogant to see what was coming.

And then, in Esfand 1353 (March 4, 1975) the Shah did not even tolerate cartoonish parties of Iran-e Novin, Mardom, and Pan-Iranist, abolished them, ended all pretense to a multiparty system, and founded a fascist organization called the Rastakhiz Party. When he announced that on that day, he also said, "Anyone who does not like it can get his passport and leave." Mesbah Yazdi said the same about the VF regime. Go figures! All dictators are alike, religious or secular!

And on that same day, when the Shah announced Rastakhiz Party establishment, Abbas Sourki, a leftist political prisoner (who had not taken up arms before being jailed) told Jazani and comrades, "He will murder us soon." Sure enough, the Shah did, only two months later

//www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbure...

SAVAK took nine courageous political prisoners, including Jazani, Sourki, and seven others and killed them in the Evin hills. Peaceful protests?

And those you call terrorist were far far far more courageous than you are, or will ever be. Right or wrong, they lost their lives over what they believed in. How about you gutless wonder, who hides behind a bogus name in the West, and from far and behind a computer screen issues secular fatwas?

And if the Shah provided free education - which he did not; it is a myth; in return for tuition and assistance, we had to commit ourselves to work anywhere in the country that the government wanted us, or pay up at the end - he only used the national resources that belonged to everyone, not the money that he and his family had stolen from Iranians. So, do not give me the nonsense about "free education" and "namak nashnas." You do not know what the words mean!

Mammad

Well said

Thanks Shazde for this clear mirror. Iran is a proof that it takes more than one or two generations to have a significant layer of real intellectuals and liberals in a backward society.

It is difficult for me to assess the real objectives of the 2500 years celebrations, but Shah was clearly wrong to think that he could have those types of celebrations on one day and a prayer in the Imam Reza the day after. He left the agent of the darkness (i.e. Mollas) free and gave them back the influence that they had lost in his father's time. How could he ever think that these rats would support the Iranian nationalism and the celebration of the grandeur of pre-Islam Iran? 

With respect to the third one, clergies are all ruthless evil people, but they don't get the chance elsewhere in the world.

Shazdeh Jan

I agree that much of the blame does go to the Shah. His actions; his repression of voices; one party system and being out of touch. But as long as USA was behind him Shah was going to remain in power.

Regarding Carter we have to agree to disagree.

Now let us just for this argument assume he is a good guy. Jimmy Carter is an idealist and those kinds of people do not make good leaders. Because they refuse to see reality. I was going to write a list of mistakes I think he made. But I don't want to rehash it all over. I will just say one thing: his presidency made Americans feel humiliated. That cost him reelection and plunged USA into the claws of Reagan. The right wing policies of Reagan put America on a downhill course for the past 30 years.

Some are incapable of differentiating between...

Some are incapable of differentiating between peaceful "protestation" and "violent" assail on government/military/public structure and properties.

The former is practiced all over the world even today as we speak for the betterment of all. The latter is practiced by subversives and terrorists whose primary intent is not to have a dialogue, negotiate, and co-exist but, rather strike fear in the very system that is feeding them!

The fact of the matter is that, the Fanny students, the Aryamehr (Sharif Vaghefi was a terrorist) students, and other students whose tuition were fully paid and living expenses fully subsidized by what you erroneously label as the Shah's dictator regime should have thrown theirs heads down like a bunch of good boys, worked hard, become somebody, and made a difference and contributions to the very nation and society that they were so affectionately and passionately concerned about***!? Instead, they chose to burn, destroy, terrorize, and assassinate!? Hence, "namak nashnas"!?

Post-AnGolab schools in Iran, it's an entirely different story! 

***By the way, many students of the Shah's era who ignored the subversives and stuck to the principles did end up being very successful, productive, and contributing members of the society.

Arj Jaan: But, they did particiapte in the festivity!

You made me pretty melancholy tonight. I was 12 years old back then living in Karadj when it was small, clean, beautiful, and pristine!

To the best of my memory, all schools including mine celebrated the 2500th event. It wasn't a bash party but all people were encouraged to participate and many did, streets were decorated , etc.

I think the only flaw in your comparison between Iranians/their "national" pride versus Americans/their "national" pride is that the former is essentially non-existent! Yes, I contend that in general Americans are orders of magnitude more patriotic than Iranians! 

PS - I think even the late Shah admitted that he made some mistakes, so no argument in there...

Universities have always been hotbeds of protests

particularly the engineering faculties, both before and after the Revolution. Look at Daneshkadeh Fanny of the University of Tehran or Tabriz, Amir Kabir University (Polytechnique), and Sharif University now. They are still hotbeds of anti-government activities.

So, why is it that if the university students protested in 1950s, 1960s, and throughout 1970s all the way to the 1979 Revolution, they were "namak nashnas," but now that they are doing it against the VF regime, they are heroes, courageous, etc.? If they are, they have always been. If they are not, they have never been.

Some are incapable of looking at the history as it happened. One set of standards for "our" side, another completely different set for the opposition!

Shazde:

Could not agree more with your last comment.

Mammad

رباعی نفت

//iranian.com/main/blog/m-saadat-noury-139

Thanks VPK ... next you should be a bit kinder to Carter

Carter was and is a very nice and decent human being. Giving "credit" or actually blaming him for the Iranian revolution of 1979, is fully wrong.

It is easy to blame the Americans for all our problems, but sadly it is not true. They are a main player in the world politics, but they don't control everything, like chess pieces.

Carter inherited a sickly and weak country from the Nixon-Ford rotten years. His poor responses to the problems that confronted him should be viewed in the context of the US ills ... post Vietnam, post Watergate and post 1973 Oil Embargo ... which all had led to a great recession combined with unemployment and inflation.