Iranian of the Day

انگار اين هم

انگار اين هم مثل عمو جونش تو مسجد کلاله پيش نماز بوده.....تاريخ خودش داره خودشو باز و رسوا ميکنه

DK john!

Your interpretation of the nature of the referendum is the Achilles' heel of your concept... and the Shah.

In your referendum you left off IRI supporters! This is not a democratic approach. You also offer a choice to people that for foundation of future of Iran is almost irrelevant. Secular democracy, whether monarchic or republic, has far too greater challenges in implementing a secular life form in Iran, all Iran, without any tension and with pursuing peace inside and abroad.

This challenge must be discussed in a free Iran, at length, by Iranian people before going to elect a constituent assembly for choosing the governance structure of future Iran.

The referendum put forward to people is not a choice between one form of secular system and another form of it. It is a choice between secular system and non-secular system, which in its historic interpretation, is a choice between IRI constitution and existing monarchic constitution.

This is the choice that can and must be made through a referendum. The whole issue of implementation of secularism will come after the referendum, which will be a national debate, with far more important issues than a simple monarchic or republic appearance.

Wake up people. 

rtayebi1 If you say so ...

Chashb Hagh Bah Shomast Smart Ass ...

Now make Yourself Useful and Fill in the Vacuum of Leadership or offer a solution to solve the current crisis other than repeating the same Crappy arguments we all have been living with for the past 30 years.

While You and I are arguing people are being raped, jailed tortured or executed as never in the entire history of the Pahlavi Dynasty.

I can see that Koseh Sher Arguments and Individualistic Nombrilist concerns Lead Iranian Public IRANICAN Opinion as Ever ...

benross jaan I think I was clear in my development.

I think I was clear.

The choice that would be submitted to the people through a referandum would be between a Secular Democratic Republic and a Constitutional Monarchy.

The two being existing democratic models that exist in Western European Democratic states. 

Unless of course people want to Re-invent the wheel through some kind of ideology and we know where that kind of behaviour has led other countries to disastor through the 20th century towards anything but a democratic society.

Yes Souri

That is Nazanin's father and I agree with him :-)

Indeed Shah knew what was going on in the country that he ruled just as we did as kids!

and if RP didn't know then , he knows now and after 30+ years is still struggling with being honest with Iranian people about it, like a true politician should be and that by itself creates a question in his character..

Indeed Shah had it all, people's love and support for years and if only trusted in people and freedom , he and his son would have continued to rule

and as you said , UNFORTUNATELY by the time he had to put a great man like Bakhtiar , it was just waaay too late.

mr DK

1. you see things through a very one sided angle. It's YOUR TRUTH against ALL OTHERS !
   that is exactly the problem with UR kind. You don't feel the misery of millions of other Iranian that didn't live like U. Yeah shah did a lot of good things, but so did Sadam, king hussein, Saddat, and the rest of these so called leaders.  HE WAS NOT MUCH BETTER THEN THESE great men!!! one more thing please don't down graded to  a accidental,   MISFORTUNE it was systematic behavior of the regime THEN AND NOW

thanks David

For once at least, we agree :)

Those who think those horrifying events were nothing important and prescribe " a reform must be done instead of a revolution" are deeply wrong! At the time of the revolution, it was damn too late, very late for any reform!

Shah should wake up many years sooner than that!

On the other note, David, I've got this video yesterday. Is the gentleman here really Nazani's father? I thought it was you, he looks like your old avatar:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bWnoNTKq5M

Souri

I too next year changed university and went back to Tehran University just to see things were only worse there.

For God's sake we were only kids and these tall scary trained men in uniform had all the power and authority to do anything they wanted to us.

Thanks for sharing your experience .

My non-political roomate in Pahlavi university who was taken by Ghazanfar and Pahlavi's regime....now after 2 kids , wife and family, living in Iran, still never forgot the horror e went through such as being chained ...and he was so scared he never told us everything.....but I saw chain marks on his hands..

So I can see all these glorious pictures and videos that our buddy posts here but I saw what was going on in universities. I also went and lived in a small village and saw how people lived , how children had only a dry old peace of bread to eat and how the one well that people wanted for so years and had even contributed money to, was being delayed by the local government...

I saw the Zaghe-khooneh's in southern Tehran and how people lived in caves made in the dirt....

No these videos mean nothing to me.... There was just so much corruption and not even freedom to own a simple book!

and the ones who wonder why we ended up in the hands of religious extremists, must look before and see the environment that caused it...

anyway I keep my silence again about Phalavi's ...:  now we have IR which is much worse 

message lost?

regardless of his accent and past history, i liked what he had to say.  he sure ruffled a lot of feathers with his 2 minutes.  the iri supporters should try answer his question.  if the 1979 revolution was to gain more freedom, have the iranian people gotten it?

amgw4

It's good to know what makes you tick!

Yes, I remember Ghazanfar very well

I was there too. He was full of himself with his horrifying look and he was a real picture of the Shah's army! With his fool language and oppressive manner.

We hated him. I was in Veterinary college. Once we were at the Agriculture college self service and we missed the bus for the Veterinary college, he asked to give us a ride! We didn't want to get in his car, but we were so much scared to refuse it!

Then in the car, he showed us the picture of two of the girls who were at our dormitory and said: Tell me what do you know about her, everything and anything!

I said: I don't know her (I knew them very well, everybody knew them) .Then he said: Listen, go check her and come back and tell me what ever you know and I promise you will get your degree!!

I replied: But I don't need it, I am already good at the study...He said: Then I promise you get an A in every major!!!

Anyway, we got out of the car in front of all the student at the Veterinary , so much shame and humiliation for us! We had to explain it to every one and convince them that we didn't say a word!

Arriving at the dorm,  I went to the girls and told them what had happened....

One week later, they came in the middle of the night and took one of the girls, in her sleep and brought her with her pajama still on!!!! I never forget that horrible night at the dorm (21 shomali)

For weeks, I was so horrified, whenever I saw Ghazanfar's car, I was hiding behind a car or a tree...........

The next year, I changed the university.

Benross, The Shah's family wants a parliamentary monarchy

They know an absolute monarchy like their father had is out of the question, so they're pushing for a parliamentary monarchy like they have in the UK. These people who couldn't hold a job want to sit on a throne. It's really embarrassing, as almost every Iranian I personally know is more accomplished than Pahlavi's children. It's truly sad to see them coming out now and presenting themselves as opposition leaders, especially since this press campaign coincides with the failed 22 bahman opposition protests. I dare say the opposition is officially dead.

Say what you want about modern Iran, but Ahmadinejad was no one's son, and when Khomeini's children tried to use their DNA to gain power/influence they saw that those days are long gone.

?

.

The Pahlavis, all mullahs, and all public figures associated with the Green Movement  must disclose the source and the amount of their wealth/income.

However The Only way to

However The Only way to respect our fellow compatriots is to give them the right to Choose and debate on the advantages and disadvantages between the two systems of government and that means a Referandum.

Would you please clearly articulate what would be the question in the referendum put to people to vote?

Sorry David But Your Friends Misfortunes didn't justify a

Revolution !

At worst the monarchy needed to be reformed and the tragedy with Iranians at large was their impatience and political shortsightedness particularly the Intelligentsia.

The Regime Was not Democratic but the Shah was No Tyrant.

The Opposition needed to compromise with Him Like the Polish did with the Communist Regime of Jaruzelski instead of behaving like the Rumanians with their Hoax of a Revolution against Caescescu and all the violence that it resulted to and the unnecessary executions.

I fully understand and sympathize with your frustrations as a student in those years and you will never seem me justfy the Savak or political intimidations that were carried out by some elements of the Security forces.

But the Shah's regime was reformable unlike the current IRI. There is NO Comparison possible between the two systems nor between their respective Political elites.

Shapour Bakhtiar unlike Sanjabi understood this and that is why he was expelled from the National Front by Forouhar, sanjabi and others who sold their secular souls to the Ayatollah.

How Come Bakhtiar who was also arrested under the Shah ( not to mention that his father was executed by Reza Shah) not only accepted to become his Prime Minister but also Repeated 8 years after his loyalty to the Constitution of 1906 ( which you choose to ignore or rather have simply copied and pasted the text only to drop the Shah role and replaced it with that of the elected President) :

Shapour Bakhtiar speach on the Constitutional Revolution of 1906 and REGIME CHANGE:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNBFTWXz5_Q

Both Bakhtiar and Reza Pahlavi worked hand in hand after the Revolution and Crown Prince Reza has taken the mantle where Bakhtiar left it after his assassination:

Reza Pahlavi's message on the Anniversary of the 1906 Constitutional Revolution:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFjjjGwEDkQ

I perfectly Know David Jaan that you were Not for the Mullahs or what you think was their Highjacking of the Revolution but nevertheless The Problem with Stubborn Republicans like You David Jaan is that you see things through a very one sided angle. It's YOUR TRUTH against ALL OTHERS !

That you may have legitimate demands is natural and a right that you as an individual are entitled too and no one has the right to take it away.

But by being so "Nombrilist" like the French would say in other words focused on your belly button concerns and preferences at the expense of a Freedom of Choice that should be left to a Nation at large to decide, you wish to dictate YOUR Pre-Conditions on what that ultimate decision would be.

That is a wrong and I would say counterproductive behavior that has been the main reason why the Iranian regime has lasted for more than 30 years and continues to thrive upon.

In addition YOU Clearly have NEVER read ANY of his books nor listened carefully to any of his speaches. He was very clear and unambiguous about the Human Rights violations and lack of democracy under his father's rule.

If you expect Reza to come and say the Hell with the Crown, I would consider that an Insult to all those who died in it's name and also to those in his own constituency who have the right to their opinions also.

A Republic can be equally a dictatorship like is the case in Iran ( even it if is a theocracy it is still a Republic) as it is the case in nearly All the Republics in the Middle East and North Africa.

Republic is not synonymous of a Democratic State.

Nor are Revolutions something to always be proud of as if the People are always Right !

The Republican and for that matter Revolutionary Experience in France was a success. I see no reason to demand France to return to a Monarchy.

However in Great Britain the Revolutionary experience was a Total failure under Cromwell's Theocracy. That is why the British prefered Restoring their King but under a Constitutional Framework.

I don't see Queen Elizabeth make excuses for the crimes of King Henry VIII or the blood spilled in the name of the British monarchy ? .

Nor the King of Spain who is actually of French Ancestory that goes back to the Bourbons make excuses for the crimes or unjust imprisonments under his grandfathers rule or even more for those commited by King Louis XVI of France ...

Since you seem to have drafted a new Secular Constitution for the Republic You wish to see for Iran, did you include any excuses on behalf of the Iranian nation towards it's own brothers and sisters ?

What have you got to tell someone like Her for the execution of her father by YOUR Former Republican Friends ?

BOOK: EVEN AFTER ALL THIS TIME By Afschineh Latifi ( A Memoir )

THey Died in the name of the Republic that came to power with the disastrous results we know.

Blame it on Reza I suppose ? As usual it's other people's fault so we can have our conscience clean.

I won't escape accountability. I have said that the Monarchy is accountable for the Good and Bad commited in it's name.

I do not see any incompatibility in seeing monuments erected in Iran even under a Constitutional Monarchy for the people who died due to the SAVAK or other crimes commited under the Shah's era. It won't bring those dead back but it will be a minimum to honor their memory.

I would expect the same from a Republic if it were to be the choice of the Iranian Nation to install that type of system of government.

But Please Drop the Moralistic Rhetoric you think your are entitled to give to us supporters of a Constitutional Monarchy.

I believe We are Both PAtriots but We Will not merely Vote with Our Minds but also Hearts.

As Such YOU do Not have the Monopoly over the Heart of Iranians No More than I Do.

You're Ideals of Democracy are probably shaped by your admiration for the French Revolution where as Mine are shaped by the British Magna Carta, Bill of Rights and Constitutionalism traditions.

Both are respectable.

However The Only way to respect our fellow compatriots is to give them the right to Choose and debate on the advantages and disadvantages between the two systems of government and that means a Referandum.

The rest is a question of differences between ideological and historical perspectives.

Oh and for your information if Iranians choose a Republic, Reza won't run for President. This Fellow Can ... So feel Free to vote for him like You voted so brilliantly for Moussavi ( accountable for the massacres of 1988).

At Least You could have voted for Karroubi for heavens Sake like I advised You all :

SATIRE: I voted ;0)

LOL

But Nation Building Requires more than Promises of Democracy, it also requires being realistic and also learn to compromise in ordernot only  to achieve it but also to maintain it.

From that point of view I can guarantee you that a Republic will be much more problematic to handle and even fragile than a Constitutional Monarchy in a country like Iran. Not only the monarchy because of it's historical importance in our country's long history, culture and literrature can prove to be a cement of national unity but also serve as a barrier against separaticism of such areas as kurdistan, Azerbaijan or Baluchestan.

Reza Pahlavi and the Monarchists have made Far more concessions and friendly gestures into Your Direction, than You Stubborn Republicans have throughout these 30 years. We abandoned the idea of both divine and absolute Kingship long ago and have put the Monarchy in the balance of a Referandum which was and remains inconcievable to most staunch monarchists and yet we as Constitutionalists accepted that because we believe in Democratic values.

You On the otherhand are still Stuck in your 1953 Mindsets and cannot come to terms with your own personal frustrations to admit that the world you live in has changed. 

Up to You to come up with better arguments than demand Reza Pahlavi to commit suicide or Reject the Crown to which he is entitled since his father did not abdicate contrary to your claims.

So in the same Way some of us back in 1970 shouted Bakhtiar Sangaretoh Negahdar:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vas_tvGZgWE

So will we the Constitutionalists Shout:

REZA JOON SANGARETOH NEGAHDAR :

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeVcOBHLDyE

whether it pleases you or your Republican Friends or Not !

My Humble but FIRM Opinion,

DK

PS: And by the way It's Called a "THRONE" Not a "THROWN" aimed to be dumped into the dustbin.

Anon

You know, I was accused of that when I first signed up. Give these new users the benefit of the doubt. See is they come up with anything substantive to offer, before accusing them just because they are new.

amgw4-another fake "new user"-registered an hour ago

I am not a big fan of Shah or his family, but has everyone noticed the rash of new registrations these days from fake new users, who are our old IRI friends registering under various new user names, just so that people would think that they have a lot of support?  And it's always the IRI supporters who do this.  

You're pathetic guys.  This not only shows that you don;t have any support in the Iranian society, but it also shows what a bunch of cowards you are.  You're too scared to post under your regular usernames....PATHETIC!!! 

Have any of Pahlavi's children held jobs?

I did some quick research on Wikipedia and it seems like all of Pahlavi's children do nothing but live off of his wealth.

Cherah man nemetoonam ba ers zendegeeh konam, va mozakhraf begam tooyeh youtoob?

Shah and students

I studied at two universities in Iran: Pahlavi (Shiraz) and Tehran university and I saw many students disappear or imprisoned and tortured.

None had done anything but having a book, or was seen in a demonstration demanding some of their student rights. None involved in an armed struggles. My own roomate , was not even political or even read a political book! and was impriosoned and came back tortured all with presumptions!

I was taken for interrogation because when a demonstartion started and we left the class leaving the building guards started to beat "evreyone" and as one guard was going to hit a girl (not demonstrating) I tried to protect her and he beat me instead and then took me to interrogate , they took my card and I couldn't come to school until they gave my card back.

Pahlavi university was no better. Sarhang Ghazanfar was the head of university police. A tall sick man who just wanted to scare the students. Even a regular concert of Marzieh was under such tight security that Marzieh on microphone said: Sarhang whats have you done to these kids they are even afraid to clap!

So PULEASE do not make an angel of Pahlavi's and yes IR is much worse but that does not make one corrupt evil any better.

Yes there was economic improvments in the country like most other developing countries with oil and just like there has been some growth in infrastructure , roads etc or many girls entering universities during IR era but that doesn't make them any good because of that. 

Reza has to chose between his DNA or the people and until then dancing around it will not help.

He also has to be upfront and honest (like western politicians) and tell people what he thinks of lack of political freedom during his father, corruptions of his family and give an accounting of Iranian wealth that was taken !

Until then he is seen as an dishonest ex-prince (like so many others in history of the world before him) who want to get thair daddy's thrown back from miles away with nice but empty words. Its not just the talk but the walk that tells the truth about a character.

FYI/Fake prince leaves Denver victims feeling royally screwed

Not sure if he is the same fellow as this guy who claimed to be Patick Pahlavi and who was accused of cheating some people in Denver a few years ago:

A fake Irani prince leaves Denver victims feeling royally screwed. ( Denver News, Feb 2001)

Payam Come On ... No one is making fun of him !

At Best he is a subject of curiosity nothing else ...

He is perfectly entitled to an Opinion like any other Iranian and support who ever or whatever he wants. 

But when he says something inaccurate it should also be noted don't you think ?

Unless you want to live in LA LA LAND ...

His comments won't change my opinion on the monarchy or Reza Pahlavi for that matter.

I WAS, AM AND WILL BE FOR REGIME CHANGE !

Preferably for a Constitutional Monarchy despite what this clown thinks about it.

No One has the Monopoly of the Heart !

Patrick Ali has one and so do I.

So do others who Respect Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi and what he is trying to achieve for Our Freedom and democracy in his own capacity.

REZA's CALL: An Iranian Solidarnosc... by DK

But between ourselves I find all this Republican Bolony Admiration on behalf of the Diaspora ridiculous and hypocritical.

We ... at least my generation (40's Upwards) is indepted to the Pahlavi educational system and era and to see some spit on that when they were the first to benefit from it so cheap !

Fortunately Not Everyone belongs to the HEZBEH BAAD !

And besides there were one or two Pahlavi Prince's and Princess' who came from rather disfunctional families. One of the Shah's brothers Hamid Reza was well known to be a kind of Rebel from his early years and was arrested for drugs consuption in the US from a very early age:

//www.flickr.com/photos/29633143@N05/2968424713/

and one of his own daughters Nazak was an aspiring avant gard Artist and died from a drug overdose in the mid 1980's :

//www.photographie.com/?pubid=102213

In all families you will find people who are simply different or wish to live a differant life than their parents.

The daughter of Shams Pahlavi the Shah's sister went to become a Pop Singer and into reality shows. So What ?

Not everyone in a Big Family particularly in Iranian families are necessary intimate with eachother.

Non of the Shah's brothers except Golam Reza's family and children really befriended the Shah's immediate family. The Shahbanou and the Shah's children had their own inner circle of intimate or close friends often at odds with the rest of their own larger family.

There is nothing unnormal about that. It happens all the time and in all families and the Pahlavis are not an exception to the rule ...

As for this fellow ... Well he is Free to say what h e wants and support who he wants or doesn't want.

It doesn't change my views or convictions for that matter and I don't see him as a Threat or public danger to anyone or anything.

Nice accent and interesting looks nevertheless !

My Humble Opinion,

DK 

PS: Not sure if he is the same fellow as this guy who claimed to be Patick Pahlavi and who was accused of cheating some people in Denver a few years ago:

A fake Irani prince leaves Denver victims feeling royally screwed. ( Denver News, Feb 2001)

Please pay attention to his honest message and not his accent.

He comes out and support us and all you can do is make fun of him. A bit childish, don't you think. On my own behalf I would like to thank him for standing with his compatriots and let them know that he too supports them.

He confused 1953 (16 Azar Incidents) with 1979 ...;0)

To my knowledge the Shah's Army Never entered a University to Shoot on Students back in 1979.

Or did I get something wrong ? ...

The Two Students he claims were shot by the Shah's Army ( actually Police) to my knowledge refers to the incidents after 1953 when students demonstrated against President Nixon's visit and were shot in the clashes ( Never on any direct order of the Shah for that matter) which led to the annual Students day demonstrations since every 18th Tir ( evne if the incidents date back to 16th of Azar).

Background About Dec 7, 1953 (16-Azar 1332) ( source Sam Ghandchi):

Ahmad Ghandchi, who was sympathetic to Jebhe Melli, and two others, Shariat-Razavi and Bozorg-Nia, who were claimed by hezbe tudeh as sympathetic to Hezb-e Tudeh, were killed by the gun of Shah's police, on this 7th day of December  in 1953, at the University of Tehran, when they had gone on strike,  protesting Nixon's visit of Iran, following the CIA coup of 1953.

Oh By the Way ... KNOWLEDGE IS POWER ;0)

That's Why Knowing Your History Matters !

But You are welcome to swallow Any Koseh Shehr any bloke Feeds You just like back in 1979.

LOL

Some People Will Never Learn ...

Sigh ...

I like this prince

I thought I will never find a Pahlavi  or  a Salatanat talab which is cool,  but I really really  like this prince.

This is very strange!

even the Pahlavis are fed up with khamenei

The 7-year old Ali Patrick Islami in Rome in 195(?)...

See Ali @0:45

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=90dkvhd-aKQ

Obama

He is the Shah's nephew. Shah's brother, Alireza is already dead (killed in a plan's accident

Here's a brief resume on his life by Noosh Afarin:

//iranian.com/main/blog/noosh-afarin-5

Did he say "beh GHER GHEREH ramoon resideh" not KHER KHEREH?

where was he all this time? Play to people's sentiment without any solution except getting rid of the regime! No substance, just name. He has no connection to people of Iran. Enjoy life in France! 

Dear ELS

Thank you for reminding us of the one and only Assadollah Yekta. Not to forget Homayoun and Moghbeli and many others who founded the popular Farsi cinema.

Farah

Thank You Mr. Ali Pahlavi you said it all Sir!!!

Thanks SecularDemocracy for posting this great message.