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Reza Joon, man up or get out!
21-Mar-2011
On March 6th at 12am, a BBC reporter slipped into the city of Zawiya under heavy fighting between the Libyan government forces and the rebels. As he wondered the streets, the BBC reporter came across a rebel fighter who was walking about, smoking a cigarette. The reporter stopped the rebel and asked him who and where his leader was. The rebel pointed at the sky and said, “God. He is up there somewhere.”
Just like the Libyan uprising, the Iranian democracy movement is pretty much in the hands of fate. With no cohesive strategy, mixed signals, characters with questionable pasts, infightings and conflicting reports of whereabouts of green movement leaders, the people’s demands for that illusive democracy is again grinding to a halt.
As the green movement’s leadership goes MIA and its organizational structure falters under the weight of IRI pressure and self-inflicted wounds, Reza Pahlavi finds an opening to fill the vacuum. Pahlavi in recent weeks has stepped up his efforts to repaint a new image of himself among Iranians. Pahlavi, who understands the value of good PR, has been making the rounds in Iranian satellite TV circus, answering questions that have been haunting him for the past thirty years. This sudden shift of strategy is helping his image and keeping him in the loop as a possible contender.
RP is taking a page from the US political playbook. His strategy is simple. Wait for the right opportunity to throw jabs. He comes in to political forefront every time the green movement suffers a setback. And during the green movement’s occasional moments of glory, he fades into shadows and waits for the next opportunity. This strategy keeps him around as a relevant player without exposing him to too much risk. RP is betting on the possibility that the green movement will eventually evolve into a secular movement with nationalistic connotation, and if that happens, he will be the VIP guest at the party and most likely at the top of the leadership food chain.
But Reza is committing a serious miscalculation. He does not quite understand the mentality of the very same people his father and especially grandfather ruled for many years. Reza Pahlavi is betting his money on a few westernized, educated Iranians who embrace and understand the structural hierarchy of a sound political system. That strategy is a big failure. Iran is a heavily traditional society. A society that heroism and valor is embedded in its DNA.
The very fiber of Iranian society is made from what Fereydoun Hoveyda called “Rostam Syndrome.” Iran is a country that its core population embraces leaders who display selfless acts of bravery... leaders who are willing to sacrifice everything they have to fight against what they believe are direct attacks on the good of the society. Now, that has not always paid off for our people. We often end up with leaders who hurt us more than they help us. Nevertheless, we are who we are.
Reza Pahlavi’s grandfather is a good example of Iranians’ infatuation with bravery in leadership. Reza Khan was a commander that led from the front. He repeatedly displayed courage under fire as he stored his dominion. He began an all-out assault against tribal bandits who terrorized the Fars province. He personally battled the tribal leaders, killed the bandits and stored order in a region that had never heard of the word: law. He then went to war against mullahs and did something unheard of before him. He intimidated, harassed and hung mullahs from ropes. That was challenging the status quo with courage not words... something that Iranians had not experienced much during the reign of the Qajar Dynasty.
Unlike Reza Khan, his son was not exactly what you call the icon of bravery. He repeatedly fled the country during the times of crisis and hardly ever showed any acts of selfless courage. Khomeini on the other hand, driven by paranoia that crusaders were still at war with Islam, and Israel and the US were on the path of destroying the very fabric of the Islamic values, showed courage by standing against shah and the imaginary forces behind him. Khomeini did not carry much credibility with Iranians at the beginning of the revolution but his status was elevated to Rostam when he intimidated shah to pack and leave.
Reza Pahlavi so far has shown no such courage. He has repeatedly missed opportunities to capture his people’s imagination. He seems to be relying too much on good old lip service (I volunteered to go back to Iran as a pilot to fight against Iraq’s invasion) instead of showing true courage through actions.
Pahlavi strikes me as a person who genuinely believes and respects personal freedoms. He displays a high degree of intelligence and great love for his country. He also seems to be an opportunistic politician who gets his moments in the spotlight as they come. He is not a risk-taker and does not seem to have the killer instinct that his grandfather had. And ultimately, he does not strike me as someone who can satisfy Iranians’ “Rostam Syndrome.” Maybe someday he will prove me wrong... but it’s highly unlikely.
Now, some say that Reza has chosen the path of nonviolence. So did Gandhi and Martin Luther King. But what separates them from Reza and people like him is the simple fact that Gandhi and MLK never hesitated to put their lives, families, fortunes and comfort in jeopardy for their people. Courageous leadership like that inspires people.
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EPIC FAIL!
by deev on Thu Mar 24, 2011 03:03 PM PDT"Our King has a duty to perform as the CEO of this cultural institution... He must go and regain his culture back."
By picking Arabic names for all his children (noor/iman/farah) he is failing miserably at being our cultural CEO!
Afshinazad: thanks but I
by alimostofi on Thu Mar 24, 2011 02:48 PM PDTAfshinazad: thanks but I couldn't understand a word. You need to work on your grammar. Politics needs commas and full stops. Hit edit and write it again.
Hope you don't take it personally.
Ali Mostofi
//www.alimostofi.com
WHO IS FOR IRAN
by afshinazad on Thu Mar 24, 2011 02:25 PM PDTEveryone have a choice and every one can make a comment and politic is mother of differences and argument and fighting over the ideas and power whether we live in western world or the eastern world and every one think other side is wrong and every time proven to be both sides could be wrong and collectively both right because I never seen one person could be right at the end. No one knows everything but everyone know every know everything. we are arguing why RP is the right or wrong person to lead without paying any attention what we know or what we understand and we both fighting over broadloom colours and wall papers and furniture that we don't have the house built yet. in reality we don't have a plan nor the agenda and if RP was not a Prince and if he was a just a active Iranian with education and foreign policy knowledge and some connection and if he would of come on TV and made a same remarks more or less most probably we would admired him for being true freedom lover and true Iranian, let’s look at the current Iran and what is going on and what is status of our country and how people suffer every day from brutality of this regime and lets think about it really what is that we want and really who gives the right to make a decision for those who face the brutality every day, I am very much fan of RP but really I have no right to fight or the argue or impose my thought over others and same Time other side has no right to insult RP for who he is or what he offers, either republic or the monarchy it has no difference for the Iranian as long as peoples right protected and Religion is out of schools and universities and army and all government offices and religion should stay in worship place period and no more than that, but at the same time now you have only politician who are running the country and what now and what is their obligation to the nation or the country, only by voting you have no freedom and we all must understand what is the freedom is and by living in western countries doesn't mean we are expert in freedom as a matter of fact most of us have no clue about it because we get up and go to work and comeback home and think about tomorrow is a pay day or the other crap and how much we know about politics around us and I guess most of us know just basic word of freedom and voting and human rights and claim we know a lot. our problem is not monarchy or republic in fact our problem is not understanding what we want and what is good for the nation and the country and who would be the safeguard of national interest and who would protect the rights of people and who will make sure that there is balance of power, we Iranian love to have a power and love to claim the leadership and if you have Iranian co worker most probably you have notice his or her action already and I bet you don't know how to get ride her or him or you don't know where to go that you won't see another Iranian in same place and this is our true nature and we all want be chief but not many Indian. We should grownup and learn from our past and current events. let me tell you if tomorrow we have any system in our country we are going to complain and we are going to accuse them that they are not doing what they suppose to do because we don't understand or even could imagine how hard it is to manage the country size of Iran with so many problems and so many different ethnics, you see IRI from last 32 year haven't been able to manage the country and still today they think of SHAH time how the hell he was able to manage the country and keep the peace among every one, choosing KING or PRESIDENT is not end of the problem, providing security and keeping public together and their security and job and economy and foreign policy and hundreds of other obstacles going to show up on your door step. You see no matter who is going to rule the country or who is going to be the figure head, what is important how we are going to have what we don't have yet and we are fighting for what we don't have. If you and I unite and work together there is no deference between monarchy and republic, there is only difference of title one is heritage other is imported.
Darius Kadivar: Thanks for
by alimostofi on Thu Mar 24, 2011 02:54 PM PDTDarius Kadivar: Thanks for wrting in such length and detail. Let me conversely make it very short and sweet. Politics is not the problem. The issue is culture. The people of Iran, and the whole of western Asia, have shown their 200 million ceremony at Noruz, There is no doubt in anyone from any political or religious ideology, that neither democracy nor Islam can get so many people so synchronized for so many thousands of years.
So the people will only react to cultural values. The people need to hear that the Ayatollahs are not representing Iran. But then there isn't a proper formal institution that can state it is the official authority on all things Iranian and, explain that it is not in Iran because it is threatened.
Our King has a duty to perform as the CEO of this cultural institution, and he is doing exactly the opposite of what he is supposed to do. He is talking politics, when he speaks of democracy. That is not what his role is. Nor is it for him to be a human rights advocate. He is a King and must act so. He must go and regain his culture back. Simple
Ali Mostofi
//www.alimostofi.com
یه آقا تو تموم شماها هست
بت شکنThu Mar 24, 2011 12:10 PM PDT
اونم این داریوش خان هستش که من مخلصشم.
مستوفی باز شروع کردی به یاوه گفتن؟
بت شکنThu Mar 24, 2011 12:07 PM PDT
امروز گمانم قمر در عقربه که داری اینقدر پرت و پلا میگی. ول کن برادر کدوم "اینستیتیو شین" این حرفا چیه. آقا رضا سخنگو هست دیگه چیه؟ ادبت کجا رفته؟ اتیکتت پس کو. پبر یه رمل اسطرلاب بنداز بینیم ببینم فردا بارون میاد یان نه؟ برو بچه جون برو!
alimostofi Jan I am not Targeting YOU but our COLLECTIVE SELF !
by Darius Kadivar on Thu Mar 24, 2011 11:56 AM PDTBut Our Collective Self and a general attitude which has kept us in the current status quo of impotence and "BOMBAST" ...
We ALL have Alot to Catch Up with when it comes to looking at the Reality of Our Current situation be it as Diaspora Iranians or as Iranians living back home.
If We Ever hope to change things for the better We need to first and foremost evolve in our minds and Get Our PRIORITIES RIGHT !
The Rest is Just wishful thinking.
This is equally True for those who advocate a Secular Republic or a Constitutional Monarchy because I think ultimately the majority of the people don't even understand the mechanisms of Political life in a democratic society.
As exiles We Enjoy that luxury in the countries where we live but I am not sure we even understand it nor appreciate it because we fail to understand why and how these institutions took root in the democratic societies in which we live.
We benefit from them simply because they were given to us on a Silver Plate. I'm not certain we even understand why we vote mainly because even in exile our votes are conditioned by our concerns with our homeland. I never vote in US Presidential Elections or French Presidential Elections without some guilt because I am always wary about how the elected President may behave towards Iran once in Power.
The Only time I voted in American Elections was for Obama and I regret it today.
Last Time I voted in French Elections I voted for the Left Wing Socialist candidate Segolene Royal and I also regret that choice because I realize that she would probably have handled the situation in Libya with a great deal of amateurism.
So subsequently I regret not having voted for Sarkozy. Yet given that Sarkozy Let Bakhtiar's assassin go back to Iran in exchange for a French Teacher Clothild Reisse accused of espionage I felt betrayed and was happy not to have voted him in office.
However Now I am thinking twice if I should not vote for Sarkozy in 2012 elections given that I approve how he dealt with Gaddafi.
So you see ultimately Whatever we decide to do when it comes to politics in relation to where we live, we feel accountable for our Choices which are never based on Logic but Emotion.
We look at things from a Nauseating and simplistic "Moralistic" perspective when in fact we should look at things from a STRATEGIC Perspective ( which has absolutely nothing to do with Conspiracy theories).
Making Political choices is about doing the Right thing to do in order to hope to get a step closer to what we aspire to and not always what is necessarily deemed as morally commendable.
That does not mean neither that one should be immoral, but rather Practical or Strategic if you will.
Those back home are struggling to establish the same standards in their own country except that they too have been fooled on the real nature of their regime as well as the people who run it.
So what do we do COLLECTIVELY to change such a situation ? Sit and Cry and complain ?
The Solution to Iran's ills is not to die for our country or ideals or whatever else you wish to call it but to make sure our enemies die for theirs while we Win !
And that does not mean going and bombing them to smitherins like Patton Would advocate against the Nazis:
Patton’s Speech
Because Unlike Patton we are not fighting a foreign nation but a minor few fellow compatriots who happen to be criminals ruling our country.
Hence the importance of STRATEGY in this battle with the Enemy Within !
Or As Rostam would say about Ahriman:
Rostam: The DARK AGES -by DK
That is why contrary to what the talented yet Clueless testosteron driven IRANICAN author of this article who is wasting his talent and our time:
Californication: Trailer (New Showtime Original Series)
by advocating a Suicidal Mission and praises the Cult Of Martyrdom as all our predecessors have been doing time and again I
On the contrary I advocate STRATEGY and STRATEGICAL THINKING in order to Slay this Modern Dragon which is the IRI !
The concept of Chivalry or Bravery Vs Cowardice is Relative ever since someone invented Gun Powder:
HISTORY OF VIOLENCE: Shah of Iran wounded after Assassination Attempt (1949)
So to advocate Opening One's Chest in Front of Gunfire as a pre-requisite to any legitimate claim of leadership or sovereignty is ridiculous to say the least.
Who remembers the Fellow on Tiennanmen Square ? ...
Are the Chinese Any More Democratic or Free for that matter ? ...
Did Khomeiny Fight Saddam on the Front leading the Troops to Karbala on Horseback and Sword in Hand ?
Hell No ... He sent Kids to clean up the mindfields instead with a plastic key promised as a token to Paradise:
SARBAZ: Fereidoun Farrokhzad helps child soldiers of Iran Iraq War
Yet everyone hails That Bloody Bastard as "courageous" as opposed to the Shah who liberated Azerbaijan from the Soviets:
pictory: Soviet Propaganda Film - Iran, Tabriz 1945-46
No Modern day Leader today fights at the head of it's troops as in the Middle Ages.
Where is Sarkozy, Cameron, or Obama on the Libyan Front ? Yet the outcome of the War will hail them as the "Winners" and "Heros" when if fact the dirty job was done by the Military on location.
As such I have more respect for those defeated even for a wretched soul like Saddam Hussein who was filmed by a Mobile camera when hanged on New Year's Eve, than for George Bush who was sitting and having Turkey at the Dinner Table or when he announced his enemies death to the nation.
Saddam Execution with English Subtitles
At least in the Middle Ages it was a Fair Fight between those who conduct the Troops:
Polanski’s Macbeth last Scene : Battle to the Death
It doesn't change the fact that Saddam Lost, Bush Won be it momentarily.
But where is the courage ? The Nobility or Chivalry of the modern Age ?
King George VI announced Britain's entrance into War from the Comfort of his richly decorated Palace:
In Speechless Awe by DK
Yet he is remembered fondly by history and the British at large who never questioned the legitimacy of their Reluctant King ( Yet King by Divine Right).
So this proves that Courage or Legitimacy in Modern Times has NOTHING to do with the Political System of government since ALL are run by people who are never in the Thick of the Battle.
Even De Gaulle was not on the Battle Ground when Paris was Liberated by the Parisians themselves:
1944 The Liberation of Paris in Color!
Yet he got all the credit parading down the Champse Elysees:
Discours de De Gaulle Hôtel de Ville 25 août 1944
Same thing for Churchill ...
Because that is alas the cruel Logic of Modern Warfare and the hypocrisy of our Modern times.
The British unlike us or the Spanish or the Belgians don't even have a written constitution:
How Truly Democratic is The British Monarchy ?
Yet their Society has fully understood the mechanisms of Democratic life and what it takes to maintain it within a Royal Framework.
THAT To me is a sign of COLLECTIVE WISDOM !
Whether it will prevail in the future is another debate but that is what makes the difference between a nation which is mature enough to adapt itself to the realities of modern life while keeping an open mind whilst accepting it's own contradictions with a nation like ours which remains stubbornly Immature and refuses to evolve beyond empty slogans:
SOURCES OF FURY:Nader Naderpour on origins of IRI's "Death Slogans" towards US and Israel
In order to evolve and move forward one has to Try and find out how one's deemed enemy thinks and not how one wishes him to think if you ever wish to beat it. Like that You are always a Step ahead as Machiaveli brilliantly displays in his treaty of Politics : The Prince.
That is what RP is doing and it is paying off. It may take time but ultimately it is the only reasonable thing to do at this stage.
That is the harsh Rule of the Game in the cruel and often cynical world we live in.
I guarantee you As long as we display this Childish attitude as displayed by the author of this article and his likeminds we will Never see the emergence of a democratic Iran in our lifetime.
In the end of the day it is about Our Own COLLECTIVE Failure and not the failure or shortcoming of one person in particular be it a would be Prince or Pauper.
We Need to overcome such childish stereotypes and look boldly at the world we live in and the real nature of the enemies who we wish to beat.
Anything short of that is Wishful Childish behavior : "Prince Chubby This, PRince Chubby That ", "Prince Chubby Needs to go on a Diet" ...
Baba its time to CUT THE CRAP AND GROW UP !
Cause Honestly Some of You Truly Haven't understood Jack after all these years:
farrokhzad explaining the Tozihol Massael
Farrokhzad Harfe Tarikhi.wmv
and if that is all some of you fellas have to offer as arguments pro or against Crown Prince Reza then I truly don't want to be part of such a backward community let alone be identified with anything IRANICAN:
Farrokhzad Irani Boodan
So let talk about how do you
by alimostofi on Thu Mar 24, 2011 11:22 AM PDTSo let talk about how do you preserve the culture of Iran? Ironically the only institutions that are funded to uphold Iranian culture are outside Iran. You have in Arab countries but not in Iran.
Ali Mostofi
//www.alimostofi.com
To me RP is just a
by alimostofi on Thu Mar 24, 2011 11:09 AM PDTTo me RP is just a spokeperson for the Royal Institution which itself is the guardian of Iranian culture. He and a team of his need to be active here and there and everywhere. If he were to die, there would be a precedent. Just like any institution. It's not rocket science is it?
Ali Mostofi
//www.alimostofi.com
RP Jan: You should lose some
by vildemose on Thu Mar 24, 2011 10:47 AM PDTRP Jan: You should lose some weight...
Thank you Siamak Baniameri
by Simorgh5555 on Thu Mar 24, 2011 10:02 AM PDTI also wrote a similar blog while ago and referred to the translation of the Shahnameh by Dick Davis:
'Bahram and Khosrow, their hearts filled with apprehension confronted the lions. When Khosrow saw the two savage beasts and the crown placed between them, he turned to the priests and said,
"Only a prince ambitious for renown
Deserves to reign and to possess the crown;
And then I'm old, while he is young and strong-
I can't fight lions' claws, I've lived too long.
Let him display the prowess, let us see
His youth and health enjoy their victory"
From the Shahnameh, translated by Dick Davis
Despite what Mr Kadivar wants you to believe, the societies of Western Europe and the Eastern Hemisphere are very different. The population of these countries look up to charismatic leaders and this is evident in not just the selection of their kings but presidents and prime ministers. They admire strength and valour amongst other qualities. I support Shahzadeh with caveats. I truly believe he is a democrat and support his calls for a constitutional monarchy but he has no clue how to get there first. He must play his part as will all Iranians to pave the way for the overthrow of this regime. I am sorry but he is either a) delusional b) weak willed c) insincere when he talks about civil disobedience. He must advocate change through military means or lead the Iranian people under his banner to overthrow this government. Reza Pahlavi said he was willing to fight and die as a helicopter pilot in the first Persian Gulf War but his call to serve his country was rejected by Khomeini. What makes the war against the mullahs any different frm liberating the country against Saddam Hussein?
MM jaan: This reminds me...
by Bavafa on Thu Mar 24, 2011 09:54 AM PDTMaryam Rajavi has been the president pretty much as long as Saddam or Mubarak or Qaddafi or Muhamad Reza Pahlavi had been. What does that tell us about MKO :)
I know it is a rather irrelevent comment here but I couldn't resist.
Mehrdad
VPK
by MM on Thu Mar 24, 2011 09:27 AM PDTIn 1980's, we all laughed at MKO for selecting Maryam Rajavi as the president of Iran, and many in Iran mocked the whole process as a sham since there were no elections in Iran to declare her a president. So, while I agree with you on the comparison of the candidates, I am more inclined to go with a committee of faction leaders for coordination unless the people of Iran are also involved in the process.
Darius Kadivar: Are you
by alimostofi on Thu Mar 24, 2011 08:34 AM PDTDarius Kadivar: Are you serious? What did I do?
Ali Mostofi
//www.alimostofi.com
Oh Yeah ? ... Well Then Either Do Your Homework or GROW UP ! ...
by Darius Kadivar on Thu Mar 24, 2011 07:58 AM PDTALL COMPILED IN ONE LINK :
Machiavelli's "The Prince" and the "Art" of Governing
LOL
Darius Kadivar: You can also do
by pas-e-pardeh on Thu Mar 24, 2011 07:29 AM PDTwith less links. Your last post had 12 links in it.
Darius Kadivar: You can do
by alimostofi on Thu Mar 24, 2011 06:45 AM PDTDarius Kadivar: You can do better with your choice of words and implications. Please keep your resolution.
Ali Mostofi
//www.alimostofi.com
Lastly This Say's it all about You ANN TELECTUALS !
by Darius Kadivar on Thu Mar 24, 2011 06:42 AM PDTEenam Keshvareh Kourosh, Dariush, Ferdowsio Molana, Forough Farrokhzado Shamloo ...
Kooneh Berahneh Abeh Yakh Sheekameh Gonsheh ... (anonymous sinners)
Bah Bah ...
Esfand: a Noruz platform
by alimostofi on Thu Mar 24, 2011 06:25 AM PDTEsfand: a Noruz platform exists. And you participated in it. All we need is to do it more often.
Ali Mostofi
//www.alimostofi.com
Prince Chubby can always "join" a platform.
by Esfand Aashena on Thu Mar 24, 2011 05:19 AM PDTSo the best solution is that he should start a platform or that he is the best we got!
First of all no one is going to join a "platform" that he is going to start, which by the way he has never even done! There are already a lot of national and international platforms. If he is too timid to join a national platform he can always join an international one. Now "joining" means he has to do something, like fund raising or other similar things.
While he has been sitting on his arse and others are chanting (in diaspora) that he is the best we got, others have been doing things. On the national scene not withstanding, on the international front many of the human rights organizations have been able to pressure the Government in Iran to stop some executions, Sakineh being the latest one.
Now as far as him being the best we got, well if a tree falls in a forest does it make a sound? While some people don't know who has actually been doing things and are used to seeing Prince Chubby sit on his arse, there are many who are paying the price as political prisoners in Iran.
At best Prince Chubby is going to end up like the old Afghani Shah who went to Afghanistan after the fall of Taliban but was too old to do anything and went back to where he came from!
In the end no matter what, Prince Chubby will be the last Pahlavi giving lip service about any return of the Pahlavi dynasty. Qajars and their descendants used to say the same but do you see them making any more claims? His daughters will more than likely seek higher grounds and won't become a joke for the lengesh kon crowd!
Everything is sacred
VPK
by comments on Thu Mar 24, 2011 05:10 AM PDTOK. My bad.
Reza Khan wanted to have a
by alimostofi on Thu Mar 24, 2011 02:22 AM PDTReza Khan wanted to have a Republic, but the mullahs did not allow him. Why? Because they did not want a President like Kamal Ataturk who killed the theocrats. Instead they wanted him caged within the laws of Constitutional Monarchy.
Ali Mostofi
//www.alimostofi.com
Darius Kadivar: I humbly
by alimostofi on Thu Mar 24, 2011 02:13 AM PDTDarius Kadivar: I humbly disagree with the statement that you say that the Qajar King did not abdicate. Please read this comment //iranian.com/main/comment/reply/132188/3.... And also this //www.facebook.com/pages/Pahlavi-dynasty/1080..., where it states that parliament voted for the new King on Dec 12 1925. Correct me please.
Ali Mostofi
//www.alimostofi.com
Clearly You are No Rostam ... Rasti Shiro Khorshidet Kooh ?
by Darius Kadivar on Thu Mar 24, 2011 01:59 AM PDTClearly You don't even know your history let alone the very concept of the Monarchy so don't try and define something you don't understand.
Kings or Queens Don't Resign at worst They Abdicate in favor of a successor in their own bloodline. Unless beheaded their dynasty continues to have a political legitimacy but even if beheaded or assassinated eitherway their historical legitimacy ( as opposed to their political legitimacy) is never questioned for they took part in shaping Iran's identity for better or for worse.
To begin with Ahmad Shah never Abdicated no more than Mohamad Reza Shah Pahlavi. Both were toppled replaced forcefully by another Dynasty as has been the case for All Persian Dynasties in the history of IRan.
All dynasties remain legitimate and equally respectable to a Monarchist and even under any reigning or ruling dynasty the head of these Royal Families can claim the Throne of Iran if they wish to. Kings and Queens Respect the legitimacy of their predecessors even if they topple them:
Persian New Year Speach for the 50th Anniversary of the Pahlavi Dynasty (1977)
Farah Pahlavi, Empress of Iran, inaugurates Qajar Paintings Show
For there is a Code of Conduct which defines the relationship between Royals which has nothing to do with the Jomhurykhah and Democratic Concept.
GOLDEN AGE: A Visual Tribute To The Pahlavi Dynasty (1925-1979)
The Monarchy is NOT a Democratic Concept, Nor an Egalitarian One and never claimed to be. It is Merely Benevolently Democratic.
HISTORY FORUM: How Truly Democratic is The British Monarchy ?
Hence what you have in Great Britain, Spain or other Western European Monarchies which actually Top the List of Democratic practice in the 2010 democratic Index :
Economist Intelligence Unit's Democracy Index 2010 (PHOTOS)
The major difference being that the current Illegitimate Turbaned Dynasty broke the historical tradition by reinventing it under a new cloak:
Khomeini: No Monarchy
With a Afrasiab/Zahak like King to lead it.
Khomeini: Going back 1400 years
You should know better since your namesake remained Loyal to Kai Khosrow and did not bargain his soul with the enemies of Iranzamin:
Burning the Shahnameh
;0)
Rostam's answer
by pas-e-pardeh on Thu Mar 24, 2011 01:41 AM PDTI admit Reza Pahlavi is not Reza Shah (with "jorbozeh"), or Rostam (with legendary strengths). I will further admit these are precisely qualities I am NOT looking for in next Shah of Persia. Therefore, he is the perfect candidate for me. (before I listened to him and while I expected a strong-man leader, I was not his supporter either).
I much prefer his other qualities: patience, intelligence, his easy manners, cool-headedness, not throwing around slogans nor name-calling. He has never, in 32 years, said "death to" anyone, nor "long live" anyone. He has apparently gotten over his hurt about how his family was treated by Iranians, and he is accepting that he may one day be treated unkindly himself and die in exile, or worse. He has put Iran above everything else, in my opinion. I have great respect for him.
As the kind of 21st century monarch who is beyond political parties, intrigue and in-fighting, he suits the role of a uniter well- to the point of even accepting a democracy without a monarch if that's what people want. That is what I expect from a modern monarch. He is articulating a role for a figure in future Iran that, given the chance, may be trusted by all sides, and may one day prove to be the only defense against disintegration of political party system in a democracy.
Strong figures, starting with Cyrus the Great, Mithradate III, Shahpur I, Shah Abbas, etc., are only good for a generation or two. WE are an ancient country with too many ups & downs. It would be wise for us to lay the foundation of a lasting political system. I hope Reza Pahlavi can help lay that foundation. Any one who can do that for Iran will be known as the greatest leader in history of Iran. Wouldn't that e ironical some day?
I don't want balls, jorbozeh, manliness, or any similar "leadership" charachteristics. I want wisdom and long-term stability.
Rostam, excellent point
by deev on Thu Mar 24, 2011 01:30 AM PDT"You cannot fault someone for not having the genes to be a poet, or a mathematician, or a leader, etc."
Very well said, I too believe he's not fit to lead, nice guy but if the only thing that makes him special is his last name and no merit of his own.
Regarding Reza Pahlavi
by Rostam on Thu Mar 24, 2011 01:18 AM PDTI think he is genuinely a good guy with a good vision for democracy, but... Although he might do well as a constitutional monarch in a free Iran, but he can never do any good to actually free Iran.
He does not have the genes for leadership. You cannot fault someone for not having the genes to be a poet, or a mathematician, or a leader, etc.
The best RP can do is to be honest (as Ahmad Shah Ghajar was). Come forward and say hey guys, I don't have the willingness to risk anything for Iran. Therefore, I relinquish the post of Monarch in favor of Mr. X. Pahlavi (Mr. X being some Pahalvi tough dude with jorbozeh.)
I bet you that the institution of Monarchy would be re-energized overnight.
To all monarchists: RP is the greatest obstacle in today's persian monarchy institution! He is too weak, un-inspiring and untalented to serve any role for the freedom of Iran from the likes of molahs.
He needs to resign. Is there one among you monarchists who has enough balls to admit to this?
VPK Jan, these are the same idiots who voted to monkey 2 times
by Siavash300 on Thu Mar 24, 2011 12:15 AM PDTDon't forget my friend, those who are critical of Crown Reza Pahlavi H.I.M and his physical appearance, are the ones who voted to an uneducated monkey as an Iran president not long ago. In fact, they did it twice. It is dumb, but it is true. Forget about any other languages, the monkey can't even speak proper Farsi.
afarin bahmani
by pas-e-pardeh on Wed Mar 23, 2011 06:59 PM PDTwell said
Comments
by Veiled Prophet of Khorasan on Wed Mar 23, 2011 06:53 PM PDTYou say "What sexual orientation has to do with burning Koran?"
It is obvious you are mixing me up with someone else. I have never made sexual orientation an issue. Why don't you re-read whatever post you replied to and correct the name of the person you address. It ain't me.