Persian Realm

Corageous Simorgh5555

by Nader Afshar on Thu Aug 02, 2012 08:02 PM PDT

I quote from you: "Sakuee may even be a moron or psycopath but why don't you stop and ask youself why it is that fascists such as him have become the figurehead of the constitutional movement?".

It's nice that you have the freedom to say those things on the web. Maybe you could also have the courage to go to Iran and say the same things, in public, about Khamenei/Ahmadinejad/Sepah Pasdaran. And if you can't, then Sakuee is not the most moronic/psycopathic/fascist. Isn't he?

Darius Kadivar

by Simorgh5555 on Mon Mar 12, 2012 02:51 PM PDT

Very good blog and I appreciate that you did not dismiss Saeed Sakuee outright. I am not seeking a response from you either. 

You say that, "Some may even be ignorant but to dismiss them merely as Fascists ( an ideology which Sakuee actually condemns in this interview where he blasts the Islamists for being equally criminal minded as the Fascists) because they refer to Iran’s “Aryan Roots” is also a Cheap Shot" but that is exactly what Reza Pahlavi called him, and he even went further to say that Sakuee may even be a member of the current regime in the link you provided. Pahlavi's character assassination of a TV presenter and ardant monarch is clearly an act of desperation. Clearly, Reza Pahlavi is not as informed as you are. Perhaps Pahlavi made an off the cuff statement, at one point in the interview he admits he is upset when he calls Sakuee a badbackt (wretch), but one has to be blind not to see that he is trying to impress his young "Reza Jan" republican friends. 

You and Reza Pahlavi do not see eye to eye with Sakuee's vision of a monarchy. Sakuee may even be a moron or psycopath but why don't you stop and ask youself why it is that fascists such as him have become the figurehead of the constitutional movement? It is simply because there is no monarchical leadership by the heir apparent. I hate to say this to you but he lacks the courage of his conviction in the very institution he swore an oath to serve and defend. Building alliances with Iranians republicans does not mean you drop the name "Prince" or "King" from your title. Embracing his Royal legacy has nothing to do with holding a referendum for Iranians to determine their own destiny and the kind of government they want be it a monarchy or a republic. Don't start to blame others if traditional supporters of the monarchy start putting their faith in Sakuyee, Foualdvand, Tondar,  Anjoamne Padeshahi and all these fringe groups and off shot monarchy groups some of which may indeed be unpleasant.  Clearly there is a constituency who feel they are being alienated and whose voice and their institution is not being represented. 'Mr Reza Pahlavi' - the man is not enough. 

We'll see how far Reza Pahlavi and his strategy to become accepted by the reformist or greens will last. First he wears the mousavi style green wrist band and then shamefully slaughters Sakuee so the republican 'jomhurikha'- as you call him :)- will be satisfied. Let's see how long this ill fated relationship will last before the same activist as the one in the recording start to curse and swear at Reza Pahlavi and his father just like in the video you showed on your other blog . Once he realises how much misplaced faith he has put into the Greens he will be back in the bosom of people like Sakuee who never once disrespected him using the same foul language Pahlavi called him. 

Shame on Reza Pahlavi.  

In all fairness to Sakuee ...

by Darius Kadivar on Mon Mar 12, 2012 11:43 AM PDT

Although I don’t share Saeed Sakuee’s approach and general behavior which by all accounts have done more damage to the Constitutionalist cause than anything constructive his staunch support of the Monarchy could have done …

 

That said I equally find that Forouzandeh shows a great deal of bias and does a very poor job as an interviewer. He spoke most of the time preventing Sakuee to develop his view point, all the more that Sakuee truly made an effort to be polite which in itself was a huge contrast with how he confronts people on his own shows.  But all Forouzandeh does is quote from his New “Bible” (aka Abbas Milani’s book on the Shah) as well as from Alam Memoires but hardly allows Sakuee to develop his arguments. Forouzandeh’s arguments don’t constitute a well established opinion but merely an endorsement of recently published historical outlooks which themselves are subject to critical objection.

 

 

When will Iranian Journalists learn to be less "Moralists" and more open minded when debating with people who may be at the opposite end of their own ideological mindset and stop taking any written document at face value ? …

 

Sigh …

 

By not allowing people Like Sakueee to express themselves all because the interviewer in question is equally narrow minded and self righteous is what leads frustrated people to turn into a new brand of radicals in the future be it in a democratic Iran or not.

 

This is the type of political correctness which ultimately led many in France to turn to Far right groups like the one created by Jean Marie Le Pen known as "National Front" aka "Jebheyeh Melli" and which today is led by his Daughter Marine. Same thing in Austria ...

 

If we wish to challenge these people the least is to allow the fellow to develop his argument to the very end and then offer an objective assessment on what he truly stands for.

I should also say that to reduce Sakuee to some Fascist is equally absurd. Die Hard Monarchists may not be what one would call “democrats” but they are patriotic.

 

Some may even be ignorant but to dismiss them merely as Fascists ( an ideology which Sakuee actually condemns in this interview where he blasts the Islamists for being equally criminal minded as the Fascists) because they refer to Iran’s “Aryan Roots” is also a Cheap Shot.

 

These extreme nationalists are not calling for the Purification of the Iranian race but of it’s Culture. That in itself can and should be rightly criticized in a balanced way but one cannot argue that they also have a point when we see how our “Persian” culture has been treated and is continuously being bullied by the current regime even in school books where the names of Persian Kings are being wiped.

 

 

The worst one can say about the likes of Sakuee and his likeminds is that they are not sophisticated and are rude and yes some do have psychological disorders …

 

But then who doesn’t ?

HISTORY FORUM: Bahram Moshiri's Take on The French Revolution and Why He Misses The Point ;0)

LOL

 

and what entitles us to judge them so severely particularly if we have failed to date to topple the regime we claim to despise yet have not been able to unroot despite our suave talk and polite behavior.

 

I would never vote for the likes of Sakuee if they were to run for Parliament in a democratic Iran but they are entitled to an opinion and should be allowed to express themselves.

 

Forouzandeh had the same attitude towards his other guest Trita Parsi some time ago ...

 

I say this all the more comfortably that I don't share any of Trita's views. But why stop him from expressing his views or at least to finish his argument ? Then equally Challenge him on his ideas if you disagree with them. 

 

Cause otherwise That's simply not right nor professional.  

 

Forouzandeh can claim that his excuse is a lack of time to cover all issues but then why didn't he conclude as he does on many of his programs with other guests by saying that he hopes to have him again on his show ? ... To put it bluntly Forouzandeh is both Polite and Suave yet in this particular interview he failed to do his job correctly. This was not an interview it sounded more like a Journalist lecturing his guest ...