Reza Pahlavi: "From Theocracy to Democracy"

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Reza Pahlavi: "From Theocracy to Democracy"
by Darius Kadivar
15-Apr-2010
 

Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi of Iran delivered a speach on the theme of a democratic transition in Iran entitled: "Iran:From Theocracy to Democracy" at the Harry Harding Auditorium-GW University:

Thank you for the kind and generous introduction Dr. Miller.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Good evening.

It is a special pleasure to be with you here tonight at The George Washington University.

As some of you may know, I have a personal connection to this University as my wife, Yasmine, attended GW as an undergraduate, and she also graduated from GW with a Doctorate in Jurisprudence. I recall the many sleepless nights as she worked to meet course requirements and studying for finals. So in a manner of speaking, I have been where you are today, or at least where your spouses are.

Truly, one of my favorite activities, within the context of my duties, is the opportunities to interact with tomorrow’s leaders. Tonight, I would like to share with you, not just the facts, but the sentiments of my fellow compatriots.

These are very troubling times for my country. As many of you have witnessed, especially in the past few months, the searing images on YouTube, Facebook and other media have brought the misery of the Iranian people and the brutality of the clerical regime into vivid perspective.

For those of us who have devoted our entire lives to the cause of democracy and human rights in Iran, we had hoped to avoid this day and these tragic consequences. As it turned out, the events surrounding the fraudulent election in June 2009 caused the people of Iran to reach their point of no return, and the regime to abandon all pretenses of faith, national pride, and humanity.

Last summer, the people of Iran achieved something unprecedented in the history of the 31-year-old Islamic Republic. For the first time, the Iranian people coordinated mass-scale demonstrations against this totalitarian theocratic regime. These demonstrations and protests continue even today, questioning – well beyond the election results of last June – the very legitimacy of the regime and the so-called Supreme Leader Khamenei.

The courage and resolve of these everyday heroes in Iran in the face of the tyranny, injustice and brutality of the regime, has earned them the admiration of people the world over. And so begins what has been dubbed the first revolution of the 21st century – the Twitter Revolution – also called the Green Revolution.

The first and most tangible result of the Green Movement is that the world, today, has a far better understanding of the true nature of the Islamic Republic on the one hand, and the true wishes and aspirations of the Iranian people on the other. The black veil has been torn off the face of the regime. Ultimately, I am confident my country will be liberated from this darkness. The Iranian people will prevail. This regime will fall at the hands of its own people. If you recall nothing of my comments this evening, remember this: the struggle of the Iranian people for democracy, human rights and dignity continues, whether you hear about it on the news in this country or not. It will continue until we prevail, thanks to our heroic youth whose eyes are firmly on the future, not the past.

Let’s take a step back now and look at what brought us to this historical juncture. Of course, we should be careful not to limit the scope of the Iranian people’s struggle to last summer’s election and the events that followed it. To do so would neglect a 31-year history of resistance that must neither be forgotten nor underestimated. In truth, what is going on in Iran today has been years in the making. Nevertheless, last summer’s events were a watershed moment for my compatriots as it brought together, for the first time, Iranians of all walks of life and all political persuasions in defiance of the regime. This has not been an easy road. As a student of campaigns of non-violent, civil disobedience around the world, I can affirm that the struggle against brutally repressive regimes has never been simple and without great risks.

Throughout the years, the primary obstacle and limiting factor for my compatriots has been the inability to overtly organize and widely coordinate their efforts. Severe restrictions imposed by the regime on communication, information, assembly and speech, has made it impossible for various sectors of Iranian society to come together and voice their grievances against the regime. Historically, opposition to the clerical regime has taken the form of isolated displays of discontent. One day, it would be students, another day workers and labor forces, or women, or teachers. All previous displays of opposition have been swiftly and brutally crushed by the regime’s security apparatus. As a result, few around the world even noticed what was building up in Iran over the course of three decades, despite the warnings those of us familiar with the situation.

Whether the regime miscalculated, or their own infighting distracted them, last summer’s elections provided my compatriots with a galvanizing national event through which they could organize a diverse and large-scale uprising. For the first time in 30 years, the people of Iran broke the regime’s stranglehold on communication with the outside world. For once, the people had a voice, an identity, a movement, and they were leading it. For the first time in 30 years, the world saw the true face of the Iranian people; who they are, and what they want: freedom! For the first time in 30 years, the world finally saw the clerical regime as it truly is: a brazen, cruel totalitarian system singly focused on perpetuating its radical ideology and sustaining its iron grip on power.

Inside Iran, people continue to seize every opportunity to chip away at the regime’s authority. Abroad, members of the Diaspora, some of whom have never visited their homeland, continue to raise awareness of their compatriots’ struggle back home. For example, they have organized demonstrations on several continents – some right here on the National Mall – showing their solidarity with their compatriots back home by collecting signatures, wearing green wristbands, and writing to legislators and news editors. I am encouraged by and pleased to witness how the terrible events in Iran have galvanized my compatriots around the world. Our collective salvation from this nightmare lies in democracy and an absolute non-negotiable commitment to human rights for every single Iranian. Our unity will expedite our salvation.

Further, thanks to the efforts of many nameless, faceless heroes, the news permeating from inside is now on numerous websites, and video clips can be viewed on major international media outlets. We were all touched and grateful, when this past summer Twitter decided to postpone a routine maintenance shutdown of their system to allow the Iranian people to communicate during planned demonstrations. Compare and contrast their behavior to Nokia and Siemens, who actually provided the regime technology to spy on the Iranian people and intercept their Internet communications.

Another consequence of the events of the summer of 2009 is that people the world over have grown more attentive to the issue of human rights and lack thereof in Iran. The international community continues to monitor developments in Iran more closely than ever. In recent weeks, numerous government bodies and NGOs have spoken out on the human rights crisis in Iran. In its annual report on human rights released last month, the U.S. State Department expressed the opinion that, despite heavy international pressure on the clerical regime, “the human rights situation in Iran has degenerated since last summer’s disputed presidential election.”

The State Department also expressed concern over the continued persecution of religious minorities in Iran. In February, during the Universal Periodic Review at the United Nations Human Rights Council, the Islamic Republic promised to abide by international law. However, shortly thereafter it rejected a U.N. recommendation to end discrimination against Iranian Baha’is. Dozens of members of religious minorities, including Baha’is, Christians and Jews remain in prison in Iran on dubious charges. Their trials, in which they are often denied basic rights such as access to their attorneys, represent clear violations of Iran’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Furthermore, Amnesty International has identified other cases of academics, doctors, journalists, artists, and union leaders, all of whom have been denied their basic rights and imprisoned. And, incredibly, just last month, Journalists Without Borders released a report estimating that one third of the world’s jailed journalists are in Iranian prisons.

As I speak with you this evening, the longest serving political prisoner is still under house arrest: Mr. Amir Entezam, who has refused for 30 years to sign a “to’be-nameh” or “repentance and confession proclamation” in return for his release. We have a learned spiritual leader, Ayatollah Boroujerdi who is in prison and subject to physical and mental torture, for having had the audacity to question the regime’s behavior in the name of Shi’a Islam, and for advocating separation of Mosque from State. We have had in recent weeks, a wave of fleeing bloggers, journalists and activists who are currently living in dismal and deplorable conditions in Turkish and Iraqi refugee camps. These individuals cannot and must not be forgotten, as each of them personify the heroic nature of the Iranian people and their predicaments shine a spotlight on the utter intolerance and cruelty of the regime.

My compatriots can no longer tolerate the status quo. More and more, the solution points towards a systemic political change in Iran. The clerical constitution is fundamentally flawed and in order to move Iran forward it must be replaced. This idea of “regime change” causes controversy, especially here in the U.S., because it carries with it the assumption that such change must be achieved by outside forces or foreign governments. This, however, is a false assumption, and I would add, highly undesirable: I have always expressed that foreign interests attacking or interfering with the sovereignty of my country is undesirable, unwanted, wrong, and in every way contrary to the interests of Iran and the international community. It will only embolden the clerical regime and unify the Iranian people in defense of our homeland. It is precisely due to these sentiments that I volunteered to join the Iranian Air force when Saddam Hussein attacked Iran on September, 1980 – though my offer was rebuffed by the clerical regime. An attack on Iran is an attack on every Iranian patriot. Therefore, I believe and would argue that regime change in Iran can and must be achieved by Iranians and Iranians alone. Change from outside will be neither legitimate nor sustainable.

Aside from what we have seen from the clerical regime in terms of its oppressive conduct and unpopularity, an analysis of the regime’s Constitution leads us to conclude that only systemic political change can establish long-term accountability and transparency in Iran’s political affairs. The so-called Islamic Regime, as defined by its Constitution, includes too many undemocratic principles and institutions; hence its government could not be in any way representative of and in service to the people. And, as was finally learned last summer, no number of “elections” can remedy the system’s shortcomings. Within the confines of the Islamic Republic’s constitution, there is simply no legal method by which the people of Iran can hold the regime accountable.

To continue to examine the elections as just one example of the shortcomings of the constitution: Elections in Iran are not free because, in accordance with the constitution, an unelected, unaccountable committee vets and rejects the vast majority of potential candidates. Elections in Iran are a sham because, as we learned last summer, the state is always prepared to carry out fraud to further its interests. Therefore, elections in Iran are in fact not democratic. It is not that just one group committed fraud last summer; it is that the Iranians are systematically robbed of real choice, and this travesty is codified in their constitution.

Through systemic political change, my compatriots will take the requisite step forward in terms of achieving democracy and establishing human rights for all in Iran. Of course, change alone will not accomplish everything. Subsequent to the dissolution of the present political system, Iranians must establish a system of governance and a government that will safeguard their rights and respond to their demands.

For the future of Iran, I have always advocated the establishment of a secular democracy, where there is a clear separation of mosque from state. My personal preference is for a future constitution based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Aside from my own beliefs, I am confident that, given adequate time and discourse in the public domain, a secular democracy will be the choice of the vast majority of Iranians, particularly for today’s youth. My experience based on many meetings with members of the opposition – and particularly the Greens – inside and outside of Iran, increases my confidence in this conclusion. When sovereignty is restored back to the people, this time, they will want a government which will be legitimate, representative, accountable, transparent, and thus sustainable.

Throughout this entire process, however, the role of the international community remains quite important. I am asked often: what can or should the international community do?

If one were to assume that, today, the international community is cognizant of my compatriot’s true wishes, it follows that the international community must refrain from engaging in conduct that hinders the Iranian people in their struggle for freedom and strengthens the dictatorship against which they are fighting. Just to give you one specific example: the aforementioned companies of Nokia and Siemens should be held accountable and denounced for selling technology to the clerical regime that helps the regime spy on the Iranian people. Concerned, caring citizens around the world could send a strong message to such companies and their respective governments by threatening boycott, writing letters, and protesting as shareholders to discourage their disregard of the rights of the people of Iran. On the other hand, providing similar technologies and software to my compatriots would help them overcome various blockages in communication and ensure some greater measure of safety for users. Other cyber-tech companies could collaborate with Iranians who are focused on technology and communications to develop useful, safe communication products and counter measures. Foundations could provide financial support for these technologies and for our refugees.

Let me be clear, no one expects the international community to diminish their own interests in favor of the interests of the Iranian people. However, where those interests coincide, the international community can and should be proactive in their support of the Iranian people’s legitimate and just struggle against their oppressors.

Let’s consider for a moment the international community’s interests and concerns as they pertain to or are affected by Iran. A cursory review would include such interests and concerns as: protecting human rights, stopping the spread of international terror, putting an end to conflict in the Middle East, controlling the proliferation of nuclear weapons, and ensuring stability in the Persian Gulf region.

I have stated many times in op-eds and interviews: the lynchpin to addressing all these concerns is democracy and human rights in Iran. All the concerns about Iran’s future actions will be alleviated by democratic change in Iran, if for no other reason, then for the simple reason that the Iranian people already see eye-to-eye with much of the world on all of these issues. In other words, while issues such as Iran’s nuclear capabilities seem very daunting today, it will resolve itself once the Iranian people have a say in what their government does. One Iranian underground rapper said: “We ask for bread... they give us yellow cake!” I think it says it all about the priorities of the people. I am confident a democratic Iran will be dedicated to peace and non-proliferation, and not weaponization. Our international credibility would undoubtedly ride on our transparency and commitment to our own obligations to the treaties we are signatories to, such as the NPT for instance.

By acknowledging there is a confluence of interests between the Iranian people and much of the international community, the people and governments of the world must recognize it is in their best interest to take an active role in supporting the people of Iran in their quest for freedom and democracy. May I remind you, at this juncture, a call for a more proactive role in supporting the people of Iran does not equate to a call for foreign intervention nor take away from the legitimacy of the Iranian people’s movement.

Take as historical examples the Solidarity movement in Poland and the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa. The free world heard their cries for freedom and finally committed to change the status-quo and help bring an end to those undesirable regimes. In both cases, there was a tremendous international support as well as direct pressure on the respective governments at the time. It is important to note that ultimately the most effective element in bringing about change in Poland and South Africa were internal levers of pressure, meaning the people themselves. External levers of pressure, such as economic sanctions, worked in the sense of being a means to that end, rather than the end itself. Even if the goal is to seek behavior change, nothing makes such regimes react more than feeling direct pressure emanating from their own streets. So, as some liberated societies in Africa or Eastern Europe could attest, the appropriate measures of support provided by the international community will be a critical factor in ushering change in Iran as well.

To conclude, last summer’s election fiasco and the events that followed created a profound understanding of the true nature of the clerical regime of Iran on the one hand, and the real aspirations of the Iranian people on the other. More definitively than ever, my compatriots have drawn the proverbial line in the sand between themselves and the regime. In the months that have followed last summer’s events, they have not ceased to remind us of this paramount distinction. One of their most notable protest chants, directed explicitly at President Obama, posed the principal choice: “Obama! Obama! Either you are with us, or you are with them” in a less than subtle reference to the regime, declaring in effect: if you are not supportive of the demonstrators, you are by definition supporting their oppressors.

If we are to avoid more dire scenarios of conflict which may become inevitable not too long from now, I can only stress the critical window of time available to both my compatriots as well as the international community. The only win-win scenario is not complicated, but requires commitment to carry through: Empower the Iranian people, and they will do the rest. However, we have to act fast. The time is now!

Last summer, my brave and resilient compatriots illuminated the qualities that separate them from their oppressors. They were peaceful in response to the violence of the regime. They were forgiving in response to the hatefulness of the regime. They were united, while the regime was divided. They became more hopeful, as the regime grew desperate. And when they cried freedom, the regime rained down oppression.

You can all bear witness to your generation’s first great struggle for human dignity. Your brothers and sisters half a world away use the same internet you use to take on one of the most brutal regimes in the world, and they take it on with courage and conviction. Your generation uses new technologies in ways that makes me believe totalitarianism will soon be a thing of the past. Where information flows freely, no man can easily deceive and subjugate another. This we have learned from you. The truth can get around the world in a nano-second. Keep telling the truth about Iran and her people. They need you now more than ever. The salvation of Iran is in the hands of your generation. And take to heart the words of Dr. Martin Luther King who said: “In the end, we will forget the words of our enemies, but we will not soon forget the silence of our friends.”

Thank you

Recommended Watching:

Pro Bakhtiar Demonstrations 1979 in Support of the 1906 Secular Constitution:

Shapour Bakhtiar ( Last Prime Minister of Imperial Iran) speach on Regime Change 1989-Hamburg (Germany): 


 

REZA'S CALL: Crown Prince Reza at Bonn Conference and Democratic Think-Tanks (March 27th, 2010 ) by DK

Recommended Readings:

REZA's CALL: An Iranian Solidarnosc... by Darius KADIVAR

RESPONDING TO REZA's CALL: An Iranian Solidarnosc in the Making ... By Darius KADIVAR

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more from Darius Kadivar
 
Darius Kadivar

MM and others ...

by Darius Kadivar on

I've Yet to see ONE Secular Leader's name put forward by you other than the members of the Islamic Reformist's Think Tanks.

Don't Know how else I can say it any more clearer.

YOU DON't HAVE THE LUXURY OF TIME ! ...

Unless of course you want a Foreign Intervention which would prove fatal to EVERYONE and we will be sitting here for the next 30 years trying to get our acts together on such issues and the Flag, the next constitution and watch our hair grow grey and ideas short ...

If You want another more Clear Metaphore :

Ask Not What The CROWN Can Do for YOU but What YOU Can do for the CROWN !

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1a5TAepYXs

And By CROWN I do Not Mean necessarily the Monarchy but What it symbolizes the Land of Kiann as my fellow Cyber Buddy Samsam would put it:

//iranian.com/main/blog/samsamiiii/phrase-path-kiaan-provocative-racist

Cheeh Begham Deegeh ?  

Feel Free to Go and turn Shirin Ebadi or Trita Parsi into a Unifying Force .... If you think it's a better idea ...

Good Luck !

 

 


Darius Kadivar

PERS66 regarding Your and Sargord Pirooz's Diatribe ...

by Darius Kadivar on

I have One Thing to Say to You two and One thing Only ...

Trance Porque No Te Callas ?

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3Kzbo7tNLg

Think whatever You want I couldn't care less.

You are the Ones who are brining in YOUR Family Issues Not Me to sustain YOUR Views.

Iran's Superior Interests and Future are in the Balance NOT YOUR Place in History which as far as Sargord's is concerned is no different from those who chose to betray Darius III and deliver PErsia to the Macedonian Conquerors or Those Who Betrayed Yazdegerd III and Delivered Iran to the Arab Hords.

IRANICAN MOFTKHOR: From a 1/2 "Pahlawi" EYE-RANIAN Coin to why people resist new theories (sic)

I have No time for Your Likes and Your Cheap Susceptibilities and For Individuals who take Pride in Betraying King and Country !

Good Day !

DK

 

 


David ET

The speech

by David ET on

Y A W N

 


PERS66

DK, passing out insults like noghle o nabat?

by PERS66 on

DK,

I must say my as a Journalist and film Historian (as you say) for the most part you have a pretty sarcastic trashy mouth that comes across very cheap at times, not the best representation for the royal family and  crown prince the brave military men and their families that have served their king and or country with honor.

Perhaps a touch of class, tolerance and respect would be in line.

Sargord Pirooz and his family as well as men in my family (Army General under Reza Shah Kabir,  Army Coronel Under Mohammad Reza Shah our ancestors during the time of the Ghajar) and many others put there balls on the line, rolled down there sleves and got down in the dirt and helped modernize the country propelling  it into the 20th century!

While the likes of some Persian burjua aristocrat bache naneh  wana be intellectuals would crap in their pants and run at the sound of a single gunshot fired!

What gives you the right to assume, judge and pass out insults to others and their families like noghle o nabat?

Its best you know your place, its easy to be brave and bold over the internet, would you dare speak to people in this manner face to face? I doubt it.

You can present the crown prince with a bit more class,

professionalism and tolerance for others with different political views as he himself appears to want to do so.

Professional representation of a belief is one thing, talking trash and acting like a fanatic smart ass is another!

Chill out,

at the end given the western powers do not middle, the people given a fare chance  will vote for what and who they want.

Peace out…

  


MM

DK - about "regime change" and "neutral"

by MM on

The problem with calling the common goal a "regime change" is that as soon as you say it, the thing that comes to mind is regime change to what?  And, if you have several factions gathered, that is when the pissing contests and the spitting contests start.  However, if you call  the meeting under the auspices of a common goal such as human rights or democracy, that gives a common goal for everyone to achieve.

However, as we all understand, human rights and democracy, as goals, are not compatible with the Islamic Republic, and such, it becomes a common goal for all parties while implying a regime change for Iran. 

By neutrality, I am not talking about being lame, but rather a conference in a neutral site so that the meeting cannot be labeled as a PAAIA, Monarchist or a Secularist meeting.  Secondly, if there are known respected personalities such as Akbar Ganji or Shadi Sadr moderating the meeting, the latter pissing / spitting contests would be rather suppressed, and hopefully we can have a civil discussion on what to do next.


Darius Kadivar

MM and Ramin Jaan's

by Darius Kadivar on

I am not RP's Official Spokesman so I cannot speak for him. I can Simply give you my personal interpretation.

As I did Here in my response to David a few weeks ago:

A Response to David ET's Blog: "Iranicans" Get Your Acts Together!!!

I am not sure if my response here will be more of a satisfaction to you either because the answer to your question is actually far more dependant on Our collective behavior as well as our individual and collective actions as a community than merely on the Crown Prince's specific guidelines.

He is not suggesting a Cult Ridden Support of Himself but rather a collective commitment by all Iranians ( particularly in the Diaspora ) to a common Struggle: Regime Change.

I don't even bother to repeat the Crown Prince when he says "without foreign Military intervention" cause that is inconcievable Both from a Patriotic and Strategic point of view and has been Our Stance from Day One.  

In Short if You allow me to draw this parrallel as a metaphore to what RP is saying here: He is basically telling us what Churchill said to his own People and the International community ( except that RP's "War" Speach per se is in reference to the "Political War" which we the people ( Inside and in the Diaspora) are waging against the IRI):

I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat. We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many months of struggle and suffering.

You ask, what is our policy? I say it is to wage war by land, sea, and air. War with all our might and with all the strength God has given us, and to wage war against a monstrous tyranny never surpassed in the dark and lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy.

You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word. It is victory. Victory at all costs - Victory in spite of all terrors - Victory, however long and hard the road may be, for without victory there is no survival.

This may sound like a gloomy perspective but it is in fact the Only Realistic Option we have and that is To Wage an IDEOLOGICAL WAR against the IRI and it's Very Foundations. To target Firmly But Non Violently the embassies, the diplomats and any event where they could be present. We should also Wage War against their Apologists ( peacefully but with determination) so as to isolate them in the medias and public spheres of influence.

IN SHORT RESIST !

What You Ramin are Doing with the ICC initiative is in itself One such Step !

Any similar initiative should be encouraged and the more the merrier. The Next step will be to coverge all individual or sporadic initiatives towards common coordinated actions.

One of the benefits of RP's speach is that it does not try to lie to you on the gravity of the situation we are going through nor is he trying to make the same mistake as the Opposition leaders in the early days of the Revolution's victory in 1979 by  Promising you that the Regime will fall in 6 months and all will be rosey.

He is merely putting us in front of our own Responsabilities !

Telling us Straight in the Eye that it is going to be difficult But not impossible. That it will require commitment.

But you cannot afford to be Neutral:

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

He is in a unique position to serve as a Catalyst of this general movement at least in the Diaspora until those inside particularly the Green Movement leadership decides to join ranks. 

Wishful Promises was something for which Bakhtiar was criticized for in the first decade of his opposition to the IRI which he acknowledged as a major personal mistake due to impatience and probably inexperience as a party leader. For Indeed in the last interviews he made with Iranian and foreign journalists Bakhtiar seemed to hint to this strategic mistake due to the fact that there were too many groups and poitical factions which had legitimate yet contradictory demands while opposing the regime in Tehran. This led Bakhtiar to make many promises to many different factions which he ultimately could not hold and which led to many to abandon him over the years ( including Foreign allies like France who got dissillusioned with him due to his failure to unite a broad coalition ). The expectations and hopes Bakhtiar rose in the early years as an IRI Opponent in France were as high as the deception that followed for not achieving successful results in time was proportionally bitter to observe.

ex : the Failed Nojeh Coup for which he was aware of even if he had no particular role in it) :

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=AM-x8nsSWTw&feature=related

As well IRI TV's Outlook on the Nojeh Coup:

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

This was not entirely his fault, but the result of too many ideological rivalries between different parties, too many figureheads with personal ambitions all working in different directions (from monarchists to Republicans, Right Wing Left Wing etc ) all with separate goals:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=94CYBOoMMHE

What truly lacked in the early years of opposing the IRI was not the lack of leadership (as embodied by Bakhtiar at the time) much as lack of clarity. By the time Khomeiny died and on which everyone counted thinking it could trigger the begining of the end of the IRI, it became clear that uniting the Opposition was a far more complex task than wishful thinking and outlining one's principles.

What was essential is to reach a common understanding if not of the historical reasons that led to the revolution at least on the basic principles and values upon which the opposition ( all groups confounded ) could agree upon and which would be endorsed as the pillars of the future Post-IRI system of government: Democracy and Human Rights.

This was the first necessary step to be taken to avoid such misunderstandings as:  

a) If you were a Monarchist ( Constitutional or Orthodox) it was not clear to a Republican that your reading of the 1906 Constitution was a democratic interpretation as opposed to the reign of the last Shah MRP.

b) If you were a Republican ( Secular or Not) it was not clear to the Monarchist that your reading of the 1906 Constitution was a nationalist or a democratic interpretation ...

On the otherhand The Crown Prince ( although close to Bakhtiar with whom he held direct talks) also remained an enigmatic figure in the public mind including amongst his own staunchest followers ( such as the Infamous LA TV's) content with a cult ridden admiration (however very different from the MKO) for the Mystic image of kingship which is a 180 degrees opposite approach of what genuine Constitutional Monarchists such as Dariush Homayoun or Shaheen Fatemi and others have been advocating all these years.

Naturally people would ask themselves: Are we to see him as a genuine democrat not just in words but in belief ? Or a Shah Wannabe ?

Part of this enigma was inherant to RP's Royal Status. He is no ordinary citizen and represents a constituency and historical political legacy which he cannot escape even if he tired to. He was and remains Crown Prince of Iran whatever he may or may not think or say. So not only every word he says or does not say regarding and event in relation to Iran is subject to scrutiny and interpretation  but this remains true on an international level.

So Even despite the first book he wrote with a French journalist Christian Malard in the mid 80's outlining his personality as well as political and human philosophy, RP was not exposed in the medias as he has been since.

This explains why certain groups tried to cheaply hit back at him as an Iranian Chalabi. An Absurd comparison given that the latter was not even a successor to any political dynasty in Iraq nor of someone who has inherited a historical legacy as is the case of a Crown Prince. 

This dude looks more like a Chalabi wannabe Type than RP ever was :

Amir Jahanchahi: Iranian Idiot of the Day 

So therefore one can conclude that his image in the International public eye ( particularly in adulthood outside Iran) was truly shaped over the past 15 to 20 years ) that his public persona and political vision have finally been truly understood and have reached out to a far wider constituency than his inner circle of advisors, think Tanks so as to reach out to all sections of Iranian society both inside as outside thanks not only to the recent twitter revolution but also to more than 3 decades of networking and personal contacts with a variety of political organizations, Human Rights activists, Unionists etc ...

Parisa Saed Prince Reza Pahlavi Interview May 1993:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbdRsvjpU_0

However networking does not necessarily lead to Bonding or some kind of mutual recognition. It simply helps acknowledging the urgent need towards a constructive cooperation.

This also explains why Bakhtiar's political approach towards the end of the 1980's became far more open towards all democratic forces abroad.  As in the above speach in Hamburg where he reads to his audience what he said 8 years earlier on the conditions of regime change ( and that his comments were not intended at "Khod Parasty" but a Realistic approach to outlining the conditions for regime change).

As such Bakhtiar remained loyal to the intellectual legacy of Dr.Mossadegh in terms of nationalism but his political allegience became one of a Constitutionalist Democrat respectful of the 1906 Constitution:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMvWKRtbs9A&feature=related

So in summary RP is trying to trigger OUR COLLECTIVE AWARENESS in seeing the potential necessity of achieving that major goal: UNITY in DIVERSITY ( which was precisely What Poland's Solidarnosc was all about) as well as a convergence of Symbolic gestures on behalf of those we see in our community as representatives of different factions and political sensitivities be it the person's of exiled public figures like Shirine Ebadi, Akbar Ganji, Mohsen Kadivar, Soroush or the less noticeable SECULAR figureheads (Who to date do not exist as active Politicans but only as members amongst the Intelligenstia or  Secular Think Tanks) as well as an appeal to the Selected Figureheads of the Opposition Inside Iran that is Moussavi, Karroubi and Khatami.

As Such RP can be a Catalyst if the above leaders particularly in the Diaspora ( Ganji, Ebadi etc ) decide to join him so as to rally the concerns of the Iranians back home to the interlational community in a unified voice and as such offer an Alternative to the current regime which would be recognized internationally as the Unified Opposition who can stand against War Yet Demand Regime Change ( and Not Reform or anyother ambiguous suggestion aimed at highjacking the Iranian people's legitimate desire for Freedom and Democracy).

So I would say that more than ever the Ball is in The Republican Camp. You are the ones who need to offer an Olive Branch or take the one we have been extending to you all these years to general indifference not to say rude rejection ( By You I do not mean You in Particular but Your Republican constituency: capt_ayhab behavior being the quentissential example of Stubborn Republican or Pseudo Republicanism which often flirts with senility when it comes to defining your priortities). If we have Our Shahollahis You Have Your Republicanollahis ...

Dunno if I answered your questions but that is all I can come up with for the time being ...

Too late here to continue this conversation, but maybe later on or in the days to come elsewhere.

So Good night !

DK

  


mehdi79

ramintork

by mehdi79 on

Well that is true that ultra hardline monarchists have to calm it down but shouldn't it be the same for you anti-monarchists or REPUBLICANS so to speak .. when you label RP & toss him names like loafs of bread simply cause he happens to be the crown prince without commiting any cirme, what do you expect from the other side to just keep quiet & say nothing?

As i always say today we have to put our ideologies aside & look beyond the final form of government in iran. I was born after this god foresaken revolution & my problem is not KOODETA 28 MORDAD (apparently this is the main issue between the two groups) ... today iran in dire need of freedom which is the only remedy to all our pains & sufferings ... islamic regime gains the most from divisions among its secular opposition.


capt_ayhab

Translation: But I get to be the shah

by capt_ayhab on

"For the future of Iran, I have always advocated the establishment of a secular democracy, where there is a clear separation of mosque from state. My personal preference is for a future constitution based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights."

BUT

I get to be the Shah.

-YT 


ramintork

DK Jaan for our friends please clarify

by ramintork on

For the benefit of our friends in this forum

The way I understand it this is not a fight for leadership, it is about forming a Solidarity of non-violent secular opposition groups.

We in iic (iicfocus) have been saying a similar thing, if you read our articles we have said: We need a Solidarity movement similar to Solidarnosc and anti-apartheid campaign of South Africa to bring our cause to the heart of people living in the West and at no time in our history has Iran faced a greater danger like she has now, we are on the brink of War, economic collapse and need to form a Solidarity to support our people in Iran not as a reactionary force but one which is already prepared.

I have the same question as MM. How does he intend to go about bringing this Solidarity?

He is perhaps better off bypassing the old so-called opposition leaders who haven't managed to make a dent and go directly to people and do it in a neutral zone so that he appeals outside the monachist camp.

If a non-monachist like me is willing to listen then I'm sure there are many like me who would be glad to form a Solidarity organization, in fact that is why we formed iic in the first place.

So how long do we have to wait? We don't want to do this when Israel has dropped SDB GBU-39 bunker busting bombs on those nuclear facilities turning Iran to another Chernobyl.

We don't want it when Iran has been sold out as some sort of compromise and a similar regime as our current with some facade of care for Human rights is put in it's place.

Or when economic disaster that is happening brings about a complete social break down and chaos.

So what are we all waiting for? For utter disaster to happen first?

I remember years ago people used to say that yasser arafat does not miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity!

We have seen that for the people in Iran that is not the case, but it is time for those outside Iran to wake up as they will be needed very badly soon.

 

 


MM

DK - two questions for RP (if you may relay, pls)?

by MM on

1. DOCUMENTATION: How do we put the following bolded words from paragraph 20 of the above speech into a binding document signed by Reza Pahlavi?

"For the future of Iran, I have always advocated the establishment of a secular democracy, where there is a clear separation of mosque from state. My personal preference is for a future constitution based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights."

2. ETTEHAAD: Based on the last quoted phrase by RP, how do we get different factions together for a "Bring Democracy to Iran Meeting", as Mehrban said?  I am hoping that the meeting will be goal driven (democracy or human rights) rather than a contest as in whose way is better, or a fight as in everybody else's way sucks.  I am also hoping that the meeting will happen in a neutral corner with known big time neutral human rights advocates as moderators for calming effects, hopefully.

Thanks.


vildemose

sargord: Why don't you run

by vildemose on

sargord: Why don't you run for Presidency of the IRI in the next election?? You are more than qualified...


Darius Kadivar

OK JJ

by Darius Kadivar on

Will do.

Thanks,

DK


Jahanshah Javid

News

by Jahanshah Javid on

Darius, all other users,

Please do not copy/paste material/articles from other sites in the blogs.

This item belongs in the news section.

Please note for future reference.

Thanks


seannewyork

nice speech

by seannewyork on

he is making a lot of head way with Iranian youth and I think that is ruffling a lot of feathers.

 Who else is saying what he is advocating in the opposition? no one i know.

nice work mr. pahlavi.

 


mehdi79

keep it comin Dk

by mehdi79 on

DK you're DA MAN, I love these clips from iran glorious past (before this ominous islamo-communist revolution)


Darius Kadivar

SPink I know you already told me about Your Arab Pedigree ;0)

by Darius Kadivar on

Your Treacherous Families Weak Loyalties and Opportunism over and over again ... Very revealing indeed!

By the way When are you finally going to decide to change that Pink Fouragere of yours ? ...

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARW65OucJnA

and Stop Drinking ...

//iranian.com/main/blog/i-have-crush-alex-trebek/beer

Send my Regards to Your Palestinian Brotherhood and Sisterhood :

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=65xpvmCsm-c  

Your Palestinian Passport is available at your nearest HAMAS Embassy ...

 

 

 

 


Sargord Pirouz

You know, DK, my ancestors

by Sargord Pirouz on

You know, DK, my ancestors were high ranking Iranian statesmen working directly under Qajar and Pahlavi monarchs, in positions of ministers, speakers and president of Tehran University. One was even a writer of the 1906 Constitution.

So you would think I might be attracted to such nostalgia. But I'm not. I remember what conditions were like for the great majority of folks living in Tehran and the rest of the country, during the 1970's. You were there; you remember. Or maybe your false sense of ego and elitism didn't permit you to care.

Honestly, man, I just don't get your misdirected focus and allegiance to the archaic and irrelevant. 

I mean, I can understand the historical interest, from an academic or scholastic perspective. But beyond that, this is merely an exercise in backward eccentricity. 


Darius Kadivar

History For Dummies ... (Bebin TV)

by Darius Kadivar on

Sigh ...  

Iranian Mashroote Revolution (bebin TV):

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


ali_UK

How can you answer when you do not really get the question ?!

by ali_UK on

1. “ Constitutional Monarchy can guarantee a stable form of government “ , exactly how , when the monarch has only a ceremonial rule ?

2. “ no party can easily take over the entire country “ . A parliamentary democracy , it does not need a king ( without power by the way ) to oversee things

3. “ countries that are ruled by monarchy, citizens of those countries have more rights & privileges” , German and French citizens have less rights and privileges than the British citizens ?!


mehdi79

DK i love your videos

by mehdi79 on

I wish Dr bakhtiar was alive today ... well somebody has to tell these anti-monarchists REPUBLICANS that the HENCHMEN OF their DEAR ISLAMIC REPUBLIC assassinated him along with Farrokhzad, Ghasemloo, Boroomand & other assassinations.

Ali UK!! man you're in UK (that is constitutional monarchy) for 40 yrs i  suppose & you dont know how a constitutional monarchy works in there? i ve been to australia (also constitutional monarchy under queen elizabeth) for 10 yrs now i know the head to toe of it ... its secular, its parliamentary & its democratic .. why you guys try to act dumb ... either acting dumb or are really dumb ... there s no trick to constitutional monarchy ... the head of state called the king (PERSIAN TRANSLATION SHAH) but has no executive power .. ppl every 3-4 yrs elect prime minister as the head of government who runs everything in the country from foriegn policy to economy to education & etc ... is this like a mystry all of sudden after 40 yrs of living in u?


ali_UK

Well said

by ali_UK on

""...For the future of Iran, I have always advocated the establishment of a secular democracy.... ... a secular democracy will be the choice of the vast majority of Iranians,..When sovereignty is restored back to the people...government which will be legitimate, representative, accountable, transparent, and thus sustainable...""

How does constitutional monarchy fit into the above vision?


iran_zameen

i agree sargord

by iran_zameen on

i think he's more like iyad jamal al din, the secular akhond who spent mils in iraqi election and was finally not chosen by iraqis...because he was out of touch with the beat on the street


Sargord Pirouz

Too funny. This is the kind

by Sargord Pirouz on

Too funny.

This is the kind of stuff that provides a lot of confidence to the ruling elites in Tehran, today. 

RP is in a word, harmless.