Prince Reza Pahlavi of Iran was on Voice of America TV talk show the other night speaking about the EU3-UN resolution on Iranian nuclear issue.
His highness talked about variety of topics including the regime's aid to Hezbollah while Iranian people are starving, and that mullahs want a foreign invasion to toughen their rule over the poor people of Iran and the fact that Islamic regime has run Iran into abyss since the start of their bloody revolution in 1979. He also made comments on the fact that int'l community won't let Iranian regime acquire an A-Bomb and he mentioned the necessity of unity among opposition forces in this one hour program.
I am going to make a few sentences on his highness call for unity among regime's opposition groups while I strongly agree with every thing he said in this recent talk show. I don't hide my feelings about the Iranian royal family. I like them and I feel sorry for what they have gone through in the past 27 yrs and I do have utmost respect for Her Majesty Queen Farah though.
There is only one thing I don't quite understand about Reza Pahlavi's campaign against the regime and that would be his refusal to form a government in exile as an alternative to the evil regime occupying Iran today. While I understand why he doesn't want to form the government in exile and claim a role for himself which is really nice of him, it is not right to do so though.
Prince Pahlavi has to form a government in exile with ministers from every opposition group and put this shadow government on table for foreign governments to accept. If this government is formed, then world community will see a solid, strong alternative to the mullahs of Iran and, believe me, will try to back this one. It might be a risky job but freedom is not free.
Prince Reza must rush to meet with US Senators and congressmen convincing them to sign the Iran Freedom Act in Senate which wasn't approved last time it was put for voting [MORE]. He should make them understand why it is important for them to support a free Iran. [link]
Let the Democratic senators realize that if they cooperate in this, their country will benefit from future trade and business deals with Iran and make Republican representatives understand that if the country is freed, the threat of Islamic terrorism will decrease, Iranian defense sector will create jobs for Americans and the US will have a strong ally in the war on terror.
His highness has to meet with US government officials, especially VP Cheney and his staff, convincing them to fully cooperate with the will of Iranian people to be free from the rule of mad mullahs and these meetings must be publicized to frighten the mullahs.
Prince Reza may argue that his opponents wouldn't like him running for leadership like this but there are counter-measures he can apply to defuse these people crying and moaning against him, which is to form the government in exile, take as many different people in this shadow government as possible and then once Iran is freed from the rule of Mullahs he would dissolve this shadow government and the assembly of the Iranian people will determine what type of governance Iranians want in future.
Let me be clear, I left Iran fairly recently and I am in constant touch with friends and family back there. The only thing people want right now is to get rid of the mullahs as quick as possible, right or wrong I don't know but this is what I am hearing. They don't give a damn who is going to do this, they only care how and when this is going to happen and I repeat, the only thing they care about is to be free soon. Iranians are fed up with the regime for sure. They need to be told what to do and how to do it. That's what matters to them. They are desperate. I don't know if some one who has been out of Iran for too long understands what desperation means in today Iran. One can feel it but may not comprehend that, but I do.
Crown prince Pahlavi must be more pro-active and listens to what people inside of Iran say not what people outside of Iran want. Of course, every single opinion must be respected (except those of regime's) but this is not an easy period and we are running out of time.
It's just matter of time that Mullahs acquire nuclear weapons and claim victory. I don't want that day and I don't think the rest of the world would be okay with the nuclear armed Islamic regime of Iran. All I care about is to see a free and prosperous Iran where every citizen can be happy, have a say in his represented government and earn enough money to run his/her family.
Time is not in our favor...
The Shotgun
16 comments:
I understand why the Prince s reluctant to do this. Prince genuinely believes in constitutional monarchy, not just in words. He sees his role as symbolic, a figure head and non-executive. If he forms a government in exile and appoints the cabinet members then he is defying that role.
In any case I doubt if a government in exile will help us make the pro-democracy movement reach the critical mass, at the moment. The biggest hurdle in my view is that the people perceive the IRI as too strong and too powerful. It is that facade that has to be cracked first.
This is all in my humble opinion of course.
Winston, I sincerely hope that soon, I mean REAL SOON, that ALL Iranians have freedoms and democracies.
I agree with azarmehr.
I also wanted to say he did a pretty good job... :)
Every time I hear Pahlavi on the airwaves spouting about democracy, I never hear him discuss the undemocratic overthrow of the Mossadegh government - which whatever you think of its policies, was democratically elected. Nor do you hear anything about the rather obvious absence of democracy in his daddy's regime. And yet you and he expect people to believe that he's had a miraculous conversion to the joys of constitutional monarchy! (Not that I support the present regime). I hardly think that Iranians in Iran are going to welcome with open arms the men who fled the country with suitcases of riches, lived high on the hog and consorted with Western powers. Why don't you encourage Iranian progressives to strengthen their democratic opposition within Iran rather than promote the imposition of the diletanttes of the old guard. Why should they exchange religious-right oppression for royalist-capitalist oppression?
yeah but forming a govt outside of iran should be based on the peoples votes. i mean how the hell will he do that? well i guess he could but still.
to aod: the Palahvi dynasty TRANSFORMED iran, before it was qajars who were worse than the taliban. what happened due to external forces like the british and american, is in the past, the 30's-50's was filled with unlawful coups....not an excuse but still. the palahvi dynasty is by far the most beloved dynasty, and when the revolution occured the people were coeroced into revulting against him. khomeneie pretty much spewd enough ideological bullshit to the masses and conviced them. it was the Shah who knew of the real dangers
Winston :
Your idea has merit.
I can see where Pahlavi forming a kind of gov't in exile could be a powerful inducement for the U.S. gov't and Britain and others to get behind regime change in Iran.
Right now, no one knows what will happen if they instigate regime change. Everyone is afraid of another Iraq. But if they can see and talk to people who will be there to help take control and be the leaders that the people will need at that time, to be an interim gov't, that may be the incentive that the U.S. and others need in order to seriously get the ball rolling. A big obstacle is trust. The U.S. will never find anyone more trustworthy than Reza Pahlavi.
I like your idea very much.
Azarmehr :
The gov't in exile, that Winston speaks of is a temporary/interim gov't. It's a support structure until the Iranian people can vote on a referendum to decide what type of gov't they want. Reza Pahlavi doesn't have to fear defying a symbolic role he may see as what's best for the future of Iran. This is just temporary. He can run for his symbolic, figurehead position afterward, if he chooses.
As for the hurdles of the Iranians themselves, one of the purposes of the gov't in exile is to be a show of strength against the IRI. If it gathers the support of the U.S. gov't and other countries, then the IRI will be out-muscled, and the Iranian people will believe in the inevitablity of breaking the regime.
I think the majority of Iranian people need to see solid help coming from the outside, before they seriously attempt to overthrow the regime. They aren't going to sacrifice themselves on mere promises of help. They've seen too many others do that, and though very heroic, so far it has been in vain.
Forming a temporary government in exile or whatever name someone would like to call it,(Iranian Liberation Organization? whatever) might just be the catalyst that everyone needs to start bringing down this regime.
"Aodhan Ui'Broin" - is that arabic or french? Who are you to speak of Iranian affaires?
"Aodhan Ui'Broin" and his likes are the very same communists who wanted to sell out our country to the Soviet Union who have the audacity to come here and bring up something like the 1953 events which was anything but a coup! But which very much had to do with Soviet influence rising and the policies of Prime Minister Mossadegh hurting the Iranian economy.
The late Prime Minister was a appointed by the late Shah in accordance to the Constitution, so it is quite mindboggling how the head of state of that time - the Shah - could make a "coup" against someone "beneath" him which he himself had appointed and which he had the power to strip of his appointment.
Just to add here the Shah himself was in breach of the Constitution since he had taken on Executive powers - and if you ask me i'm more than happy that such an intelligent man with a great vision had decided to pull that nation out of misery. In those days it was not many years before that our motherland was a backward, poverty-stricken, law-less country, illiteracy being rampant and a higly superstitious society - this is not a country ready for DEMOCRACY in such a short time period, no matter what anyone might say! The Shah's vision was to bring Iran to such a stage when the Crown Prince could take over as a true Constitutional Monarchy, with executive powers falling in the hands of an elected Prime Minister, and democracy could flourish. We where well on our way into becoming that "golden civilization", although not without flaws, but everything was moving in the right direction.
Not getting into a long discussion on this past event I would like to inform this individual that communism is dead and that the dirty smear-tactics of people like him no longer serve in their interests. Communists/Islamists (forces of red and black) have been the greatest traitors to Iran and are despised by the Iranian Nation - but rest assured that in a free Iran even traitors such as the above will be allowed to participate in Iranian society as long as their activities are sanctioned by the law of the land and do not act against the Iranian people - this is the difference between the democratic forces and backward forces of the communists and islamists.
I suggest writing up an email, easy on the emotion, heavy on fact and sending it to all the U.S. Senators.
You don't have to be a citizen to do this, crackpots from all over the world send them emails. They have staff that goes through all the emails and pulls the ones that they think the Senators should see or be told about.
I write my Senator often as well as my representives in the House.
They always respond, but then I am from Texas where our representives and Senator's have respect for the people of their state.
Papa Ray
West Texas
USA
You nay-sayers should read up on the French resistance during WWII. Study the role played by Charles de Gaulle, who later became President of France. There is merit in Winston's idea, as long as the Prince does not assume control after the IRI falls, he could be a leader of the movements that are trying to topple the regime.
As I was growing up, I heard from my grandfather how Pahlavies provided Jews with equal rights and religious freedom. All Iranians benefited from the 50 years of their ruling. Just like all Iranians are harmed by the Islamic regime now. It is as simple as comparing the Iran that was handed to Reza shah to the Iran that Mohamad reza shah left. Regarding Queen Farah I should add that she was one in a kind. She did so much for Iran and its people. And she did everything out of love that she felt for Iran. This is what I like the most about Pahlavies: their unconditional love for Iran. Does any body in the Islamic regime love Iran? Does Ahmadynejad care for Iran and its people? Just thinking that my country has a government that does NOT love my country breaks my heart.
I like prince Reza very much, but I feel like he just does not want to be involved as much! That is just my opinion and it could be wrong. I think he has peace in his life. He has had a successful marriage and three healthy children. Just look at how his father and grandfather were treated! Maybe he thinks to himself “ Why would go through the same path?”. I hope I am wrong though.
To Aodhan Ui'Broin :
First of all Reza Pahlavi has talked many times about Mosssadiq and regards him as a great Iranian nationalist. So you are misinformed straight away Mr. Aodhan Ui'Broin.
Its so strange I never hear Queen Elizabeth II criticise her father and grand father... I mean when did you hear QEII criticise QEI or the undemocratic rule of Henry VIII :)))
Is it not a warped logic to say that because QEI was an undemocratic ruler then surely QEII will also be one too. Being democratic is genetic presumably?!!
I hear so many Islamic apologists compare IRI with other countries in the region and say Islamic Republic is more democratic than other countries in the region. Yet for some reason they never compare Iran under the Shah with other countries in the region at the time!!!
At the time of the Shah, Egypt's leader Nasser had 15000 political prisoners in his prisons and wanted to separate Khuzestan from Iran, Iraq was ruled by the iron fist of the Ba'ath party and also had eyes on the Iranain Khuzestan, Military junta ruled in Turkey, Pakistan was a slave driven country, Afghanistan was as backward as ever, The Persian Gulf countries were ruled by single families and their people lived in tents, the Soviet Union was supressing all kinds of dissent and freedom and forever was threatening the independence and the integrity of Iran. Yet none of these countries in the region were ever compared to the Shah.
He was the only undemocratic ruler in the region!!!!!!
In any case believe me Aodhan Ui'Broin, no one has understood better than Reza Pahlavi, the shortcomings of the Shah's regime.
If Reza Pahlavi wanted to impose the old guard, I for one would not be in favour of him.
@ Azarmehr, great points.
Like I said, most people tend to forget the services the Iranian royal family has done for Iran in the past 70 yrs.
I used to think the Iranian people would rise up and overthrow the mad mullahs. But time is running out and I don't know if that can ever happen. Reza Pahlavi would be an excellent answer for the problems of Iran. He is very familiar with how a democracy is run and has the intelligence and, more important, the love that would be required to heal the wounds of Iran.
I pray to God there is still time.
Democracy? Why democracy? Democracy is dying worldwide, for the same reason the Roman Empire did.
Nobody with the knowledge needed to create democracy, has the will to defend it with violence. Citizens in democracies worldwide are abandoning their defenses against attackers, and instead focusing all their attention on enemies within, inventing them out of make-believe if they cannot be found.
And the stronger and more ruthless the destroyers of democracy become, the more determined the citizens of democracy are to ignore them and destroy themselves, instead.
The price of decadence is suicide.
Sanchez Ferlosio once wrote that it is ugliness that which appears first; then stupidity; then evilness. The black chador of the Hezbullah sisters is an obvious sign of ugliness, a probable sign of stupidity and, for some, a suspected sign of evilness.
But this seeming spiral is almost everywhere. For example, when writing, one should probably try before any other thing to take away any form of evil intention, for if this skips in, stupidity and ugliness will show up as well and these three together do make a distasteful fruit. Then one could try to avoid stupidity, maybe because ugliness always accompanies it, and you know, what a pitiful mixture that is. And last one may want to avoid ugliness itself, if nothing else for the sake of literature, Satchmo and modern cuisine.
And talking of modern cuisine, your notes (“Notes on PRP”) are, well, let’s say readable, although there is no analysis whatsoever of any of the comments you make there. You write:
“Prince Pahlavi HAS TO form a government in exile (has to? Why? What is a ‘government in exile’ anyway?) with MINISTERS from EVERY opposition group (ministers? Of what? What sort of government, conditions, elective, counting or picking system are you thinking about? And why again? Why from every opposing group? Are you thinking of a ‘strong’ Lebanese sort of government in exile for Iran? ) and put this SHADOW GOVERNMENT ON TABLE (shadow on table?) for foreign governments TO ACCEPT (why? Why should they?)”. “World community will see a SOLID, STRONG alternative (...) and, BELIEVE ME, the world community will try to back this –alternative- government (why again? Because ‘world community’ does also believe you? And what for? Isn’t it the people inside Iran who should respond to RP? And what is ‘to back’ this alternative gov.? Do you intend to make of Iran a new Cuba? A new Iraq?)”.
Well, there is enough work for you here; an interesting one, no doubt about it, for the core idea, this is, the unification of opposition forces, is a basic one before an ordered downfall of the actual IRI regime can take place. In fact this unification of opposing forces is a prior step to any attempt of forming governments in exile, a step that Prince Pahlavi is taking, precisely and quite diplomatically, without the rush and lack of reason of many of its followers and detractors. Yes, the needed unity among opposition forces...
And so, Winston, you may want not to push Prince Pahlavi and avoid that “we are running out of time” argument –IRI has been there for almost thirty years; do not scam an opportunity to overthrow it because of (understandable but unreasonable) rush. Maybe you want to Unite before trying to impose whatever brilliant flirt of imagination there is and to reason out whatever new or old idea you can come out with avoiding the ‘believe me’ sort of arguments also, even towards yourself, and not abusing the ‘fear’ motives to follow your arguments either.
If all you care is really “to see a free and prosperous Iran” try to put yourself down and under-stand what has already been done, what can be done and what will be needed to do today, tomorrow, and why.
Well, I’m not doing much of what I am telling you to do, but well, these are your notes anyway and this is your homework. Good luck.
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