IRAN'S theological autocracy, which, according to
many Iranians, are bogged down in semi-permanent upheaval, economic crisis
and international isolation, have been thrown a line to help them climb
into international respectability.
The intervention to offer the Mullah a face-saving formula of ending
blood shed and trouble came from the man, whom they overthrew his father
22 years earlier.
As Serbia was granting citizenship to Crown Prince Alexander after 55
years in exile, Prince Reza Pahlavi, the heir to the Iranian throne, were
telling MIdeast News about his plans change the 22 year autocratic theology
of the Mullahs and build a secular system by peaceful means.
The 40 year old prince, who, royalists claim, is held by a large section
of millions of Iranian exiles to be their rightful king, broke
his silence in London at the weekend during the first interview with a
British Journalist in four years challenging the Islamic clergymen who
overthrow his late father Mohammed Reza Pahlavi in 1979. He called upon
all Iranians to come under his leadership to help him '' offer his nation
a way out of the ''catastrophic social, economic and political situation
and international isolation.'
This was his first public daring challenge to the Mullahs since his
official oath to uphold the Iranian constitution as the legitimate
Shah on his 21st birthday in Kubba Palace In Cairo in October 1980, following
his father's death three months earlier.
Prince Reza, who has been living in a Maryland suburb of Washington
in the past 14 years, spent three days in the UK talking to British personalities,
politicians and various Iranian opposition groups.
He wants Britain to have a more mature view of the Iranians and their
aspirations.`' we have the same aspirations and the rights to democracy
like the Serbs, the polish and the south Africans.'' He is calling
upon Britain and the West in general where some two million Iranians live
in exile to get over the ''illusionary policy of trying to find a moderate
with whom they can deal within the Islamic regime''.
After meetings in London he travelled to France where he held more talks
and a press conference in Paris to rally more support for his cause
trying to persuade Europe to review the way it deals with the ' Islamic
dictatorship.'
It is not enough for Britain to demand that the Islamic regime give
up its terror campaign against the west, he said, Britain must listen and
talk directly to the people of Iran and demand that the regime respect
the human rights at home. He was full of admiration for British politicians
like labour minister Mo Mowlam who was in Iran early last month and
urged the Mullah's to respect human rights.
'' Britain and the west should talk with and listen to the
Iranian people instead of wasting time in meaningless dialogue with the
Mullahs under the illusion of dialogue of civilisations,'' he told Mideast
News.
The term 'dialogue of civilisations' was coined by Iran's president
Mohammed Khatami who is considered by western governments to be moderate
and reformist.
The Idea put a sarcastic smile on the face of the energetic
young Shah during a serious two hours conversation.
'' How can you [ in the west] hold a dialogue with a regime that refuses
to have a dialogue with its own population?''
Such ' misunderstanding by Britain and the rest of Europe' coupled with
' appeals from inside Iran' persuaded him to step forward and reclaim
his leadership of a new drive to end ' the theological dictatorship in
Iran.' The Iranian opposition was fragmented and have no clear
unifying point at a time when '' clergymen who were part of the Islamic
revolution itself,'approached him seeking a way out of the international
isolation, economic collapse and social depravation,' he had to make a
move.
'' I had to step forward and take the leadership of all Iranians in
my own hands, '' said the young Shah who seemed full of vitality,
and ready for action '' all Iranians , groups and individuals, in
the diaspora or in Iran are all invited to work under one umbrella and
for one goal.''
His last direct call to the Iranian regime was in 1981 offering to put
his skills, as a US Air Force trained pilot, in the defence of Iran
against Saddam Hussein's invasion of September 1980, was dismissed by the
late Ayatollah Khomeini as '' a plot by the Great Satan [ America]''.
He met with exiled and visiting Iranians from a wide political
spectrum including communists - who spent thirty years fighting his late
father and weakened the secular institution - and clergymen. He even
invited the Mullah's in an address he directed to the nation a few days
ago, to join in the democratisation.
He said he dreams of a south Africa like solution where a commission
for truth and reconciliation can help people to move forward and forget
about revenge.
'' We all must work peacefully for one goal .''
His goal, said the young shah with a great rush of adrenalin - in contrast
to his late father's cool way and aloofness, was to ' offer Iran a way
out of its isolation, economic hardship, and the crisis with a face
saving formula.'' It will be in a form of referendum on ' what kind of
government the Iranian people want.''
He cited last week's demonstrations in Isfahan, when thousands
called for a referendum, to be brutally dispersed by Islamic revolutionary
guards.
He said he wants the referendum as a face-saving way out for the regime
to change by peaceful means '' But we will be ready to defend the people
if the clergy resorts to violence as many expected.''
He wouldn't be drawn on answering details on how the movement will be
run but said the Iranians both at home and in exile '' are rich with human
resources, finance, ideas and efforts to support the move to democracy
''. Indicating that wealthy Iranians are financing the new move towards
democracy and the call for referendum. He said he would accept the
results of the referendum even if they didn't chose a constitutional monarchy
that he envisages.
He just wanted to return to a homeland that he remembered prosperous,
strong and internationally respected. His American born two daughters Iman
and Noor aged nine and eight, often say to him'' If Iran is so important
to you, why aren't we there?.''
Until his marriage to Yasmina Ieitmad in 1986 when he settled in the
US, he moved all the time between Egypt, Morocco and France evading
many plots by the Khomeini's Terror machine which assassinated many exiles
in Europe and the Middle East.
Prince Reza was confident that majority of Iranians who are youth -
60% of the 66 million Iranian people are under 30 years of age- will adopt
his proposals. ''They are fed up with the theological dictatorship and
would welcome the change as they associate economic hardship, human
rights abuse, suppression of women and individual's right to chose
with totalitarian Islamic ideology as practiced by the Islamic republic.''
He differs from his father in his down to earth approach, modesty and
warm friendly attitude as well as his frankness.
His call to drop the Islamic ideology and set up a secular constitutional
monarchy ' or even a democratic republic' which he said ' will accept
and be an active citizen serving it' comes as a surprise to many. His frank
statement that '' Islam as an ideology for a government can not co-exist,''
is most unusual by a leader from a Muslim background. '' As Muslims
and religious people we believe in Islam and respect the Islamic church,
but the church should be separated from the state. Its role should
be of a spiritual guidance while the business of a good government is of
a secular nature.''
He insists - citing messages from inside Iran - that his people will
welcome a secular and truly democratic government to serve and treat all
citizens equally regardless of their faith, or ethnic origins including
Jews and Bahaeis who are currently persecuted in Iran. His challenge to
the dominance of the clergy contrasts sharply with that of his late father
who portrayed the image of a religious man in a country where Islam is
away of life.
Many historians believe that the late Shah's over respect for the Islamic
institutions that resisted his liberalisation policy which was called for
by the Middle Classes in the 1970s, gave the clergy a chance to plot his
downfall unchallenged. While the main challenge and fight came from secular
organisations - some resorting to violence like Mjuahedi-e-Khalq and the
Maoists Fedaien, the Mullah's were organising themselves in the mosques.
The Late Shah forbade his security forces from entering Islamic scholars
institutes.
But this was not the only lesson Reza Pahlavi learned from the reign
of both his father and grandfather.
'' If one lesson we learn from the past, is that we must have a more
collective rule, 100 % transparncy and full participation by
the people,'' he said.
