Prince Reza Pahlavi (Persian: رضا پهلوی, born 31 October 1960) is the last crown prince of the former Imperial State of Iran and current head of the House of Pahlavi. He is the older son of the late Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and his Shahbanou Farah Pahlavi. In 1979, Reza Pahlavi left Iran at the time of the Iranian Revolution.
He left Iran at the age of 17 for air force training. He spent a year at Williams College, but was forced to leave because of the turmoil in Iran. With the monarchy overthrown and an Islamic Republic established, Reza Pahlavi did not return to Iran. He received a BSc degree by correspondence in political science from the University of Southern California, because Williams did not offer that option.[1] A jet fighter pilot, Reza Pahlavi completed the United States Air Force Training Program at the former Reese Air Force Base in Lubbock, Texas. In 1980, at the start of the Iran–Iraq War, Pahlavi, a highly-trained fighter pilot, wrote to General Valiollah Fallahi, Chief Commander of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic, offering to fight in the air force for Iran in the war. The offer was rebuffed.[2]
With the death of his father on 27 July 1980, Reza Pahlavi became the Head of the House of Pahlavi.
Reza Pahlavi has written three books on the state of Iran.
According to Iranian writer Reza Bayegan, Prince Reza Pahlavi is deeply attached to his Shi'ite Muslim faith. He has named one of his daughters Iman (meaning faith in Arabic), and has performed the Hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca.[3]
Family
Reza married Yasmine Etemad Amini on June 12, 1986. Yasmine, a graduate of the George Washington University School of Law, worked for ten years as a lawyer for the Children’s Law Center as a legal advocate for at-risk youth. Yasmine also founded the Foundation for the Children of Iran in 1991, a non-profit foundation that provides health care services to Iranian children or children of Iranian origin.
Reza Pahlavi and his wife Yasmine have three daughters: Noor (born April 3, 1992), Iman (born September 12, 1993), and Farah (born January 17, 2004).
Reza Pahlavi has used his high profile status as an Iranian abroad to campaign politically for human rights, democracy, and unity among Iranians in Iran and outside it.[4] On his website he calls for a separation of religion and state in Iran and for free and fair elections "for all freedom-loving individuals and political ideologies". He exhorts all groups dedicated to a democratic agenda to work together for a democratic and secular Iranian government.[5]
According to Reza Bayegan, Prince Pahlavi believes in the separation of religion from politics. However, Pahlavi avoids the "Islam bashing" that Bayegan writes occurs in some circles of the Iranian opposition. Rather, he believes that religion has a humanizing and ethical role in shaping individual character and infusing society with greater purpose.[3]
Since the advent of Islam, our clergymen have served as a moral compass. Spirituality has been an inseparable part of our culture...Today, moral guidance has been replaced by clerical censorship and dictatorial fiat.
”
Pahlavi has used media appearances to urge Iran's theocratic government to accept a referendum that uses independently verifiable international standards and observation mechanisms.[7][8][9] He has also urged Iranians to engage in a campaign of non-violent civil disobedience, starting with non-participation in elections of the Islamic republic (elections he views as undemocratic), followed by peaceful demonstrations and strikes. He is, however, an outspoken opponent of any foreign military intervention for regime change in Iran,[10] believing that the people of Iran alone have the power to bring about change in their governmental system and society.
Human rights
On March 27, 2010, Reza Pahlavi was invited by the International Society of Human Rights in Bonn, Germany, to speak on the challenge of implementing democracy and human rights in Iran; a sample excerpt from this speech follows:[11]
“
...democracy and human rights for Iran is not just a slogan; it is our unique hope for salvation and the fundamental element which will bring long term political stability as well as put our nation back on the track of modernity, progress and prosperity. Iranians have come a long way, particularly in this last century. We have paid a heavy price while learning valuable lessons. As such, we are stronger as a society and perhaps clearer in our collective vision of a better future.
”
Other samples of his speeches are in the External Links below.
Quotes
History has repeatedly proven to us that a clear separation between religion and state is imperative in order to have the right circumstances for democratic governance.[5]
Idealism and realism, behavior change and regime change do not require different policies but the same: empowering the Iranian people.[12]
June 22, 2009: "At worst, fanatical tyrants who know that the future is against them may end their present course on their terms: a nuclear holocaust,"[13]
2011 comments
In February 2011, Pahlavi said after violence erupted in Tehran that Iran’s youth were determined to get rid of an authoritarian government tainted by corruption and misrule in the hope of installing a democracy. “Fundamental and necessary change is long overdue for our region and we have a whole generation of young Egyptian and Iranians not willing to take no for an answer,” Pahlavi told the Daily Telegraph. “Democratisation is now an imperative that cannot be denied. It is only a matter of time before the whole region can transform itself.[14]
Monarchy
Following in a line of Iranian monarchic dynasties stretching back 3000 years, the Pahlavi dynasty was founded early in the twentieth century. The revolution of 1979 led to the replacement of the Iranian constitutional monarchy (de facto absolute monarchy) with an Islamic republic. Although he currently lives in exile, Pahlavi is still regarded by some Iranians as the current Shah of Iran.[citation needed] After the death of his father, Mohammad-Rezā Shāh Pahlavi, Pahlavi symbolically declared himself Shāhanshāh (Literally, King of Kings in Persian) at the age of 21, but now his press releases refer to him as either "Reza Pahlavi" or "the former Crown Prince of Iran".
Succession is theoretical, as the Iranian monarchy was abolished with the Islamic Constitution in Iran in 1980. He is the current contender in the succession line to his late father and Ali Patrick Pahlavi is the second in line.
He was awarded the Royal Order of the Drum by King Kigeli V (Rwanda)
In 2004, Reza Pahlavi was named as the "unofficial godfather"[15] of Princess Louise of Belgium the eighth granddaughter of King Albert II of Belgium. The decision to choose him was criticized by the Foreign Ministry of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Publications
Reza Pahlavi, IRAN: L’Heure du Choix [IRAN: The Deciding Hour] (Denoël, 2009)[16]
^ The Roman Catholic Church, the Church of the child being baptized, does not accept non-Catholics as godparents, given the religious nature of the role, so Pahlavi's role was downgraded to unofficial, not formal.
Reza Pahlavi — Reza Shah رضا Empereur (chah) d Iran … Wikipédia en Français
Rezâ Pahlavi — Reza Pahlavi Reza Shah رضا Empereur (chah) d Iran … Wikipédia en Français
Réza Pahlavi — Reza Pahlavi Reza Shah رضا Empereur (chah) d Iran … Wikipédia en Français
Reza Pahlavi — Reza Schah Pahlavi Reza Schah Pahlavi (persisch رضاشاه پهلوی [rezɔːˈʃɔːh pæɦlæˈviː]); Reza Schah der Große, geboren als Reza Chan bzw. Reza Khan (persisch رضا خان [ … Deutsch Wikipedia
Reza Pahlavi II — Reza Pahlavi (1960 ) Reza Pahlavi رضا پهلوی … Wikipédia en Français
Reza Pahlavi II — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Alí Reza Pahlavi Nacimiento 31 de octubre de 1960, 49 años … Wikipedia Español
Reza Pahlavi I — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Alí Reza Pahlavi ( nació 1 de marzo de 1922, murió el 17 de octubre de 1954) fue el hijo segundo de Sah Reza Pahlavi y el hermano de Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Siguiendo la deposición y el destierro de Reza Sah, Alí Reza … Wikipedia Español
Reza Pahlavi — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Riza Pahlavi, primer Shah de Irán. Reza Shah, también conocido como Reza Pahlavi, llamado asimismo Reza Jan o Reza Savad Koohi (en persa رضا پهلوی Rezâ Pahlavi) (16 de marzo de 1878 26 de julio de 1944), nombrado … Wikipedia Español
Reza Pahlavi — Reza Pahlavi, Mohamed (Reza Pehlewi) ► (1878 1944) Sha de Irán en 1925 41. Organizó un golpe de Estado en 1921 y fue proclamado soberano por la Asamblea Constituyente en 1925. Modernizó el país con la ayuda alemana. Fue fundador de la dinastía… … Enciclopedia Universal
Reza Pahlavi (1960-) — Reza Pahlavi رضا پهلوی Succession(s) Prétendant au trône Depuis le 27 juillet 1980 ( … Wikipédia en Français
Reza Pahlavi in 1973 as Crown Prince of Iran
