Reza Pahlavi
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| Pretender Reza Pahlavi رضا پهلوی |
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| Born | October 31, 1960 |
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| Title(s) | Shah of Iran Fmr. Crown Prince of Iran |
| Throne(s) claimed | Iran |
| Pretend from | July 20, 1980 – Present |
| Monarchy abolished | 1979 |
| Last monarch | Mohammad Reza Pahlavi |
| Connection with | father |
| Royal House | House of Pahlavi |
| Father | Mohammad Reza Pahlavi |
| Mother | Farah Diba |
| Spouse | Yasmine Amini |
Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of Iran (Persian: رضا پهلوی, born October 31, 1960) is the eldest son of the late Emperor of Iran Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and his Shahbanou or Empress Consort, Farah. He was the Crown Prince of Iran until the Iranian Revolution.
He succeeded his father as Head of the House of the Pahlavi dynasty[1] and is currently the successor to the former Pahlavi throne of Iran. As such he is referred to by supporters as His Imperial Majesty Reza Shah II, though he does not use this style himself.[1]
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[edit] Biography
In 1978, Reza Pahlavi left Iran and moved to the United States to complete his higher education. He was trained as a jet fighter pilot at the Reese Air Force Base in Lubbock, Texas, and attended Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, before graduating with a degree in political science from the University of Southern California. He has not returned to Iran since the 1979 Iranian Revolution.
After the revolution, Reza Pahlavi lived in exile in Morocco and Egypt until 1984, when he settled in the United States.
In 2004, Reza Pahlavi was named as the "unofficial godfather"[2] 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.[3]
[edit] Family
He married Yasmine Etemad Amini on June 12, 1986 and currently lives in Potomac, Maryland, with their three daughters: Noor (born April 3, 1992), Iman (born September 12, 1993), and Farah (born January 17, 2004).
Pahlavi's siblings include Farahnaz Pahlavi (March 12, 1963), a brother Ali-Reza Pahlavi (April 28, 1966), as well as a half-sister, Shahnaz Pahlavi (October 27, 1940). His youngest sister, Leila, died of a drug overdose on June 10, 2001.
[edit] Monarchy
The Iranian monarchy was overthrown after the revolution of 1979 and replaced by an Islamic republic. Although the most prominent royals now live in exile, some Iranians still regard Pahlavi as the current Shah of Iran. After the death of his father, Mohammad Reza Shah, Pahlavi symbolically declared himself Shāhanshāh (Persian for Shah, meaning King of Kings) at the age of 21, but now his press releases refer to him as either "Reza Pahlavi" or "the former Crown Prince".
[edit] Offer to fight during the Iran–Iraq War
In 1980, at the start of the Iran–Iraq War, Pahlavi, a fighter pilot, wrote to General Velayatollah Felahie, 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.[4]
[edit] Politics
Extended imperial family
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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. 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.
Pahlavi has used media appearances to urge Iran's theocratic government to accept a referendum that used independently verifiable international standards and observation mechanisms.[5][6][7] 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,[8] believing that the people of Iran alone have the power to bring about change in their governmental system and society.
[edit] Human rights
On August 5, 2005, Pahlavi wrote to the Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, to criticize the decision "not to call for a Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran during the last meeting of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights."[9] In the letter, he wrote:
Many if not all the political prisoners in Iran are brutalized and held in solitary confinement in spite of the numerous specific recommendations of the United Nations to stop and put an end to such inhuman practices. Unfortunately the Islamic Republic of Iran has so far ignored these recommendations as well as all the urgent appeals made by international human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Despite the threats, human rights activists in Iran continue to fight for their freedom and human rights at the risk of imprisonment, torture, disappearance and death. I salute their courage and dedication.
[edit] Quotes
- Idealism and realism, behavior change and regime change do not require different policies but the same: empowering the Iranian people. [10]
[edit] Honors
- In 1967, he was awarded the Grand Collar of the Order of Pahlavi.[1]
- In 1970, he was awarded the Order of the Seraphim from King Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden.[1]
- In 1974, he was awarded the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy.[1]
- He was awarded the Royal Order of the Drum by King Kigeli V of Rwanda.[11][12]
[edit] Publications
- Reza Pahlavi, Winds of Change: The Future of Democracy in Iran, Regnery Publishing Inc., 2002, ISBN 0-89526-191-X.
- Reza Pahlavi, Gozashteh va Ayandeh, London: Kayham Publishing, 2000.[13]
[edit] Further reading
- Ahmad Ali Massoud Ansari, Me and the Pahlavis, 1992.
[edit] See also
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ a b c d e "www.4dw.nwet". http://www.4dw.net/royalark/Persia/pahlavi3.htm.
- ^ 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.
- ^ AFP report 6 September 2004
- ^ Middle East News
- ^ BBC Radio
- ^ Reza Pahlavi interview
- ^ Reza Pahlavi interview
- ^ Reza Pahlavi interview
- ^ Letter to Kofi Annan
- ^ Hudson Institute Briefing Series [1]
- ^[dead link] http://www.king-kigeli.com/monarchy.html
- ^[dead link] http://www.royalrwanda.com/Royal_Orders.html
- ^ Reza Pahlavi´s Web site
[edit] External links
- Reza Pahlavi's Website
- Pahlavi Dynasty's Website
- Reza Pahlavi interview with AFP
- Reza Pahlavi criticising the Islamic Republic in a speech in Georgetown University, 2000
- Reza Pahlavi the son of the shah of Iran on ideas for democracy
- A New Shah for Iran?
- Shah of Iran To Visit Georgetown guest speaker of Delta Phi Epsilon Fraternity
- Beware the errors of Tiananmen, son of Iran's late Shah warns
- Shah's son fasts for prisoners
- Reza Pahlavi of Iran Announces Hunger Strike in Support of Iranian Political Prisoners
- Reza Pahlavi’s Message On the Occasion of Persian New Year 2006
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Reza Pahlavi
Born: 31 October 1960 |
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| Titles in pretence | ||
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| Preceded by Mohammad Rez̤ā Pahlavī |
— TITULAR — Shah of Iran 27 July 1980 – present Reason for succession failure: Monarchy abolished in 1979 |
Incumbent Heir: Prince Ali-Rez̤ā Pahlavī II |
