A conversation with Farah Pahlavi of Iran

with Farah Pahlavi
in Current Affairs, Books
on Thursday, July 8, 2004 * * * * *

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A conversation between Charlie and Farah Pahlavi, the widow of the former shah of Iran, about Islamic fundamentalism, being a Muslim woman and politics in the Middle East.

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Keywords:
An Enduring Love
Islam
shah
reform
Farah Pahlavi
Iran
Ayatollah
secular democracy

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  • Comments 27
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    1. liyqff  05/23/2011 09:32 PM Report

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    2. LadyHope  11/03/2009 05:18 AM Report

      I think that there is what Farah WANTS and WHAT THE REALITY IS.

      I am pretty sure it was her I once met private and it seemed to me that she is a smart, good hearted woman with the sense of humour. To me, she truly wanted good for her country. But she is very idealistic and the ugly and dirty realities of politics do not meet with her expectations and with the polished image of Iran she was aiming to.

      Though Farah wanted to modernize her country, do not forget that whe was raised up in a catholic school and that her best friend probably remains teacher Sister Claire. Farah was thus very marked by the moral of religion and was told to act well. And she most probably did.

      This comforts me in the ideas that this woman truly wanted and still wants good for Iran. And probably hides some dark things in order that it corresponds to her perfectionist dream of her country. She doesn't do it for bad. She does it to comfort in her heart what she wanted her country to become : a well developed, positive, healthy and wealthy country. Like her.

      Unfortunately, due to things that did not depend on her, it turned to the advantage of destroyers.

      This resulted for her into a broken dream but she wants to hold onto that dream.

      Good luck, Farah Joon, you were a great empress to your country.

    3. Iraniwanttoholdu  03/24/2009 06:35 PM Report

      I like to know what is her thought on The 1953 Iranian Coup d’état was the Western covert operation that deposed the democratically-elected Government of Prime Minister Mohammed Mosaddeq. Also so called white revolution "Land Reforms Program and abolishing so called "Feudalism"!!! Iran never had such a system the Feudalism was the term used in England, this was part of Pahlavi's capitalist transformation forced from above. Iranian landlords were the most civilized families in Iran, shame on Pahlavi and his corrupted gangsters for fragmenting Iranian culture and Iran's agriculture. What is happening today in Iran does not make Pahlavi a good regime, Iranian were tired of bribery and embezzlement and their traditions fading away in the name of westernization. Iran is the land of Cyrus the great and the Shah Abbas it deserves better then The self proclaim Shah Pahlavi.

    4. Hamid  02/21/2009 04:20 AM Report

      Mr Mojtaba,

      how many students can you name who were tortured during the shah's regime ? can you name just a few ? even your Mr Rajavi was arrested and did he suffer any death ? or even torture ? huh ? or your Mr Kianoory ...did he got death as punishment ? i guess not and for you Mr Bahman ...if shah had not purchased those arms our behind would have been kicked badly by sadam and Iran would have been a part of Iraq joojoo .

      get real guys get real.

    5. AlexInFlorida  11/18/2008 11:31 PM Report

      So many people criticized both Farah and the Shah to the point of revolution and self sabotage. Results speak so loudly though. Peace, Prosperity, Growth, Development and Freedom are never easily forgotten are they.

      We all know today what the Iranian peoples government under the shah produced. In 1953 Irans economy was smaller than turkeys and by 1979 Irans economy was 7 times the size of turkeys. Unfortunately in 2008, today it is less than half of turkeys. How did Iranians self sabotage their success??

      What is so amazing is that the Iranian peoples government received under 200 billion dollars in today's money from OIL (if it were converted with interest into today's money) yet the mullahs have received over 3 trillion dollars in today's money from oil.

      While the Shahs team grew every dollar he received from oil by 12 times the mullahs have done worse than the opposite, they have made less than 10 cents for every dollar they have received from oil.

      It's strange that the Mullahs that benefited from over 3 trillion dollars which came from the shahs triumph over the US governments suppression of oil prices hold no celebrations in his name. It's even stranger that the mullahs are not labelled crooks, dictators or murderers by the same western media that villified the shah.

      So why did Iranians self sabotage their greatest leader in centuries??

      I wonder how many of those who unjustly labelled them as dictators, murderers or corrupt crooks realize that they were the root of the problem and not the other way around.

      The simplest explanation, ungrateful and unappreciative people are the only ones who can turn success on its head. Iran today is the result of being untruthful, of being liars. Lying will never get you very far in life even if it may seem to work in making one sale or succeeding to create a revolution, guess what, it can never be fruitful as a long terms strategy.

      You Farah are truly entitled to so much well earned respect as is your husband the shah.

    6. Observer  10/09/2008 10:33 PM Report

      For those who lived under the Shah and the current Islamic Republic, one basic fact remains infefinitely. That is, if they known what they know now, they rather had their legs broken than walked in streets during 1979, to avoid been counted as the crowd supporting the Revolution. None expected in their wildest nightmares to be ruled by clergies of stone-age! During 1970's Iran,the freedom and economics boom were in such an state of blooming that generated so many elites and thinkers demanding so-many unthinkables. They wanted what they had and much much more, reaching to the utopian positions of Great Persia. Sadly, not calculating that the WORST is waiting around the corner. We were standing in our offices when the crowd took to streets, some just for the excitements in front of camera and some just out of boredom! There were a few female students hiding inside. We enquired about what they are not joining the demonstration of day(1979)? They replied, if we do the next thing will face will be compulsory cover for us the women!! Probably they were the smartest. What a country Iran was forty years ago, and, what a country it is now!!Unbelievable! The current corruption, mass unemployment, hyperinlation, widespread drug addictions, spread of AIDS, .........make you consider the Iran you knew is a dead country. For every incompetent/ignorant clergy/man in office, there are thousands vultures inside/outside Iran. May god save the good people of the earth.

    7. Arash  07/31/2008 08:03 AM Report

      Supporters of Shah keep moaning and fault-finding about the current regime, But corrupt Pahlavi Dynasty ran the country like mafia family and plunged Iran into one of the darkest chapter in its history; they destroyed democracy and freedom and plundered the wealth Iranian nation. Shah was incompetent and the puppet of successive US administrations. The downfall of that Shah's dictatorship eventually paved the way for Mullah Dictatorship

      Farah should blame US corporations for killing democracy in Iran, with deposition of the great Premier Mossadegh by CIA coup in 1953 and made Shah into a dictator to serve their interests and after they finished with Shah the Americans threw Him out like a dead rat and ended the Monarchy for ever in Iran

    8. Carlos Bispo  04/04/2008 08:55 PM Report

      Averytime I see and listen to the Empress I see and listen to a courageous, dedicated and very strong woman. A real fighter that will win. And I hope that, as her words, the light will prevail over the darkness. God help her.

    9. St Michael Traveler  02/27/2008 05:18 PM Report

      Farah Pahlavi: Why did you not help Mohammad Reza Shah to create a democratic government, such as those in England? Where you also a victim of your own position living with a man who would not hear any other voices than the "yes Sir" subjects?

      The United States Central Intelligence Agency operation Ajax staged coup dâ??état in 1953 against democratically elected Prime Minister Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh. Democracy was substituted with the despotic regime of Mohammad Reza Shah. The dawn of democracy in Iran, started in late 1880, flickered by democratically elected Mossadegh, was extinguished. This was the beginning of Iranian servitude once more to the interests of England and the United States. During his last years, Shah did not trust Iranian people; his inner palace was guarded by Israel commandos. Since 1979, the United States has been punishing Iranian people for ousting the immature, weak, despotic Mohammad Reza Shah. This punishment, Iranian assert, included Iraq invasion of Iran instigated by President Regan. During this war, the United States and her satellite nations helped materially and logistically Iraqi military forces to invade Iran and use chemical and biological weapons on Iranian population.

      I feel sorry for Iranian people!

    10. SARA KALIMI  02/27/2008 01:09 PM Report

      As a female & Jewish I suffered so much from my teachers 'and from my backward double personality society The Shah & the queen tried

      very much to help women and change lots of rutten laws.The more they tried the more opposisions they got.The super powers act always

      toward leaders like the shah like a pimp.The more help the Shah received the more trouble he

      got from the super powers.I remember in 1975 the

      Shah was interviwed by CIA.The Shah;"said we're

      giving you the oil you are giving us grain.We

      can get grain from any place;'the Shah was told

      you have forgtten that we brought you back to power?The same way we can take you out.At that time I was absolutly shore that the end of our beloved Shah was coming.Long live Pahlavi.......

    11. MARY  02/24/2008 05:45 PM Report

      I AS A IRANINAN WOMEN I ADMIR HER , SHE IS A VERY OPEN MINDED AND EDUCATED PERSON . HOPE IN VERY NEAR FUTURE IRAN REGIME WILL CHANGE, SO WE CAN HAVE EDUCATED PEOPEL RUNING OUR COUNTERY . GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. WE LOVE YOU

    12. Leyla  02/24/2008 09:29 AM Report

      Although I was born 14 years after the revolution of 1979, I do know of how life was in Iran because of the stories from my family, as well as the history books of Iran. Iran is always in my heart, and I know that the constitutional monarchy was not very effective in the progress of the people of Iran. But everyday I hope that Iran will finally come back into the prosperity that we held. When Farah said that her son is ready to serve in any way that the people want him to, my respect for them grew very much. I hope for change, and soon, for our country.

    13. Bahman  02/20/2008 09:44 AM Report

      Shah rules Iran of 32 million people with big reserve of money but never gave poor people affordable housing, national health, income support, social justice.

      He bought arms, tanks, fighter jets instead.

      He was as evil as these mullahs. Non of these two regimes worked for people of Iran.

      The only man who worked for Iran was Mossadeg and Shah overthrew him with a military coup together with CIA and MI6.

      Please get the book "All the Shah's men" from Amazon. It is an eye opener.

      Jesus was so right when he said: Truth shall set you free.

      So Pahlavi family please tell the truth.

    14. Bahman  02/20/2008 09:38 AM Report

      In this interview the question was put to Farah that shah took billions of dollars out of the country? Farah said Shah was an honest man.

      But according to Mashroteh laws and Iranian consttution then shah should have had a salary just like the queen of England.

      So, please explain how he could make billions of $ if he did not steal from Iran?

      Corruption of present government does not justify the corruption of Shah.

      You see in order to progress there should be no corruption.

      We should tell the truth. Why we paint a picture of sanint from a man who made a lot of mistakes.

      You see, this is a cultural problem. We will not go forward if we don't admit mistakes and shortcoming.

      Mullahs are evil and I have no doubt about that.

      At the same time we should know that Shah was bad too. I am afraid Shah was a traitor to his country no matter how we look at it.

    15. Bahman  02/20/2008 09:23 AM Report

      Hi,

      Please be fair about the information you give out to people.

      I wonder how patriotic you got to be to sell out your own demcratic prime minister (Mossadegh) to CIA and MI6?

      All Mossadegh wanted to do was nationalise the oil for people of Iran. BP was taking all the oil and gave 2% of its value to Iran. Mossadegh wanted to abolish that but Shah wanted to keep it this way.

      A lot of our pain and this suffering is because of Shah's action against his own people.

      Why don't we admit that shah was a pupet and a bad ruler. May be once we admit that we can start building up our countries future without mullahs.

      Please read the best selling book:

      "All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror"

      It is a true eye opener.

    16. Anahid  02/17/2008 06:13 PM Report

      I don't know how much bad her husband did, all I know is that he did a lot of good for the country and as far as she is concerned, all she did was good. My Mom adored her.

    17. Satik Galoostian  02/13/2008 02:01 AM Report

      The religious minority have never-ever suffered

      under Pahlavi's regime. They always had the greatest life and respect during the whole regime. All the above negative comments against Shah and Farah and the regime are the bigges lies. We are very very grateful to them and to the good memories during their existance. She is the best among all the best women of the whole world. God Bless our dear Farah and the entire Pahlavi Family.

    18. Mary   02/09/2008 06:51 AM Report

      How could she forget all the misery and poverty and pain the Pahlavi gave to the people during his reign ? Surely if he was good enough he would not have been thrown out of the country.All she said was lie!!

    19. Pejman  02/06/2008 12:16 PM Report

      Queen Farah is in our heart for ever.

    20. SUSAN  02/05/2008 02:17 PM Report

      FARH PAHLALI AND THE LATE SHAH OF IRAN ARE DORED IN IRAN NOW, I HAVE VISITED IRAN AND ALOT OF YONG IRANIAN ASKING ME FOR HER WEBSITE OR ADDRESS ,I WISH IN THE FUTER INTERVIUES U GIVE THE VIOWER OVERSEAS HER WEB ADDRES , SHE IS A LADY AND LOVED BY ALL IRANIAN ,IN IRAN SPECIALY .

    21. Mojtaba  02/03/2008 02:19 AM Report

      I was shocked to hear what she said on human rights (how many students (just students not counting other honorable people) were killed under pahlavi regime !

      I was disgusted that her story did not tell even one truth about the extremely corrupt regime of Pahlavi family !

      Farah has forgotten (maybe on purpose) that pahlavi families were the roots of the problems, misery, and the mess that Iran is currently in. Here, she shamelessly delivered the same type of lies that pahlavis used to address when they were in power! SHAME !!

    22. Alireza   02/03/2008 02:19 AM Report

      Farah Pahlavi has conveniently forgotten that Pahlavi family were the root of the problem and the mess that Iran is currently in. In this interview, she delivered shamelessly the same type of lies that they used to deliver when they were in power.

    23. Helen Aghazadian  02/02/2008 04:03 AM Report

      I went to Jeanne D'Arc school with then Farah Diba. There was not one student, one teacher or friend that did not like her. She was one of the most loved, honest and caring girls in her surroundings. And as soon as she became Farah Pahlavi, the country became more educated, happy,sophisticated and prosperous. She has done a lot of good, she has suffered more than anybody and she is not a liar. I will always love and admire her strong personality for as long as I live. My greatest wish, now, is to be able to shake her hand once with all my love.

    24. Bijan Yazdani  02/01/2008 04:09 PM Report

      I was so surprised to hear what she said on human rights but not a single mention about the religious minority in Iran who were suffering under Shah's regime and still continue to suffer. I think she is from same group of the people as the regime in Iran that have not tolerance for non Muslims. Therrfore; she or son are are not a hope for Great Iran, we need leaders who care for every sigle Iranian and not their individual agenda.

    25. Seyd Ali Gea  01/24/2008 07:18 PM Report

      She is our mother! She is our sister! She is love! God bless M. R. Pahlavi and Reza Khan Pahlavi!

    26. Zohreh Whitaker  01/22/2008 03:05 PM Report

      Farah Pahlavi was most gracious, and unexpectedly articulate. However, her "story" does not really tell the truth about the corrupt regime of her husbund and his family. The book will sell some, but it is hardly a history of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi's reign. Too fluffy for me!

    27. Mitra  01/01/2008 10:02 PM Report

      Farah Pahlavi is one of the most admiring people in the world. It was a great conversation with her and Charlie Rose. Which of course he's the best. I personally adore him. I certainly enjoyed the program as I always do.