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Iran Under the Shah
The International Herald Tribune ^ | January 06, 2006 | Her Majesty Farah Pahlavi

Posted on 01/06/2006 1:33:31 PM PST by F14 Pilot

Thomas Friedman's article, "A shah with a turban" (Views, Dec. 24), poignantly illustrated the rift between Iran's clerical dictatorship and the country's population, especially the youth. However, an inappropriate headline and cartoon by Kal undermined what was informative and valuable in his article.

The implication that the shah's reign bears any resemblance to the present regime is inaccurate. Under the late Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Iranians enjoyed incomparably better lives than what they have to endure today; moreover, the prospect for a stable Middle East appeared promising.

Jews and other religious minorities thrived and prospered under the shah, who promoted religious freedom and tolerance. During World War II, Iran assisted many Jews fleeing the Nazis by issuing them Iranian travel documents, a policy that was continued for Middle Eastern Jews expelled from their respective countries.

Farah Pahlavi, New York

(Excerpt) Read more at iht.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Israel; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: farahpahlavi; iran; islam; israel; jews; middleeast; nytimes; pahlavi; reza; theshah; thomasfriedman; us; wwii
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To: Steveone

Yep, the same terrorist defense council, he is the one. If Carter had never been elected President, Iran would have been a very different place. Carter essentially ousted the Shah under pressure from Europeans, those know nothings have never been right about anything, ever.

Now the confession ... I actually am forced to admit, I voted for the peenut. Reagan set me straight :^)


21 posted on 01/06/2006 2:09:36 PM PST by Tarpon
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To: F14 Pilot

And if I hear anymore about Mossadegh and his communist thugs on the one hand and his islamic fundamentalist thugs on the other who had forced the legal head of state, the Shah, to flee in the first place being overthrown by the CIA, I'll puke. It was almost 1979 in 1953.


22 posted on 01/06/2006 2:13:34 PM PST by UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide (Give Them Liberty Or Give Them Death! - IT'S ISLAM, STUPID! - Islam Delenda Est! - Rumble thee forth)
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To: F14 Pilot
It's hard now for people to picture the political environment in which the fall of the Shah took place. We were just out of Vietnam and the left was dancing all over the world about the inevitability of revolution. The Sovs were packing for Afghanistan. Pol Pot's holocaust was still being denied, and the Vietnamese army was packing for Cambodia. The entire weight of history looked to be coming down on the side of anyone attempting to disestablish the existing order, and yes, we can blame the French for playing kingmaker in offering Khomeini sanctuary and then unleashing him on Iran.

And so it was easy to paint the Shah as just another Establishment tyrant about to fall under the righteous Power of Da Pee-Pul, and so he was in the popular press just about everywhere. SAVAK didn't help him any either. The one thing people didn't figure - remember, this was the tail end of Peace And Love - the one thing nobody thought was that things could get worse. And one reason that religious fascists are still supported by the left is that they always were.

23 posted on 01/06/2006 2:28:09 PM PST by Billthedrill
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Comment #24 Removed by Moderator

To: Billthedrill

" ...it was easy to paint the Shah as just another Establishment tyrant..."

Friedman considers himself somewhat of an authority on the middle east. He should know better than to refer to Ahmadinejad as a "Shah with a Turbin". Besides the fact that Ahmadinejad isn't a cleric and doesn't wear a turbin. Good Grief! He couldn't have come up with a more ill-informed title for his piece.


25 posted on 01/06/2006 2:54:58 PM PST by nuconvert (No More Axis of Evil by Christmas ! TLR) [there's a lot of bad people in the pistachio business])
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To: F14 Pilot; All

Recalling the Shah of Iran-
various links | 8-18-02 | The Heavy Equipment Guy
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/735176/posts


26 posted on 01/06/2006 3:18:16 PM PST by backhoe (-30-)
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To: NY Dreamer

Ping


27 posted on 01/06/2006 3:37:39 PM PST by NY Attitude (You are responsible for your safety until the arrival of Law Enforcement Officers!)
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To: Tokra
Ah yes the SAVAK. I knew several Persians going to college in the mid 70s who were VERY afraid of SAVAK---and these folks did not exude a religious revoluionary aire...

I agree SAVAK played a roll in bringing down the Shah...

28 posted on 01/06/2006 3:59:00 PM PST by abigkahuna (Step on up folks and see the "Strange Thing"--only a thin dollar, babies free!)
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To: abigkahuna

Propaganda Against the Shah of Iran Revealed:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/961239/posts


29 posted on 01/06/2006 4:36:22 PM PST by Fred Nerks (Read THE LIFE OF MUHAMMAD free pdf download - link on My Page)
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To: Windsong
Even if there were to be another revolution, with democracy ousting tyranny, they'd STILL worship Mohammed instead of Christ, which sooner or later would end right back up to tyranny's doorstep yet again.

Problem is..you have to go through Christ in order to even GET to the Father (i.e. God), which Iranians are almost certainly NOT willing to do.


I suggest you get and read a copy of "The Hard Awakening" by bishop H. Dehqani-Tafti. You will have to order it interlibrary loan because it is out of print. Also go to this website for further information on Iranian Christians http://www.persecutedchurch.org/orgs/index.cfm?org_id=4
and this website with the latest on the spread of the Gospel in Iran
http://www.backtojerusalem.com/News%20from%20the%20Front%20Lines/Iran.htm
The church in Iran is a going concern despite persecution. The church in the United States has become complacent and lazy. Maybe it needs a wake-up call?
30 posted on 01/06/2006 5:14:48 PM PST by LibreOuMort ("...But as for me, give me liberty or give me death!" - Patrick Henry)
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To: dbostan
The Shah's services cleaned the streets with perfumed water every night.

LOL, that's probably the strangest social service I've ever heard of. Which part of Tehran? Halabi Abad? As I recall, the Shah cleaned the streets of Halabi Abad with a golden shower...

EXCERPT - SOURCE

The Shah's reflex was typical of all despots: Strike first and suppress, then think it over: What next? First display muscle, make a show of strength, and later perhaps demonstrate you also have a brain. Despotic authority attaches great importance to being considered strong, and much less to being admired for its wisdom. Besides, what does wisdom mean to a despot? It means skill in the use of power. The wise despot knows when and how to strike. This continual display of power is necessary because, at root, any dictatorship appeals to the lowest instincts of the governed: fear, aggressiveness toward one's neighbors, bootlicking. Terror most effectively excites such instincts, and fear of strength is the wellspring of terror.

31 posted on 01/06/2006 5:45:42 PM PST by humint
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To: Fred Nerks; Tokra
I have never met a socialist, a marxist or a member of the communist party (yes, we have all of these in Austalia also) who didn't say at some time or other, exactly what you just said...

If Hitler said "2+2=4", would you later imply that all teachers of arithmetic are Nazis? Your logic on this subject is putridly flawed. I recommend you think it through Fred... think it through...

32 posted on 01/06/2006 6:01:46 PM PST by humint
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To: Tarpon

LOL thank You!


33 posted on 01/06/2006 6:02:38 PM PST by Steveone (Liberalism is a brain tumor!)
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To: humint

Question of Numbers: Propaganda against Shah of Iran revealed
IranvaJahan ^ | 08/09/03 | Cyrus Kadivar

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/961239/posts


34 posted on 01/06/2006 6:28:49 PM PST by Fred Nerks (Read THE LIFE OF MUHAMMAD free pdf download - link on My Page)
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To: humint

Honoring the 23rd Anniversary of the 1979 Uprising.

Remembering the 31st Anniversary of the Seeiahkal Movement.

Dear people,

23 years has gone by from the glorious 1979 uprising. 31 years have past since the heroic and courageous movement of Seeiahkal. February 8th reminds us the day when the heroic and united uprising of the people of Iran toppled the 2500 years of monarchism. February 8th 1970 is considered the beginning of a new era for the new communist movement of Iran. The historical Seeiahkal movement began when the monarchist regime with the support and backing of the U.S. imperialism was in its highest point of authoritative power. In times when under the influence of the reformist left (i.e., Todeh Party) an atmosphere of disparity and hopelessness dominated the whole country, revolutionary outcry of the Organization of Iranian People's Fedaie Guerillas (OIPFG) from the jungles of Seeiahkal shined through and brought with it a new era of enlightenment. People's sufferings from the class exploitation and the continuous sacrifices of the OIPFG finally ignited the latent class-consciousness of the people. From there on groups with revolutionary ideas of arm struggle started to organize and flourish. The underground activities continued to spread into different sectors of the society. The 1979 uprising on February 11th, which toppled the monarchist regime of Iran, was supported and contributed by the struggles which started long before that...

http://www.iranian-fedaii.de/N-english-siahkal-2002.html


35 posted on 01/06/2006 6:43:28 PM PST by Fred Nerks (Read THE LIFE OF MUHAMMAD free pdf download - link on My Page)
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To: F14 Pilot

I'm very glad to see that she responded.
Thanks for the post and ping.


36 posted on 01/06/2006 8:13:24 PM PST by dixiechick2000
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To: Billthedrill

BTTT!


37 posted on 01/06/2006 8:17:35 PM PST by dixiechick2000
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To: Billthedrill

well put


38 posted on 01/06/2006 10:18:10 PM PST by F14 Pilot (Democracy is a process not a product)
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To: Fred Nerks

They were Marxist MEK and other leftist guerillas


39 posted on 01/06/2006 10:18:52 PM PST by F14 Pilot (Democracy is a process not a product)
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To: Tokra

WRONG!


40 posted on 01/06/2006 10:19:42 PM PST by F14 Pilot (Democracy is a process not a product)
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