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Radio france's Interview With Shahbanoo Farah Pahlavi

 
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Khorshid



Joined: 28 Aug 2003
Posts: 459

PostPosted: Thu Nov 20, 2003 4:42 am    Post subject: Radio france's Interview With Shahbanoo Farah Pahlavi Reply with quote






By Putting the Crown on My Head, The King in Truth Crowned All Iranian Women


--Continuing the struggle against those in control of Iran is my historic duty and I would continue this struggle even if we were only four people.

--After coming to power, the Islamic regime could not take back Iranian women’s accomplishments, such as their right to vote or to run for office.

--The late Shah of Iran would say: Undoubtedly my son will reign in a manner different than I.

--The foreigners and those Iranians who opposed the previous Iranian government, who so vehemently decried the absence of freedom and human rights at that time, where are they to be found these 25 years?


On Saturday, November 8, 2003 Radio France conducted an interview with Shahbanoo Farah Pahlavi. This interview, which for reasons of safety took place in the apartment of one of Shahbanoo’s friends in Paris, was conducted on the occasion of the publication of her memoirs. The interview was preceded with questions addressed to Shahzadeh Reza Pahlavi.

Radio France (RF): In your opinion, is the publication of your mother’s memoirs a political move, a political effort?

Reza Pahlavi: I think that the publication of this book will be of great importance to the generation of young Iranians who lack an accurate knowledge of Iran during my father’s reign. The book shows the direction in which the country was moving; Iran’s situation during that period is left to the judgment of the reader herself. In particular it compares the condition of Iranian women during that period with their condition in the post-revolutionary period, therefore highlighting the differences between the two. It shows the social and political opportunities that the women of Iran possessed during that period, especially in comparison with the women of neighboring states. For example, we learn that Iranian women had the rights to participate in elections, to vote and to run for office before those rights were granted to women in Switzerland.

RF: How would you describe your mother in a few words?

Reza Pahlavi: My mother played a very important role in defending the cause of rights for Iranian women in on a number of different issues. In this role my mother, always mindful and respectful of Iranian customs and traditions, became the flag bearer of the modern Iranian woman. I will say in a sentence that during the years in which she bore much pain and suffering, she commendably and honorably maintained her dignified human and Iranian quality. I don’t say this because she is my mother, but because I’m telling the truth.


Shahbanoo Farah Pahlavi:

“I began composing this book two, three years ago. I owed it as an obligation to my compatriots, to my husband and to Iran’s young generation. Furthermore, the occurrences and events that have taken place these past years made the writing of this book necessary.”

Shahbanoo Farah Pahlavi then spoke of her first encounter with the late Shah and of her marriage.

Farah Pahlavi: After two years of residence in France, during which time I was studying architecture, I came face to face with the Shah, for the first time, along with other Iranian students studying in Paris, and it was in Tehran where we met for the second time. On that occasion I had gone to Tehran for my summer vacation and to apply for a student scholarship. At that time the husband of Princess Shahnaz was in charge of student affairs studying abroad. It was he who invited me to his house where I was introduced to the King of Iran. I was naturally much affected by the acquaintance, and remember that my heart was beating very fast. From this second meeting to the day when I accepted his hand in marriage events went by very quickly. But during these months I of course had a number of meetings and conversations with him. I remember well that after asking for my hand he said to me, ‘As the Empress of Iran, you will be bound to important obligations to your country and compatriots.’

At this point Radio France’s female interviewer made the following observation:

On October 28, 1967 you were crowned as the Queen (Shahbanoo) of Iran. In your book, as you make reference to the event, you write: “By giving me the title of Shahbanoo and by putting the crown on my head, the late Shah in truth crowned all Iranian women and elevated their position, thus returning them to a position which they rightly deserved.”

Farah Pahlavi: This was the case. The coronation had a symbolic nature. Beyond this coronation I could see the recovery of the honor and prestige of the women of Iran and the elevation of their status as individuals.

RF: In your book you point out that you were doubly mindful of the status of the Iranian woman and the social condition of the women of Iran, and that as a woman and a mother, you often advised the government on issues that concerned the liberties and prestige of Iranian women. Could you elaborate further and tell us about the White Revolution and the granting of rights to the women of Iran? So far as I know, the granting of civic rights and liberties was begun with your husband’s father, who made the “Hijab” illegal.

Farah Pahlavi: Before 1963 women were free to wear or not to wear the “Hijab.” In villages women would go about their daily lives with beautiful colorful dresses. Neither its observation nor its rejection was imposed. From 1963, the year when the White Revolution was announced, the women of Iran were empowered with the right to vote, the right to run for office and other civic freedoms, resulting in women’s activism in social, political and administrative arenas. The circumstances surrounding Iranian women changed. New laws were compiled and sanctioned by the state. A secretary of women’s affairs was elected. Polygamy became illegal. Of course, a few exceptions remained, such as having a second spouse under the condition that the first spouse was unable to bear a child, and this, naturally, with the full consent of the first spouse. I will emphasize: Polygamy became illegal. It was in the villages where we met exceptions.

On the other hand, I will add, the Iranian woman gained the right to divorce. The matter of the guardianship of children was adjusted to benefit the mother. It was only after the White Revolution that women were able to advance in social, political and administrative fields, reaching high positions as attorneys, ministers, ambassadors, judges, etc. Through unyielding struggle in these fields, the women of Iran demonstrated during these years that they can work more and better than men, and were paid salaries equal to those paid to men.

RF: Whereas to this date this is not the case in Europe, where the earnings of men is more than women in identical occupations.

The Shahbanoo then spoke on the subject of abortion, stating:

“Many female experts worked on the issue, even going so far as to obtain a “Fatwa” from some Mullah. You are aware that village women, because of very difficult work, were unable to have many children. As a consequence new laws were compiled. Women, even those with no husbands, were able, with the consent of a medical doctor, to have an abortion some weeks after pregnancy.”

On the subject of the war on illiteracy, the Shahbanoo praised the wide-reaching efforts made by Sepahe Danesh (The Learning Army). She emphasized that in 1978, at the beginning of the Islamic revolution, due to the nationwide efforts in the area of education, one-third of Iran’s university students were females. After coming to power, the new government could not take back the gains made by Iranian women prior to its establishment. The rights of women to vote and to be elected remained, despite numerous efforts by the officials to discard them.

RF: After you left Iran the revolutionaries hurled much criticism against you: The revenue from oil during the reign of your husband was stolen or wasted; liberties were suppressed. In plain language they qualified your government as a dictatorship. Now that 25 years have passed since the revolution, how would you respond to these complaints?

Farah Pahlavi: Yes, they did and perhaps still do criticize. We must see, now that those who opposed us are in control of Iran, what they have done for Her people. One must compare. We must see what they have done to benefit the people of Iran with the oil revenues in this period of 25 years. Let us see and compare the condition of Iran before and after the revolution.

If the Shah acted decisively and vigorously it was because he wished to quickly move the country forward. Numerous times the King stated that ‘My son will unquestionably reign in a different manner than I.’ Here I would like to ask, concerning all those who criticized the Iranian government, whether foreigners or Iranians, who were so concerned with the “absence” of freedom in Iran, who spoke of the suppression of human rights, who criticized the condition of women during that period, who spoke of corruption in the Iranian government: Where are they now? Where have they gone? Why have they not said a word? Where have they been these 25 years? Why are they silent?

Today I live in exile; I do not look towards the past. Iranians better than anyone else can compare, make judgments and to come to their own conclusions. I do not think of myself; I think of Iran and my dear compatriots. Iranians, better than anyone else, can pass judgments on the condition of their country before and after the Islamic revolution. Where are the critics now? The matter of freedom for Iranians is not one that concerns only Iran. It concerns all her neighbors and can have an effect on peace around the world.

RF: 25 years ago you left Iran under very difficult circumstances. Has life in exile been difficult for you during this long period?

Farah Pahlavi: Without a doubt these have been very very difficult years for my children and me. Life, often far from my children, the illness of my husband…it was a terrifying life. When I left my country I told myself, “after all the work and self-sacrifice this is how things have turned out. From now on we’ll do no more.” But this idea soon left my mind. After the death of my husband I came to the conclusion that it is now my historic duty to continue the struggle. Even if we are only four people, we must continue our struggle.

RF: Do you possess any political power?

Farah Pahlavi: No, I do not have any political power, but this very opportunity kindly extended to me to speak with you is a form of power which I will use to defend the rights of my compatriots. In any case, it is the opinion of many of my countrymen that I am the symbol of a power which they trust and believe in.


----------------------

From a translation in Parsi on Keyhan-e landan's website.
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Spenta



Joined: 04 Sep 2003
Posts: 1829

PostPosted: Sun Nov 23, 2003 1:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The foreigners and those Iranians who opposed the previous Iranian government, who so vehemently decried the absence of freedom and human rights at that time, where are they to be found these 25 years?

Indeed, where are they now?[/b]
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