Axis of Evil: Iran's Bleak Future

HRM Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, Shahanshah Aryamehr, Emperor of Iran.

Iran, known as Persia until 1936, was once very different from what it is today. Ruled by the Qajar Dynasty until early in this century, when, after a brief period of turmoil, Reza Khan Pahlavi, the head of the Army, due to these chaotic circumstances, took over Tehran with a small army and etablished himself as Shah, in 1921. The new Shah then proceeded to make vast reforms to modernize the nation, much along what Kemal Attaturk did in Turkey during the same period. Thus Iran entered the modern era, with a professional army, bureaucracy, and a new sense of nationalism. The masses were happy with his enlightened rule. The Shah basically created instituions from scratch, and led the nation to prosperity. A Navy was created, more schools, more universities, and society was made to secularize, much like in Turkey -women were prohibited from covering their heads, and people were enouraged to dress in western ways. Different religious minorities were respected, and the country was on the road to development. Although Iran had declared neutrality in 1939, the WWII allied powers, saught the transit use of Iranian territory and its north-south railway link to transport supplies and reinforcements to aid the Russians against Nazi Germany. Upon the refusal of Reza Shah Pahlavi, and after a short ultimatum, on August 25, 1941 the British and Russian forces (British from the south and Russians from the north) entered Iranian territory. The Allied occupation of Tehran, resulted in a forced resignation of Reza Shah on behalf of the young crown prince, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

The Shah of Iran and General Fazlollah Zahedi during the 1950's.

The young Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi during the decade of 1940's (and early 1950's) brought an era of political tolerance and freedom, resulting in the birth of numerous political parties (including communist movements) and Western style politicians. The significant developments of this era were the nationalization of petrolium rights and dismantling of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (March of 1951) and the rise to power and prominance of the populist and irresponsible national assembly (Majlis) member, Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh. Mossadegh was clearly pro-communist and a dangerous populist who had spearheaed the parliementary movement to nationalize Iranian oil rights. In April of 1951, and under pressure from the majority in Majlis, the Shah appointed Dr. Mossadegh as the Prime Minister of Iran. In July of 1953, after a two-year power struggle with Mossadegh and a constant debate over the limits of his constitutional powers, and after a failed attempt to remove Dr. Mossadegh by force, the Shah had to leave the country for his safety. This soon turned out to be a mistake, as this "rebel" prime minister was just interested in using and abusing power, and tried to rule without the authority of the Shah, a small coup d'etat. His Majesty the Shah however, came back in full glory when his armed forces together with some american help kicked out the traitor Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh, and the Shah was restored in his throne. The Russians posed a problem in the north since they were trying to influence Iranian sectors of society to support the communists, and who supported the north with its ethnic majority to be under Soviet rule. This would dismember the Iranian state. Luckily, because the U.S was opposed to marxist influence, quickly disuaded the Soviet Union, as well as the energetic diplomacy of the Shah.

Soon Iran was a prominent member of the oil cartel organization OPEC, which brought huge ebenfits, and since money was used responsibly by the conservative government led by the Shah, Iran reaped huge benefits. Iran was able to expand its economy, start an Iranian automobile venture, expand its industrialization, and modernize the economy. The Iranians were well off then, comparable to living standards of Europe. The Shah made Iran a great military power in the region, in the context of it's regional alliance with NATO (and United Sates in particular) along with the astronomical increase in the oil revenues through 1970's, turned Iran into a prosperous and super rich country. Back in 1973, "The Economist" published an article that said on its cover "Iran the next Japan of the Middle East?" - Many analysts believed that Iran being the richest state in the middle east would surpass that of Japan. Iran grew 7-8% a year from 1965-1973. Iranian women increasingly entered the labor force in different areas of the expanding economy. Iran was bustling with economic activity and foreign investment.

HRM, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi , during a jubilee of his coronation.

While Shah's aggressive social and economical reform program called "White Revolution" (announced in January of 1963) gave rise to a prosperous and well-educated urban middle-class in Iran of the 1970's, it also put him in a collision course with Iran traditional power bases of Bazaar (wholesale merchant class) and the Shiite Clergy. The ultra conservative and backwards clergy, members of the old guard, saw Shah's modernization agenda a beginning of the end for Iran's traditional Islamic family values, fearing an ultra secular future similar to that of Turkey. Additionally, Shah's farm and labor reform policies resulted in the displacement of a large rural population into the large cities, thus changing Iranian society. As the religious and communist opposition against Shah's policies grew, so did his means of restoring law and order, making his secret police organization named "SAVAK" one of the most feared and sophisticated in the world. It is unfortunate that after so much succes for the Iranian people, many youngsters of the crazy 70's wanted to change the regime, preferably for something more liberal and "democratic". The treacherous Jimmy Carter did little to help a main US ally in the region, by criticizing Iran's human rights records. This is a joke compared to the massive human rights abuses Iranians face every day, year after year, from a crazy religious fundamentalist government (which is not much criticized today, unfortunately).

Thus, like all revolutions, the so called bearded barbarian known as the "ayatollah khomeini" led an insurgency from jail, his supporters allied themselves with the liberals, communists and other groups. The Shah was deposed in 1979, when he had to go into exile for the survival of the monarchy. No country would give him assylum, not even his long time ally the U.S, because the president was led by the incompetent liberal Jimmy Carter. The Shah died from cancer in 1980 in Panama City, Panama. His family then went on to live in New Jersey. Thus, after the Shah was deposed in 1979, the "ayatollah" became the man in charge in Iran. This was the end of a millenarian tradition of kings and Shahs, as well as the Kingdom of Iran led by the Pahlavi dynasty. The "ayatollah" and his nutcase followers founded the evil "Islamic Republic" that we know today. This meant the end of a secular press, a secular way of life, and the end of modern, civilized life. Iran regressed to the middle ages (even worse), since everything was rule mandated by decree, invoking the name of "Allah" (God). All women were forced to wear a shawl on their heads and observe Islamic customs in dressing and in public behavior. Thus, these ayatollahs made a travesty of Islam by invoking religion on all the atrocities they carried out against their country. The communists, duped as always by their leaders, found out to their dismay that the Iranian revolution was not a worker's revolution. Likewise, the liberals figured out pretty quick that there would be no elections whatsoever in the "new" Iran. Iran became a pariah in the world, a country submerged in backwardness, where foreign investment soon left, hunger and poverty set it, and mediocrity stayed. Soon the state oil company had no acces to spare parts, the same model cars are made by the local Iranian car manufacturer that were made in 1979, nothing is exported, and a rabid anti-american government is wreaking havoc on the Iranian people. Thousands were killed, exiled since that bloody, and god-less revolution. Anyone is suspected of being a "spy", and no one dares to criticize the government. The worst humiliation for the U.S was when the radical students took over the U.S embassy in Tehran for 500 days. Jimmy Carter didn't have the guts to go and rescue them, and this incident was one of the reasons why this clown lost face and was never re-elected.

The Last Shah of Iran, an honorable and dignified statesman, who was massacred due to U.S. President Jimmy Carter's disloyalty to an old ally because of "human rights".

Today Iran is a disaster compared to the early 70's, one of the "failed states", and categorized as a "rogue state", or worse yet, under the Bush administration, as a nation belonging to the "axis of evil". Iran crushes its ethnic and religious minorities, and became embroiled in a thoughtless war with Iraq during the 1980's. Its isolationist policy is doing awful things for the state of Iran's industries and hurting its people. Iran is also an exporter of revolution, helping finance dangerous extremists like the Islamic Jihad, and religious groups in Afghanistan. Today it is trying to gain influence in Afghanistan, in order to set up a religious "Islamic Republic" modelled after Iran. The Bush administration should open its eyes, and take action. These clowns have been in power for 20 yrs. defying the Iranian people and defying the U.S. We are not necessarily pro-American or in favor of american intervention, but this case requires it, since no other nation has the resources or will to do so. Now the so called "reformists" led by Mohammad Khatami are invited to europe and getting closer to the U.S. The west, ignorant of the facts, welcome him as a "democrat" and a relief. The truth is that Khatami is a member of the same murderous religious establishment, and will not change the system, just reform it. This is the same with what happened in 1989 when Gorbachev was travelling the west, and he was popular in the west, but hated back home by ordinary Russians who knew that he was a member of the hated communist order. It is time the U.S and the civilized world help Iran by helping the monarchist opposition exiled in Europe and the U.S allied with the liberal Iranian opposition to thus kick out the barbaric "ayatollahs" and impose law and order like the days of old when the Shah's enlightened reign set the pace. It is time the Shah's son, and Crown Prince returned from his exile to reclaim the throne and lead Iran to the 21st century. Long live the Shah!!

Article by,
Cristian Subiabre