Empress Farah’s Reflections on the Centennial of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi’s Birth
Empress Farah Pahlavi’s reflections on the occasion of the centennial birthday of the late Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi constitute a four-page written piece that was published today, November 4, 1398 (October 26, 2019), along with its audio recording on the website of Iran’s former queen.Empress Farah emphasizes in this text, whose first two pages are devoted to recalling the period of acquaintance, marriage, and married life as well as Iran’s circumstances, particularly the matters that the late king said must undergo major changes in society, and for which he proposed the White Revolution. Despite the people’s positive response, some attempted to prevent it through rebellion and turmoil, although he had in mind remarkable progress for women and land ownership for farmers and workers.
In the following two pages of this text, which are mostly devoted to the achievements of the period following the implementation of the White Revolution, particularly the activities resulting from the establishment of the Literacy Corps, development, housing, and health, the Empress, emphasizing that Iran was advancing, the people were working, and there was hope for the future, speaks of the victories following the actual nationalization of oil.
The Empress recalls in another section the day of the inauguration of the massive Isfahan Steel Complex, when the late king said he had finally been able, despite all the constant sabotage by foreigners, to fulfill his father’s long-held dream.
Empress Farah, who at the beginning of this text addressed the late king of Iran with the word “Shahanshah” (King of Kings), recounts in subsequent sections a period when Iran had established friendly and peace-seeking relations with almost all countries of the world and neighbors, and every Iranian, regardless of religion, ethnicity, or region, was Iranian and should have equal respect in society.
The final section of the text is devoted to the period after leaving the homeland and the rise of the Islamic Republic government in Iran.
Empress Farah says approximately forty years have passed since that day. Many of those who lied and found fault now realize what disasters their assistance in causing upheaval has brought upon the Iranian nation and even the countries surrounding Iran. Iranians, and even those who were born after 1357, have rightly understood what remarkable progress was achieved during your reign.
At the end, Empress Farah, referring to slogans that have been chanted for some time during popular protests against poverty, destitution, unemployment, and rampant inflation in Iran, and speaking kindly of the late king, says it is not without reason that now in Iran the phrase “May God have mercy” is used to refer to you.
