Head of ‘Foundation for the Oppressed’ Criticizes Citizens’ Discourse on Pahlavi Era
The head of the ‘Foundation for the Oppressed’ on Wednesday, February 9, sharply criticized the prevailing discourse in cyberspace regarding the Pahlavi era government, focusing on criticism of Iran’s economic situation during Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi’s reign.
According to Mehr news agency, Parviz Fatah, speaking at an event related to confiscated properties from before the 1979 revolution, stated that “unfortunately today some people, exploiting economic difficulties, are trying to rehabilitate the image of the Pahlavi family in cyberspace.”
Regarding documents confiscated by his foundation, he said that “we have the identity documents of Farah, the Shah and the Crown Prince” and subsequently raised the question: “How was the situation of the Iranian people at that time, when the population was only 25 million and oil sales conditions were very good and there were no sanctions whatsoever?”
Parviz Fatah then sharply criticized the economic situation of the Iranian people during the pre-Islamic Republic era. These criticisms come at a time when, according to Islamic Republic officials themselves, all of Iran’s economic indicators are in dire condition and the number of citizens below the poverty line and marginalized communities show an increasing trend in these statistics.
Criticism of the type of citizens’ discourse about the Pahlavi era has increased among Islamic Republic officials in recent weeks, and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, in his Tuesday speech, attacking media outlets he called “hostile,” stated that the content these media outlets publish about the Pahlavi government is not negative and strongly criticized this.
Ramadan Sharif, spokesman for the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, also stated on December 28 that 50 million Iranians have “no information” about the clergy’s activities against the Pahlavi government and “due to lack of awareness,” some believe films related to the Pahlavi period.
He called these films “edited and distorted” and said they are broadcast “to make people believe that the Iranian revolution was a mistake.”
The IRGC spokesman made similar remarks in November 2019, saying that 40 million Iranians “have not experienced or witnessed” the Pahlavi era and the Islamic Republic has failed to raise awareness about the Pahlavi government, leaving the younger generation in Iran “doubtful.”
The expression of Islamic Republic officials’ concerns intensified after protesters raised slogans supporting the Pahlavi era during street protests in 2017 and 2019 in Iran.
Source: Radio Farda
