Prince Reza Pahlavi: We the people of Iran want our country returned to us
Prince Reza Pahlavi wrote in a note in the American newspaper The Wall Street Journal, stating that the Iranian people have a message: "We want our country returned to us."
He goes on to write about the killing of Reza Otadi, a protester from Gohardasht, Karaj, referring to the new wave of anti-government protests that have recently been witnessed in various cities in Iran.
The son of Iran's last king says in this article, which was published on the Wall Street Journal website on Wednesday, that Otadi had only one message on his Twitter account, and that was regime change in Iran.
In his opinion, this single tweet by Reza Otadi – who was reportedly shot dead by regime agents on August 3rd – shows that he understood and expressed the feelings of a nation.
Prince Reza Pahlavi, stating that the recent demonstrations are the latest chapter in a nearly forty-year struggle, says that the Iranian people are not only complaining about the country's precarious economic situation.
According to him, the people's protest goes far beyond and deeper than a specific economic or social problem, and they are dissatisfied with social, political, and economic injustices in the Islamic Republic.
Prince Reza Pahlavi says that the public protests in Iran target the ideology and structure of the Islamic system as the source of the "disease," and not the complications and problems caused by it.
"My compatriots are seeking the end of the Islamic Republic, not just because of its totalitarianism, tyranny, and inefficiency; but because it is not only un-Iranian, but also anti-Iranian."
He goes on to say that Iranians are chanting slogans on the streets and on social media, "We will take Iran back, even if we have to die in the process."
The heir to the Iranian monarchy, which ended in 2018, says, "Iranians want freedom, justice, and opportunity, but at the same time they want the dignity and pride of their country to be preserved and respected."
According to Prince Reza Pahlavi, the people of Iran want the rich culture of their country and the services that the ancient civilization of this land has made to humanity to be recognized and respected in the world.
"They want other countries to see Iran as a friend and a reliable partner, whose people are in charge and leading the country into a new chapter in history."
Continuing his note, he notes that the Islamic Republic is ruling out of fear of the people, and writes that the regime has responded to recent protests with violence, as it has in the past.
Reza Pahlavi says, "For decades, I have called for the establishment of a secular democracy in Iran, and I have repeatedly said that the way to achieve this goal is to recognize two "fundamental truths": first, that the Islamic Republic is an existential threat to Iran and its people, and second, that the Islamic Republic's system is not reformable."
Source: Voice of America
