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Reza Pahlavi(From Wikipedia) |
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| Pretender Reza Pahlavi |
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| Born | October 31, 1960 (1960-10-31) (age 47) Tehran, Iran |
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| Title(s) | Reza, Shah of Iran (according to supporters) Crown Prince of Iran |
| Throne(s) claimed | Iran |
| Pretend from | July 20, 1980 – current |
| Monarchy abolished | |
| Last monarch | HIM Mohammad, Shah of Iran |
| Connection with | Son |
| Royal House | House of Pahlavi |
| Father | HIM Mohammad, Shah of Iran |
| Mother | Empress Farah Pahlavi |
| Spouse | Yasmine Pahlavi |
| Children | Princess Noor Princess Iman Princess Farah |
Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of Iran (Persian: رضا پهلوی, born October 31, 1960) is the eldest son of the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and his Empress Consort, Farah Diba.
He succeeded his father as Head of the House of the Pahlavi dynasty[1] and is currently the successor to the former Pahlavi throne of Iran. As such he is referred to by supporters as His Imperial Majesty Reza Shah II, though he does not use this style himself.[1]
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In 1978, Pahlavi moved to the United States to complete his higher education. He was trained as a jet fighter pilot at Reese Air Force Base in Lubbock, Texas, and attended Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, before graduating with a degree in political science from the University of Southern California. He has not returned to Iran since the 1979 Iranian Revolution.
After the revolution, Reza Pahlavi lived in exile in Morocco and Egypt until 1984, when he settled in the United States.
In 2004, Reza Pahlavi was named as the "unofficial godfather"[2] of Princess Louise of Belgium the eighth granddaughter of King Albert II of Belgium. The decision to choose him was criticized by the Foreign Ministry of the Islamic Republic.[3]
He lives in Potomac, Maryland, with his wife, the former Yasmine Etemad Amini, and their three daughters: Noor (born April 3, 1992), Iman (born September 12, 1993), and Farah (born January 17, 2004).
Pahlavi's siblings include Farahnaz Pahlavi (March 12, 1963), a brother Ali-Reza Pahlavi (April 28, 1966), as well as a half-sister, Shahnaz Pahlavi (October 27, 1940). His youngest sister, Leila, died of a drug overdose in 2001, as the result of long depression.
The Iranian monarchy was overthrown after the revolution of 1979 and replaced by an Islamic republic. Although the most prominent royals now live in exile, some Iranians still regard Pahlavi as the current Shah of Iran. After the death of his father, Mohammad Reza Shah, Pahlavi symbolically declared himself Shahanshah at the age of 21, but now his press releases refer to him as either "Reza Pahlavi" or "the former Crown Prince".
In 1980, at the start of the Iran–Iraq War, Pahlavi, a fighter pilot, wrote to General Velayatollah Felahie, Chief Commander of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic, offering to fight in the air force for Iran in the war. The offer was rebuffed.[4]
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Reza Pahlavi has used his high profile status as an Iranian abroad to campaign politically for human rights, democracy, and unity among Iranians in Iran and outside it. On his website he calls for a separation of religion and state in Iran and for free and fair elections "for all freedom-loving individuals and political ideologies". He exhorts all groups dedicated to a democratic agenda to work together for a democratic and secular Iranian government.
Pahlavi has used media appearances to urge Iran's theocratic government to accept a referendum that used independently verifiable international standards and observation mechanisms.[5][6][7] He has also urged Iranians to engage in a campaign of non-violent civil disobedience, starting with non-participation in elections of the Islamic republic (elections he views as "undemocratic"), followed by peaceful demonstrations and strikes. He is, however, an outspoken opponent of any foreign military intervention for regime change in Iran,[8] believing that the people of Iran alone have the power to bring about change in their governmental system and society.
On August 5, 2005, Pahlavi wrote to the Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, to criticise the decision "not to call for a Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran during the last meeting of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights."[9] In the letter, he wrote:
Many if not all the political prisoners in Iran are brutalized and held in solitary confinement in spite of the numerous specific recommendations of the United Nations to stop and put an end to such inhuman practices. Unfortunately the Islamic Republic of Iran has so far ignored these recommendations as well as all the urgent appeals made by international human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Despite the threats, human rights activists in Iran continue to fight for their freedom and human rights at the risk of imprisonment, torture, disappearance and death. I salute their courage and dedication.
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Reza Pahlavi
Born: 31 October 1960 |
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| Titles in pretence | ||
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| Preceded by Mohammad Rez̤ā Pahlavī |
— TITULAR — Shah of Iran 27 July 1980 – present Reason for succession failure: Monarchy abolished in 1979 |
Incumbent Designated heir: Prince Ali-Rez̤ā Pahlavī II |
