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Title: Focus on human rights in order to change course of Iran, says Pahlavi
Date Entered: 2009-05-08 
Details: Son of the former Shah of Iran discusses U.S. Iran relations in public talk at UCI  
 
"A university where one can study in peace and freedom may seem common place, but it is not so for many thousands of students in my homeland," said Reza Pahlavi, son of the former Shah of Iran at Wednesday's public UCI lecture. Invited on behalf of the Center for the Study of Democracy, Department of Political Science and Middle East Studies Student Initiative (MESSI), the lecture was Pahlavi's second time speaking at UCI.  
 
He called upon Western governments as well as Iranians living abroad to focus on the cause of human rights in Iran as a way of bringing domestic pressure on the current Iranian government.  
 
He shared with the packed audience his perspective on the future of Iran U.S. relations, beginning by calling Iran's government a "combination of religious fanaticism and political despotism" and speaking out against the country's defiance of the United Nations Security Council in continuing to pursue nuclear aspirations.  
 
"What kind of government that sits on some of the world's largest oil and gas reserves would subject its own citizens to undue sanctions and potential war through a lack of transparency if its only real intent was to pursue a peaceful nuclear program for electricity?" he asked.  
 
Moving on to the main focus of his talk, he expressed doubt in the emergence of any breakthroughs in relations between the U.S. and Iran, citing failed past efforts of U.S.-led policy tools including containment, appeasement and threat of force.  
 
"It is quite possible, however, that the Islamic leadership will respond to a call for engagement in order to gain the moral legitimacy it lacks by becoming a dialogue partner to the U.S. President," he said, adding that if such talks were to take place, they would likely be approached by Iran with an unwillingness to compromise on key issues critical to the U.S. and its allies.  
 
"While I applaud President Obama for his courage and initiative in wanting to advance a new agenda, I'm not sure about the wisdom of putting a suffering people on the same footing as an oppressive government."  
 
There are, however, many in Iran who yearn for change, he said, listing female activists, younger generations, academics, writers and artists, minorities and others as part of a large group struggling to incite change. In closing, he asked those in attendance for their support in these efforts.  
UC Irvine Center for the Study of Democracy