We begin tonight’s edition of A Window to the Fatherland with Dr. Alireza Nourizadeh reading one of his poems from the book of his collected works.
Dr. Alireza Nourizadeh:
We continue the program with talking to our special guest Dr Kazem Kardavani by asking him why a movement that was after freedom and progress ended up in such a blood-thirsty dictatorship that has destroyed Iran?
Kazem Kardavani:
To start with we must not give up hope. The regime in Iran is trying to make us all become passive about the future of our country and its people to continue with its despotic rule.
Iranians have been after achieving democracy for the last 100 years continuously and have made great sacrifices in that respect.
Many people have lost their lives in that path and we must not give up hope and should continue their struggle.
I do not mean to ignore the many positive services that Reza Shah did to Iran but in the field of democracy he does not any positive record.
Dr. Alireza Nourizadeh:
But 90 years ago and given the dire economic and social conditions of Iran what was the priority for anyone who ruled it? Was it democracy or security and nation building?
Iran was on the verge of partition when Reza Shah came to power and saved it. We must not judge those days events with today’s values.
Kazem Kardavani:
You are right. We did have many great intellectuals during Reza Shah’s rule who built the new and modern Iran and they all supported him.
They only focused on building the nation and were not concerned about democracy. The current despotism in Iran has been in reaction to the then modernization of the country.
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