Thread by @Ashrafi4ever

Many may be seeing a lot of discussion on the Iranian opposition, alternatives to the regime and direction of #IranRevolution
here's a 🧵with all the stats
hope is serves as a 101 on Iran politics
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs #مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر

On Feb 10, 2023 an "alliance" was declared among a few individuals
- Masih Alinejad-journalist (ex-reformist)
- Nazanin Boniadi-actress
- Hamed Esmaeilion-dentist
- Reza Pahlavi-son of the deposed Shah-dictator ousted in 1979
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر

Reza Pahlavi called their alliance a “free bus" everyone can hop on!
The alliance has turned into a laughingstock
with no roadmap or clear mission statement, not many are willing to hop on a bus without a clear destination!
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر

Why the hesitation to hop on the"magic school bus" you ask?!
1.The passengers:
days after the launch of the "alliance" members of the notorious SAVAK who tried to hide face for 40yrs re-surfaced & were praised by passengers

#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر

2.Roadmap
The alliance speak of a charter they've been working on,but with no clear indications of what in entails
how do you form an alliance when your core guidelines aren't clear?
isn't this a repetition of Khomeini who said "all together" & promised he wants no part in power?

They say there is no place to discuss differences now, and who ever does is a traitor!
Keep in mind, for the most part members of the alliance don't have a good scorecard when it comes to stance on the regime
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر

-Pahlavi:"'overthrow' is not in my vocab"
-Alinejad:promoted Iran's sham elections
vocal"reformist"till a short while ago
-Esmaeilion:became anti-regime activist only after his wife&daughter were tragically killed onboard PS752
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر

what do Iranians want?
A just &democratic society,where no one is granted preferential treatment based on religion/birthright/arbitrary criterions
A Republic that values equality &freedom,where pples rights are protected
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر

Why reject Alliance with Reza Pahlavi,he calls for a secular democracy?
This is where you need to read btwn the lines
he has never:
-disassociated himself from atrocities committed by the Shah
-renounced his claim to the throne
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر

Despite his denials of seeking the throne & belief in the people's choice, he proclaimed himself king in 1981, shortly after the 1979 revolution where Iranians rejected monarchy and overthrew it
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر

Nov 1, 1980, @washingtonpost:“Reza Pahlavi, eldest son of the late deposed Iranian monarch, proclaimed himself the new shah of Iran as he celebrated his 20th birthday
In his message, he said his official title would be Reza Shah II.”
washingtonpost.com/archive/politi…
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs

On his website, it states, “Reza Pahlavi strongly believes in the inherent equal rights between men & women; as such, has stated that his daughters Noor, Iman & Farah are, successively, his heirs.”
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر
en.rezapahlavi.org/aboutrezapahla…

a side note here:
he stated today in @MunSecConf that with 3 daughters his wife would attest that he's a feminist!
BUT not clear why he hasn't ever acknowledged why his older sister isn't heir to the throne?!
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر

Along the same line, his mother Farah Diba, has already appointed Reza’s daughter as the heir to her son in an interview with Italian newspaper Libero
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر
farahpahlavi.org/interviews/376…

Now why is the Pahlavi Dynasty & its SAVAK so detested?
For decades, the Shah & his secret police SAVAK brutally murdered and tortured political activists and intellectuals, including authors, academics, artists, and poets.
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر

In fact many of the methods of torture used today by the Iranian regime, which have been brought to light in recent months, were all methods used by the SAVAK and then put into practice by the mullahs
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر
amnesty.org/en/documents/p…

Martin Ennals intro of @amnesty's 1975 Annual Report:
“The Shah retains his benevolent image despite highest rate of death penalties in the world,no valid system of civilian courts & a history of torture which is beyond belief”
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر

An @Amnesty report by a delegation sent to Iran in 1972 states prisoners’ bodies were burned, leaving some paralyzed
A prisoner told the delegation:“I saw Behruz Tehrani die near me in the torture room”
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر
amnesty.org/en/documents/a…

I have personally seen the signs of torture still visible on bodies of ex-political prisoners from the Shah's era
These victims are still alive and have yet to be able to seek justice
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر

On March 3, 1975, the State-run newspaper "Etelaat" published Shah's speech regarding the declaration of Iran's one-party system
The headline reads as follow: “His Maj. Announced the formation of the only political party.”
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر

Shah:“From now on, only 1party will have the right to political activity. The name of Iran's only party will be "Resurrection of Iran."
(now you may better understand concerns about this 'alliance'that shouldn't be questioned!)
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر

Shah: “Anyone who opposes the constitution, the imperial system, and the Bahman 6 revolution should be in prison or easily leave the country forever.”
hmmm...where have we heard that before🤔
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر

and this is the father that Reza Pahlavi takes pride in his legacy and calls it "khandane Iransaz" (Dynasty that built Iran)
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر

One of the main demands of protesters in #IranRevolution has been #BlacklistIRGC
so where does Reza Pahlavi stand on the issue?
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر

Reza Pahlavi, @IranIntl 2018:“I'm in bilateral contact with the regime’s military/IRGC/Basij
We are communicating. They are signaling their readiness & expressing willingness to align with the people.”

#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر

Speaking at the @WashInstitute, Pahlavi explicitly stated that his only hope for change is through the IRGC and Basij force, claiming to be in contact with sections of the IRGC and Basij who are “highly situated"
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs #BlacklistIRGC
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر

Pahlavi,Bloomberg,2002:
"We have to provide an exit strategy for them-for clerics, IRGC guards, bureaucrats
We speak to them by phone,fax,email. We know they can't take the initiative. But if there's sufficient momentum,they can join or at least remain neutral"
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs

Pahlavi,Nov2019,@iranintl(following 1500killed by IRGC):
Security forces will never take the first step for a very simple reason, they can't stay in a state of limbo, they need a firm ground on the other side of the line. pple need to motivate sec forces not to resort to violence

Dec18, 2018:
The most important component among all factors is the role that the military+paramilitary forces can play in this transition. That's why soldiers &guards are the target audience of some of my msgs. Of course members of IRGC/Basij,should have a place in the future

They should know the very force to guarantee Iran’s future security & stability are actually themselves(IRGC)I say this based on my direct daily contact with representatives of Iran’s military+paramilitary forces
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#BlacklistIRGC

Now the question of the hour: is Reza Pahlavi in contact and associated with elements within the IRGC, or have elements from the IRGC infiltrated his ranks and taken control of Reza Pahlavi?🤔
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs #مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر

In 2013 when Reza Pahlavi launched an association called "National Council of Iran"-now a defunct association, it was revealed later by some members of the association that its constitution was drafted in Iran by MOIS elements.
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر

Even In recent months, concerns have been raised among some pro-monarchists, that individuals who had recently left Iran are manipulating him on behalf of the Iranian regime, as apparent in the recent "power of attorney" show
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر

The regime &Monarchy have a common goal in countering NCRI & MEK
On Feb 8, 2023, #HRes100 was introduced by House members with 166co-sponsors in support of #IRanRevolution & for a secular,democratic non-nuclear republic in Iran
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر

Immediately, Iran's lobby NIAC & pro-monarchist elements, and ex-reformists turned 'overnight activists' launched a massive disinformation campaign to pressure Members of Congress into not supporting #HRes100
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر

Alignment with RP, rep of his father's oppressive 1party rule, plays right into the hands of the mullahs-serving to discourage Iranians,out of fear that efforts may lead to a return to the past era of dictatorship; also creating doubt over strings of other countries being in play

A major objective of Pahlavi & Co is to campaign against NCRI & MEK
He's claimed numerously that MEK is part of the problem in the opposition seeking regime change!
Alinejad also states their objective is to tell the world they should be interlocutors of the int community not MEK

The alliance attempts to whitewash the Shah's atrocities. Wittingly or unwittingly, they are being used to legitimize Reza Pahlavi and market him as a "democratic" figure.
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر

ie presence of a notorious torturer, Parviz Sabeti, head of SAVAK internal directorate,in a rally in Miami,with pictures surfacing on twitter & a wave of Monarchist & Iran's cyber army praising him for his torture & killings!
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر

Many in the Iranian diaspora have called for the launch of a campaign to take legal action against him for crimes against humanity, and torture.
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر
english.mojahedin.org/news/iran-131-…

Now, some questions for Reza Pahlavi:
How do you claim to have legitimacy in Iran?
Doubt status as the son of a deposed dictator gives legitimacy
On what basis do you claim that your role should supersede all political parties?
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر

Today in @MunSecConf you said you support a Republic but would be open to a monarchy that's not hereditary! what does that even mean?! you can just line up words next to each other!!
take a clear stance- monarchy -- yes or no?
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر

You've stated time & again you admire your father's rule; you're aware he isolated power into a single-party system right?!
what's your stance on the human rights abuses during your dad's reign-executions,torture of dissidents?
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر

What's your position on the presence of Parviz Sabeti, head of the notorious SAVAK in a rally which claimed to be in your support and your supporters praising him for all the killings & torture he perpetrated?
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر

Any comments on how the Pahlavi dynasty took power via a coup d’état initiated by the British?
And your dad was reinstated to power by another foreign coup d’état in 1953?
sorry!there won't be a coup to bring you to power!
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر

Are you committed to promoting the rights and autonomy of Iran's various nationalities and ethnic groups within the territorial integrity of Iran? you did call them 'subjects' in your interview with manoto 🤦‍♀️major slip up!
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر

Question to Pahlavi’s allies:
1-Do you know about RP’s position on IRGC?
2-Have you ever asked him about his acknowledged contacts with IRGC?
#BlacklistIRGC
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر

3-What do you think of the notorious SAVAK under the Shah?
4-Have you ever asked Pahlavi about his position on SAVAK, torture &executions under his father’s reign?
5-You're okay with having the likes of Parviz Sabeti, head of the Int Sec of SAVAK on your bus?
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs

6-Have you ever asked Reza Pahlavi how much money his family brought out of Iran? He once publicly said $62 million, but NYT reported their asset to be $2-4 billion
what happend to it considering its Iranian pple's money
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر

7-You don't have a problem with his wife posting IG stories calling for the death of leftists & MEK? considering their history in actually executing them!
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر

8-You sure you want to be on this bandwagon? not the magic school bus you probably had in mind!
well. I guess we'll see how long this "alliance" will last, the last ones didn't get around to see their anniversary.
#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر