The Persian Files

For decades, Western media and political leaders criticised Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi and SAVAK, focusing heavily on their repression of revolutionary groups, including Islamist and Marxist movements.

Yet the Shah repeatedly warned of the dangers posed by radical Islamism, political extremism and the alliance between the radical Left and Islamist revolutionaries.

His warnings were largely dismissed by many of his Western critics.

France was among the countries that criticised the Shah’s approach to maintaining security and confronting revolutionary movements. It was also France that provided Ayatollah Khomeini with a base in exile before his return to Iran in 1979.

Today, as France confronts unrest, political extremism and growing concerns over public security, the Shah’s warnings invite renewed examination.

THE IRONY OF HISTORY IS DIFFICULT TO IGNORE.

The country that once lectured Iran on freedom and security now faces its own difficult questions about the balance between civil liberties, public safety and the rule of law.

The Shah warned that extremism would not remain confined to Iran.

Nearly five decades after the Islamic Revolution, the consequences of 1979 continue to shape Iran, while Western societies face challenges of their own.

THE QUESTION REMAINS: DID THE WEST LEARN FROM IRAN’S HISTORY, OR IS IT REPEATING SOME OF THE SAME MISTAKES?

History deserves to be remembered, examined and understood.

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Source : @anshankhosravi_official
English subtitles: @the_persian_files