Ceux Qui Se Ressemble S’assemble

The British picked us a Shah, and the Americans picked us a Shah; now, we have degraded ourselves to the point that Israel must pick us a Shah.

I was in the midst  of  writing an article for my blog when a matter of significant importance forced me to put the whole thing aside and prepare a new piece for the occasion. The emerging problem that concerned me was about our Crown Prince, his sojourn in the U.S., his status while remaining in this country, his behavior vis-à-vis his host nation, and, most importantly, the conduct of some of his so-called followers. 

I have been  very concerned about the political predicaments that he may be drawn in during this critical time in the country. I know some of his Iranian entourage, and unfortunately, I cannot say that they meet the desired and expected standard worthy of being associated with the Prince. 

Some of these followers have taken a solid position in the political arena and shifting  to one group instead of keeping a balance among the political establishments.  They are engaged in unacceptable behavior in public media and presenting different views, which I am not sure that they should  or would meets the Royal approval. Of course, it is the privilege of any citizen to express their take on any political issues. However, and unfortunately, some of these individuals advocate that they represent His Royal Highness, the Prince, making him a party to their action. Whether or not they are acting on his behalf is completely obscure to me.  

I did not find any explanation from the Prince, and his silence is somewhat puzzling. One of the things that concerns me, which I am afraid that it may harm him, is the behavior  of his so-called followers by making derogatory remakes about the political party that they don’t like.  It seems that his disciples have chosen a path for him to follow, and that with his silence, it will place him at odds with those of the other sphere of politics, a very unhealthy way for him to be. Either he is unaware of the situation or does not care about the consequences, none being a politically correct and acceptable modality. 

In his previous gatherings, he always insisted that he was not running as a candidate for kingship and would rather have the people decide for the type of government they wanted. I am no longer hearing that scenario. Instead, his apparent disciples are promoting royalty for him, and it looks like he is in favor of such a measure. Be that as it may, I am not concerned about the result. What I am worried about, is the means being used by some of his followers to accomplish this goal: HELP FROM A KING-MAKING GOVERNMENT. 

King-making government is nothing new in history; it goes back thousands of years. The big dictators and tyrants would conquer a region and appoint someone to manage it. They were called by different names: Satraps in old Iran, Governors, rulers, or one of many other titles. 

In Iran, from the early times of the Safavid dynasty (1501-1736), the British, with their keen sense of politics, realized that they could rule over the country with the help of the Muslim clergy. They put this modality into action and followed it for centuries, always with the desired outcome. During the rule of the Ghajar dynasty (1789-1925), the British used the corrupt, dishonest, and criminal shahs as an adjunct power of the Mullahs. By bribing Shahs, the British got exploratory permission to access the nation’s natural resources, create banks, and manage the country’s currency. The corruption of the Court during Ahmad Shah’s reign reached its highest point ever. He requested a monthly payment of 7000 Pounds to appoint Vosough-ul-Dollah, the English protégé to the Prime Ministership position. During all these times, they had the backing of the Iranian clergy like Moddarass.  

The world was changing rapidly; the people of Iran were awakening, and riots were rising from every corner. The British, realized that the usefulness of Ghajar was reaching its end, searched and found Reza Khan, a military officer within the Cusack Brigade. Reza Khan soon became their chosen for the high command in the nation. Reza Khan accepted the deal with the British. However, he was a patriot in every sense, and revolted against the master, committing the non-excusable crime that he paid for with his life, after the occupation of Iran by the Allied Forces, the British, and the Russians in 1941. Reza Shah was betrayed by the people surrounding him who were on the British payroll.

Surging United States power during and immediately after WWII made Americans the decision-makers of the time. On their insistence, the British accepted Reza Shah’s son, Mohammad Reza, to be crowned as the second monarch of the Pahlavi Dynasty. The British never liked Mohammad Reza and wanted to bring back an offspring from the Ghajar. 

In 1953, the Anglo-Americans joined the venture in removing the democratically elected Prime Minister of Iran, Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh, who was fighting the British. The Anglo-Americans gave Mohammad Reza Shah a second life as a king until 1978, when the U.S. Government, with its meager knowledge in International Affairs, decided to remove him and created the present disaster for Iranians, the Middle East, and themselves.

Fast-forward the history to early 2000; my wife, Dr. Nahid and I had the opportunity to meet his Royal Highness, Prine Reza in Houston, Texas. I believe that  his trip was to form a coalition against the treacheries of the Arab nations trying to bribe the American universities to cancel all courses of Iranian and Persian studies. On a personal level, this meeting was a great occasion for us to bond with the Prince, whom we came to like and love. He was like a son to us, may be his age, a couple of years older than our oldest one, played a factor.  On several of his subsequent visits to Houston, I went to a private airport to pick him up and bring him home. He was completely at ease with both of us. During his trip to Houston in late 2011, we had a chance to meet with him. He expressed the desire  to see both of us privately before the scheduled general meeting. We joined him in his suite at the Crown Plaza Hotel near Astro World. Our meeting lasted more than expected, about 40-45 minutes. During that time, both of us cautioned him about the behavior of the Iranian people and asked him to  be aware that many of them lack the necessary moral character, that they can’t and shouldn’t be trusted completely, and that a good majority of them are creatures of time and protective of their self-interest. 

The main theme  of the general meeting was how to help Iranian refugees stranded in Turkey and other countries and find a way to improve the health matters of Iranians living abroad. The creation of a medical clinic was entertained. Mr. Yazdani, a wealthy landlord and the owner of the Crown Plaza Hotel, volunteered to help establish one in Houston, TX, by donating the land, located in a highly desirable part of the city, The West Belt area. He also stated that he will help with the cost of the building. 

Shortly after Prince’s departure, and per his instruction, I called a meeting of the individuals who agreed to help create a medical care system for the neediest Iranians. Only a handful of those who agreed to serve showed up. I suggested the formation of a board of directors and recommended the election of officers, while excluding my wife and myself from holding any official positions. 

Somehow, I was not optimistic about achieving the desirable objectives. I was used to Iranian organizations and have been involved in the formation of a number  of them. There is always too much talk and too little accomplishment. Most of My Iranian compatriots, individually, are great, but collectively, they are notorious for following their own interests. 

The Board asked me to form a committee (Health Care Committee) and evaluate the situation.  I formed the committee, asking a few of our colleagues to join us . The report on the formation of the  Medical Clinic was presented to the Board at its next weekly meeting. The committee recommended starting with primary minimum care and running the clinic with our vicinities’ available medical charity organizations. We made the provision for one RN and the minimum number of employees. We suggested that the clinic should make appropriate arrangements with the available facilities for their help in paraclinical laboratory tests. We also suggested asking retired Iranian physicians for help running the establishment. 

The plan to create a medical clinic did not get off the ground due to opposition of two board members, Mr. Yazdani and Mr. Hayat, who wanted a fully equipped clinic—something like the Mayo Clinic! These types of reaction, again, is an Iranian characteristic, biting more than they can chew and bragging that they have the biggest and the best in the Middle East. I brought up the question of money for such extravagant plan. Mr. Hayat stated that he is in a dealership for medical instrument and can get us the used one at reduced price! Even the secondhand materials would cost millions of dollars. The question for some of the members was, is Mr. Hayat opposition due to his financial interest or he really wants a big medical establishment without having the means. 

I don’t know what was behind Mr. Yazdani’s thoughts in asking for a Mayo Clinic type facility? The board’s action in my view was considered a roadblock. I suggested that the Board hires an independent organization to evaluate our plan. The idea never materialized even it was accepted by all its members. 

It did not take long to find out that I became a target for a couple of board members: Mr. Shahin Nejad and, again, Mr. Hayat, both apparently members of a group supposedly supporting the royalty. They accused me of being against their institution, an organization that I was not even aware of its existence.

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Unfortunately, this type of behavior is almost pathognomonic to Iranians’ mentality; if you cannot fight them logically, then accuse them of a crime. What that transpired, awakened me of a bad dream; what am I doing among these people? I don’t share their interests,  nor am I in tune with their mentality, I have nothing in common with them, why I am wasting my time. This association will bring me nothing but disgrace.  I resigned from the whole scam and notified His Highness Prince Reza, explaining all matters in detail in an email in Dec. 2011, along with my suggestions. I received no reply and have never heard from him again.

In recent months, and in the public media, some of those cronies have been advocating kingship for the Prince. They are projecting a view that does not reflect what the Prince was saying before. They are favoring the Republicans and badmouthing the Democrats. Individuals have the right to express their opinions; however, as a representative of the Prince, which it seems that they are doing, I am not sure if that should be the case. They are also trying hard to please the Israeli hardliner Prime Minister and making efforts to close these two together. 

Prince Reza’s father, Mohammad Reza Shah, realized that Israelis have enormous power over the American administration, irrespective of the party in power. He made the unwise decision to broadcast his opinion, even though correct, that the Israelis have great influence on American foreign policies. It was a grave political mistake, but then, he was ill.  

If I am for a monarchy in Iran, I want it to be created by the people and not with the help of foreigners. The Iranians had enough foreign Shah makers, the British, the Americans, and now is Israel’s turn? I am sure that most Iranians, irrespective of where they live and reside, are tired and sick of foreigners picking up their kings and governments. As one of those individuals,  I want the people to define the ways that they want to run their country. I have often heard the Prince saying that he will abide by the people’s vote. Why doesn’t he come forward and explain the problems to the people he pretends to serve? Is this an unusual and impossible request? The Iranians are, at least on the surface, turning toward the Prince, however, he must make sure that their love for him is true and as the Iranian proverb said, “IT IS NOT FOR THE LOVE OF ALI, BUT THE HATRED FOR OMAR.” 

I felt that I should try to contact the Prince again and ask him for an interview. Therefore, on Sept. 25, 2024, I sent him an email requesting for an interview:

“For His Highness Prince Reza Pahlavi:

My Dear Prince:

It has been a long time since I enjoyed talking with you (2011, in Houston, TX.). I followed up on the event with an email but have yet to receive a reply.

I am perplexed, disappointed, and unsure of your plans or the lack of them for Iran and Iranians. A group is advocating to represent you and acting contrary to what you have expressed in the past.

Could I have an interview with you and post your responses to my questions for all to observe? The interview will be published on my blog, guilsofguilan.org. Please advise.

Dr. Guilak.

Sent Sept. 25, 2024.”

I firmly believe  that the Prince  must get control of the people around himself; he should explain all his actions to the Iranians worldwide, and, most importantly, bring the nation a cohesive and workable plan that they can understand and support. He should get help from the people of Iran, and not from Mr. Trump, or Mr. Netanyahu; a man indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crime. 

YOUR HIGHNESS, IN A TRUE SENSE, ONE IS NEVER ABLE TO CHOOSE ALL HIS COMPANIONS, BUT HE CAN PICK UP A FEW GOOD MEN AND GIVE THEM POWER TO SELECT THOSE WHO HE FEELS COMFORTABLE TO WORK WITH; THEY, MOST LIKELY WILL CHOOSE THE RIGHT ONES. DO YOU KNOW WHY: “CEUX QUI SE RESEMBLE, S’ASSEMBLE. “

In days’ international news, we are hearing that the European Union came in favor of the Arab nations and wants Iran to give back its three major isles in the Persian Gulf. Are we witnessing the rewrite of the history, the problem with the Persian Gulf vs Arabian Gulf is reappearing with a new twist? No doubt the Arabs have loosened their purse again for Europeans to dig in. 

Our so-called royalist Iranian compatriots want the very same countries that have been engaged in the attempts to dismember Iran to create a Kingdome for the nation and make us a new king. What a disgrace. 

During the ending years of the Safavid Dynasty, A great Iranian General, Nader Mirza, was fighting the insurrectionists. In a defeated front, he instructed his secretary to send a note to His Majesty the King and ask for immediate reinforcement. Before sending the letter, he asked for the secretary to read back the content. The man went through and reached: “…. The imperial Army had a slight set back during the war and may need help….” At this point, the general stopped him and with a most stern voice said: “What the hell are you talking about, tell the King that we have been defeated, and if I don’t get the needed reinforcement immediately, he  will have no country and most importantly no head to put  the crown on.” Yes, my dear Royalists, or whatever you want to call yourself, first let us try our utmost to maintain the country, before fighting for a Shah. What do you want to do with a King where there is no country? No big governments, specifically not a single Israeli government wants to have a strong Iran, in its vicinity. If you make a cursory look over  the history, you may be able to realize that they were not a friend of Mohammad Reza Shah either. Please do educate yourself before expressing an opinion, it may help your standing!