40th Anniversary: Celebrating
2500 Years of Monarchy in Iran

Excerpt from the Iranian newsletter “In the Name of my Father”, October 2008, P.O. Box 16166, Beverly Hills, CA, 90209, USA

"On October 12th, 1971 His Imperial Majesty, Light of Aryan, King of Kings Mohammad Reza Pahlavi celebrated 2500 years of monarchy in Iran, which put Iran on limelight as a nation of power and glory. Iran was no longer subject to humiliation of Russia and England. Iran was an independent nation which was determining its own destiny, and Iran became a significant player in world affair.


"The October 12th is the day that Cyrus the Great founded Iran, and established the first ever empire which accepted the first Universal Declaration of Human Rights written by Cyrus the Great. He proclaimed that all people in dominion of Persian Empire would be protected by Cyrus the Great's Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and Universal Declaration of Human Rights had codes which were new to anyone in its own time; such as, freedom of speech, freedom of thought, absent of religious persecution and many more rights that people would enjoy in his empire.




"On October 12th, 1971 was the first day of ceremony as His Imperial Majesty, Light of Aryan, King of Kings Mohammad Reza Pahlavi with Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Farah Pahlavi paid homage to King of Kings Cyrus the Great's mausoleum at Pasarguard.


"For next two days dignitaries and head of state of other nations began to arrive at Shiraz's airport and they were greeted with honour and respect by His Imperial Majesty, King of King Mohammad Reza Pahlavi or Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Farah Pahlavi and were ushered to ancient land of Persepolis. ...


"The Imperial Iranian Armed Forces took part in this historical event by wearing ancient military custom of each period and took part in military parade and illustrated power and glory of Iran to everyone. This magnificent military parade was refreshing everyone's mind that Imperial Iranian Armed Forces had 2500 years of history with unblemished record.


"There is a legitimate question to ask that what was purpose of celebrating 2500 years of monarchy tax payers expense? The above image which is taken from Persepolis, it illustrates, people from different part of the world appeared before mighty Persian King of Kings and gave their homage to the Persian. Indeed, this celebration had same motive with its own tone and agendas as dignitaries and head of state of other nations appeared before might King of Kings Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and paid their gratitude to Him for keeping Middle East and world in peace."


Royal and vice-regal guests
1. Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia
2. King Frederik IX of Denmark and Queen Ingrid
3. King Baudouin I and Queen Fabiola of the Belgians
4. King Hussein and Princess Muna of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
5. King Olav V of Norway
6. Emir Isa ibn Salman al-Khalifah of Bahrain
7. King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes
8. Sultan Qaboos of Oman,
9. Prince Abdula Vali Khan and Princess Bilqis Begum of Afghanistan
10. King Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho
11. Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tunku Abdul Halim of Malaysia
12. Prince Franz Josef II and Princess Georgina of Liechtenstein
13. Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace of Monaco
14. Grand Duke Jean Grand Duchess Josephine-Charlotte
15. Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands
16. Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, and Anne, The Princess Royal of the United Kingdom
17. Princess Salimah Aga Khan
18. Crown Prince Carl Gustaf of Sweden
19. Prince Juan Carlos and Princess Sofia of Spain
20. Prince Victor Emmanuel and Princess Marina Doria of Italy
21. Prince Mikasa of Japan
22. Prince Moulay Abdallah and Princess Lamia of Morocco
23. Prince Makhosini of Swaziland
24. Governor-General Roland Michener of Canada
25. Governor-General Paul Hasluck of Australia

Presidents and Prime Ministers
1. President Tito of Yugoslavia
2. President Nikolai Padgorny of the Soviet Union
3. President Franz Jonas of Austria
4. President Todor Zhikov of Bulgaria
5. President Emilio Garrastazu Medici of Brazil
6. President Urho Kekkpnen of Finland
7. President Cevdet Sunay of Turkey
8. President Pal Losonczi of Hungary
9. President Ludvik Svobofa of Czechoslovakia
10. President Yahya Khan of Pakistan
11. President Suleiman Franijieh of Lebanon
12. President Jacobus Johannes Fouche of South Africa
13. President Leopold Sedar Senghor of Senegal
14. President Moktar Ould Daddah of Mauritania
15. President Hubert Maga of Dahomey
16. President Nicolae Ceausescu of Romania
17. Chancellor Willy Brandt of West Germany
18. Prime Minister Jacques Chaban-Delmas of France
19. Prime Minister Kim- Jonq-pil of South Korea
20. Prime Minister Emilio Colombo of Italy
23. Vice President Spiro Agnew of the United States
24. Foreign Minister Rui Patricio of Portugal
25. President Rudolf Gnagi of Switzerland
26. First Lady Imelda Marcos of the Philippines

PS.
In Australia's republican weekly THE BULLETIN Colin Smith wrote on 30th January 1979:

"Despite their many mistakes it is unlikely that history will judge the Pahlavi dynasty too harshly. Both the Shah and his father, Reza Shah, attempted to drag a feudal society into the 20th century by force feeding it in 50 years a crash diet of industrialisation which Europe took 300 years to digest.

"They did not altogether fail. If Iran wins its race to become a democratic, industrialised society by the time the oil runs out at the turn of this century, it will be partly because of the ruthless vision of the Pahlavis."

Today Iran is neither a democratic society not has the oil run out. The country still needs the vision of a Pahlavi: Shahanshah Reza II.