Behind the Headlines/February 1

Jamshid Chalangi:

In tonight’s program;

Forty years after the Islamic Revolution we will ask our guests where do Iran and Iranians stand today after decades of war, turmoil and isolation;

The Pope is about to start an historic trip to the UAE and deliver a speech in Al Azhar in Egypt;

Lebanon has now a new government after eight months of political wrangling;

What future if any for Iran- US relations?

Our guests are Dr Alireza Nourizadeh and the leader of Iranian Kurdish Komola group, Abdullah Mohtadi:

Dr Nourizadeh:

There are people who still argue that Khomeini stole the Iranian revolution and deviated it from its right path.

I am of a different opinion and oppose this assumption.

I believe that movement had two parallel forces that competed alongside each other.

One was a liberal and democratic one that wanted to restore Iran’s constitutional monarchy and establish secular and nationalist forces in power.

The others were an alliance of forces that had no specific political identity and included the likes of Mujaheddin and Fadaeens who were under the influence of the left and radical religious groups.

When Dr Bakhtiar succeeded in establishing his liberal and nationalist government these groups united with Khomeini to bring his government down.

In order to secure their power they then occupied the US embassy and brought about forty years of misery and disasters for Iran and Iranians.

Mohtadi:

The revolution has not had any positive achievements and in fact has added to the problems of the Iranian people, especially the Kurds.

It was not against poverty but wanted to restore the people’s civil rights.

I believe if the Shah had offered Bakhtiar his post a year earlier the course of events would have been completely different and the revolution would have been averted.