I want to first and foremost thank you for sending us your thoughts, concerns, and the many issues you raised. I hope we can use this opportunity to open a line of dialog that is constructive and one that can reach a definite conclusion. Let me address each issue based on its individual merit.

1- How come Mr. Reza Pahlavi and his fans know himself king of iran?

The site IranPetition is not by any means affiliated with Mr. Pahlavi, it is neither endorsed by him nor his office. This site only accepts petitions as submitted by individuals or organizations and I hope you understand that we can not be held responsible for the postings on this site. I highly recommend that you visit Mr. Pahlavi's web site at http://www.RezaPahlavi.org and pose your questions directly to him & his office using the e-Mail listed on his site. I took the liberty to search for his e-Mail and found it in the section titled Audio & Video (Ava & Sima).

Mr. Pahlavi is saying what he thinks is right and you should question him for what he says and does & not for the mistakes you feel were committed by his father. Having said that can one hold you responsible for the mistakes of your father? It is your duty and responsibility to ask him questions and demand answers. It is your right and one that you can not, for the love of Iran, forego and not exercise. In the name of democracy and in the name of a citizen of this great country ask your questions.

2- Do you know what is democracy?

No matter what kind of government we have had in the past and the type of government we have now or in the future no voice should be silenced and no concern should be unheard. Democracy is not something that can be given to you-- you have to demand it and I commend you for your email and your questions. This is the very first step towards getting to where we all wish to get. The next step in my opinion is perhaps addressing our questions in the form of questions and not accusations - truthful interest for knowing each other's opinion rather than just giving our own. I just hope we have more people like you both in Iran and in the outside world. The Iranians have become silent over the years and that is one of the major reasons for our demise. We have to stand up and question our leaders for their wrong doings, no matter who they are and what time or year we are in.

3- What do you people know about hungry children? And again do you really care about them?

I hope one day we don't have to ask anyone this question and I sure hope we all can work together to take care of this simple problem that is plaguing the entire world. We are Iranians and no matter where in the world we are, we feel the pain and suffering that goes on in our Iran. We travel to Iran and we support many causes that help the very children that you accuse us of not caring for. I highly encourage you to visit the following sites and see what Iranians outside Iran are doing…

• http://www.ChildrenofIran.org [Last year alone FCI spent over $200,000 bringing a child to US that was diagnosed with a fatal desease and was also paralized and was on wheel chair. He is now living well and no longer on wheelchair. He was brought to US with all his travelling expenses as well as his father's fully paid by your fellow Iranians in US. I encourage you to visit this site and see what they have done.]
• http://www.ChildFoundation.org [On January 2002, CF raised over $100,000 which was sent to Bonyad'e Koodak and the Kahrizak foundation in support of the building of a cancer treatment center. This year the projects under development include a school for the blind and the further enhancement of a previous school for the blind that was constructed the year before. Please visit this organization and see what those that are involved with this organization have also done.]
• http://www.ChildrenofPersia.org [In this organization all efforts are to build hospitals in Iran. Every year they send clothing and other necessities to orphanages across Iran. Passengers coming to Iran are in most cases used to bring the luggage for delivery to these organizations. I have personally witnessed such deliveries and believe me when I say I hope we can, one day, not have to go through it again.
• http://www.science-arts.org [Last year a group spent two weeks of their vacation in a village outside Isfehan and assisted in constructing a school with phone lines allowing for Internet connection. In this team there were professors of universities and medical doctors - all in Iran from US & Canada working to help reconstruct our beloved Iran. All for free and during their vacations.]

My dearest friend-- we have to rebuild our country together and it is only through lowering our shield and trying to truly understand each other's positions that we can get united again. I can't expect you to understand our situation here as much as you can't expect us to understand what you are going through. But we know one thing- what you have we don't have and what we have you don't have - only through pooling our resources and knowledge we can be complete and a nation strong. I am sure you agree with me on this issue. You need us as much as we need you.

I hope, once again, that we use this opportunity to openly discuss issues in a constructive manner and out in the open. I beg of you not to think of us as outsiders but as friends that will never be complete without their counterparts in Iran. If you see the other sites that are organized or are affiliated with the people involved with IranPetition you will see what this group is all about. You can visit: http://www.IranPetition.org/Collective - In short it is our strong belief that our country is in need of a cultural revolution and Iranians need to become aware of Iran more than anything else. This is a desease that is killing us all, specially outside Iran. As we keep saying it - not to others but to ourselves- Iran deserves better citizens.

Iran has lost three generations of its children- one genertion was lost during the war with Iraq, a second generation that left Iran and the third generation that in Iran is battling with opium and addiction. Believe me when I say in my personal trip back to Iran I visited places, as part of a project, that made me realize if we don't hurry and find a way out we will become a land of nothing. If we don't pay attention we will fall so far behind in the world that we will never have any chance of becoming the great nation that we all strive and dream for. It is up to you and I and everyone around us to join forces and ask each other how we can mend what is broken. Iran did not brake on its own.. We broke it. It is our fault and nobody elses. It does not matter what happened in the past, the future is built based on our actions now. What my father did is not going to make my future- we are responsible to make the future. YOU and I. Forget the past- lets join forces and create the dreams for tomorrow and work today so we can make them come true!

In conclusion I invite you to stay engaged and question everyone- demand what is rightfully yours and expect the same from others. Our personal opinions have been formed, for the most part, by our surrounding and it is only through an open mind that we can truly learn from those that have been in different surroundings and environments. I am sure you agree that if you and I were born in Africa we would have had different names, different religions and different attitudes - perhaps equally stressing that we are right and everyone else is wrong. Considering we have had no choice in where we were born and what our name is or who we have been raised to become - now that we are grown ups and have independent minds can we truly say we are independently deciding on who we are and who we will become in the future? I ask myself the same question everyday!...

Be Omid'e Piroozy va Behroozy
Ba Sepas..
Kaveh Ahangar