Cultural and Political Forces Undermining the Iranian Government, A List
The anti-Iranian axis of Donald Trump, Mohammad Bin Salman and Benjamin Netanyahu are now openly advocating for an overthrow of Iranian government and supporting Ayatollahs' opponents. Iranians are not known as a militant nation so except for a few small armed groups based in Pakistan (Al-Adl Army), Iraq's Kurdistan (Pezhak) and France (MKO), the majority of opposition to Iran's Islamic government comes from cultural or political entities outside Iran. A list of more influential individuals and groups follows:
Cultural:
Many Iranians have become apolitical or averse to politics so several individuals or businesses have been "culturally" subverting Iranian government by questioning or undermining its Islamic tenets:
A) Manoto TV, a London-based entertainment TV channel in Farsi, was established in 2010 by Kayvan and Marjan Abbassi, former US residents. Manoto TV promotes popular secular and Western style music and entertainment programs, as well as satirical news poking fun at Islamic laws and Iranian ayatollahs. According to The Guardian, Manoto TV continues its operation despite a $45 million loss in 2016-2017. The source of Manoto funding remains unknown but Iran's state-run TV has suggested Manoto TV is financed by the US government and other Iranian sources link Manoto to UK-funded BBC Persian. Defying the Iranian government, Manoto productions have showcased the achievements of the Pahlavi dynasty (the monarchy in power before the Islamic revolution) while skirting around oppression and censorship during the kingdom, as reported in Aljazeera.
B) Dr. Farhang Holakouee, a Los Angeles-based Iranian sociologist, is among the most popular self-help socio-cultural commentators and radio personalities with middle-aged Iranian men and women outside Iran. For years, Dr. Holakouee, who now owns his own profitable Radio station (Hamrah), has promoted secular agnostic values that undermine Islamic traditions and Iranian Ayatollahs. Divorced himself, Holakouee, is a strong critic of traditional marriage roles and often encourages married callers, many women, to question and defy restrictions imposed by tradition and religion.
C) RadioJavan: The US-based music station, which has also partnered with UK-funded BBC Persian services, promotes pop music and western style parties banned inside Iran. Last year, Iranian government arrested agents of Radio Javan inside Iran on charges of financial fraud and copyright violations.
D) Pop Music stars: Several US-based pop music stars, well-liked among millions of Iranian music lovers, have either promoted Iran's pre-revolution Kingdom flags in their concerts or declared solidarity with Iranian people protesting the government. Among vocal critics of Iranian government are Morteza, Sattar, Googoosh, Faramrz Aslani and Ebi.
Googoosh showing emotional images of Pahlavi dynasty during concert in Turkey
Among actors, Golshifteh Farahani, the exiled actress is now among the most dreaded by the Iranian government due to her vocal activism and liberal feminist messages for Iranian women.
Political:
A) BBC, VOA Persian services and Radio Farda: The UK and US funded political news services, once very popular among Iranians, are still followed by middle-aged or older Iranians inside and outside Iran. In addition to political news, these government-funded services also offer socio-political and socio-cultural programs by opponents of Iranian government such as Masih Alinejad, the vocal exiled feminist journalist currently working at VOA Persian Service, Radio Farda, and Manoto TV and an organizer of movement of Iranian women against mandatory Hijab and Islamic veil.
B) Monarchist (loyalist) TV stations such as Los-Angeles based Pars and Kanal Yek (Channel One) Farsi TV stations, or UK-based Iran-e farda (Founded by Alireza Nourizadeh, a writer for Saudi-owned newspaper Al-Sharq Al-Awsat). These stations have a loyal, albeit small, fan base among older Iranians still supporting the Pahlavi monarchy and former Prince Reza Pahlavi currently residing in Washington DC. Some of these stations stage occasional protests against Iranian officials visiting the US, or organize conferences for opponents of Iranian government.
The founder of Kanal Yek (Channel One), an old friend of Alireza Nourizadeh, has accused Mr. Nourizadeh and Iran-e Farda of being funded by Saudi Arabia (video below):
A new UK-based TV service called Iran International, recently interviewed separatists claiming terrorist attacks in Ahvaz Iran. According to a report in The Guardian, a source who has worked with the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, claims Iran International’s money came from the Saudi royal court, estimated to be about $250 million.
C) Political dissidents and activists: Several individuals and smaller organizations, through their social media channels, try to undermine the Iranian government. For example exiled dissident Iranian TV anchor, Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini, the organizer of the "ReStart" protest campaign, has been blamed by the Iranian government for Hit and Run damages inflicted on Iranian embassies abroad and on banks, currency exchange centers and mosques in Tehran.
Masih Alinejad, the vocal exiled feminist journalist currently working at US-funded VOA Persian Service and Radio Farda, and Manoto TV has organized an effective movement of Iranian women against mandatory Hijab and Islamic veil. New York Times calls her The Woman Whose Hair Frightens Iran.
Inside Iran, former supporters of Islamic revolution have now become vocal supporters of regime-change in Iran. Example are reformist leaders former Prime Minister Mir Hussein Mousavi and Parliament Spokesperson Mehdi Karrubi, both under house arrest with their spouses, as well as Mohammad Nourizad, a revolutionary filmmaker and journalist, and Dr. Mehdi Khazali, a former war hero and son of influential Ayatollah Khazali. Former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, once a darling of the Iranian Leader, is now a vocal critic of an unjust regime serving the wealthy elite and organizer of a resistance movement, popular among many of Iran's working class families. Three of Ahmadinejad's Vice Presidents are in prison now on various charges.
Related to Hijab:
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- Daughter of Founding Father of Iran's Islamic Revolution Calls for an End to Theocracy and Mandatory Hijab
- Video of Unprecedented Speech by Iranian Female MP Lashing Out at Clerics and Supreme Leader
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