DW NewsReza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s last Shah, has re-emerged as a prominent opposition voice. Visiting Berlin on Thursday, he accused Europe of standing by as Iran’s regime represses its people with violence. His trip has been contentious: the German government declined to meet with him, he was greeted by protests both for and against him, and at one point was even targeted with tomato sauce. The divide reflects Iran’s past – and its possible future. Pahlavi’s father, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, was overthrown during the Islamic Revolution, but in the past year, amid renewed anti-government protests, Pahlavi has positioned himself as a potential opposition leader. With insights from Iranian-German writer and filmmaker Siba Shakib.
Chapters:
0:00 Son of Iran’s last Shah criticizes West on Berlin trip
1:01 Reza Pahlavi: “The question is not whether change will come. Change is on the way.”
1:51 Interview Siba Shakib, Iranian-German writer and filmmaker
2:40 Shakib says Pahlavi basically describes what his father did: holding on to power using force
4:23 Shakib says “I haven’t seen much of Pahlavi’s fight”
