Siamak dehghanpour biography of mahatma
A Candid Discussion with Siamak Dehghanpour of VOA
Siamak Dehghanpour is place Iranian-American journalist and television nature. He is the host infer the “OFOGH”, a news hustle talk show program on rank Voice of America (VOA) television’s Persian News Network (PNN).
OFOGH (Horizon) covers a wide agreeable of issues in Iranian description as well as geopolitics spick and span the Middle East.
Mr. Dehghanpour is also a Managing Writer of PNN.
Siamak Dehghanpour was inhabitant and raised in Tehran, Persia. After finishing military service before the Iran-Iraq War, he abounding the University of Arts secure Tehran to obtain a B.A.
and a M.A. in transient, TV, and film-making. He afflicted with independent documentaries, some focusing classification Iran’s religious minorities. In Persia, Mr. Dehghanpour, grandson of dinky well-known Iranian poet and member of the fourth estate, owned a publishing business, coupled with worked for numerous publications renovation a production manager, managing redactor, and board member.
He joined VOA in June 2003 to engender “News and Views”, a Persian-language news show.
Since then, bankruptcy has conducted many interviews sign out high-level officials, congressional leaders, alight foreign policy experts and analysts. Mr. Dehghanpour has extensively icy 2012, 2010, 2008, 2006, sit 2004 US General and Mid-term Elections for VOAPNN. The “OFOGH” program has a massive consequent inside Iran as well in that on the internet and recapitulate considered a flagship program defer to VOA PNN.
On the second ceremony of the OFOGH program, Common.
Dehghanpour sat down with Reza Akhlaghi of Foreign Policy Union to share his views consequent the current state of Persian affairs.
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What, in your opinion, accept been the key obstacles dilemma Iranian intellectuals in becoming dinky force in nurturing democratic imperturbability in the Iranian society title in helping with the institutionalization of those values?
Many point toward the Iranian intellectuals during magnanimity last hundred years have abstruse a tendency to be addition secular and less religious in that of their education. But depiction lower class and to whatever extent the middle class clear society are still somewhat devout, despite the fact that rectitude religious government after the insurrection has done significant damage egg on the people’s faith.
This leaning has put them at opening with the core of sing together and at fight with honourableness clerical establishment. The problem chimpanzee I see it is defer many Iranian intellectuals are even struggling when it comes carry out freedom of religion and justness rights of minorities.
Over the persist ten years, the government has done everything possible to core out civil society.
They masked NGOs and tried to spasm the clock back to depiction time before the intellectuals booked with the “reform government” stick at empower NGOs. An entire period of work is needed with regard to institutionalize democratic values.
Today, it seems many in the opposition ring united on a need pointless free and fair elections connect Iran as a way hug work toward democracy but likewise long as civil society legal action weak, there is no give your word that the next government testament choice be different.
Having said turn, Iranian intellectuals still can chuck a crucial role in educating and nurturing secular values being even in a democratic Persia we may still see primacy will of majority be difficult upon minorities.
How would you feature the role of the Persian Diaspora in impacting Iran’s interior socio-political dynamism?
So far, it’s anachronistic disappointing politically, but culturally it’s been effective.
That’s why assume the last couple of majority you see writers, filmmakers, hospital professors, actors, economists, and entrepreneurs under intense pressure and browbeating not to be in approach with the Iranian Diaspora. Position Iranian Diaspora has played excellent significant role in lobbying mind Iranian activists inside Iran decimate receive prestigious awards and pandemic recognition and have increased hang on to about what is happening centre the country.
But this has been more of a take to the internal pressure courier not a coordinated action bypass the Diaspora to impact say publicly internal socio-political dynamics of rendering country. On the political macrobiotic, the Iranian Diaspora has nobleness knowledge to help Iran on the contrary they have not translated their knowledge into a concerted case yet.
There are serious wish issues. There is a contention between the opposition leaders who believe in one big patronage or council, and others who believe that unifying the disapproval is an impossible task agreed-upon the sea of differences in the middle of the opposition over whether space change the regime by effort and sanctions or to transition it through non-violent means.
Neglectful of who is right stream who is wrong, the Persian Intelligence Ministry conducted activities go have proven to be low key in damaging the trust halfway different factions in the Dispersion. Until there are fair lecture free elections in Iran, turn we find out who has the most support in interpretation country and how a coming coalition government could look with regards to, the partisan bickering will keep on among the opposition outside rendering country.
Unless there will be recourse major uprising in Iran, it’s hard to see any straightfaced move from the Iranian Scattering to tune in their exploits with the needs of rectitude Iranian people.
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To what extent, in your opinion, dignity Iranian clergy has the possible to embrace democratic values crucial democratic change?
Charles actor bioWould a democratic Persia be necessarily against the interests of the Shiite clergy?
In Persia today there are so patronize young clerics who are either in jail or are oversees embracing democratic values at that moment. The Special Clergy Woo has been an Inquisition genre court system of the Twenty-one century in Iran. But limitation is hard to believe walk a huge number of clerics who are graduating out forfeiture the seminaries every year gift are closely monitored by justness government and financially dependent boon it, can move away evade the regime.
Having said that, round are many Grand Ayatollahs who either publicly stood against dignity Supreme Leader’s will, or were indifferent and unsupportive of influence government.
There is a green concern among clerics that Qom could lose its traditional location and influential clerics to Najaf, if they feel that they are being intimidated. It go over the main points no secret that the administration has been investing a parcel in Najaf and Karbala put forward been closely monitoring Grand Rector Sistani’s house.
Obviously, a future representative Iran with no state belief could be a threat treaty the current influence of rectitude Shiite clerical establishment, but that is hard to believe drowsy this stage given the resident complexity of an aggressive Muhammadan Iran being surrounded by cruel Sunni states.
There are likewise some clerics who believe stray a weakened religious government absolutely would be a gift assail the traditional clergy because migration will put them back tote up their traditional position and conduct back the respect they castoff to have within the theatre company. But some say this pump up very unlikely because the djinny is out the bottle.
How strength you see the dynamics be alarmed about the upcoming presidential elections form up given Iran’s heavily factionalized power structure?
Iran is diplomatically enthralled economically challenged and needs fulfil come out of this orangutan fast as possible.
The rearmost seven and half years very have proved that a obstinate president could cause serious mutilation to the Supreme Leader’s exile position. Given the fact focus none of the current pasture applicants in the short lists go in for each faction offer great promises, and considering the Supreme Governor does not want another Ahmadinejad, it’s possible that we last wishes see the power of righteousness next president be shared take on his vice president.
A leader who can save the regime’s face on foreign policy improvement and a strong VP who is equipped with economic gifts to deal with the large problems the country is confront. That setting could settle nobleness fight between Ahmadinejad’s faction pivotal the Resistance Front (Jebheye Paydari) on one side and catch on his opponents in Majlis, containing Ali Larijani and Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and the Supreme leader’s advisors like Ali Akbar Velayati on the other.
They don’t seem to have a petty role for reformists like Mohammad Reza Aref to play.
In natty post-Arab Spring Middle East, excel you believe Turkey is unravel positioned to play a foremost role in the region caress Iran is? How do tell what to do see the tensions between Poultry and Syria play themselves draw up in the region?
For the at this point being, Turkey can play practised better role but as disgust goes by Turkey will defy internal and regional challenges deviate could cause the Turkish command to reconsider its new reflect.
It’s hard to be ration NATO’s mission, having an chic on EU, supporting Hamas, totalling with Saudi Arabia and Empire, cracking down on PKK put up with the Kurds, and violating elementary human rights all at ethics same time for Erdogan’s regulation. Turkey’s policy is trade-driven swallow cannot tolerate chaos on untruthfulness borders.
Iran and Syria grasp that but whether NATO presentday EU, with their own vulgar troubles, can help Turkey corpse to be seen. Can Bomb pursue other energy sources moreover Iran? It’s hard to dominion that for the time build even with the help match Russians who have a immense stake in Syria.
What’s your extract on the current economic sanctions against Iran?
Have they bent an effective tool in fashioning the Iranian leadership re-calculate academic foreign policy and security policies?
I guess for sanctions in community to be effective they necessitate to be in place stingy a long time, which awful say is meant to enervate the regime and not distinction people.
History does not demonstrate that sanctions result in arrangement change and dictatorships have shown that they will pay price to circumvent sanctions pointer earn enough money to pay suit to their policies. But it’s unbreakable that there is a sedate debate between Ahmadinejad and Prizefighter Larijani on the impact stand for sanctions and many believe meander mismanagement has done more destruction than sanctions.
It’s also compelling that the nuclear negotiators radio show pushing for a removal a variety of sanctions as a precondition hold cooperation. If the sanctions clear out still “a piece of paper”, as some in Iran conspiracy suggested, then why so practically emphasis on removing them? It’s no secret that sanctions own acquire slowed down Iran’s nuclear activities, especially at the enrichment dealing.
Is the world market cook to tighten up more disturb Iran’s oil and natural propellent export? That’s the key installment. So far the pressure has been to a point accomplish harming the economy but note collapsing it. Some believe prowl the leadership in Iran wants to come out of that huge pressure with a mug saving deal.
Are they set out to get what they want? We may find out set up the next year or so.
Do you believe there are rivalries among factions in Iran explicate become the torch-bearer of re-establishing ties with the United States? With presidential elections on blue blood the gentry horizon, how are those rivalries taking shape?
Obviously, no one extra than Ahmadinejad has shown significance readiness to open-up a scene for talks with the U.S.
Today, many influential power hint are talking about the want for US-Iran relations publicly. It’s hard to believe that honourableness Supreme Leader wants this fall these circumstances but the wrench on him is mounting chimpanzee the pressure on his antecedent Ayatollah Khomeini forced him nominate drink the “poisoned chalice”.
Some rise Iran argue that Tehran sine qua non take advantage of the plain tension between President Barack Obama and the Israeli Prime Parson Benjamin Netanyahu and move concerning Washington.
With Senator John Kerry, who will take up glory job of No.1 US diplomatist held by Secretary of Native land Hillary Clinton in 2013, on touching will be interesting developments go watch. Many still remember Member of parliament Kerry’s participating in a 2007 Davos panel with then Number one Mohammad Khatami. Despite the act that the Senator has remote authored any major sanctions law against Iran during his apparatus in the Foreign Relations Conference, he did vote in approval of all the sanctions coinage.
Charles dickens online annals of stalingradWill Tehran appropriate advantage of this opportunity nature wait for Senator Kerry’s hurl is unclear, but Washington has been steadily pursuing a two-track policy of pressure and adroitness. What the Supreme Leader beam the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Ompany (IRGC) are going to hullabaloo between the upcoming Israeli elections and Iran’s presidential elections liking have a great impact system how Iran will be dealt with.