Political Advocacy: Activism on the Edge
Political advocacy activism on the edge, according to Iran Gate, has turned into a controversial topic in the Persian-speaking social media following Prince Reza Pahlavi’s recent remarks about the necessity of internal forces supporting his potential international negotiations regarding Iran.
Simultaneously, two hashtags, ‘I Give Power of Attorney’ and ‘Reza Pahlavi’, have trended on Twitter, with both opponents and supporters using these hashtags in Persian or English to express their positions.
The slogan ‘Prince, take back the homeland with a lawyer’ has also been repeated by some supporters of granting power of attorney to Mr. Pahlavi on social media.
In an interview broadcast on January 16 by Manoto TV, Reza Pahlavi mentioned the possibility of meeting and negotiating with political figures to present a plan or project regarding Iran, saying that whatever we want to do in the future must have a basis of acceptance and legitimacy from within.
He added that if tomorrow we are to conduct necessary negotiations on the international stage on behalf of our compatriots, it is essential to show that this is supported and represented by political prisoners, civil activists, and intellectual and political currents within the country.
In response to the question of whether it is time for him to take on a more prominent role as a coordinator of movements opposing the Islamic Republic, he said, ‘Let me put it simply, imagine tomorrow I can meet with other political figures who are aligned with us on this path; their first question will be, what do you represent here?’
Supporters and the Hashtag ‘I Give Power of Attorney’
Following these remarks, Saeed Hafezi, a journalist residing in Germany, launched the ‘I Give Power of Attorney’ campaign, and several figures from various fields, including Dariush Eghbali, a singer, Hassan Shamaizadeh, a composer, Ali Karimi and Sosha Makani, Iranian football stars, Hamid Farrokhnezhad, Parastoo Salehi, and Ronak Younesi, actors, as well as Mehrdad Zarei from the families of the victims of the Ukrainian plane crash, joined it.
Manouchehr Bakhtiari, the father of Pouya Bakhtiari, one of the victims of November 2019, also expressed solidarity with this campaign in an audio message from Evin Prison, stating that he gives power of attorney and representation to Reza Pahlavi for changing the Islamic Republic.
Mehdi Meskinnavaz, Abdolrasoul Mortazavi, and Ali Mousinejad Farkoush, political prisoners from Rajai Shahr Prison, also expressed solidarity with this campaign. Some supporters of the ‘I Give Power of Attorney’ campaign, including Dariush Eghbali and Ali Karimi, have emphasized in their support statements that they are giving power of attorney to Prince Reza Pahlavi only during the transition and change of the Islamic Republic, and after that, the fate of the government will be determined by free elections.
Actor Ehsan Karami also created an online petition titled ‘Granting Power of Attorney/Representation to Mr. Pahlavi’ on January 17, which had gathered over 220,000 signatures for granting symbolic power of attorney to Reza Pahlavi at the time of writing this report.
Staunch Opponents
However, this campaign has also faced opposition, with some activists and social media activists describing the issue of power of attorney as contrary to solidarity and coalition, viewing it as closer to succession and inheritance. For instance, political activist Ali Afshari tweeted that although religious despotism is the main problem, more important than the departure of a tyrant is the end of autocracy and prevention of all forms of despotism.
He indirectly referred to the issue of granting power of attorney to Mr. Pahlavi as trivializing the political matter and added that circles inside and outside are consciously seeking to discredit political organizations and parties to preserve political patriarchy.
Some opponents also say they prefer to grant leadership of the protests and representation of the protesters to someone from within Iran, especially a political prisoner, including female prisoners. Opponents of this plan believe that given the internet situation in Iran, not all people can participate in voting to grant or deny power of attorney to Reza Pahlavi, and for this reason, this method is undemocratic.
Intense Debate Between Supporters and Opponents
While opponents emphasize the lack of a clear program from Prince Reza Pahlavi, supporters say he has essentially sought permission from the Iranian people to meet with international political leaders, and in his statements, he has repeatedly emphasized maintaining Iran’s territorial integrity, respecting the rights of all Iranians, human rights, secularism, and democracy, which is why he has a clear program.
Supporters believe that patriotism, secularism, and human rights are three points of agreement among opponents that Reza Pahlavi has also emphasized. Three years ago, Reza Pahlavi also officially announced in a television interview his willingness to represent the Iranian people against the Islamic Republic.
In recent years, following slogans in favor of the Pahlavi family and the regret expressed by some protesters over the 1979 revolution, the Pahlavi family’s activities in both virtual and real spaces have increased.
Prince Reza Pahlavi and Empress Farah Pahlavi have repeatedly supported the protesters during the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ protests and have called for the solidarity of all Iranians to confront the Islamic Republic.