Sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody, a woman arrested by the morality police for allegedly violating Iran’s strict Islamic dress code, civil unrest and protests within Iran began in September and have been ablaze ever since. The longest running anti-government protests since the 1979 Iranian Revolution, which brought the Islamic Republic into existence, the fight for freedom and an end to the oppression of women has shaken the regime to its core. This has been at a heavy cost to those Iranians taking to the streets, with at least 500 protestors dead, hundreds imprisoned, and many on trial for their lives.

Meanwhile, Iran’s nuclear ambitions remain a clear threat to regional and international security. With the Islamic Republic openly breaking its agreements with the international community by reaching what many are now assuming is a nuclear weapons threshold (if not yet capability), the JCPOA process is in tatters. Iran’s regional meddling also destabilises its neighbours through terrorism and the encouraging of separatist movements, and currently acts as the greatest inhibitor to a peaceful Middle East.

By kind invitation of Damian Collins MP, the Henry Jackson Society is delighted to invite you to a discussion with Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of Iran and leading advocate for a secular, democratic Iran. Mr Pahlavi will discuss his hopes for a future Iran, and outline how the international community can constrain a regime that has proved itself to be a threat to its own people, its neighbours and the world.

Reza Pahlavi, the Crown Prince of Iran, has lived in exile since 1979, but his commitment to advocating for freedom, democracy, and human rights for his countrymen remains unwavering; as a leader and advocate, he speaks out against the widespread abuse and oppression of the Iranian people, calling for a secular democracy in Iran and regime change through non-violent civil disobedience. The Crown Prince has written three books on the state of affairs in Iran, including Winds of Change: The Future of Democracy in Iran, and has a featured column in The Huffington Post.

Alan Mendoza is a Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Henry Jackson Society, Britain’s leading think tank fighting for the principles and alliances which keep societies free. He directs strategy for the organisation as well as acting as its main public face in mediums as diverse as the BBC, Sky, CNBC, Al-Jazeera, Bloomberg, LBC and TalkRadio. On the print side, Alan is a columnist for City AM, London’s business newspaper, and has contributed to The Times, The Telegraph, The Daily Mail, The Sun and a host of international newspapers and magazines.

Having obtained a B.A. (Hons.) and M.Phil in history at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, Alan completed a Ph.D. at the same institution. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and was the Parliamentary Candidate for the Conservative Party in the Brent Central Constituency for the 2015 General Election. He is also a Trustee of the President Reagan Memorial Fund Trust.

Damian Collins is the Conservative Member of Parliament for Folkestone and Hythe. From 2016 to 2019 he was the Chair of the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, leading inquiries into doping in sport, disinformation and ‘fake news’, football governance, reality TV, homophobia in sport, and addictive and immersive technologies. He also launched the International Grand Committee, assembling parliamentarians from all over the world to discuss disinformation, data privacy, electoral communications and digital competition; and recently co-founded Infotagion, a fact-checking website and podcast series.

***

EVENT SUMMARY

The Henry Jackson Society was honored to be joined by crown prince Reza Pahlavi of Iran, and Damian Collins MP to discuss the future of Iran and the ways in which the International community can best assist the people of Iran in their struggle for self determination and political freedom against the Islamic Republic. Dr. Alan Mendoza opened the discussion by introducing the panelists and greeting the enthusiastic crowd in attendance at the event. Dr. Mendoza discussed the failure of the Iran Nuclear Deal to reign in the Islamic Republic’s nuclear ambitions and expressed doubt that regime could correct course and liberalize after its brutal response to the Mahsa Amini protests and subsequent repression of civil liberties. Reza Pahlavi expressed agreement stating that the regime was weakened to the point that coordinated labor strikes could cripple the Iranian State. Pahlavi argued that western powers should support the Iranian people but understand that they alone will determine the future of their country. Pahlavi stated that while the opposition to the Islamic Republic was diverse, it represents the will of the overwhelming majority of the Iranian people who share a desire to transform their country into a secular democracy. The panel spoke in agreement that the only binding objective of the opposition was to establish a representative government that can adequately see to the needs of the Iranian people, and that the Islamic Republic has lost its legitimacy as a governing force in Iran.

#HJSEvents