Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Well it's not all is red.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
They'll be days.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
One of no one complain it.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
There'll be days like this. Whatever thankful in the place
dot go flick of a switch. Oh my mama to me,
There'll be days like this.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
If you want to ensure your future, you want to
land your first job, That's what Eastern Michigan University is
built for. In ipsil Ani, you'll find in demand programs
that have one job placement where you work with tech
evolving at the pace of change. It's where you shape
tomorrow and get ready to lead, not follow. Eastern Michigan
University grads get more jobs period Apply today at emish
(00:57):
dot ed u. And that's right down the street from
the University of Michigan, which, as it turns out, might
have a tie to the future of Iran. We have
details about that. In fact, right this very moment, you're
listening to Michael Patrick Shields radio stations across the state
of Michigan and worldwide at MI Big Show dot com.
(01:20):
Please to be with you this morning, and please join
on our radio stage through our AT and T line.
Doctor Ramesh Separd She is an Iranian relations and policy expert.
Salam and welcome to the program.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Good morning, and thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
I would you pronounce your last name for me so
I get it correctly? Please?
Speaker 2 (01:45):
You got it?
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Oh wow? Well, thank you very much. I appreciate that,
and I'm glad to have you. I'm sorry about the circumstances,
because I'm reading this morning that what is happening in
Iran is that the killings have stopped, but because the
protests have been quelled by machine gun guards going through
the streets and making sure that people don't leave their
(02:08):
homes now before they even get a chance to get
out there by the millions and protest the current regime
is that what you're hearing, what I'm.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Hearing is the massacre from the streets, which has caused
lives of thousands of people protesting against the regime, is
now shifted to massacres into in the presence. The numbers
that I've heard in terms of people arrested has put
fifty thousand people have been arrested for protesting against this regime.
(02:41):
And obviously we are under the dark. The Internet has
been shut down in the last one hundred and eighty hours,
which is the longest shutdown of Internet and digital blackout
in Iran. So the truth it still remains to be exposed.
But there is a systemic massacred There is a killing
(03:08):
of protesters that's taking place, whether it's happening in the
streets or in prison. Really calls for the international community
to do so much more that they're doing up to
this point.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
What do you need done and how soon?
Speaker 2 (03:25):
The fact is that the Iranian people are rejecting this
regime and the people of Iran are really looking for
the international community to recognize their rights to self defense
and self determination. There is obviously, well I.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Think most of us recognize that, but you want something
more than that, don't you?
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Absolutely, Because, for example, I don't understand why Europeans are
dragging their feet with designating the IRGC, which is a
terrorist organization, as a foreign terrorist or organization lened their
access to various funds and recognize their true nature as
a terrorist organization. The other thing that we're asking is
(04:09):
why is the Iran's regime ambassadors are still active in
the various countries. The embassies should be shut down, the
ambassadors from all the global community should be recalled from Iran,
diplomatic isolation and more pressure on this regime should definitely
put this regime un noticed that the world is watching
(04:31):
and they can just massacre protesters in such a gruesome way.
And then lastly, everyone is really confused about military intervention.
Iranian people have always said, we're not looking for soldiers
from outside, We're not looking for boots underground. What we
are looking for is the recognition of the resistance unit
(04:54):
movements that's underground to really lead the movement and the
and defend the rights of the Iranian people to determine
their own future, meaning that if they pick up arms
against this regime, they're not going to be considered unlabeled
in diplomatic negotiations as terrorists. They are defending and they
(05:19):
are determining their own future in their fight against this regime.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
So why doesn't the world turn on Iran and treat
them as a pariah and isolate them like they do
some other countries. Well, particularly, do the Russians have something
to do with that? Chinese? Maybe?
Speaker 2 (05:40):
You know, Russia and China have not come to Iran's
aid this time or even the previous time, so their
relations with the Iranian state is very transactional. I'm not
really seeing much of a support from Iran's surrogate like
Russi and China. But at the same time, it's a
(06:03):
very good question, why doesn't the world do what it
needs to do to isolate this regime fully, diplomatically isolate
this regime, and this is the call on the international
community leaders. I have to say I'm encouraged by the
message that's coming from the European Parliament President who is
saying that yes, we are going to isolate this regime,
(06:26):
but there are countries in Europe that are dragging their feet,
and namely United Kingdom. I know there's tremendous pressure within
the UK Parliament to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization,
but the British government has not taken any actions on this.
So the time is now if it's If not now,
when that's the real question to be asked.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Well, you've asked that question many times over the years,
but to your point, it sure seems now when the
United States did launch an attack and destroy the nuclear capabilities,
at least for the moment of Iran, the rest of
the world sort of gave you exactly what you're talking about,
though they didn't have any outcry. Even the Saudis didn't
(07:10):
say anything about that, So was that a good signal?
Speaker 2 (07:14):
I think elimination of the IRGC leaders or maybe pushing
back the Iran's nuclear weapons in its track with the
twelve Day Award during the summer definitely worked in terms
of in terms of peace and stability. But we need
to have a political endgame. This is not military foreign
(07:40):
military intervention. It's not without any political endgame. It's not
going to bring this regime down. People in the streets
are shouting down with the dictators and risking their lives.
So how do we tie that message to the broader
international community. You know, this is not the first time
the international comunity has faced a prior state. If you
(08:02):
look at the South Africa and the apartheid system in
South Africa, it took that diploma, complete diplomatic isolation along
with domestic opposition group to bring that regime down. Right now,
in that moment with Iran, why isn't the world community
(08:22):
recognizing the domestic opposition inside Iran that has a clear
path and transition that calls for a non nuclear, secular
republic in Iran. Why isn't the world propping up the
remnant of the Shaw's regime. The monarchy is as a
potential alternative to this regime. Iranian people are not going
(08:44):
back to monarchy. Iranian people are rejected monarchy in nineteen
seventy nine.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
Well, when we come back, we'll talk more about that
with the doctor Ramish Saparad. Stay right there, we'll be
right here. It's Michael Patrick Shields. Salam, you're listening to
(09:14):
Michael Patrick Shields. I'm glad you are. And we're on
radio stations across the state of Michigan worldwide at Amibig
show dot com. Dearborn in Michigan has a high concentration
of people from the Middle East. We're especially interested. Osama
Sablani is the publisher of the Arab American News. He
joins us frequently on this program, and we are speaking
(09:35):
this morning with doctor RuMIS Saparad. She is an Iranian
relations and foreign policy expert. We were talking a minute
ago about, you know, the potential for regime change and
if not now when given the events that have taken place,
the hideous events, the slaughter of protesters and keeping people
prisoner in their homes. There was talk a doctor a
(09:58):
at the Ayatola have an escape plan where he was
going to go to Russia and that there's a jet
on standby for he and twenty of his chosen to escape.
Did you believe that or was that a sensational story?
Speaker 2 (10:14):
To be honest, it's sometimes when you look at some
of these stories coming from whatever sources out there, it's
hard to believe what's true what's not true. So I
don't believe the Iranian regime will give up power easily.
And obviously the way they've been killing people in the
streets demonstrates that they're gonna Their killing machine is going
(10:38):
to run until it's very last minute. But I think
the Ayatola is definitely facing the end of his reign
and they know that the end is near, and now
it is a matter of how we get there, and
there are competing approaches to how we get there. On
(11:00):
one hand, there is the authentic, organic resistance movement on
theerground that wants to bring this regime down based on
the people's will and the protests and the sacrifice for
a new revolution in Iran, and that is the movement
that supports Mariam Rajavi's ten plan. It is an independent movement.
(11:25):
And on the other hand, you have the monarchists that
are trying to invite foreign intervention in order to impose themselves.
Yet as the future of Iran and a return of monarchy,
So Iranian people are rejecting monarchy. In fact, one of
the popular slogans in the streets was down with the dictators,
(11:48):
be at the show or molus. So we did have
a nineteen seventy and nine revolution which was hijacked by
the Ayatolas. What I see in Iran today is a
continuation of that revolution, which is now a rejection of theocracy,
moving forwards through a non nuclear, secular republic. Iran is
(12:09):
a combination of lessons learned of previous revolutions and the
uprisings of the Iranian people, and that's what the world
community should support, because that is the authentic change.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
Life was better under the Shah, though, wasn't it? Or
was it?
Speaker 2 (12:29):
Life economically could have was better, but politically and socially
wasn't The poverty was terrible, and we had marginalized communities,
especially Iranian nationalities, came under severe, severe oppression by the
Shaw's regime. My own uncle is a former political prisoner
(12:51):
from the Shaws era. You could still see the signs
of torture on his body. So political repression was there,
executions were there. But when it comes to that part
of the world, especially when it comes to Iran, as
someone who is a native Iranian, sometimes I wonder why
is the world's expectation when it comes to democracy freedom
(13:12):
It's so low. We have to really support a democratic
republic in Iran that really allows the popular sovereignty take roots,
that really allows the people's will to come out of
the ballot box, and not some sort of anointed leader
that comes from outside.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
The idea of Raisa Pallavi, the son of the Shah, who,
as I understand it, has at least one or two
daughters who are educated or are being educated at the
University of Michigan here in our state. You reject the
idea that Raisa Palavi could lead the new Iran like
his father did.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
Absolutely, and it's not just me, it's also the people
of Iran in the street shouting that message, saying no
to mo la, yes to democracy and equality. You know this.
This We gotta remember the Parlavi dynasty was installed by
the Brits British during the World War Two when his
(14:17):
grandfather aligned himself with Nazi Germany, he was removed, he
had to appdicate his throne to his son, and his
son's power was consolidated through a CIA coup in nineteen
fifty three against doctor Monsdel. And now we see that
the grandson, Raza Pahlavi is now being pushed on the
(14:38):
Iranian regime. Yes, he talks about democracy, Yes he talks
about secularism and freedom, but when it comes to the
issue of republic, that's where he draws the line because
he doesn't believe in popular sovereignty, he doesn't believe in
a ballot box, and he has had multiple failed occasions
to pull in a coalition of Iranians because of the
(15:01):
fact that he's a self centered leader that really believes
in monarchy, even though he tries to hide behind lofty
words like democracy. This is a guy who has no
credibility among the Iranian community, both outside and inside of Iran.
He's never held a job in his life. He lives
on the money that his father stole from the Iranian
(15:22):
people and brought the money out of Iran when they
left in nineteen seventy nine, and he has no political credibility.
So one day he says one thing. The next day
he changes his mind. He doesn't even have a leadership
vision for Iran. This is not what the people of
Iran are giving up their lives for. This is not
(15:42):
what the people of Iran are fighting for. People of Iran,
as I said, are fighting for a secular republic Iran,
and that's what we need to rally or support behind.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
Thank you very much. In fact, doctor Kazem Kazurian joined
us Kazornian and I asked him about very question, and
here's what he said.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
The echo chambers of certain interest groups are broadcasting his
name as an alternative, but the Iranian people hate him.
He is a recipe. He's a perfect recipe for in
a civil war in Iran.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
Oh my gosh. And well, thank you very much for
your expertise, and we'll keep in touch both of you.
It's Michael Patrick Shield's dreaming of peace around the world,
not just Iran, but let's start there.
Well it's not all is red.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
They'll be days.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
One of no one complain it.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
There'll be days like this. Whatever thankful in the place
dot go flick of a switch. Oh my mama to me,
There'll be days like this.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
If you want to ensure your future, you want to
land your first job, That's what Eastern Michigan University is
built for. In ipsil Ani, you'll find in demand programs
that have one job placement where you work with tech
evolving at the pace of change. It's where you shape
tomorrow and get ready to lead, not follow. Eastern Michigan
University grads get more jobs period Apply today at emish
(00:57):
dot ed u. And that's right down the street from
the University of Michigan, which, as it turns out, might
have a tie to the future of Iran. We have
details about that. In fact, right this very moment, you're
listening to Michael Patrick Shields radio stations across the state
of Michigan and worldwide at MI Big Show dot com.
(01:20):
Please to be with you this morning, and please join
on our radio stage through our AT and T line.
Doctor Ramesh Separd She is an Iranian relations and policy expert.
Salam and welcome to the program.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Good morning, and thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
I would you pronounce your last name for me so
I get it correctly? Please?
Speaker 2 (01:45):
You got it?
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Oh wow? Well, thank you very much. I appreciate that,
and I'm glad to have you. I'm sorry about the circumstances,
because I'm reading this morning that what is happening in
Iran is that the killings have stopped, but because the
protests have been quelled by machine gun guards going through
the streets and making sure that people don't leave their
(02:08):
homes now before they even get a chance to get
out there by the millions and protest the current regime
is that what you're hearing, what I'm.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Hearing is the massacre from the streets, which has caused
lives of thousands of people protesting against the regime, is
now shifted to massacres into in the presence. The numbers
that I've heard in terms of people arrested has put
fifty thousand people have been arrested for protesting against this regime.
(02:41):
And obviously we are under the dark. The Internet has
been shut down in the last one hundred and eighty hours,
which is the longest shutdown of Internet and digital blackout
in Iran. So the truth it still remains to be exposed.
But there is a systemic massacred There is a killing
(03:08):
of protesters that's taking place, whether it's happening in the
streets or in prison. Really calls for the international community
to do so much more that they're doing up to
this point.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
What do you need done and how soon?
Speaker 2 (03:25):
The fact is that the Iranian people are rejecting this
regime and the people of Iran are really looking for
the international community to recognize their rights to self defense
and self determination. There is obviously, well I.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Think most of us recognize that, but you want something
more than that, don't you?
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Absolutely, Because, for example, I don't understand why Europeans are
dragging their feet with designating the IRGC, which is a
terrorist organization, as a foreign terrorist or organization lened their
access to various funds and recognize their true nature as
a terrorist organization. The other thing that we're asking is
(04:09):
why is the Iran's regime ambassadors are still active in
the various countries. The embassies should be shut down, the
ambassadors from all the global community should be recalled from Iran,
diplomatic isolation and more pressure on this regime should definitely
put this regime un noticed that the world is watching
(04:31):
and they can just massacre protesters in such a gruesome way.
And then lastly, everyone is really confused about military intervention.
Iranian people have always said, we're not looking for soldiers
from outside, We're not looking for boots underground. What we
are looking for is the recognition of the resistance unit
(04:54):
movements that's underground to really lead the movement and the
and defend the rights of the Iranian people to determine
their own future, meaning that if they pick up arms
against this regime, they're not going to be considered unlabeled
in diplomatic negotiations as terrorists. They are defending and they
(05:19):
are determining their own future in their fight against this regime.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
So why doesn't the world turn on Iran and treat
them as a pariah and isolate them like they do
some other countries. Well, particularly, do the Russians have something
to do with that? Chinese? Maybe?
Speaker 2 (05:40):
You know, Russia and China have not come to Iran's
aid this time or even the previous time, so their
relations with the Iranian state is very transactional. I'm not
really seeing much of a support from Iran's surrogate like
Russi and China. But at the same time, it's a
(06:03):
very good question, why doesn't the world do what it
needs to do to isolate this regime fully, diplomatically isolate
this regime, and this is the call on the international
community leaders. I have to say I'm encouraged by the
message that's coming from the European Parliament President who is
saying that yes, we are going to isolate this regime,
(06:26):
but there are countries in Europe that are dragging their feet,
and namely United Kingdom. I know there's tremendous pressure within
the UK Parliament to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization,
but the British government has not taken any actions on this.
So the time is now if it's If not now,
when that's the real question to be asked.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Well, you've asked that question many times over the years,
but to your point, it sure seems now when the
United States did launch an attack and destroy the nuclear capabilities,
at least for the moment of Iran, the rest of
the world sort of gave you exactly what you're talking about,
though they didn't have any outcry. Even the Saudis didn't
(07:10):
say anything about that, So was that a good signal?
Speaker 2 (07:14):
I think elimination of the IRGC leaders or maybe pushing
back the Iran's nuclear weapons in its track with the
twelve Day Award during the summer definitely worked in terms
of in terms of peace and stability. But we need
to have a political endgame. This is not military foreign
(07:40):
military intervention. It's not without any political endgame. It's not
going to bring this regime down. People in the streets
are shouting down with the dictators and risking their lives.
So how do we tie that message to the broader
international community. You know, this is not the first time
the international comunity has faced a prior state. If you
(08:02):
look at the South Africa and the apartheid system in
South Africa, it took that diploma, complete diplomatic isolation along
with domestic opposition group to bring that regime down. Right now,
in that moment with Iran, why isn't the world community
(08:22):
recognizing the domestic opposition inside Iran that has a clear
path and transition that calls for a non nuclear, secular
republic in Iran. Why isn't the world propping up the
remnant of the Shaw's regime. The monarchy is as a
potential alternative to this regime. Iranian people are not going
(08:44):
back to monarchy. Iranian people are rejected monarchy in nineteen
seventy nine.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
Well, when we come back, we'll talk more about that
with the doctor Ramish Saparad. Stay right there, we'll be
right here. It's Michael Patrick Shields. Salam, you're listening to
(09:14):
Michael Patrick Shields. I'm glad you are. And we're on
radio stations across the state of Michigan worldwide at Amibig
show dot com. Dearborn in Michigan has a high concentration
of people from the Middle East. We're especially interested. Osama
Sablani is the publisher of the Arab American News. He
joins us frequently on this program, and we are speaking
(09:35):
this morning with doctor RuMIS Saparad. She is an Iranian
relations and foreign policy expert. We were talking a minute
ago about, you know, the potential for regime change and
if not now when given the events that have taken place,
the hideous events, the slaughter of protesters and keeping people
prisoner in their homes. There was talk a doctor a
(09:58):
at the Ayatola have an escape plan where he was
going to go to Russia and that there's a jet
on standby for he and twenty of his chosen to escape.
Did you believe that or was that a sensational story?
Speaker 2 (10:14):
To be honest, it's sometimes when you look at some
of these stories coming from whatever sources out there, it's
hard to believe what's true what's not true. So I
don't believe the Iranian regime will give up power easily.
And obviously the way they've been killing people in the
streets demonstrates that they're gonna Their killing machine is going
(10:38):
to run until it's very last minute. But I think
the Ayatola is definitely facing the end of his reign
and they know that the end is near, and now
it is a matter of how we get there, and
there are competing approaches to how we get there. On
(11:00):
one hand, there is the authentic, organic resistance movement on
theerground that wants to bring this regime down based on
the people's will and the protests and the sacrifice for
a new revolution in Iran, and that is the movement
that supports Mariam Rajavi's ten plan. It is an independent movement.
(11:25):
And on the other hand, you have the monarchists that
are trying to invite foreign intervention in order to impose themselves.
Yet as the future of Iran and a return of monarchy,
So Iranian people are rejecting monarchy. In fact, one of
the popular slogans in the streets was down with the dictators,
(11:48):
be at the show or molus. So we did have
a nineteen seventy and nine revolution which was hijacked by
the Ayatolas. What I see in Iran today is a
continuation of that revolution, which is now a rejection of theocracy,
moving forwards through a non nuclear, secular republic. Iran is
(12:09):
a combination of lessons learned of previous revolutions and the
uprisings of the Iranian people, and that's what the world
community should support, because that is the authentic change.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
Life was better under the Shah, though, wasn't it? Or
was it?
Speaker 2 (12:29):
Life economically could have was better, but politically and socially
wasn't The poverty was terrible, and we had marginalized communities,
especially Iranian nationalities, came under severe, severe oppression by the
Shaw's regime. My own uncle is a former political prisoner
(12:51):
from the Shaws era. You could still see the signs
of torture on his body. So political repression was there,
executions were there. But when it comes to that part
of the world, especially when it comes to Iran, as
someone who is a native Iranian, sometimes I wonder why
is the world's expectation when it comes to democracy freedom
(13:12):
It's so low. We have to really support a democratic
republic in Iran that really allows the popular sovereignty take roots,
that really allows the people's will to come out of
the ballot box, and not some sort of anointed leader
that comes from outside.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
The idea of Raisa Pallavi, the son of the Shah, who,
as I understand it, has at least one or two
daughters who are educated or are being educated at the
University of Michigan here in our state. You reject the
idea that Raisa Palavi could lead the new Iran like
his father did.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
Absolutely, and it's not just me, it's also the people
of Iran in the street shouting that message, saying no
to mo la, yes to democracy and equality. You know this.
This We gotta remember the Parlavi dynasty was installed by
the Brits British during the World War Two when his
(14:17):
grandfather aligned himself with Nazi Germany, he was removed, he
had to appdicate his throne to his son, and his
son's power was consolidated through a CIA coup in nineteen
fifty three against doctor Monsdel. And now we see that
the grandson, Raza Pahlavi is now being pushed on the
(14:38):
Iranian regime. Yes, he talks about democracy, Yes he talks
about secularism and freedom, but when it comes to the
issue of republic, that's where he draws the line because
he doesn't believe in popular sovereignty, he doesn't believe in
a ballot box, and he has had multiple failed occasions
to pull in a coalition of Iranians because of the
(15:01):
fact that he's a self centered leader that really believes
in monarchy, even though he tries to hide behind lofty
words like democracy. This is a guy who has no
credibility among the Iranian community, both outside and inside of Iran.
He's never held a job in his life. He lives
on the money that his father stole from the Iranian
(15:22):
people and brought the money out of Iran when they
left in nineteen seventy nine, and he has no political credibility.
So one day he says one thing. The next day
he changes his mind. He doesn't even have a leadership
vision for Iran. This is not what the people of
Iran are giving up their lives for. This is not
(15:42):
what the people of Iran are fighting for. People of Iran,
as I said, are fighting for a secular republic Iran,
and that's what we need to rally or support behind.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
Thank you very much. In fact, doctor Kazem Kazurian joined
us Kazornian and I asked him about very question, and
here's what he said.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
The echo chambers of certain interest groups are broadcasting his
name as an alternative, but the Iranian people hate him.
He is a recipe. He's a perfect recipe for in
a civil war in Iran.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
Oh my gosh. And well, thank you very much for
your expertise, and we'll keep in touch both of you.
It's Michael Patrick Shield's dreaming of peace around the world,
not just Iran, but let's start there.
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