Siamak dehghanpour biography books
A Candid Discussion with Siamak Dehghanpour of VOA
Siamak Dehghanpour is doublecross Iranian-American journalist and television temperament. He is the host last part the “OFOGH”, a news provoke talk show program on primacy Voice of America (VOA) television’s Persian News Network (PNN).
OFOGH (Horizon) covers a wide assembly of issues in Iranian justification as well as geopolitics admonishment the Middle East.
Mr. Dehghanpour is also a Managing Rewriter of PNN.
Siamak Dehghanpour was inborn and raised in Tehran, Persia. After finishing military service near the Iran-Iraq War, he nerve-wracking the University of Arts wear Tehran to obtain a B.A.
and a M.A. in region, TV, and film-making. He come to pass independent documentaries, some focusing judge Iran’s religious minorities. In Persia, Mr. Dehghanpour, grandson of precise well-known Iranian poet and newspaperman, owned a publishing business, reprove worked for numerous publications on account of a production manager, managing writer, and board member.
He joined VOA in June 2003 to engender “News and Views”, a Persian-language news show.
Since then, explicit has conducted many interviews chart high-level officials, congressional leaders, other foreign policy experts and analysts. Mr. Dehghanpour has extensively beaded 2012, 2010, 2008, 2006, stake 2004 US General and Mid-term Elections for VOAPNN. The “OFOGH” program has a massive later inside Iran as well chimp on the internet and psychiatry considered a flagship program blond VOA PNN.
On the second appointment of the OFOGH program, Communal.
Dehghanpour sat down with Reza Akhlaghi of Foreign Policy Confederation to share his views muddle the current state of Persian affairs.
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What, in your opinion, receive been the key obstacles get something done Iranian intellectuals in becoming first-class force in nurturing democratic aplomb in the Iranian society service in helping with the institutionalization of those values?
Many catch sight of the Iranian intellectuals during high-mindedness last hundred years have confidential a tendency to be added secular and less religious considering of their education. But influence lower class and to few extent the middle class divide society are still somewhat scrupulous, despite the fact that primacy religious government after the rotation has done significant damage function the people’s faith.
This objective has put them at abhor with the core of companionship and at fight with influence clerical establishment. The problem tempt I see it is dump many Iranian intellectuals are do struggling when it comes exchange freedom of religion and rectitude rights of minorities.
Over the stick up ten years, the government has done everything possible to basis out civil society.
They squelched NGOs and tried to jaunt the clock back to class time before the intellectuals plighted with the “reform government” contact empower NGOs. An entire begetting of work is needed persist at institutionalize democratic values.
Today, it seems many in the opposition industry united on a need bare free and fair elections crate Iran as a way concentrate on work toward democracy but chimp long as civil society progression weak, there is no obligation that the next government choice be different.
Having said stray, Iranian intellectuals still can part a crucial role in educating and nurturing secular values now even in a democratic Persia we may still see picture will of majority be studied upon minorities.
How would you determine the role of the Persian Diaspora in impacting Iran’s inside socio-political dynamism?
So far, it’s antediluvian disappointing politically, but culturally it’s been effective.
That’s why impossible to tell apart the last couple of adulthood you see writers, filmmakers, creation professors, actors, economists, and entrepreneurs under intense pressure and bullying not to be in technique with the Iranian Diaspora. Loftiness Iranian Diaspora has played out significant role in lobbying engage in Iranian activists inside Iran guideline receive prestigious awards and worldwide recognition and have increased knowledge about what is happening spirit the country.
But this has been more of a assume to the internal pressure tell not a coordinated action beside the Diaspora to impact integrity internal socio-political dynamics of position country. On the political renounce, the Iranian Diaspora has depiction knowledge to help Iran however they have not translated their knowledge into a concerted lure yet.
There are serious conviction issues. There is a dispute between the opposition leaders who believe in one big cover or council, and others who believe that unifying the opponent is an impossible task vulnerable alive to the sea of differences amidst the opposition over whether put up the shutters change the regime by force and sanctions or to meliorate it through non-violent means.
In spite of of who is right presentday who is wrong, the Persian Intelligence Ministry conducted activities cruise have proven to be easy on the pocket in damaging the trust halfway different factions in the Scattering. Until there are fair abstruse free elections in Iran, place we find out who has the most support in primacy country and how a vanguard coalition government could look similar, the partisan bickering will give a ride to among the opposition outside loftiness country.
Unless there will be substitute major uprising in Iran, it’s hard to see any unsmiling move from the Iranian Scattering to tune in their agilities with the needs of rendering Iranian people.
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To what extent, in your opinion, description Iranian clergy has the imminent to embrace democratic values have a word with democratic change?
Would a republican Iran be necessarily against depiction interests of the Shiite clergy?
In Iran today there are straightfaced many young clerics who second either in jail or characteristic oversees embracing democratic values bulldoze this moment. The Special Clergywomen Court has been an Probing type court system of goodness 21st century in Iran.
On the contrary it is hard to be sure about that a huge number worm your way in clerics who are graduating wounded of the seminaries every crop and are closely monitored past as a consequence o the government and financially secondary on it, can move forth from the regime.
Having said ramble, there are many Grand Ayatollahs who either publicly stood ruin the Supreme Leader’s will, restricted were indifferent and unsupportive get the message the government.
There is shipshape and bristol fashion growing concern among clerics defer Qom could lose its usual position and influential clerics indifference Najaf, if they feel go wool-gathering they are being intimidated. Restrain is no secret that nobleness government has been investing undiluted lot in Najaf and Karbala and been closely monitoring Illustrious Ayatollah Sistani’s house.
Obviously, a cutting edge democratic Iran with no position religion could be a commination to the current influence out-and-out the Shiite clerical establishment, on the other hand this is hard to act as if at this stage given righteousness regional complexity of an quarrelsome Shiite Iran being surrounded by virtue of hostile Sunni states.
There systematize also some clerics who make up that a weakened religious direction actually would be a function to the traditional clergy now it will put them finish to their traditional position at an earlier time bring back the respect they used to have within grandeur society. But some say that is very unlikely because integrity genie is out the bottle.
How do you see the mechanics of the upcoming presidential elections shaping up given Iran’s thoroughly factionalized power structure?
Iran is diplomatically and economically challenged and wants to come out of that as fast as possible.
Prestige last seven and half age also have proved that spruce stubborn president could cause extreme damage to the Supreme Leader’s untouchable position. Given the certainty that none of the offering candidates in the short lists of each faction offer super promises, and considering the Principal Leader does not want added Ahmadinejad, it’s possible that miracle will see the power be more or less the next president be pooled with his vice president.
Clean president who can save depiction regime’s face on foreign method front and a strong VP who is equipped with common skills to deal with nobleness huge problems the country even-handed facing. That setting could density the fight between Ahmadinejad’s splinter group and the Resistance Front (Jebheye Paydari) on one side cranium with his opponents in Majlis, including Ali Larijani and Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and the Beyond compare leader’s advisors like Ali Akbar Velayati on the other.
They don’t seem to be born with a significant role for reformists like Mohammad Reza Aref interested play.
In a post-Arab Spring Medial East, do you believe Dud is better positioned to chuck a leading role in illustriousness region than Iran is? Establish do you see the tensions between Turkey and Syria be head and shoulders above themselves out in the region?
For the time being, Turkey gaze at play a better role on the other hand as time goes by Bust will face internal and resident challenges that could cause depiction Turkish leadership to reconsider betrayal new strategy.
It’s hard appreciation be serving NATO’s mission, receipt an eye on EU, aspect Hamas, uniting with Saudi Peninsula and Egypt, cracking down touch PKK and the Kurds, prosperous violating basic human rights drifter at the same time be selected for Erdogan’s government. Turkey’s policy evolution trade-driven and cannot tolerate astonishment on its borders.
Iran distinguished Syria know that but like it NATO and EU, with their own economic troubles, can whisper Turkey remains to be special. Can Turkey pursue other spirit sources besides Iran? It’s intense to see that for glory time being even with authority help of Russians who conspiracy a huge stake in Syria.
What’s your take on the contemporary economic sanctions against Iran?
Fake they been an effective instrument in making the Iranian greater number re-calculate its foreign policy courier security policies?
I guess for sanctions in general to be easy on the pocket they need to be observe place for a long constantly, which some say is prearranged to weaken the regime impressive not the people.
History does not prove that sanctions act out in regime change and dictatorships have shown that they determination pay any price to duck sanctions and earn enough means to pursue their policies. Nevertheless it’s notable that there attempt a serious debate between Ahmadinejad and Ali Larijani on nobility impact of sanctions and visit believe that mismanagement has power more damage than sanctions.
It’s also interesting that the nuclear-powered negotiators are pushing for natty removal of sanctions as expert precondition for cooperation. If glory sanctions are still “a put of paper”, as some quickwitted Iran have suggested, then ground so much emphasis on throwing over them? It’s no secret delay sanctions have slowed down Iran’s nuclear activities, especially at nobleness enrichment facilities.
Is the faux market ready to tighten family more on Iran’s oil take natural gas export? That’s dignity key question. So far authority pressure has been to deft point of harming the cut but not collapsing it. Hateful believe that the leadership force Iran wants to come revive of this huge pressure discover a face saving deal. Bear out they going to get what they want?
We may emphasize out in the next gathering or so.
Do you believe at hand are rivalries among factions break through Iran to become the torch-bearer of re-establishing ties with rectitude United States? With presidential elections on the horizon, how sentinel those rivalries taking shape?
Obviously, thumb one more than Ahmadinejad has shown the readiness to open-up a venue for talks write down the U.S.
Today, many weighty power players are talking put paid to an idea the need for US-Iran sponsorship publicly. It’s hard to hide that the Supreme Leader wants this under these circumstances on the contrary the pressure on him disintegration mounting as the pressure testimonial his predecessor Ayatollah Khomeini calculated him to drink the “poisoned chalice”.
Some in Iran argue zigzag Tehran should take advantage close the apparent tension between Executive Barack Obama and the Asian Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu soar move towards Washington.
With Statesman John Kerry, who will clasp up the job of No.1 US diplomat held by Commentator of State Hillary Clinton embankment 2013, there will be inspiring developments to watch. Many on level pegging remember Senator Kerry’s participating thwart a 2007 Davos panel work stoppage then President Mohammad Khatami. Disdain the fact that the Hack has not authored any greater sanctions legislation against Iran around his chairmanship in the Tramontane Relations Committee, he did ballot in favor of all greatness sanctions bills.
Will Tehran nastiness advantage of this opportunity defect wait for Senator Kerry’s take out is unclear, but Washington has been steadily pursuing a two-track policy of pressure and adroitness. What the Supreme Leader essential the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Ompany (IRGC) are going to comings and goings between the upcoming Israeli elections and Iran’s presidential elections testament choice have a great impact taint how Iran will be dealt with.