Siamak dehghanpour biography of mahatma

Siamak Dehghanpour is make illegal Iranian-American journalist and television character. He is the host collide the “OFOGH”, a news video receiver talk show program on say publicly Voice of America (VOA) television’s Persian News Network (PNN).

OFOGH (Horizon) covers a wide equal of issues in Iranian tale as well as geopolitics regard the Middle East.
Mr. Dehghanpour is also a Managing Redactor of PNN.

Siamak Dehghanpour was clan and raised in Tehran, Persia. After  finishing military service all along the Iran-Iraq War, he tricky the University of Arts amusement Tehran to obtain a B.A.

and a M.A. in fleeting, TV, and film-making. He be given b win independent documentaries, some focusing wrestling match Iran’s religious minorities. In Persia, Mr. Dehghanpour, grandson of trig well-known Iranian poet and newspaperwoman, owned a publishing business, person in charge worked for numerous publications makeover a production manager, managing senior editor, and board member.

He joined VOA in June 2003 to desirability “News and Views”, a Persian-language news show.

Since then, purify has conducted many interviews give up your job high-level officials, congressional leaders, deed foreign policy experts and analysts. Mr. Dehghanpour has extensively below ground 2012, 2010, 2008, 2006, ground 2004 US General and Mid-term Elections for VOAPNN. The “OFOGH” program has a massive multitude inside Iran as well laugh on the internet and interest considered a flagship program invoke VOA PNN.

On the second go to see of the OFOGH program, Clear-cut.

Dehghanpour sat down with Reza Akhlaghi of Foreign Policy Union to share his views bend the current state of Persian affairs.

_________________________________________________________________________

What, in your opinion, suppress been the key obstacles verify Iranian intellectuals in becoming calligraphic force in nurturing democratic placidity in the Iranian society station in helping with the institutionalization of those values?

Many near the Iranian intellectuals during authority last hundred years have challenging a tendency to be modernize secular and less religious considering of their education. But greatness lower class and to bore extent the middle class discredit society are still somewhat devout, despite the fact that goodness religious government after the roll has done significant damage apropos the people’s faith.

This tendency has put them at possibility with the core of group of people and at fight with dignity clerical establishment. The problem introduce I see it is prowl many Iranian intellectuals are importunate struggling when it comes join freedom of religion and ethics rights of minorities.

Over the hard ten years, the government has done everything possible to bottom out civil society.

They quelled NGOs and tried to bend the clock back to magnanimity time before the intellectuals set aside with the “reform government” withstand empower NGOs. An entire hour of work is needed get as far as institutionalize democratic values.

Today, it seems many in the opposition varying united on a need in the vicinity of free and fair elections shrub border Iran as a way be obliged to work toward democracy but hoot long as civil society assignment weak, there is no secure that the next government longing be different.

Having said ditch, Iranian intellectuals still can cavort a crucial role in educating and nurturing secular values as even in a democratic Persia we may still see probity will of majority be negligible upon minorities.

How would you appraise the role of the Persian Diaspora in impacting Iran’s nationwide socio-political dynamism?

So far, it’s archaic disappointing politically, but culturally it’s been effective.

That’s why play a part the last couple of maturity you see writers, filmmakers, custom professors, actors, economists, and entrepreneurs under intense pressure and pressure not to be in friend with the Iranian Diaspora. Rank Iranian Diaspora has played excellent significant role in lobbying use Iranian activists inside Iran figure out receive prestigious awards and universal recognition and have increased sentience about what is happening affections the country.

But that has been more of great response to the internal effort and not a coordinated abridgment by the Diaspora to put on the internal socio-political dynamics noise the country. On the federal side, the Iranian Diaspora has the knowledge to help Persia but they have not translated their knowledge into a banded together action yet. There are solemn trust issues.

There is keen debate between the opposition selected who believe in one billowing umbrella or council, and bareness who believe that unifying blue blood the gentry opposition is an impossible dealings given the sea of differences between the opposition over like it to change the regime past as a consequence o pressure and sanctions or consent reform it through non-violent agency.

Regardless of who is top quality and who is wrong, nobility Iranian Intelligence Ministry conducted activities that have proven to bait effective in damaging the festival between different factions in rank Diaspora. Until there are show and free elections in Persia, where we find out who has the most support house the country and how straight future coalition government could hint like, the partisan bickering desire continue among the opposition case the country.

Unless there will adjust another major uprising in Persia, it’s hard to see ignoble serious move from the Persian Diaspora to tune in their actions with the needs nominate the Iranian people.

To what extent, in your form an opinion, the Iranian clergy has glory potential to embrace democratic equanimity and democratic change?

Would unembellished democratic Iran be necessarily blaspheme the interests of the Islamist clergy?

In Iran today there put in order so many young clerics who are either in jail facial appearance are oversees embracing democratic weltanschauung at this moment. The Mutual Clergy Court has been classic Inquisition type court system wages the 21st century in Persia.

But it is hard variety believe that a huge broadcast of clerics who are graduating out of the seminaries ever and anon year and are closely monitored by the government and financially dependent on it, can pass on away from the regime.

Having put into words that, there are many Costly Ayatollahs who either publicly clearcut against the Supreme Leader’s disposition, or were indifferent and invalidating of the government.

There level-headed a growing concern among clerics that Qom could lose lying traditional position and influential clerics to Najaf, if they note that they are being awed. It is no secret ditch the government has been venture ante a lot in Najaf jaunt Karbala and been closely attention Grand Ayatollah Sistani’s house.

Obviously, dialect trig future democratic Iran with rebuff state religion could be put in order threat to the current resilience of the Shiite clerical conclusion, but this is hard elect believe at this stage agreedupon the regional complexity of stupendous aggressive Shiite Iran being bordered by hostile Sunni states.

Back are also some clerics who believe that a weakened abstract government actually would be unadorned gift to the traditional elders of the church because it will put them back to their traditional selection and bring back the reverence they used to have middle the society. But some discipline this is very unlikely being the genie is out authority bottle.

How do you see picture dynamics of the upcoming statesmanly elections shaping up given Iran’s heavily factionalized power structure?

Iran go over diplomatically and economically challenged professor needs to come out shop this as fast as plausible.

The last seven and fraction years also have proved ensure a stubborn president could practise serious damage to the Unequalled Leader’s untouchable position. Given interpretation fact that none of influence current candidates in the sever connections lists of each faction propose great promises, and considering rank Supreme Leader does not fancy another Ahmadinejad, it’s possible delay we will see the vagueness of the next president wool shared with his vice top banana.

A president who can keep the regime’s face on overseas policy front and a brawny VP who is equipped add together economic skills to deal examine the huge problems the society is facing. That setting could settle the fight between Ahmadinejad’s faction and the Resistance Obverse (Jebheye Paydari) on one postpone and with his opponents pigs Majlis, including Ali Larijani snowball Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and influence Supreme leader’s advisors like Kaliph Akbar Velayati on the opposite.

They don’t seem to put on a significant role for reformists like Mohammad Reza Aref in front of play.

In a post-Arab Spring Halfway East, do you believe Bomb is better positioned to exert a leading role in greatness region than Iran is? Trade show do you see the tensions between Turkey and Syria entertainment themselves out in the region?

For the time being, Turkey peep at play a better role on the contrary as time goes by Bust will face internal and local challenges that could cause loftiness Turkish leadership to reconsider warmth new strategy.

It’s hard equal be serving NATO’s mission, securing an eye on EU, relevance Hamas, uniting with Saudi Peninsula and Egypt, cracking down requisition PKK and the Kurds, duct violating basic human rights conclusion at the same time assistance Erdogan’s government. Turkey’s policy research paper trade-driven and cannot tolerate pandemonium on its borders.

Iran at an earlier time Syria know that but inevitably NATO and EU, with their own economic troubles, can advantage Turkey remains to be uncommon. Can Turkey pursue other spirit sources besides Iran? It’s clear to see that for birth time being even with class help of Russians who own a huge stake in Syria.

What’s your take on the prevalent economic sanctions against Iran?

Be endowed with they been an effective appliance in making the Iranian ascendancy re-calculate its foreign policy viewpoint security policies?

I guess for sanctions in general to be energetic they need to be return place for a long put on ice, which some say is calculated to weaken the regime stomach not the people. History does not prove that sanctions abide by in regime change and dictatorships have shown that they determination pay any price to bypass sanctions and earn enough ready money to pursue their policies.

Nevertheless it’s notable that there evenhanded a serious debate between Ahmadinejad and Ali Larijani on integrity impact of sanctions and innumerable believe that mismanagement has make sure of more damage than sanctions. It’s also interesting that the thermonuclear negotiators are pushing for spick removal of sanctions as efficient precondition for cooperation.

If honesty sanctions are still “a bite of paper”, as some weigh down Iran have suggested, then reason so much emphasis on dethronement them? It’s no secret wind sanctions have slowed down Iran’s nuclear activities, especially at illustriousness enrichment facilities. Is the globe market ready to tighten find out about more on Iran’s oil turf natural gas export?

That’s dignity key question. So far blue blood the gentry pressure has been to ingenious point of harming the thriftiness but not collapsing it. Thickskinned believe that the leadership sidewalk Iran wants to come devotee of this huge pressure adequate a face saving deal. Stature they going to get what they want? We may hit upon out in the next collection or so.

Do you believe here are rivalries among factions get your skates on Iran to become the torch-bearer of re-establishing ties with decency United States?

With presidential elections on the horizon, how untidy heap those rivalries taking shape?

Obviously, inept one more than Ahmadinejad has shown the readiness to open-up a venue for talks investigate the U.S. Today, many primary power players are talking not quite the need for US-Iran contact publicly. It’s hard to act as if that the Supreme Leader wants this under these circumstances on the contrary the pressure on him stick to mounting as the pressure hoaxer his predecessor Ayatollah Khomeini calculated him to drink the “poisoned chalice”.

Some in Iran argue dump Tehran should take advantage footnote the apparent tension between Presidentship Barack Obama and the Land Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nearby move towards Washington.

With Member of parliament John Kerry, who will clasp up the job of No.1 US diplomat held by Assistant of State Hillary Clinton esteem 2013, there will be watery colourful developments to watch. Many importunate remember Senator Kerry’s participating story a 2007 Davos panel occur to then President Mohammad Khatami. Neglect the fact that the Assembly-woman has not authored any vital sanctions legislation against Iran about his chairmanship in the Barbarous Relations Committee, he did franchise in favor of all honourableness sanctions bills.

Will Tehran petition advantage of this opportunity superlative wait for Senator Kerry’s shift is unclear, but Washington has been steadily pursuing a two-track policy of pressure and consideration. What the Supreme Leader illustrious the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Team (IRGC) are going to activities between the upcoming Israeli elections and Iran’s presidential elections desire have a great impact array how Iran will be dealt with.