Mohsen Rastani (1958–2026) was a photojournalist and documentary filmmaker. He graduated in photography from the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Tehran in 1987 and later taught there. From 1990 he travelled across Iran to photograph families against a white backdrop, in his series Iranian Families, and his series also include Memories of War. His work was shown in 165 Years of Iranian Photography at the Musée du quai Branly in Paris (2009) and at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art. He was represented by Silk Road Gallery, where he took part in the group exhibition The Southern Front.

(From the Silk Road Gallery: https://www.silkroadartgallery.com/)

Our community has a problem with dogmatic thinking.

We cling to a specific worldview so tightly that the idea itself becomes a tyranny looming over our heads, preventing us from being open to seeing differing perspectives.

It is natural, and often beneficial, for people to commit themselves to certain principles or values in life. Elevating a principle or value to an epistemic status that shields it from skepticism or doubt transforms that principle into a dogma.

For example, you might consider yourself a nationalist, leftist, socialist, republican, anarchist, monarchist etc. You therefore uphold principles that align with whatever ideology you subscribe to. However, if you follow those principles as if they are absolute truths, your perspective of the world will be shaped solely by your dogma. Your worldview suddenly becomes irrefutable and beyond critical evaluation. This is a form of self-entrapment. It paralyzes your ability for critical thinking and it prevents you from having the ability to engage in rational and productive discourse with someone who may hold opposing beliefs. You might begin to judge every person based on where their beliefs fall in relation to your own dogma, rather than evaluating ideas logically or rationally.

I see this happening constantly in our community. It crushes opportunity for open dialogue, further dividing opposition to the regime.

Of course, this issue is not unique to Iranians. People in general have a proclivity for becoming dogmatic. But if we recognize it when it's happening we can actively attempt to pull ourselves back from the entrapment of our own convictions.

Just some food for thought.

**Empress Farah Pahlavi: A Symbol of Grace, Loyalty, and Service to Iran and the Iranian People**

Radio Abaan Report | Empress Farah Pahlavi

Empress Farah Pahlavi, the last Empress of Iran, holds a place in the country’s modern history that extends far beyond her royal title. During the reign of His Imperial Majesty Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, Shahanshah Aryamehr, she played a prominent role in supporting social institutions and advancing Iranian culture and the arts through extensive initiatives in cultural affairs, education, healthcare, and charitable work.

Grace, dignity, and a deep commitment to family and social responsibilities are among the qualities admired by many supporters of the Pahlavi dynasty in Empress Farah Pahlavi. During her years at the Imperial Court, she paid particular attention to the welfare of children, Iranian women, those in need, and the sick. She supported the development of educational facilities, children’s libraries, healthcare institutions, and cultural organisations. Her support for contemporary Iranian art, the preservation of the country’s historical heritage, and efforts to introduce Iranian culture to the world were also among her many contributions.

With the coronation ceremony held on 26 October 1967 (4 Aban 1346 in the Iranian calendar), Empress Farah Pahlavi became the first empress of Iran’s modern era to be crowned. This historic distinction, alongside her social and cultural responsibilities, further strengthened her place in the history of the Pahlavi monarchy.

Yet one of the most poignant aspects of the Empress’s life is her enduring devotion to the memory of His Imperial Majesty Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, Shahanshah Aryamehr. Following the Shahanshah’s passing in Cairo on 27 July 1980 (5 Mordad 1359), Empress Farah Pahlavi never remarried. Throughout her long years in exile, despite the hardships of living far from her homeland and the profound grief of losing her husband and two of her children, she continued her cultural and social activities while preserving her emotional and historical bond with Iran.

In interviews, the Empress has also spoken of how her husband’s memory remains alive in her heart and mind—a bond that, even after decades, continues to form an essential part of her life story. For many Iranians, her personal decision never to remarry and her enduring devotion to the Shahanshah’s memory represent a lasting expression of love and a profound commitment to the life they shared, which began with their marriage on 21 December 1959 (30 Azar 1338).

The life of Empress Farah Pahlavi, from her years at the Imperial Court of Iran to her decades in exile, is a story of responsibility, loss, perseverance, and devotion to her homeland. Beyond her historic role as Empress of Iran, she remains a recognised figure in Iranian culture and the arts on the international stage—a noblewoman whose name is inseparably linked to a significant chapter in Iran’s modern history and the enduring legacy of the nation-building Pahlavi dynasty.

**Radio Abaan**

#Iran

#EmpressFarahPahlavi

#ShahanshahAryamehr

#LongLiveTheShah

#PahlaviDynasty

شهبانو فرح پهلوی؛ نماد نجابت، وفاداری و خدمت به ایران و ایرانیان

گزارش رادیو آبان | شهبانو فرح پهلوی

شهبانو فرح پهلوی، آخرین شهبانوی ایران، در تاریخ معاصر این سرزمین جایگاهی فراتر از عنوان سلطنتی دارد. ایشان در دوران پادشاهی شاهنشاه آریامهر محمدرضا شاه پهلوی، با فعالیت‌های گسترده در زمینه‌های فرهنگی، هنری، آموزشی، بهداشتی و امور خیریه، نقش برجسته‌ای در پشتیبانی از نهادهای اجتماعی و ارتقای جایگاه فرهنگ و هنر ایران ایفا کردند.

نجابت، وقار و پایبندی به مسئولیت‌های خانوادگی و اجتماعی، از ویژگی‌هایی است که بسیاری از دوستداران خاندان پهلوی در شخصیت شهبانو فرح پهلوی می‌ستایند. ایشان در دوران حضور در دربار، توجه ویژه‌ای به وضعیت کودکان، بانوهای ایرانی، نیازمندان و بیماران داشتند و از گسترش مراکز آموزشی، کتابخانه‌های کودکان، نهادهای درمانی و مؤسسات فرهنگی پشتیبانی کردند. حمایت از هنر معاصر ایران، پاسداری از میراث تاریخی و تلاش برای معرفی فرهنگ ایرانی به جهانیان نیز از دیگر زمینه‌های فعالیت ایشان بود.

با برگزاری مراسم تاج‌گذاری در ۴ آبان ۱۳۴۶، شهبانو فرح پهلوی به عنوان نخستین شهبانوی تاج‌گذاری‌شده ایران در تاریخ معاصر شناخته شدند؛ جایگاهی که در کنار مسئولیت‌های اجتماعی و فرهنگی، بر اهمیت حضور ایشان در تاریخ سلطنت پهلوی افزود.

اما یکی از جنبه‌های تأمل‌برانگیز زندگی شهبانو، وفاداری ایشان به یاد و خاطره شاهنشاه آریامهر محمدرضا شاه پهلوی است. پس از درگذشت شاهنشاه در ۵ مرداد ۱۳۵۹ در قاهره، شهبانو فرح پهلوی هرگز دوباره ازدواج نکردند. ایشان در سال‌های طولانی تبعید، با وجود دشواری‌های زندگی دور از میهن و اندوه از دست دادن همسر و دو فرزندشان، همچنان به فعالیت‌های فرهنگی و اجتماعی خود ادامه دادند و پیوند عاطفی و تاریخی خویش با ایران را حفظ کردند.

شهبانو در گفت‌وگوهای خود نیز از زنده بودن یاد همسرشان در قلب و ذهن خود سخن گفته‌اند؛ پیوندی که با گذشت دهه‌ها همچنان بخشی از روایت زندگی ایشان است. برای بسیاری از ایرانیان، این تصمیم شخصی و تداوم وفاداری به خاطره شاهنشاه، جلوه‌ای از عشقی ماندگار و تعهدی عمیق به زندگی مشترکی است که با ازدواج در ۳۰ آذر ۱۳۳۸ آغاز شد.

زندگی شهبانو فرح پهلوی، از روزهای حضور در دربار ایران تا سال‌های تبعید، روایتی از مسئولیت، فقدان، پایداری و دلبستگی به میهن است. ایشان در کنار جایگاه تاریخی خود به عنوان شهبانوی ایران، همچنان از چهره‌های شناخته‌شده فرهنگ و هنر ایرانی در خارج از کشور به شمار می‌روند؛ بانویی که نامش با بخشی مهم از تاریخ معاصر ایران و خاطره خاندان ایران‌ساز پهلوی پیوند خورده است.

رادیو آبان

#ایران

#Iran

#شهبانو_فرح_پهلوی

#شاهنشاه_آریامهر

#جاوید_شاه

A Zoroastrian fire temple you can visit from anywhere in the world - even in Virtual Reality 🔥

Light diwos, offer sandalwood, hear the mobed’s prayers, explore the complete Avesta, and sit before the sacred fire.

Free to visit. A new way to connect with our heritage.

🕯️ https://avesta.app/temple