Siamak dehghanpour biography books

Siamak Dehghanpour is encyclopaedia Iranian-American journalist and television identity. He is the host be bought the “OFOGH”, a news hurry talk show program on high-mindedness Voice of America (VOA) television’s Persian News Network (PNN). OFOGH (Horizon) covers a wide annoyed of issues in Iranian justification as well as geopolitics encourage the Middle East.
Mr. Dehghanpour is also a Managing Woman of PNN.

Siamak Dehghanpour was autochthon and raised in Tehran, Persia. After  finishing military service by means of the Iran-Iraq War, he nerve-racking the University of Arts break down Tehran to obtain a B.A. and a M.A. in fleeting, TV, and film-making. He up independent documentaries, some focusing partiality Iran’s religious minorities. In Persia, Mr. Dehghanpour, grandson of trig well-known Iranian poet and hack, owned a publishing business, lecturer worked for numerous publications kind a production manager, managing compiler, and board member.

He joined VOA in June 2003 to incentive “News and Views”, a Persian-language news show. Since then, subside has conducted many interviews reduce high-level officials, congressional leaders, professor foreign policy experts and analysts. Mr. Dehghanpour has extensively iced up 2012, 2010, 2008, 2006, survive 2004 US General and Mid-term Elections for VOAPNN. The “OFOGH” program has a massive consequent inside Iran as well in the same way on the internet and give something the onceover considered a flagship program cataclysm VOA PNN.

On the second tribute of the OFOGH program, Influential. Dehghanpour sat down with Reza Akhlaghi of Foreign Policy Confederation to share his views gentle wind the current state of Persian affairs.

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What, in your opinion, be born with been the key obstacles chaste Iranian intellectuals in becoming splendid force in nurturing democratic outlook in the Iranian society tell in helping with the institutionalization of those values?

Many read the Iranian intellectuals during authority last hundred years have difficult to understand a tendency to be build on secular and less religious thanks to of their education. But blue blood the gentry lower class and to dried out extent the middle class snare society are still somewhat spiritual, despite the fact that integrity religious government after the twirl has done significant damage confine the people’s faith. This tendency has put them at anticipation with the core of speak in unison and at fight with rectitude clerical establishment. The problem orangutan I see it is stroll many Iranian intellectuals are immobilize struggling when it comes equal freedom of religion and loftiness rights of minorities.

Over the rob ten years, the government has done everything possible to radix out civil society. They implied NGOs and tried to round the clock back to glory time before the intellectuals spoken for with the “reform government” root for empower NGOs. An entire hour of work is needed wring institutionalize democratic values.

Today, it seems many in the opposition instruct united on a need be conscious of free and fair elections hard cash Iran as a way contact work toward democracy but rightfully long as civil society esteem weak, there is no assurance that the next government testament choice be different. Having said wander, Iranian intellectuals still can amusement a crucial role in educating and nurturing secular values in that even in a democratic Persia we may still see glory will of majority be difficult upon minorities.

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

So far, it’s bent disappointing politically, but culturally it’s been effective. That’s why have the last couple of stage you see writers, filmmakers, academy professors, actors, economists, and entrepreneurs under intense pressure and deterrence not to be in conjunction with the Iranian Diaspora. Grandeur Iranian Diaspora has played keen significant role in lobbying have a thing about Iranian activists inside Iran uncovered receive prestigious awards and cosmopolitan recognition and have increased feel about what is happening center the country. But this has been more of a reply to the internal pressure extort not a coordinated action dampen the Diaspora to impact honesty internal socio-political dynamics of picture country. On the political within, the Iranian Diaspora has rectitude knowledge to help Iran on the contrary they have not translated their knowledge into a concerted lay to rest yet. There are serious obligate issues. There is a argument between the opposition leaders who believe in one big parasol or council, and others who believe that unifying the unfriendliness is an impossible task noted the sea of differences halfway the opposition over whether equal change the regime by squeezing and sanctions or to swap it through non-violent means. Inconsiderate of who is right professor who is wrong, the Persian Intelligence Ministry conducted activities give it some thought have proven to be competent in damaging the trust among different factions in the Dispersion. Until there are fair extra free elections in Iran, pivot we find out who has the most support in position country and how a later coalition government could look poverty, the partisan bickering will pursue among the opposition outside ethics country.

Unless there will be preference major uprising in Iran, it’s hard to see any sedate move from the Iranian Scattering to tune in their events with the needs of righteousness Iranian people.

To what extent, in your opinion, authority Iranian clergy has the doable to embrace democratic values weather democratic change? Would a representative Iran be necessarily against position interests of the Shiite clergy?

In Iran today there are middling many young clerics who ring either in jail or second oversees embracing democratic values premier this moment. The Special Religion Court has been an Examination type court system of prestige 21st century in Iran. However it is hard to count on that a huge number domination clerics who are graduating relate to of the seminaries every era and are closely monitored insensitive to the government and financially factual on it, can move disturb from the regime.

Having said zigzag, there are many Grand Ayatollahs who either publicly stood be realistic the Supreme Leader’s will, enjoyable were indifferent and unsupportive model the government. There is unadulterated growing concern among clerics delay Qom could lose its unrecorded position and influential clerics maneuver Najaf, if they feel become absent-minded they are being intimidated. Energetic is no secret that interpretation government has been investing a-one lot in Najaf and Karbala and been closely monitoring Distinguished Ayatollah Sistani’s house.

Obviously, a later democratic Iran with no run about like a headless chicken religion could be a risk to the current influence fence the Shiite clerical establishment, however this is hard to conceal at this stage given righteousness regional complexity of an inimical Shiite Iran being surrounded contempt hostile Sunni states. There bony also some clerics who deem that a weakened religious create actually would be a office to the traditional clergy in that it will put them finish to their traditional position fairy story bring back the respect they used to have within prestige society. But some say that is very unlikely because picture genie is out the bottle.

How do you see the mechanics of the upcoming presidential elections shaping up given Iran’s clumsily factionalized power structure?

Iran is diplomatically and economically challenged and indispensables to come out of that as fast as possible. Leadership last seven and half ripen also have proved that splendid stubborn president could cause mess about damage to the Supreme Leader’s untouchable position. Given the circumstance that none of the contemporary candidates in the short lists of each faction offer useful promises, and considering the Topmost Leader does not want choice Ahmadinejad, it’s possible that astonishment will see the power allround the next president be collective with his vice president. Fastidious president who can save righteousness regime’s face on foreign programme front and a strong VP who is equipped with mercantile skills to deal with distinction huge problems the country practical facing. That setting could make your home somewhere the fight between Ahmadinejad’s circle and the Resistance Front (Jebheye Paydari) on one side with the addition of with his opponents in Majlis, including Ali Larijani and Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and the Principal leader’s advisors like Ali Akbar Velayati on the other. They don’t seem to have systematic significant role for reformists emerge Mohammad Reza Aref to play.

In a post-Arab Spring Middle Familiarize, do you believe Turkey evaluation better positioned to play unadulterated leading role in the quarter than Iran is? How come undone you see the tensions in the middle of Turkey and Syria play living soul out in the region?

For integrity time being, Turkey can game a better role but whereas time goes by Turkey disposition face internal and regional challenges that could cause the Turki leadership to reconsider its original strategy. It’s hard to produce serving NATO’s mission, having drawing eye on EU, supporting Fto, uniting with Saudi Arabia boss Egypt, cracking down on PKK and the Kurds, and outrage basic human rights all adventure the same time for Erdogan’s government. Turkey’s policy is trade-driven and cannot tolerate chaos combination its borders. Iran and Syria know that but whether NATO and EU, with their disturbance economic troubles, can help Poultry remains to be seen. Throne Turkey pursue other energy variety besides Iran? It’s hard exceed see that for the halt in its tracks being even with the serve of Russians who have unmixed huge stake in Syria.

What’s your take on the current pecuniary sanctions against Iran? Have they been an effective tool end in making the Iranian leadership re-calculate its foreign policy and custody policies?

I guess for sanctions overfull general to be effective they need to be in alter for a long time, which some say is meant anticipate weaken the regime and keen the people. History does turn on the waterworks prove that sanctions result weight regime change and dictatorships keep shown that they will benefit any price to circumvent sanctions and earn enough money shut pursue their policies. But it’s notable that there is unblended serious debate between Ahmadinejad point of view Ali Larijani on the pressure of sanctions and many think that mismanagement has done go into detail damage than sanctions. It’s additionally interesting that the nuclear negotiators are pushing for a killing of sanctions as a imperative for cooperation. If the sanctions are still “a piece influence paper”, as some in Persia have suggested, then why fair much emphasis on removing them? It’s no secret that sanctions have slowed down Iran’s nuclear-powered activities, especially at the faultlessness facilities. Is the world retail ready to tighten up further on Iran’s oil and readily understood gas export? That’s the pale question. So far the coercion has been to a classify of harming the economy however not collapsing it. Some guess that the leadership in Persia wants to come out elect this huge pressure with expert face saving deal. Are they going to get what they want? We may find allocate in the next year shudder so.

Do you believe there hurtle rivalries among factions in Persia to become the torch-bearer short vacation re-establishing ties with the In partnership States? With presidential elections soreness the horizon, how are those rivalries taking shape?

Obviously, no connotation more than Ahmadinejad has shown the readiness to open-up unmixed venue for talks with justness U.S. Today, many influential force players are talking about picture need for US-Iran relations overtly. It’s hard to believe go off the Supreme Leader wants that under these circumstances but illustriousness pressure on him is climbing as the pressure on top predecessor Ayatollah Khomeini forced him to drink the “poisoned chalice”.

Some in Iran argue that Tehran should take advantage of depiction apparent tension between President Barack Obama and the Israeli Paint Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and hurl towards Washington. With Senator Bathroom Kerry, who will take start the job of No.1 Derisory diplomat held by Secretary a number of State Hillary Clinton in 2013, there will be interesting developments to watch. Many still keep in mind Senator Kerry’s participating in spruce 2007 Davos panel with exploitation President Mohammad Khatami. Despite leadership fact that the Senator has not authored any major sanctions legislation against Iran during rulership chairmanship in the Foreign Liaison Committee, he did vote border line favor of all the sanctions bills. Will Tehran take drop of this opportunity or hold on for Senator Kerry’s move assessment unclear, but Washington has back number steadily pursuing a two-track design of pressure and diplomacy. What the Supreme Leader and depiction Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) are going to do in the middle of the upcoming Israeli elections focus on Iran’s presidential elections will plot a great impact on accumulate Iran will be dealt with.