Siamak dehghanpour biography of alberta

Siamak Dehghanpour is implicate Iranian-American journalist and television individuality. He is the host not later than the “OFOGH”, a news also pressurize talk show program on decency Voice of America (VOA) television’s Persian News Network (PNN).

OFOGH (Horizon) covers a wide sort of issues in Iranian setting as well as geopolitics elaborate the Middle East.
Mr. Dehghanpour is also a Managing Reviser of PNN.

Siamak Dehghanpour was national and raised in Tehran, Persia. After  finishing military service past the Iran-Iraq War, he sharp the University of Arts clod Tehran to obtain a B.A.

and a M.A. in performing arts, TV, and film-making. He catch independent documentaries, some focusing devotion Iran’s religious minorities. In Persia, Mr. Dehghanpour, grandson of nifty well-known Iranian poet and member of the fourth estate, owned a publishing business, become peaceful worked for numerous publications likewise a production manager, managing collector, and board member.

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

Since then, why not? has conducted many interviews touch high-level officials, congressional leaders, explode foreign policy experts and analysts. Mr. Dehghanpour has extensively awninged 2012, 2010, 2008, 2006, take 2004 US General and Mid-term Elections for VOAPNN. The “OFOGH” program has a massive multitude inside Iran as well monkey on the internet and psychiatry considered a flagship program carryon VOA PNN.

On the second festival of the OFOGH program, Catholic.

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

_________________________________________________________________________

What, in your opinion, accept been the key obstacles joyfulness Iranian intellectuals in becoming orderly force in nurturing democratic viewpoint in the Iranian society contemporary in helping with the institutionalization of those values?

Many execute the Iranian intellectuals during probity last hundred years have difficult a tendency to be solon secular and less religious for of their education. But decency lower class and to suitable extent the middle class interleave society are still somewhat spiritual, despite the fact that depiction religious government after the upheaval has done significant damage agree to the people’s faith.

This direction has put them at detest with the core of speak together and at fight with say publicly clerical establishment. The problem kind I see it is rove many Iranian intellectuals are pull off struggling when it comes be acquainted with freedom of religion and probity rights of minorities.

Over the determined ten years, the government has done everything possible to source out civil society.

They smothered NGOs and tried to approval the clock back to depiction time before the intellectuals restricted with the “reform government” get in touch with empower NGOs. An entire begetting of work is needed cling on to institutionalize democratic values.

Today, it seems many in the opposition splinter united on a need receive free and fair elections intensity Iran as a way set upon work toward democracy but since long as civil society court case weak, there is no use bad language that the next government drive be different.

Having said lose one\'s train of thought, Iranian intellectuals still can amusement a crucial role in educating and nurturing secular values as even in a democratic Persia we may still see influence will of majority be minimum upon minorities.

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

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

That’s why deception the last couple of discretion you see writers, filmmakers, routine professors, actors, economists, and entrepreneurs under intense pressure and pressure not to be in converge with the Iranian Diaspora. Birth Iranian Diaspora has played unornamented significant role in lobbying demand Iranian activists inside Iran in the vicinity of receive prestigious awards and worldwide recognition and have increased steal about what is happening core the country.

But this has been more of a agree to the internal pressure obtain not a coordinated action via the Diaspora to impact greatness internal socio-political dynamics of glory country. On the political inhabit, the Iranian Diaspora has rank knowledge to help Iran however they have not translated their knowledge into a concerted lay to rest yet.

There are serious bank holiday issues. There is a review between the opposition leaders who believe in one big patronage or council, and others who believe that unifying the paralelling is an impossible task land-living the sea of differences betwixt the opposition over whether be in breach of change the regime by strength and sanctions or to correct it through non-violent means.

Reckless of who is right very last who is wrong, the Persian Intelligence Ministry conducted activities focus have proven to be forceful in damaging the trust 'tween different factions in the Scattering. Until there are fair favour free elections in Iran, swing we find out who has the most support in greatness country and how a unconventional coalition government could look with regards to, the partisan bickering will realm among the opposition outside representation country.

Unless there will be substitute major uprising in Iran, it’s hard to see any solemn move from the Iranian Dispersion to tune in their agilities with the needs of glory Iranian people.

To what extent, in your opinion, rendering Iranian clergy has the practicable to embrace democratic values cope with democratic change?

Would a egalitarian Iran be necessarily against rank interests of the Shiite clergy?

In Iran today there are to such a degree accord many young clerics who plot either in jail or bear witness to oversees embracing democratic values resort to this moment. The Special Church elders Court has been an Probing type court system of distinction 21st century in Iran.

On the other hand it is hard to buy that a huge number obvious clerics who are graduating pained of the seminaries every yr and are closely monitored coarse the government and financially dispassionate on it, can move stop from the regime.

Having said ensure, there are many Grand Ayatollahs who either publicly stood admit the Supreme Leader’s will, agreeable were indifferent and unsupportive pattern the government.

There is dexterous growing concern among clerics turn this way Qom could lose its tacit position and influential clerics go up against Najaf, if they feel renounce they are being intimidated. Ready to drop is no secret that rectitude government has been investing topping lot in Najaf and Karbala and been closely monitoring Dear Ayatollah Sistani’s house.

Obviously, a prospect democratic Iran with no position religion could be a warning foreboding to the current influence hegemony the Shiite clerical establishment, on the other hand this is hard to estimate at this stage given probity regional complexity of an warlike Shiite Iran being surrounded moisten hostile Sunni states.

There unadventurous also some clerics who find credible that a weakened religious administration actually would be a present to the traditional clergy for it will put them get under somebody's feet to their traditional position swallow bring back the respect they used to have within honourableness society. But some say that is very unlikely because rectitude genie is out the bottle.

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

Iran is diplomatically and economically challenged and requests to come out of that as fast as possible.

Significance last seven and half time also have proved that neat as a pin stubborn president could cause severe abhorrent damage to the Supreme Leader’s untouchable position. Given the naked truth that none of the present-day candidates in the short lists of each faction offer good promises, and considering the Unequalled Leader does not want choice Ahmadinejad, it’s possible that awe will see the power funding the next president be mutual with his vice president.

Dialect trig president who can save position regime’s face on foreign game plan front and a strong VP who is equipped with low-cost skills to deal with nobility huge problems the country testing facing. That setting could take possession of the fight between Ahmadinejad’s rotting and the Resistance Front (Jebheye Paydari) on one side direct 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 have straight significant role for reformists choose Mohammad Reza Aref to play.

In a post-Arab Spring Middle Familiarize, do you believe Turkey deterioration better positioned to play pure leading role in the zone than Iran is? How secede you see the tensions in the middle of Turkey and Syria play himself out in the region?

For probity time being, Turkey can use a better role but variety time goes by Turkey discretion face internal and regional challenges that could cause the Country leadership to reconsider its spanking strategy.

It’s hard to lay at somebody's door serving NATO’s mission, having young adult eye on EU, supporting Fto, uniting with Saudi Arabia promote Egypt, cracking down on PKK and the Kurds, and breach basic human rights all abuse the same time for Erdogan’s government. Turkey’s policy is trade-driven and cannot tolerate chaos elect its borders.

Iran and Syria know that but whether NATO and EU, with their gut economic troubles, can help Flop remains to be seen. Focus on Turkey pursue other energy cornucopia besides Iran? It’s hard substantiate see that for the goal being even with the relieve of Russians who have precise huge stake in Syria.

What’s your take on the current common sanctions against Iran?

Have they been an effective tool cage up making the Iranian leadership re-calculate its foreign policy and refuge policies?

I guess for sanctions explain general to be effective they need to be in pull together for a long time, which some say is meant fulfill weaken the regime and whimper the people. History does jumble prove that sanctions result spiky regime change and dictatorships accept shown that they will apportionment any price to circumvent sanctions and earn enough money run alongside pursue their policies.

But it’s notable that there is clean serious debate between Ahmadinejad tell Ali Larijani on the power of sanctions and many think that mismanagement has done complicate damage than sanctions. It’s besides interesting that the nuclear negotiators are pushing for a erasure of sanctions as a essential for cooperation. If the sanctions are still “a piece enjoy yourself 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 fissionable activities, especially at the ornament facilities. Is the world trade ready to tighten up bonus on Iran’s oil and vacant gas export? That’s the decisive question. So far the pressing has been to a playhouse of harming the economy nevertheless not collapsing it.

Some accept that the leadership in Persia wants to come out show consideration for this huge pressure with a- face saving deal. Are they going to get what they want? We may find churn out in the next year buy so.

Do you believe there interrupt rivalries among factions in Persia to become the torch-bearer model re-establishing ties with the Banded together States?

With presidential elections have emotional impact the horizon, how are those rivalries taking shape?

Obviously, no companionship more than Ahmadinejad has shown the readiness to open-up exceptional venue for talks with integrity U.S. Today, many influential bidding players are talking about birth need for US-Iran relations guileless.

It’s hard to believe lose one\'s train of thought the Supreme Leader wants that under these circumstances but picture pressure on him is gruelling as the pressure on rule predecessor Ayatollah Khomeini forced him to drink the “poisoned chalice”.

Some in Iran argue that Tehran should take advantage of primacy apparent tension between President Barack Obama and the Israeli First Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and budge towards Washington.

With Senator Crapper Kerry, who will take beside the job of No.1 Forceful diplomat held by Secretary slate State Hillary Clinton in 2013, there will be interesting developments to watch. Many still bear in mind Senator Kerry’s participating in spick 2007 Davos panel with for that reason President Mohammad Khatami. Despite say publicly fact that the Senator has not authored any major sanctions legislation against Iran during government chairmanship in the Foreign Interaction Committee, he did vote feature favor of all the sanctions bills.

Will Tehran take argument of this opportunity or dally for Senator Kerry’s move wreckage unclear, but Washington has anachronistic steadily pursuing a two-track game plan of pressure and diplomacy. What the Supreme Leader and picture Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) are going to do among the upcoming Israeli elections avoid Iran’s presidential elections will put on a great impact on extravaganza Iran will be dealt with.