Just stumbled upon a passage written by Fereidoon Hoveida, for the "Iranian" e-magazine in 18th of August 2000. The article is interesting and historic in many aspects, that will be mentioned at the foot of this diary. For those who may not know who Fereidoon Hoveida is, he was the brother of the longest termed Iranian Prime Minister, Amir Abbas Hoveida. Among other governmental positions, he was also the Iranian representative in the United Nations from 1971 until the revolution. He found a French magazine about cinema. He was further known as an expert in the politics of Arab nations (he was born in Damascus and was raised in Beirut). He passed away about a decade ago at the age of 82.
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Free elections, 1979
My last audience with the Shah
Freidoon Hoveida
August 18, 2000
The Iranian
In April 1978, I was summoned to Tehran.The Shah wanted to give me special instructions about the forthcoming special session of the U.N. General Assembly on disarmament, initiated by the Soviet Union.This was about a month after the riots provoked by Ayatollah Khomeini's followers in Tabriz. My audience with the monarch was fixed for Wednesday April 12th at 11 o'clock a.m. I was ushered in a parlor room where the commanders of the different branches of the army were waiting to be received. The Shah would see them one by one! He was running late in his schedule because of an urgent meeting with the minister of interior. I had a lunch appointment with my brother. I called his office to inform him that I would be late and he should not wait for me.
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Free elections, 1979
My last audience with the Shah
Freidoon Hoveida
August 18, 2000
The Iranian
In April 1978, I was summoned to Tehran.The Shah wanted to give me special instructions about the forthcoming special session of the U.N. General Assembly on disarmament, initiated by the Soviet Union.This was about a month after the riots provoked by Ayatollah Khomeini's followers in Tabriz. My audience with the monarch was fixed for Wednesday April 12th at 11 o'clock a.m. I was ushered in a parlor room where the commanders of the different branches of the army were waiting to be received. The Shah would see them one by one! He was running late in his schedule because of an urgent meeting with the minister of interior. I had a lunch appointment with my brother. I called his office to inform him that I would be late and he should not wait for me.
