by Ramin Mazaheri for The Saker Blog (cross-posted with PressTV by permission)
(Ramin Mazaheri is the chief correspondent in Paris for PressTV and has lived in France since 2009. He has been a daily newspaper reporter in the US, and has reported from Iran, Cuba, Egypt, Tunisia, South Korea and elsewhere. He is the author of “I’ll Ruin Everything You Are: Ending Western Propaganda on Red China”.)
Reza Pahlavi, the son of deposed Iranian king Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, is reportedly set to star in a TV program for UK-based media Iran International.
The Farsi-language channel is reportedly funded by Saudi Arabia’s Mohammad bin Salman, and exists to produce propaganda against modern Iran. It also exists as a mouthpiece for terrorists: Iran International gained infamy in Iran – but no condemnation nor penalty from UK media authorities – for broadcasting a gloating interview with the perpetrators of the 2018 Ahvaz terror attack, which killed 25 people and wounded 70 others.
Mohammad bin Salman reportedly conceived the idea that the camera just loves Reza Pahlavi – MBS likely believes the camera loves all monarchs, even “never were” monarchs like Pahlavi.
MBS and Iran International may have a tough time attracting an audience, mainly because the Iranian people are not at all interested in the obvious goal of the program: whitewashing the crimes and multiple treasons of the Pahlavi household. Pahlavi will find it very hard to reverse the widespread opinion in Iran that the Pahlavi family is a hollow puppet of foreign powers which have only ill-will towards the average Iranian person.
Pahlavi, showcasing the negotiation skills he proposes to return to Iran’s top office, agreed to do the show at just 2% of his original salary demand. Perhaps Pahlavi cut his rates because he finally realised that he was not only not an actual king, but simply the son of a king, and a long-deposed king at that.
Unfortunately for those who value truth in journalism, this royal-sized discount leaves more money in the budget of Iran International – anti-Iran terrorists surely appreciate Pahlavi’s agreement to take a pay cut.
However, the same report said that he put aside his royal pride after getting pressured by the intelligence services of an unnamed European country. That European country is, of course, Poland. I realise that I am unusual in this assertion – every other Iranian surely assumes that the unnamed country can only be the UK, because bribing Iranian (ex-) elite to work for the detriment of the Iranian democratic will is what they have done since the early 1800s.
The only other European country with the neo-imperialist inclination to get involved in this type of a situation is France. However, they have long-hosted the MKO terrorist group, proving that they back the other losing horse in this pathetic race to history’s glue factory.
The MKO took time out of planning their next assassination attempt and their friendly chats with John Bolton to let it be known to their supporters inside Saudi Arabia that giving Pahlavi a program would result in the MKO leaking damaging information in retaliation. The MKO does not want Pahlavi viewed as a possible leader of the opposition to Iran’s popularly-supported democracy.
Sometimes people have fallen so far behind in a race that they actually convince themselves they are winning, and this is the case here. Watching the MKO argue with Reza Pahlavi while the Saudis try to hold the two back reminds all of Iran of Moe trying to restrain Larry and Curly in the “Three Stooges” film shorts.
The reality-show car crash which is the Pahlavi family, the “more horrifying than any movie” MKO – Iranians view both with tabloid interest combined with the relief that our national nightmares with them are completely finished. No matter how much support the US, Israel, the UK, the Arab monarchs and the French give, and no matter how much whitewashing they can get from mainstream Western media like The New York Times and Politico, neither of these groups have any political support inside Iran.
Pahlavi’s program will treat us to him traveling around the world and meeting with “dissident movements”. It boggles the mind as to whom would welcome an association with the Son of the Deposed King of Kings? Any movement which supports the restoration of royalty is automatically a reactionary group. The liberal democracy supporters (either of the republican or constitutional monarchy variety) who would go on Pahlavi’s show are obviously pathetic, aristocratic opportunists. Certainly no supporters of socialist democracy nor Islamic democracy would appear at any price.
I assume then that Pahlavi will be confined to taking his viewers to the only two areas of the world where overpaid, under-democratic monarchs predominate – the autocratic monarchies in the Muslim world and the liberal democratic monarchies of Europe.
The incredibly amusing joke which is forever ready in the bush whenever one debates with one of the “restore the shah” rich Iranian exiles is this: In their mind and in their discourse they are picturing that Darius the Great will take over, but the reality is… it’s just Reza Pahlavi!
Pahlavi is not considered by Iranians to be an especially smart guy – his only “job” has been to make well-paid speeches against Iran. Nobody, apart from the Arab monarchies, believes that “living off your inheritance” is an actual job qualification you can put on your CV. Nobody, apart from the US, imagines that “TV show star” qualifies one to lead a country.
Who will watch Reza’s new show?
We can say this for certain – absolutely nobody under the age of 40: this is a show whose appeal is based entirely around the concept of nostalgia, and Iranian youth obviously have zero experience with the Pahlavi era. And because they have been schooled in modern political concepts, they also have as little tolerance for royalism as do youth in the republics of France, Algeria or the US.
Among the middle-aged, no Reformist or Principlist party supporter could possibly take the show seriously either. The elderly who could possibly tune in once aren’t shah restorationists either – they are simply old and curious to see how the figures of their younger days turned out.
And how has Reza Pahlavi turned out? He is not someone Iranians respect, and this is for very obvious reasons: Any non-Iranian could easily grasp why he is considered to be a shameless opportunist, and the fact that he would work with the Saudi monarchy is just the latest example of this character trait.
This perception was sealed in Iran long, long ago: we must remember that Reza Pahlavi works with the Americans, who ejected his very sick father out of a hospital and into Panama, and that is something which will earn him eternal disapproval in family-loving Iran. What kind of a son works with those whom effectively killed his own father?
I’m sure non-Iranians are a bit confused and wondering: “But didn’t Iranians dislike and democratically depose his father?”
Yes, they did.. but even if your father is as bad as Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, you still shouldn’t treat your father like that! Family comes first in Iran, and please trust me that I am not joking about this Iranian cultural trait.
So, it is true – Reza Pahlavi just can’t win with Iranians, no matter what he does. Not unless he can go back in time….
Western imperialists and Zionists obviously have their own selfish reasons to ignore the reality of his total political irrelevance, but it is unfortunate for his own redemption that Pahlavi himself does not appear to grasp this fact either.
The only way Reza Pahlavi could be half the patriot, leader and sincerely religious Shia he claims to be would be to follow the example someone like the last emperor of China, Pu Yi.
Revolutionary China reformed Pu Yi from a self-centred autocrat who considered himself divine into someone who tried to be a genuinely good person. He was not executed in 1949 – he served 10 years in jail, and then was given a regular job as a street sweeper and gardener. He regularly spoke out in support of the democratic choice of the Chinese people, and he sincerely seemed to realise that monarchy is antiquated, immoral and unwanted. What Pu Yi absolutely did not do was collaborate with the enemies of the Chinese people, and at a 98% discount.
But two percent of a phony job is better than 100% of socially-productive work to some people; some people work with the worst elements of society in vain attempts to steal glory, power and ease.
Such people are not wanted around, and especially not to lead. As long as Reza Pahlavi cannot reform himself, he will never allowed to reform even a post office in Iran’s most remote mountain village, and that is the implacable and universally-known will of the Iranian people.
The only thing you can say in favor of Reza Pahlavi is that he is probably more popular inside Iran than the MKO, who – in something which can obviously never be forgiven by the average Iranian – fought alongside Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq War.
However, as a journalist I am compelled to point out that both of them combined truly do not have 2% support in Iran. When Politico’s reasonably-trained journalists address this issue of obvious journalistic interest, they can only pen obscuring lies like, “it’s impossible to gauge how widespread support for the royals truly is inside Iran”. Nonsense: 2% is a totally-accurate estimation and I doubt any Iranian would seriously dispute that figure – Politico just doesn’t want non-Iranians to know or believe the truth.
And what is 2%? If you examine the number of US write-in votes in their elections we truly find that the combined votes of Disney characters and American football head coaches equals this same figure. As a serious democratic option, Pahlavi and the MKO are as serious as Mickey Mouse to the average Iranian, and if a non-Iranian wants to take one thing from this column – that should be it.
The only type of people getting their popcorn ready to watch MBS’ and Iran International’s new “Reza Pahlavi Comedy Hour” are the rich Iranian exiles in the wealthy areas of Los Angeles and Washington DC. Or rather, they are telling their servants to get the popcorn ready.
The Pahlavi show is thus designed to allow this group to continue to live in their bubble, unburdened by the facts that they often fled their own country with ill-gotten gains, that they failed to support a popular democratic revolution which took decades of sacrifices to realise, that they are nostalgic for an era which is not anywhere as beloved as they would like it to be because the mass majority was oppressed, that they are not qualified to be the leaders of modern Iran, and that they viciously and treacherously support even more hot war, cold war, sanctions and death on their own compatriots, culture and likely members of their own extended families.
This ratings group I have just described may be incredibly wealthy and able to produce any type of nonsense they want on television, but they are very small. They are also old and will soon pass into history, along with the King of Kings, his son and all their monarchical allies who – those of us living in the modern world agree – are not divine in the slightest.
As it should be, royalty is cheap in 2019 – the Saudis got Pahlavi at a 98% discount.
From time immemorial social conflicts and class conflicts were a matter of leadership,—was it to be leadership as service or leadership as lording it over.
I have observed the events in Iran from location in USA from the beginning around 1979, at first thought that the idea of clergy actually in charge of government might be a radically new and better thing. However, soon enough, these clergy began behaving in many ways like thugs.—One thing which struck me was that the emotional organism influencing them and possessing them was remarkably honest in glorification of warfare and sacrificial death in war, the martyrdom. There was no hypocrisy like in Western thoughts about “preferring peace” even while still waging war, or in the Soviet barrage about how “peaceloving” they really were while fielding one of the biggest militaries of that time.—The movement in Iran openly and honestly glorified warfare and death in warfare, and seemed like considering warfare to be a truly holy thing and the best overall way to worship what they called “God”.—And then it also struck me that they were obsessed about Israel and Zionism and the destruction of Israel even though Iran had no territorial disputes. Exactly why this obsession? It often struck me that the current leaders in Iran would sacrifice the existence of their own country if only they could obliterate Israel (and its Jewish population of course). What was in it really for Iran?—And then when the so-called “takfiri” movement “Islamic State” movement arose, I simply saw the emotional organism conjured by the Iranians showing more of its true ferocious and predatory face. Humans were being swept into this whole emotional hurricane, thousands worldwide joining this movement as a chance for them to go on some great killing spree and then go kill themselves as well, as “martyrs”. The Iranian leadership seemed to shrink back from the “Islamic State takfiris” as going “too far”, but as I said,
it looked like this was simply the same overall emotional organism showing more of its true face: honest perpetual warfare as something honestly holy, calling upon human sacrifices.—Now then, the performance
of the Iranian clergy was a great disappointment. One expected them as men of God to rise above the fray and become perhaps truly effective peacemakers and bring about peace in the region, so it seemed, in the beginning, some theoretical possibility. But to be sure, not any more. So it’s a big free for all. The true devil-entity as Lord Jesus correctly stated, is fundamentally a murderer, mass murderer and a liar who prefers to deceive humans into thinking they worship God when they commit great murders and other crimes.—see John 8:44, in other words, the “great predator” against humans.—In the end, the devil-entity through endless warfare will obliterate everything constructive.—Personally I think that only when the majority in the middle east abandon following the warlord-prophets Mohammad on one side and Moses on the other side, and seek to follow the recorded words, thoughts and example of Lord Jesus the Anointed, the prophet of harmony and peace, and build a brand new church from scratch, then the frenzy may settle down.
“glorification of warfare and sacrificial death in war, ”
You an American shilling out moral accusation of blood lust against Iran?!hahahhahaha
Btw, I was always curious to know, you hasbara trolls are paid by the word or what because you always seem to comment wall of texts without any coherent thought.
@the anonymous “Not an anonymous”, I think Anon is not hasbarah. This particular Anon writes like some sort of brainwashed Backwoods Christian who has swallowed all the MSM propaganda against “Mad Mullahs of Iran”; has absorbed in childhood all the latent Jew-hatred lurking behind the fervent Zionazism of Backwoods Christianity; and thinks it clever to condemn small ME countries while hoping that readers will totally ignore the absolutely huge wars of NATZO in the ME, with millions killed and whole countries destroyed — in the name of Jesus (according to Middle East Peace Envoy Tony B.Liar who prayed in public with Backwoods Christian George “Shrub” Bush) before unleashing the Rape of Iraq which led step by step to CIA-ISIS and the present carnage in Syria with armed invaders from Christian U$A, Christian England, Christian France, Christian Germany, Christian Denmark, Christian Canada and Christian Australia.
That Christian Carnage is precisely what the Iranian Guardians of the Islamic Revolution are working to quell. Iran, unlike Christian Europe, has not spent the past two centuries invading other countries.
How Jesus became a tool of ideology is beyond me, even the FBI does horrific things to its citizens in his name, they tell me he died so they could sin, this religious tool of selective perfection makes absolutely no sense to me nor does how it came about, but it works very well for others.
Jewish popekings subverted the early ‘christian’ church, then turned it into an abomination. That’s how control is maintained. btw, Jesus did not die for our sins, he died for crossing the corperate businesses that were supporting the Roman occupation of Palestine. Not biblical fantasy, historical fact.
So the “Christians” are to blame.—There were no wars, no carnage, no plundering, no raping, mayhem, millions killed and countries destroyed until those “Christians” arose on the scene.—The point is that historically everyone has always been caught up in the frenzy of the “great predatory spirit” over the world, where humans seem to be like those stupid gladiators in the arena, just waging wars eternally, no side ever winning, only generating maximum rage energies and fear energies as the ultimate end in itself, just churning, churning, churning… Only flexible analytical intellect and will power can defuse these predatory mighty emotional currents as the first step to the way of human functioning which shall lead to the most ultimate imaginable well-being.
Neither the warlord-prophet Moses nor the warlord-prophet Mohammad point to this way.
For Dr N.G Maroudas:
So where does the Constitution of Medina stand regarding Islam in modern times? What authority does it have? Is this the kind of fairly enlightened society which Iran stands for?—According to available information, trusting the Wikipedia source, under the Constitution of Medina, non-Muslims like Christians, Jews and other believers in “one God” had these rights: 1) The security of God is equal for all groups,[26]
2) Non-Muslim members have the same political and cultural rights as Muslims. They have autonomy and freedom of religion.[27] 3) Non-Muslims take up arms against the enemy of the nation and share the cost of war. There is to be no treachery between the two.[28] 4) Non-Muslims are not obliged to take part in the Muslims’ religious wars.—Is this what Iran supposedly stands for?—What are the standing and authority of the Constitution of Medina as it was historically the basis for the first original “Islamic State”?
And by the way, everyone forgets, that from from the 1400’s through 1600’s the Muslims under the Ottoman Turks launched a grand crusade in reverse so to speak and conquered and occupied for quite a while some at least one-third of all Christendom. And many if not most of the slaves under this regime were “lily-white Christians” so that no one can say that the “Christians” had some monopoly of invention as to conquest and carnage and slavery.
Exactly what I was thinking. I also don’t seem to recall the Iranian leadership being forever obsessed with Israel and demanding the destruction of Israel. Maybe I was asleep? As someone living in America (?) Anonymous should take a good look at the death and destruction rained down by the Empire on other countries, and the resultant millions of dead, including many children
Looks like you did not read the comment even halfway before launching your knee-jerk accusations.
Anonymous….. Its not a knee jerk accusation to state that millions of human beings have died as a result of United States actions. How many Iraqi children died as a direct result of sanctions orchestrated by the United States: at least 5000000. How many countries has the U.S and its NATO lackeys bombed in the last 30 years? What happened to the wealthiest, most stable country in Africa, namely Libya? Who has been supporting the jihadist headchoppers in Syria? Your country is the World’s number one Rogue terrorist state. I could give you many more examples if you wish. Have a good day.
To Gezzah Potts:
Based on own observations and knowledge, limited as they may be because who has perfect all-encompassing information and knowledge,—what you mention about the warfare, bombings, etc., coming from the USA and the “West” is part of an overall global program of “humans into demons”—just produce maximal rage energies and fear energies worldwide as the end in itself.—If your accusations are correct I still do not see “the other side” as offering anything better. My information about the “headchoppers” is that they were and are a devilish cult with belief in a very bloody “end of the world” scenario which they seek to accelerate. Graeme Wood wrote an article about them in the Atlantic in 2019, documenting their serious “religious theology”. Maybe devil-worshippers in the West recognized kinship and supported them as a force simply to spread murder and mayhem, because primary targets were the Muslims who did not practice Islam “perfectly and correctly”. The “takfiris” took the support opportunistically, but ultimately I think to be sure, when time came, it would be the turn to chop heads of the “slut and pervert” culture and population of the West, and make sure not one Israeli be left on the planet either, for good measure, and maybe chop your head and mine if they could only reach us. But the devil-worshippers in the West, as devil-worshippers everywhere, simply like to play with predatory beasties.—All in all, if the “other side” only had the superior weapons technology, it would not be surprising that they would launch an “extermination to end all exterminations” furiously-furiously fast fast fast. All of the sides are devilish.—So throw the lightning-thunder equally. The “other side” I do not think is really better.
This is why turning to Lord Jesus and His way of functioning by creativity, liberty and both inner and outer harmony and peace is the only possible solution,—through building a brand new church,—but granted, this seems highly unlikely.—Biblical prophecy is not optimistic. Trying to accelerate it is the very worst choice.
The morality of Jesus of Nazareth is very fine, but not exceptional among humanity. Buddhist, Confucian, Indigenous and other philosophies preached more or less the same commonsense formulae. Compassion for all, treating others as you would wish to be treated, pacifism etc are all admirable, and anathema to the ‘religious’ leaders of the West. The true religions of the West are insatiable greed, murder and destruction, and boundless hypocrisy.
Iran has always opposed Israel because that is what is the moral thing to do.
That’s “what’s in it”,
Iran has the biggest Jewish community in the Middle East – none were “obliterated”. Some did move, but so did Muslims and Christians.
Insults were removed by MOD.Do not insult others on the blog.
Iran’s fixation ain’t no different than this mickys fixation with the Apartheid Occupation of Palestine. It’s all about Palestine; squatters murdering people and stealing their land, all the while being aided and abetted by thugs and bullies from the USA and UK. You’re not a thug, are you?
Why is Iran upset with Israel?
Palestine and how the people are treated like gargbage.
Al Quds, and how israel is not a good custodian of the holy sites.
I can go on and on but these 2 grievances are huge.
I say kudos to Iran for having the courage to call out the israelis for the fascist pigs they are!
Iran knows who helped saddam invade!
See I used my real name :)))
Fully agree with your comment. Iran is one of the very few countries in the World who has refused to look the other way and ignore the sheer brutality dished out to the Palestinians, including the murder of children. Malaysia is another country that is not blind, and calls the Israeli regime for what it is. Truly shameful the ‘international rules based West’ fully aids and abets Israel and ignores its many crimes, which include war crimes. So much for the International Criminal Court at The Hague…
I’m still waiting for that godawful Auntie Tom, Bensouda, to ‘finish’ her preliminary investigation of Israel’s crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel is the Jeffrey Epstein of nations-a serial criminal with TOTAL impunity.
We may safely add Turkey to that small list of countries opposing the indignities forced on the Palestinians by IsraHell.
Reza Pahlevi looks like another pretender, a Random Guyido that the AngloZionist Empire could be trying to impose on another country. The Empire must be getting rather desperate if they think Iranians will do more than laugh at any Western attempt to recognize their puppet as the “legitimate” government of the Persian country.
The fact that the US and its vassals could see this clown Pahlavi or the thoroughly detested MKO as viable alternatives to the current Iranian leadership, should suprise no one, because it just goes to show how “inept” – to quote the former UK top diplomat in the US – and delusional they are.
It is the same mentality that “declared” Guiado as president of Venezuela.
In a sense, the whole thing would be laughable, if it wasnt so serious because of the risk of miscalculations that can potentially lead to war.
US policies for the most part, when objectively scrutinized, are no longer anchored in reality.
This is what happens when politicians on both sides – Republicans and Democrats – stand up and pledge “unconditional” support to a foreign country.
In practicality what it means is that the goals and agenda of that foreign country, no matter how dangerous and objectionable, become by extension, policies that the US government must pursue.
Israel hates Iran because Iran supports the Palestinians and refuses to accept its crimes.
As a result, Israel wants to pursue regime change in Iran to install stooges that will allow it to pursue its Greater Israel regional agenda.
Consequently the US, which is Israel’s vassal state, and has pledged unconditional support to Israel, feels compelled to change the regime in Iran, no matter the negative implications that this inherently has for the US.
That is why we see Trump ripping up the JCPOA or John Bolton palling around with MKO terrorists, promising them that their next meeting will be in Tehran.
Its dangerous and delusional, but guess what?
Israel demands it so the US has to give it a try.
Enter this clown Pahlavi who has zero chance of ever even setting foot in Iran, and he enjoys the backing of the US and others, in their compulsive bid to please Israel.
The point to take from all this is that; objectivity is not something to expect from any country that pledges “unconditional” support to another country.
Selah
Pahlavi doesn’t come from a “royal family”. To look up it will spur to think and search how it did come to be “royal”.
I personally came to think with great respect and also some sort of admiration for Iran since their Revolution in 1979. How it could manage to survive within so much “adversaries” especially from Western countries.
Those individuals who rule in Iran love their country. That’s for sure and much different than in most of Western countries where money and power for personal use is prevalent. They try to manage everything even within much restricted possibilities.
Why do especially Western people (and mostly so-called Christians) too much condemn other religions ?? Isn’t especially Christianity some sort of scriptures out of different times and no scripture existed ever during the time claimed Jesus existed ? And even in different languages ?
Why do people not think in terms that religion can be either brainwash people or give them some sort of assistance in a difficult life ?
Some religions on our earth are more based on philosophy and knowledge how human beings could behave.
What is so difficult to understand this ?
I am a born Roman-Catholic in a more Catholic society.
I am of a similar frame of mind yet I also realize that it doesn’t take much for a westerner to shame a whole peoples over even so little as one so called bad habit. And I do believe that peoples cultures should remain peoples cultures and that outsiders should not try to change those peoples cultures, and also that peoples cultures should not be demanded to be exported to different countrys and readily accepted by those citizens.
And here’s why, just before the 79 revolution we had Iranians studying my major to be petroleum engineers, I didnt know any of them but at an indoor social gathering of a rather packed house, I noticed a group of people standing on metal heater frames that surrounded 3 sides of the building, they had a better view of the band playing but could also be as easily seen. And they stood out for a rather unusual reason, the whole row of maybe 10 guys were simultanously picking their nose in public.
I had never seen that before, but until that first year in college i had never even seen poverty either. The revolution occurred shortly after and nearly all of them returned to Iran because if you didnt return at that precise time it was said that you would no longer be welcome back to Iran. The only thing I could reason behind those actions was that it was a part of their culture and a readily acceptable thing to do over there. Now if this were to become a political issue somehow one could see why others would want to invade and change their culture(for the better of course) in the name our supposed superiority.
So there you have it, it might only take one simple thing for a westerner to want to take over another country no matter how simple that thing might be.
I have a big smile. Thanks
”However, the same report said that he put aside his royal pride after getting pressured by the intelligence services of an unnamed European country. That European country is, of course, Poland”
Which makes him look even sillier than the most obnoxious people pestering the planet. I had hoped Ramin would get back to this point, but nothing more was written about it. Did the Psheks pay Reza Pahlavi the missing 98% ?
That was clearly a joke – the UK is paying what the Saudis won’t, given their history of meddling in Iran. Read the next sentence written.
The Pahlevi family is one of the most disappointing in Iranian/Persian history. The grandfather who first seized power was the smart one. He wanted to reform and modernize the country as Ataturk was doing next door in Turkey. But that angered the West,especially the British.Who considered Iran as their vassal state,and only wanted a weak Iran,not a strong one. So they imprisoned him and put his son in as Shah.He also was willing to work with countries that harmed his father.That trait must run in the family. He had his chance to reform Iran and blew it. He angered the religious in a deeply religious society. Without even being able to build-up a loyal secular class to support him. Spending the nations wealth on frivolity. And only bringing the worse of modernity to the country. This latest one was still a teenager when his father was overthrown.Living since his birth a pampered life in palaces. I doubt he has what it takes to make a success in the modern “rough and tumble” life of politics.
Reza Pahlavi is a bloodliner, lifetime actor, and Jewish Mafia asset. Therefore he has to play his scripted part in goy entertainment, goy confusing and goy mocking to the last day on his life. Like Epstein, von der Leyen, and all the rest.
This, of course, is all very perplexing for the hapless goy. Jewish Mafia entertainment and education has left him a confused and disoriented – an easy target for every joke, prank and hoax.
As usual, Britain’s role in all this is shameful and despicable. They created and installed these divine kings of Arabia and Persia (using a bandit chief and a mixed race cossack).
Just a small note:
I find it totally wrong to regard a whole populace as not adept to the 21st century. Its only a powerful clan supported by some Western countries as well as Israel.
Reading some poems translated into English language gives a much different picture/view of the populace.
Saudi Arabia was in ancient times more a divided country.
However, this country is well known for their virtue in commerce – and I think could be applied until today (or as long as some support from outside in our turbulent times).
Its populace was never known for achieving anything in science, medicine etc.