HIH Prince Ali Reza (28 April 1966 - 4 January 2011)

[Ravine]

I completely agree with you. Thanx for talking sense. It's the easiest thing in the world to judge.

[Stefanie]

It´s not my business whether Ali and Leila indeed were depressed or not or something else was the reason for their death we will never come to know but I critizise the former Imperial family for again blame it on the Iranian revolution. It´s ridiculous because specially the crownprince Reza who had to bare the fact to become heir of his father did very well so far by marrying and having children and going on with his life.
I sometimes have the feeling that Farah uses the deathes of her children to get public attention by bringing their destiny into political context. She always wants to explain that you simply can´t go on with your life but her eldest son proofed the opposite.

[lalloossa]

My deepest condolences to his family, especially his mother Empress Farah.

[Kasumi]

Iran exiles in Paris mourn the former shah's son - Associated Press

Prince Ali Reza Pahlavi Suicide:Tragic End to the Iran's Dynasty - DailyBeast
He died in a manner of a soldier who cannot bear dishonour and disgrace, of a single shot in the head.

Iran reacts to Death of Shah's Son - Time

[PetraHel]

Originally Posted by Stefanie

It´s not my business whether Ali and Leila indeed were depressed or not or something else was the reason for their death we will never come to know but I critizise the former Imperial family for again blame it on the Iranian revolution. It´s ridiculous because specially the crownprince Reza who had to bare the fact to become heir of his father did very well so far by marrying and having children and going on with his life.
I sometimes have the feeling that Farah uses the deathes of her children to get public attention by bringing their destiny into political context. She always wants to explain that you simply can´t go on with your life but her eldest son proofed the opposite.

Actually I tend to agree with you, although we appreciate Iranian Royal Family very much (my in-laws lived there for five years during the reign of the Shah and my husband was born there). However, being exiled isn´t a reason for suicide for healthy human being. Many royals were exiled (Habsburgs, Romanovs, Greek royals...) and they live on. Prince Alireza and his sister suffered from depression, that was the cause of their death. Who knows, maybe they would have been suffered from this disease even without any exile, maybe the unfortunate circumstances just speeded it up.

[assia]

I do agree with you, they did live in exile but the two of them were very young when they left Iran so they could have adapted to that situation such as other royals in exile, were they not fragile human beings. Their depressions could be the result of other matters, not only the departure from Iran. This is very sad for their poour mother Farah.

[Rascal]

The pattern of depression is undeniable. But there could be any number of reasons why Prince Ali made the choice to take his own life. Suicide can be a trigger for depression and "inspire" that same action in others, particularly if they are close. Perhaps he was deeply affected by his sister's suicide and was never able to move on from that. We don't know what demons he faced on his own in private, even if he appeared "normal" to anyone else. We have never been privy to very much information about Ali, and even less in recent years. Maybe the ending of his engagement, even if he was the one who ended it, was a staggering emotional blow to him. Maybe he compared his life to that of his brother, who by all appearances seems happy and has developed a full life, and in that comparison found his own life to be empty and/or meaningless. Who knows? I think the tragedy is knowing that THAT amount of despair was a part of his existence and was so ovewhelming he decided it would be better to not deal with it. There are probably people in the world I would wish that emotional despair on but only a few and only because they have done horrible atrocities, particularly against children. Otherwise, I wouldn't wish that on anyone, even if I dislike them. The whole situation is just very sad.

[Kasumi]

Originally Posted by Stefanie

... I critizise the former Imperial family for again blame it on the Iranian revolution...
I sometimes have the feeling that Farah uses the deathes of her children to get public attention by bringing their destiny into political context...

Pahlavi Suicide:Why Royal Family Still Haunts Iranians - Time
Like so many Iranians, I find my feelings toward the Pahlavis a complex jumble of personal dreams and resentments, and the intensity of my emotions reminds me that they have as much to do with my past, my family and my relationship to history as the royal family itself.
...
The family remains of great emotional relevance to Iranians. The Pahlavis themselves know that they stand no chance of being reinserted into Iran politically, though they must more than suspect that their moments of personal grief will be reflected in monumental ways on the larger stage of the Iranian political imagination.
...
The acknowledging of mental illness is taboo in the Iranian culture...

[Biri]

I heard that Ali Reza wanted to be cremated...
But Islam (and he was a Muslim) does not allow cremation as a form of funeral, does it?

And wouldn't it be dangerous for Reza to scatter his brother's ashes into the Caspian sea? It would be an ideal ocasion for Iranian authorities to shoot down his plane!

[MPD1]

Tragic death, my condolences to the family.

[Kasumi]

Persia's Little Prince - Foreign Policy

[Patra]

This is so sad, I heard it in disbelief on the radio. Prayers are with his family at this difficult time...

[assia]

Originally Posted by Biri

I heard that Ali Reza wanted to be cremated...
But Islam (and he was a Muslim) does not allow cremation as a form of funeral, does it?

And wouldn't it be dangerous for Reza to scatter his brother's ashes into the Caspian sea? It would be an ideal ocasion for Iranian authorities to shoot down his plane!

I was also a bit surprised about the cremation as it's not allowed by Islam .

[Dierna23]

I heard it in the news and I was shocked. Suicide is one of the worst things that can happen to a family and now for the second time, that's beyond horrible... I hope that Ali Reza will rest in peace and my condolences to poor Empress Farah Diba and the family!

[sirhon11234]

How awful poor Farah to lose two children to suicide is an absolute tragedy. I hope Ali has found peace.

[MPD1]

I assume the Prince's death came as a huge shock to his family, rumors fly here and there, up and down, in Boston but I don't wanna speculate or start rumors. Just wanna wish he found real peace now. Sad Prince of Persia, RIP !

[kalnel]

Didn't Empress Farah allude to Alireza and perhaps the other surviving children having had difficult lives and a hard time coping in the film "The Queen and I" last year? IIRC, she said something about them having a hard time finding happiness and settling down.

[frank22]

The edition for this week of Point de Vue have 2 articles about him and some lovely pictures. You can buy it and read online at: Abonnement presse, Magazines, Journaux, Revues, Livre, Bd, A telecharger sur Relay

Abonnement magazine Point de Vue, Numéro 3260, La douleur de Farah, mère d'Ali Reza, après son suicide

[Rossina]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mW9DcLwmPNQ

[frank22]

You can read free the Point de Vue number dedicated to prince Ali Reza at this link:
Point de Vue 12-18 Janvier 2011 Magazines Variados en Youkioske.com