Shahbanou Farah Pahlavi and Prince Reza Pahlavi to Receive the 'Architect of Peace' Award from the Richard Nixon Foundation

Shahbanou Farah Pahlavi and Prince Reza Pahlavi will jointly receive the 'Architect of Peace' award from the Richard Nixon Foundation this autumn. The award will be presented to Prince Reza Pahlavi on October 22, 2023, during a ceremony at the Richard Nixon Library in California. Shahbanou Farah Pahlavi will receive her award in a private ceremony later in the autumn. In its statement, the Nixon Foundation described Shahbanou Farah Pahlavi and her son, Prince Reza Pahlavi, who have lived in exile since the 1979 revolution, as powerful symbols of opposition to the 'theocratic terrorist regime ruling Iran.' The foundation noted that each has dedicated over 40 years to defending religious freedom in Iran, supporting a democratic form of government based on the people's votes, and drawing attention to the ongoing violations of human rights in Iran. The Nixon Foundation also acknowledged the long-standing relationship between Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi and Richard Nixon, the former President of the United States. According to the foundation, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi was a strong ally of the United States and a bulwark in the Cold War against the former Soviet Union. The statement continued that Richard Nixon first met Mohammad Reza Shah in 1953 while serving as Vice President, marking the beginning of their close personal relationship that lasted three decades. In a 1983 interview, Richard Nixon stated that he knew the Shah 'better than any world leader he had met in the past 37 years.' He described Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi as a very 'sensitive and intelligent' man who understood the world as well as any leader the President of the United States had met. According to the Nixon Foundation, 'Richard Nixon was the only American representative at the Shah's funeral in Cairo in 1980.' Prince Reza Pahlavi also represented his family at the funerals of Pat Nixon, Richard Nixon's wife, in 1993, and Richard Nixon in 1994. The Architect of Peace Award was established in 1995 shortly after Richard Nixon's death to honor individuals who are active in furthering his goals of shaping a more peaceful world. Previous recipients of this award include former U.S. Presidents Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush, as well as former Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger and Mike Pompeo, and U.S. Senators Elizabeth Dole, Joe Lieberman, and John McCain.