The ABC @abcnews has covered the Coalition's invitation to Reza Pahlavi to visit Australia with extensive reference to my opinion piece on the monarchist movement published in @theage earlier this week.
As predicted, I have suffered extensive trolling and abuse as a result of my speaking out against the radical fringes associated with the Pahlavists.
Pahlavi insists his objective is to act as a "transitional leader" and a "bridge" to democracy, rather than seeking power himself.
If by some miracle the Islamic Republic disappears and Pahlavi gets to enact this plan, and does indeed step aside to make way for democratic elections, he will earn himself the Nobel Peace Prize. I will be the first person to say he is deserving of it.
If however he does not step aside and rather seeks to install himself as a constitutional or absolute monarch, he will join the many other "transitional leaders" throughout history who, after tasting power, suddenly develop a reticence to part with it.
https://t.co/R8rrFDPo4y