HIM Farah Pahlavi’s Remarks at
The Look! Women of the Year Awards, Vienna November 17, 2015
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I deeply grieve for the people of France and my heart goes out to the innocent victims of this
heinous act.
I am touched to be the recipient of this year’s Hope Award. I take this opportunity to congratulate
my fellow awardees:
· Lady Christina Moore for the Strong Woman Award,
· Dr. Auma Obama for the Human Rights Award, and
· Miss Katherine Schwarzenegger for the Young Talent Award
Some thirty-six years ago, while in Cairo and touch with many Iranians outside of Iran, for
security reasons I acquired the codename Hope. And now in the age of the Internet, my private email
starts with the word hope! So I take it as a good omen that after 36 years I should be the
recipient of “The Look! Women of the Year Hope Award. Some among you have followed my life.
56 years ago as a young architectural student, I married the king of Iran. My country was
progressing in all fields. We were at peace and maintained good relations with our neighbors. Iran
played a positive role on the world stage. Many of our dreams for a better Iran were realized and
we were hopeful for our future.
As you are well aware, after the destructive upheavals of 1978, life became very hard for millions of
Iranians including my husband, my family, and myself. For the sake of my husband, children, and
compatriots I stayed resilient. Hope, or Omeed in Persian, sustained me then and now. Knowing
what my husband stood for, and staying true to my beliefs, I am sure that the seeds planted with so
much love and faith will flourish. In hard times each one of us has to find the means to keep strong
and avoid hopelessness. Sports, meditation, and the love of family, friends, and many supporters
with the encouragement of my compatriots both in Iran and those in exile have braced and
comforted me and continue to raise my spirit. I draw strength from the sun, the blue sky, poetry,
music, nature, and most of all by following the events in my country and by keeping in touch with
my fellow countrymen. Peace and hope are priceless gifts. When people around the world can live
in peace regardless of their culture, religion, and ethnicity, and are treated fairly equally under the
rule of law, they can look forward to a bright future. Too many people in this world are deprived of
hope. Totalitarian systems, to remain in power, thrive on the hopelessness of the people.
Ultimately, mankind must embrace hope. It can be healing and uplifting. It is an affirmation of
positivity and is critical in making the world a better place for all. With hope, there is no room for
despair. Hope is a precious and priceless gift that you can give to others. It is a sentiment I will
keep and transmit to others as long as I live.
Dear Mrs. Uschi Fellner, thank you for organizing such a wonderful event, and I dedicate this
award to the women of Iran, with the hope that light will prevail over darkness.
