Fresno marks birthday of Empress Farah Pahlavi with ceremony at City Hall; Iranian flags to fly for a week

FRESNO — Fresno City Hall hosted a celebratory event honoring Empress Farah Pahlavi on what the speakers described as her birthday, with remarks from local organizers, a keynote address and a flag-raising at the City Council Chambers.

The event, introduced by Councilmember Mike Karabasi, featured a keynote speech by Fariba Bayani, who traveled from Atlanta to attend. Organizers said the imperial standard and Iranian flags “will be flying high in the city of Fresno for the next week.”

Bayani, identified in the program as a former prosecutor and founding partner of a law firm in Atlanta, praised Farah Pahlavi’s support for arts, education and social-welfare programs and described her as “a champion for the social progress.” Dr. Ardevan Khorad Pir, who introduced Bayani, framed the empress’s legacy as “a beacon of hope” and quoted her as saying, “light will always prevail over darkness.”

Karabasi thanked event volunteers and staff and credited Mark Rezvani with producing a video used in the program. The ceremony included a recorded video segment, a flag-raising and the playing of a national anthem. At one point the speaker asked attendees to rise while the flags were raised.

Speakers at the event highlighted institutions and programs they attributed to the empress’s legacy, mentioning the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Arts, several cultural centers and university initiatives. Bayani recounted the empress’s patronage of museums and festivals and said those efforts helped create “a world class collection” and expanded opportunities for education, particularly for women.

Organizers also invoked a prior recognition of the empress by the city, saying Fresno previously honored her with a day on Oct. 14. No formal city legislative action or vote was recorded during the proceedings; the event was presented as a ceremonial commemoration.

The program closed after remarks of thanks and a light-hearted reference to cake. Attendees were encouraged to view the exhibit and displays prepared for the event that remain at City Hall for the week.