[custom_adv] Reza Pahlavi ( born 31 October 1960) is the last heir apparent to the defunct throne of the Imperial State of Iran and is the current head of the exiled House of Pahlavi. He is the older son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and his wife Farah Diba. [custom_adv] Pahlavi is the founder and former leader of the self-styled National Council of Iran, an exiled opposition group, and is a prominent critic of Republic government. In September 2017, Pahlavi left his position as the leader of the National Council . [custom_adv] The Pahlavi dynasty was founded early in the twentieth century. The 1979 revolution replaced the monarchy with an republic. After the death of his father, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, he symbolically declared himself Shāhanshāh (literally King of Kings in Persian) at the age of 21. [custom_adv] On his website, Pahlavi has said that the state of Iran should become democratic and secular, and human rights should be respected. Whether the form of government would be that of a constitutional monarchy or a republic is something that he would like to leave up to the people. [custom_adv] Pahlavi has used his high profile as an abroad to campaign for human rights, democracy and unity among in and outside . On his website he calls for a separation of religion and state in and for free and fair elections "for all freedom-loving individuals and political ideologies". [custom_adv] He exhorts all groups dedicated to a democratic agenda to work together for a democratic and secular government. [custom_adv] According to Reza Bayegan, Pahlavi believes in the separation of religion from politics. However, he avoids the "Islam bashing" that Bayegan writes occurs in some circles of the opposition. Rather, he believes that religion has a humanizing and ethical role in shaping individual character and infusing society with greater purpose. [custom_adv] In a presentation at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy in December 2018, Pahlavi called for non-military support of those in Iran who were trying to replace the Islamist regime with a secular democracy. According to a news report, he was "not openly calling for the restoration of the Peacock Throne ... He casts himself more as a symbol than a politician, but has called himself 'ready to serve my country'". [custom_adv] Pahlavi's book Winds of Change: The Future of Democracy in Iran, in which he outlines possible scenarios for Iran's future, was published in 2002.