Madam, — The Iranian ambassador, Hossein Panahiazar (March 14th), writes that the “main thrust” of the popular uprisings in the Middle East since 1979 has been “to achieve sovereignty, freedom, democracy, and rejection of dependency and foreign interference and most important of all abhorrence of Zionism.”
One of these things is not like the others. And sadly, the laser-like focus on that last and “most important” aim has had the effect of occluding the focus on the others. The popular demonstrations that have so transformed, Egypt, Tunisia, Bahrain, and (I pray) Libya have made a powerful case for dignity, freedom, democracy, and independence. Zionism has rarely come up. I would ask Mr Panahiazar to take off his blinders. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Hossein Panahiazar, Iran’s ambassador to Ireland, writes (March 14th) that Israel is guilty of assassination, murder and state terrorism, etc. Given Iran’s enviable record in such matters, this is surely a clear case of “the pot calling the kettle black”. – Yours, etc,
