David Miliband

Foreign Secretary

FCO Logo
« Zimbabwe: Worse or... | Main | Confounding the... »
Monday 09 February, 2009

CULTURE BINDS - AND DIVIDES - IN IRAN

It is excellent that the Iranian authorities have come to an agreement with Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum, for the loan of key artefacts for the BM's exhibition Shah Abbas: The Remaking of Iran.  I remember discussing the proposed exhibition when it was a twinkle in Neil's eye at a dinner for leading UK museums with James Purnell, then Culture Secretary, in 2007. 

All the more pity that in the same week the British Council should have announced that it has been forced by the regime's harassment of local staff to suspend its operations in Iran . The BC operates in 110 countries representing Britain not the British government.  I deeply regret this move and raised it with Iranian Speaker Larijani when I met him in Munich on Saturday.

Posted at 16:19 09 February 2009 by David Miliband  |  Comments[12]

  • Share this with:
Comments:

Dear Foreign Secretary, Good stance, but for an on-the-ball outlook of Iran I suggest you read the following two articles that in my opinion sum up Iran better than the crib sheets our finest think tanks tend to produce these days. The writer has a real word-of-mouth following amongst some academic/journalist circles, e.g. I saw that C4 news’s world editor Lindsey Hilsam in Iran last week referred to on the C4 website one of the articles I’m asking you to read in trying to answer the question “what is the real Iran?” I have lot to say, but Instead I ask you to go to the Opendemocracy dot net website and read two articles by Nasrin Alavi titled “Iranians' interrupted freedom” and “Iran: after the dawn”

Posted by Hossein on February 13, 2009 at 11:15 AM GMT #

Is the implication here that David believes the BC should not have suspended its operations? Surely the safety of the staff must be the priority.

Posted by Craig Fulton on February 13, 2009 at 12:41 PM GMT #

Well done for raising this thorny issue with 'Iranian speaker Larijani'. However, you neglect to mention what he said in reply. Beware taqiyya.

Posted by Mark Brentano on February 13, 2009 at 03:15 PM GMT #

I agree that it is regrettable about what has happened to the BC office in Iran. I teach human rights at a university in Tehran Shahid Beheshti Uni. and have encouraged many of my students to use the BC facilities and apply for the Chevening scholarship. But I think the issue should be considered in a broader context: there is still a lot of anger and at times, frustration among certain people about the history of British involvement in Iran and the middle east and it tends to be expressed in a way that may not be agreeable to all involved. I hope that this too will be resolved and the BC will be able to restart its activities in Tehran.

Posted by Hooman Movassagh on February 14, 2009 at 10:13 AM GMT #

Yes, indeed it is good news that Iran has made this move toward Britain in the cultural sphere. At the same time it is regrettable that the BC has had to close its operations in Iran. I hope that this is only a temporary situation. The fist is now unclenched and we have a great opportunity to meet with the leadership of Iran to iron out our differences. I spent a most enjoyable 4 years in the country a long time ago, and its people and its culture are both rich and special. I for one look forward to a more proactive engagement.

Posted by Peter Marshall on February 14, 2009 at 03:42 PM GMT #

I wish BC restarting could help iranian people to forget historical theory of conspiracy, it is pity that even there are so many iranian scholars abroad who are beleieving on this theory....

Posted by Effat on February 15, 2009 at 09:19 AM GMT #

If you think that Iranian museum exhibits in Britain signal a thaw in relations with the Islamic Republic you are just whistling past the graveyard, David. Iran is rapidly building nuclear weapons to use against the West and what are you doing? Blabbering on about museum exhibits. I'm sure that Mr. Larijani was most apologetic about the treatment of the British Council when you had your little tete-a-tete with him in Munich the other day, but when the nuclear warheads are finally in place on the missiles in Iran I'm afraid you'll find him far less sympatico.

Posted by Patrick Carroll on February 16, 2009 at 02:16 AM GMT #

I cannot agree more, actually I wrote a similar post weeks ago Edward Frontier Blog - No one ahead, no one behind http://www.hwswworld.com/wp

Posted by frontierblog on February 17, 2009 at 05:54 AM GMT #

And wi not an agreement to with Greece about the Parthenon fragments? Tanks Adelo

Posted by Adelo da Silva on February 17, 2009 at 09:48 PM GMT #

Dear Foreign Secretary, as long as the religious fanciest is ruling on Iran killing and arresting its own people : intellectuals, relligion minorities such as Bahai's, Dervishs, Sonni's and political prisoners, would you still thinking of negotiation with whom killing the British soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as threatening others all over the world and supporting terrorist Hezbollah's , Hemas, Jehad Islami and other militias in Iraq and Afghanistan. Why not stand beside Iranian people for a democratic change which is in favour of the West and people of Iran ending all these bloodshed. It is time to reconise the NCRI and its Presidet elect Mrs. Mrayam Rajavi and her exellent option.

Posted by Sasan on February 21, 2009 at 11:22 PM GMT #

To: Sasan [February 21, 2009 at 11:22 PM GMT] Dear Sassan you don’t need to tell the foreign Secretary about the NCRI and MKO and other terrorist groups, he knows them all! Who do you think has been financing them in the last 30 years? Who do you think is working hard to get them off the terrorist list in Europe in order to be able to continue to finance them when they leave Iraq and move to Europe in a couple of months? Who do you think formed the British Ahwazi Society the name says it all! and shook the hands that was responsible for the chain of bombings that killed a few hundred Iranians? In case you don’t know the answer, check on Daniel Brett and his boss Jack Straw! Also check on the Fabian Society and Henry Jackson Society, lots of nice labour party people go there! Sassan don’t worry, you don’t need to remind Mr Miliband about helping the terrorists, he knows his job and if he ever needs help he knows that Sarkozy the ex-MOSSAD agent is always there to help!

Posted by kaveh on February 23, 2009 at 05:21 AM GMT #

Kaveh: your paranoia against conspiracies by Mickey Mouse organisations like the Henry Jackson Society comes from the failings of a regime that has lead to obsession, fear and mistrust by its members. Not forgetting the “Death to America” and “Death to Britain” attitude that stems from a huge OGHDEH ie inferiority complex. Your attitude coupled with Sasan’s and the traitorous stupidity of Mickey Mouse terrorist groups like the NCRI and MKO goes a long way in explaining why Iran has been held back for so long.

Posted by Hossein on February 24, 2009 at 10:29 AM GMT #

Post a Comment:
  • HTML Syntax: NOT allowed