Morteza Saffari, Iran’s Ambassador to Spain, said the USA is responsible for Iranphobia. Present at the round table were Willy Meyer, Izquierda Unida MEP, Mateo González, Professor, and Carlos París, president of the Ateneo. Madrid, Spain. 24/06/2010
The theme of the round table at the Ateneo was “The Geopolitics of fear in the Middle East and National Sovereignty in Iran.”
The main thesis of the panel was that the USA and Israel are responsible for the dangerous situation in the Middle East. Moreover, all agreed that Iran has a right to have nuclear energy as any other country.
The ambassador expanded on the theme by going into great details explain the concept of Iranphobia and how the USA was responsible for this Iranphobia.
However, soon after the ambassador started speaking, first through an interpreter and then displaying his translated speech, some members of the audience started heckling him.
By question time many people in the audience wanted to comment or ask questions. However, people only made comments and after a few speakers the meeting was brought to quick stop.
Someone in the audience said that it was all well and good to tell us about the US attitude towards Iran, but that the ambassador said nothing about the present situation in Iran.
Others expressed outrage at how the MEP for the Izquierda Unida could sit on a panel with the ambassador of Iran. His basic reply was that he participated in many debates with many ambassadors.
The heckling and arguments continued into the street in front of the Ateneo where a small group of protesters were gathered.
Many people started shouting at the professor that he was paid money to appear on the panel, other called him, “murderer.”
A group of young communists, supporters of the Izquierda Unida, took an apologists position and justified the present state in Iran as a issue of sovereignty. For a short time there was a rather heated argument between these young activities and some Iranian exiles.
Great pictures and great
Great pictures and great reporting Law.