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Turning Misunderstanding
into Understanding
Democracy in every country is not enough; rather a democratic world must
emerge, in which nations are provided with equal rights.
Britain’s Prince Charles came to Iran to offer his sympathy to earthquake
survivors in what was the first visit by a British royal to Iran since the
1979 Islamic revolution. Charles, whose trip should cement much improved ties
between London and Tehran, spoke to people and officials in the ancient
citadel city of Bam in southeastern Iran where more than 40,000 people died in
a devastating 26 December 2003 earthquake. Scores of curious onlookers watched
the prince’s entourage as it swept through the dusty streets, but most seemed
either not to know or care about the visitor’s identity.
“I wish we could do more. We’ve been trying to gather more assistance in
Britain,” Prince Charles said in his capacity as the President of the British
Red Cross. Prior to the visit, the prince was given an update of the
humanitarian work carried out at Bam by the British Red Cross and the Iranian
Red Crescent Society at his palace, where he called for sustaining efforts to
help the tens of thousands of victims.
“We must all accept that this will be a long, painful journey requiring help
from all over the world to achieve the rebuilding of people’s homes, the
reconstruction of the historic citadel and the aqueduct system on which so
many people’s lives depend,” he said. The British heir, also said that he was
“particularly proud to be part of a global humanitarian movement that
responded with such speed and professionalism to the devastation wrought upon
the people of Bam.”
The last official visit by British royals to Iran was 33 years ago when
Charles’s father Prince Philip and sister Princess Anne attended lavish
celebrations organized by the then Iranian monarch, Mohammad Reza Shah, for
the 2500th anniversary of the Peacock Throne. The shah was later overthrown in
the 1979 Islamic revolution, and Charles’s visit coincided with the 25th
anniversary celebrations of the Islamic Republic.
Charles Meets Khatami:
On 9 February 2004, Prince Charles met with President Mohammad Khatami and
said that Iran’s views on promotion of democracy were pleasing. The heir to
the British throne also praised Khatami for his scientific personality and his
philosophical outlook, including his idea of ‘dialogue among civilizations’,
which Prince Charles described a necessity of the present world.
Khatami hailed Britain’s experience with democracy which was heralded by its
prominent empiricist philosopher and social thinker John Locke (1632-1704).
“Democracy is a necessity for all countries and the global community. However,
democracy in every country is not enough; rather a democratic world must
emerge, in which nations are provided with equal rights,” he said.
The Iranian president described ties between Tehran and London as ‘suitable’
and said, “We are trying to turn misunderstandings to understanding and better
cooperation through wisdom and dialogue, the best example of which is Iran’s
constructive cooperation with European countries on the peaceful use of the
nuclear technology.”
Arg-e-Bam:
Prince Charles of Britain and his entourage toured the ruins of the Bam
Citadel (Arg-e-Bam) which was destroyed in the devastating earthquake,
measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale, which is believed to hit right under the
ancient city.
Bam Citadel was one of the world’s most glorious architectural monuments and
among the country’s most significant cultural heritage sites. It was the
largest mud brick complex in the world covering an area of 200,000 square
meters. The monument was used by Bam residents as a shelter until 200 years
ago and up to 20 years ago its barrack served as a gendarmerie checkpoint. As
a result of the recent tragic quake, just less than 30% of the historical
5,000-year-old monument has survived.
Reflection:
Front-bench defense spokesman for the UK’s opposition Conservative Party,
Nicholas Soames, praised the visit to Iran by heir to the British throne,
Prince Charles, to see the earthquake-stricken city of Bam.
“I think it’s excellent that he’s gone to Iran and he has gone in his capacity
as president of the Red Cross and I think it does show a fundamental
improvement in relations, which must be good news,” said Soames, who is the
grandson of former Prime Minister Winston Churchill. “Anything which opens up
this relationship to more pragmatic and sensible thinking must be a good
thing. I imagine that on the advice of the Queen’s ministers the Prince of
Wales is making this visit along those lines,” he told BBC Radio.
The 56-year old Conservative MP suggested that there was no danger of the
prince being used politically but said his trip would serve the UK’s national
interest. “I think it sends all sorts of good and valuable signals and is very
much in our national interest,” he said.
Britain has in recent years been at the forefront of a European Union policy
of engagement with Iran, in stark contrast with the line of isolation pursued
by Washington. While British officials stressed that Charles, who paid a
morale-boosting visit to British troops in Iraq on 8 February 2004, was in
Iran for purely humanitarian reasons, some Iranian newspapers attached a
political weight to the trip saying that “This symbolic trip is a turning
point in Iran’s relations with the West”. |
