December 13-2013
. . . off to S. Africa
Both President Rohani and Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif passed up the opportunity to represent Iran at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service in South Africa, instead sending the rather obscure Mohammad Shariat-madari, the deputy to the president for executive affairs.
The Islamic Republic thus gave up an opportunity to continue its charm offensive by meeting and greeting world leaders Iran really needs to impress and to convince that Iranian policy has changed.
No one explained why the government passed up that chance.
News reports said former President Khatami had offered to represent Iran, but instead the administration went with Shariatmadari, who was among the lowest ranking officials sent to the memorial service. Khatami was banned two years ago by the Judiciary from leaving the country and it isn’t known if that ban has yet been lifted.
In one of the odder commentaries, the hardline editor of the daily Kayhan, Hossain Shariatmadari (no relative of the presidential deputy), complained earlier that the memorial service could be a “trap” for Rohani because he might be approached by President Obama.
Shariatmadari wrote, “Some domestic and foreign media outlets are using the ceremony as a pretext to push Rohani into a meeting with the head of the Greet Satan government.”
He didn’t cite any domestic or foreign media advocating that, and the only media outlet the Iran Times could find talking of such a meeting was Kayhan.
As it turned out, however, Obama did come across Cuban President Raul Castro and shook his hand at the memorial service. That generated some angry criticism of Obama from Republicans in Washington, with one asking if he would have shaken hands with Adolf Hitler.
Hardliners in Tehran also took offense after President Shimon Peres of Isarel said he would be willing to meet Rohani in South Africa. Peres was asked by a reporter if he was willing to do that and responded: “Why not? I don’t have enemies. It’s not a question of personalities but of politics.”
Meanwhile, the Tehran City Council said it would name a street in the capital after Mandela. The Nelson Mandela Center of Memory says there are currently 125 streets around the world name for the late South African president.