The Iranian disease
Sir: I read the article on Iran in your journal of 27 May. What emerged from reading it was that Mr Naipaul carries on his shoulders two enormous bags of chips which, perhaps, are born of his own lack of cultural identity and exaggerated by a sense of envy that borders on malady. He seems to resent our affluence and prosperity, even though it may be newly acquired. After all, India is not everyone's idea of a successful society, although it seems to remain the darling of the British press and the British news media. As for being offered Grand Marnier brandy after his meal, perhaps a glass of Mr Morarji Desai's urine would have been more acceptable to Mr Naipaul's taste, although the dimensions of his eating and drinking habits were not conducive to an impression of ascetism.
I personally welcome reporters from your country to Tehran, but I sincerely hope I shall never have to suffer this chap's company again. Furthermore, I wonder how a periodical such as yours survives when you publish the figments of such a very poor imagination as that of Mr Naipaul.
Nosrat Ladjevardi
Tehran Sir: Shiva Naipaul's rather slanted article (27 May) on the Iranian disease raised some points which I would like to clarify. I regret
that there are a few people in Iran who could be rated as nouveau riche and Wes
ternised, however I believe this community to be very small, anti by n9 means can one pin down the Iranian disease on the minority whose affluence disturbs us. Obviously the children of those people are bound to be corrupt, but so is any child who is brought up with no intellectual and cultural background.
Iran's objective is not to have a labour force consisting of Afghanistan is, Pakistanis and Turks as this could be very threatening to the political stability and unity of Iran. However, in order to satisfy the demand a spare army of labour is necessary. In regard to foreign technicians, they are mainly brought in to teach the Iranians and not to become citizens.
A Chinese saying says `Give a man a fish and you save him for one day, Teach a man how to fish and you save hin for a lifetime.' Tehran University is being heavily guarded in order to protect the citizens who happen to live there. I myself lived there for some time and remember bricks being thrown through our window. In any case criticism of the government is welcomed; however, there is no reason why anti-state slander should be tolerated.
Finally it is my firm belief that no group called Islamo-Marxists exists. To quote Ayatollah Khomeiny 'We would not cooperate with the Marxists, we are opposed to their ideas, and we know they are stabbing us in the back. If they won power they would set up a dictatorial regime contrary to the spirit of Islam.' Therefore the existence of Islamo-Marxists is unfounded and the truth is that there are two groups, the Marxists helped by the Communist world and the Moslems. None of which could in any way be in the better interests of Iranians than the Shah.
Ali M. Intani
11 Greenaway Gardens, London NW3
Previous page
