Date: January 10, 2023 Time: 05:01:42
As a first step, the French Research Institute will be closed in Tehran
Photo: REUTERS
The Iranian government announced the closure of the French Research Institute in Tehran in response to a caricature of the country’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei published in the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. Iran’s Foreign Ministry called the drawing an “inhumane” act that undermines “generally recognized moral standards,” destroys “religious sanctity” and “political authority,” and offends “state symbols and national values.”
The Iranian authorities reported that they are already reviewing cooperation with Paris in the cultural field and are even discussing the suspension of educational activities of the French in the country. They stressed that the closure of the institute is only a “first step”, writes RTVE.
Amir Abdollahian recalled the inaction of the French authorities in the context of Islamophobia, when in January 2015 12 drawings of the Prophet Muhammad appeared on the cover of the latest issue of Charlie Hebdo. In the morning of the next day, the terrorists broke into the magazine’s office in Paris and opened fire on the people there. As a result, 12 people were killed, including employees and the editor-in-chief of the publication, and 11 more were injured.
The Iranian government also accused Charlie Hebdo of using the noble right of freedom of expression as a cover for anti-cultural activities and the desecration of human beings and dignity, moral and religious values.
french reaction
French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna supported Charlie Hebdo’s satirical cartoons, saying that “unlike Iran, there are constitutional guarantees for media freedom in France.” It is true that it seems that the Column forgot to inform the president of the Fifth Republic, Emmanuel Macron, about this. After all, he recently filed a lawsuit against a well-known fortune teller in France for publicly insulting his personality. According to the complaint, seer Delphine Jegus (also known as Amandine Roy) posted caricatures of the French president drawn by Toulon publicist Michelangelo Flory on social media. In some drawings, Macron was depicted as a Nazi, somewhere he even stood next to Marshal Philippe Pétain (dictator of the collaborationist Vichy regime).
Interestingly, this is not the first time that Delphine Zhegus has been prosecuted by the Élysée Palace: in March last year, Bridget Macron already sued her for spreading rumors accusing the first lady of being transgender.
