Qum (and Tehran) sequel. Israel:

The Jewish shops at the Tehran bazaar seemed to be doing well, as did the Armenian ones. I had no problem at the airport taking my Tehran to Tel Aviv flight, although there would have been a problem, if it had to land while flying over Iraq. I remember nothing from that flight that would be of interest in deciding whether an Israeli air force return from attacking targets in Iran would proceed smoothly; an attack that began to look likely when I began writing the first part, but that didn't look like a good idea anyway. By now, at the start of the sequel two weeks later, it looks like a remote possibility.

In Tel Aviv, I happened to arrive for the 70^th birthday of my uncle, the father of the three Yaari brothers in different Kibbutzim, all of whom had come to Tel Aviv for the celebration, so I managed to see all three cousins (with part of their families). We had grown up quite close together in Germany, so my sudden arrival without notice (no telephones in Israel then, unless urgent need for business) was welcome all around, especially for my uncle who by a conspiratorial “white” lie was made to believe that I had come specifically for his birthday. Without having been aware of it, I had bought him a carved ivory chess set in Hong Kong (he had originaly taught me as a child to play it); which made the “lie” more credible.

When I decided to try to stop for a day in (divided) Berlin on the way to Copenhagen (slightly to the West), my brother said he can see to it. The answer was that no, I was not to stop in Berlin, and as an Israeli citizen at the time I had to pay 15% of the price of the round-the-world trip, according to some alleged regulation. I told them I wouldn't object if they got the money from Dow Chemical which had bought / paid for the ticket. For all I know, it may just have been that clerk showing his “power”. Neither I nor Dow had to pay. But having had no problem with the Israeli passport in Iran and crossing Iraq, it was in Israel where it became a problem, so I had to waste part of both my two days there in government offices.

The first visit to Copenhagen also turned out to be my most eventful, far better than seems to be expected for the climate change conference scheduled there in December. On today's BBC World, there was speculation on whether Barack Obama will lend his prestige toward some sort of success by attending, while noting that his popularity has suddenly dropped quite a bit. Maybe Netanyahu's attendance should be given a higher priority, in recognition of his apparent higher prestige in the US.

That was demonstrated convincingly after he had let Obama know his rejection of the call for a stop to illegal construction for the West Bank squatters (“settlers”), so as to enable scheduling peace negotiations with a photo op at the Washington meeting with Palestinian Mahmud Abbas. In spite of the rejection, the latter had to let himself be photographed shaking “Bibi's” hand, with Obama behind them, in what is being compared to the Rabin-Arafat handshaking photo for the Oslo accord. Abbas may well be more committed to peace than Arafat, but certainly not Bibi than Rabin. But when he tried to shake murdered Rabin's widow Leah's hand at the funeral, she could, and did, refuse; since she viewed him as responsible for much of the hatred of her husband generated by enemies of peace negotiations. Poor Abbas has since seen a need for a public change of course. Maybe Obama sees a way of retrieving peace hopes, too.

I was in Qum (and Tehran)

There were other major news items last week, like the first summit meeting of the G-20, that included countries like India and Brazil, to confront climate change; and the first handshake of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas with Benjamin Netanyahu. But the most explosive revelation was the discovery of a second Iranian uranium enrichment plant being built outside Qum. Not many non-Iranians here know where or what that is. I knew, and had actually gone to, that holy Shiite city.

At the time, I was working for The Dow Chemical Company's James River (fibers) Division at Williamsburg, Virginia, and was sent to Japan for exchange of research information with the scientists at the labs of Asahi Chemical Company (with which Dow had started a joint company), mainly one at Numazu, with a clear view of Mount Fuji. Among the extra treats was being wined (sake) and dined (and entertained) at a Geisha House, hosted by the Asahi president.

When it was over, after 7 weeks, I decided to exchange my first class ticket back for a normal (“tourist”) ticket forward, for what is still my only trip around the world; having got a week's (+) vacation by phone. Dow even got some money back from the exchange. In principle, I could have gone way south to Australia, then way north to Siberia etc, as long as each new destination was west of the preceding. But I was moderate; stopping first in Hong Kong, then Bangkok, Delhi, Tehran, Tel Aviv and Copenhagen to Virginia.

The Asahi-Dow office in Tokyo had made all the travel arrangements, including a hotel reservation at the Tehran Hilton; which became famous when it turned out that Lt. Col. Ollie North and Reagan's National Security Advisor McFarlane had stayed there during their secret hostage mission. The Asahi-Dow people couldn't know that; nor did they know that my one day there would be on the holiest Shia holiday, commemorating the assassination of Ali, the Prophet's son in law and candidate for the succession. I was told that everything would be closed that day. But a Dutch businessman who spent much time there suggested that I go with him to nearby Qum; also that the Jewish and Armenian artisans in the big Bazaar stay open. So it was.

My main recollection of Qum is of our being on top of the mausoleum for the father of Reza Shah Pahlevi. It overlooked the courtyard of the main mosque almost directly below, and there was threatening shaking of fists from there in the direction of us tourists (most evidently Iranians). My Dutch buddy claimed there was srong anti-Israel feeling around, and I was still an Israeli citizen, but saw no reason to worry, having been admitted with my Israeli passport. I still don't adequately understand the complex Iranian history preceding the Islamic revolution emanating largely from the Qum Mullahs 1-2 decades after my visit in January 1961. It was not that long after the 1953 British inspired (BP, then still the Anglo Iranian Oil Co) CIA coup that overthrew the popular prime minister Mossadegh, an aristocrat and democrat, a kind of Warren Buffett for Middle Eastern circumstances. His support is supposed to have extended all the way from the Shia clergy to the Tudeh party, regarded as way left. So what I witnessed may still have been part of resentment over the restoration of the Pahlevis by the coup, even though turning (part of?) the clergy is alleged to have been an important achievement for Kermit Roosevelt, who was in charge of the coup.

(This will have to be continued later, possibly as a separate posting. It has already been interrupted unposted for close to a week.)