Persia (Iran) - Home to some of the world's most hospitable people

Yesterday's TV News channels in Australia were full of reports of the address given overnight by Iran's President at a USA University. He was "welcomed" to the microphone by an address that criticised his regime - and him personally. He responded by saying that the remarks were ill-informed and that no visitor to Iran would have been treated so badly.

As I watched and listened, a few thoughts occurred to me. I wondered (1) whether the USA President would have even been invited to speak at an Iranian University; and (2) if he was to be so invited, whether his safety could be assured, quite apart from his being received/welcomed warmly.

I then turned my thoughts to the extremely warm hospitality I received in Iran just a couple of years ago. Sure, I went to Iran not entirely sure of how Westerners would be received - and it must be said that my companions and I saw very few Westerners (just a couple from Europe and another couple from North America). However, I found the Persian people to be extremely warm and enthusiastic in their hospitality - just as "The Lonely Planet" had said I would!

Just as we urge visitors to Australia to distinguish (positively or negatively) between our Government and our people, so it is important for us to make that distinction where Iran is concerned.

In Ahvaz - a City in the South West of the country, still showing the damage from the Iran/Iraq War of decades ago, and very obviously still a Military City - we were asked what we thought of the Iranian Government (in broken English that was far better than my Farsi!). Our reply: "We are only visitors to your country. We love your country and your people" - all of which was true and was readily accepted.

In Tehran, where this picture was taken (in the famous "Grand Bazaar" which has some 10Km of covered streets), we found that most people were simply anxious to get on with their life.

By the way, if you think the traffic in China is chaotic - steer clear of Tehran. It is much worse!