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ENVOY RECALLED AS DIPLOMATIC SPAT OVER GAY RIGHTS HITS EUROVISION HOSTS
by Lucy Bannerman
The Times
May 22 2012
UK
Iran has recalled its ambassador to Azerbaijan, the host of this year's
Eurovision Song Contest, after a diplomatic spat over gay rights.
Tensions have been simmering between the two neighbours as Azerbaijan
prepares to host the long-running festival, which Western European
countries often regard as the pinnacle of camp kitsch but which many
of the competitors from former Eastern bloc countries insist is a
serious celebration of music and culture.
Hours before the first live semi-final was due to take place in Baku,
the Iranian Embassy confirmed that its ambassador, Mohammad Bagher
Bahrami, had been recalled to Tehran "in connection with the insulting
of religious saints in Azerbaijan".Ahmed Nemati, charge d'affaires,
said in a statement: "He was recalled for consultations."
The move comes after several dozen supporters of the Azerbaijani
Government protested outside the Iranian Embassy last week, some
holding posters mocking Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Iran's late
revolutionary leader.
Relations were soured even further when a senior presidential
administration official, Ali Hasanov, went on to accuse Iran of
spreading fake rumours that a gay pride march would be held in the
capital of the secular Muslim state ahead of the contest.
"They are making statements about something that does not exist. We
are holding Eurovision, not a gay parade," Mr Hasanov told a news
conference. "Actually there is no word in the Azerbaijani language
for a gay parade, unlike in their language," he added. He accused
Iran of being "jealous" of Azerbaijan's economic success and worried
about its secular government.
President Aliyev, who inherited power from his father in 2003, has
been seeking to use Eurovision, which is watched by an estimated 125
million people worldwide, to promote the transformation of Azerbaijan
from former Soviet Republic to a young,rich democratic state, but the
international attention has thrown the spotlight on to allegations
of human rights abuses, including the imprisonment and intimidation
of journalists and political opponents.
Hundreds of residents claim that they were forcibly evicted and their
homes demolished to make way for the newly built Crystal Hall, in
which the finalists, including the British entry Engelbert Humperdinck,
will be competing on Saturday night.
Laser light shows across the seafront promenade have lent a party
atmosphere to the city in the run-up to what is expected to be the
most expensive Eurovision to date. But one veteran supporter told The
Times: "It's nothing like past years. Many people have stayed away,
saying they didn't want to come because of the politics and negative
publicity. Normally you see many more fans in the street."
One trader in the Old Town shrugged off the prospect of openly gay
fans descending upon the socially conservative city. "It has been
happening since antique times," he said. "Forbidden fruit is always
the sweetest. If they come, we will treat them with kindness."
Tensions between Iran and Azerbaijan, which has a mainly Muslim
population, have increased in recent months following the arrest of
a series of suspects with alleged links to Iran who are accused of
plotting an attack.
Armenia has pulled out of the contest amid renewed tensions with
its old rival, with whom it fought a war over the disputed region of
Nagorno-Karabakh in the 1990s that left at least 25,000 people dead. A
group of Armenian pop singers launched a Eurovision boycott campaign
after President Aliyev referred to Armenians as "our main enemies".
by Lucy Bannerman
The Times
May 22 2012
UK
Iran has recalled its ambassador to Azerbaijan, the host of this year's
Eurovision Song Contest, after a diplomatic spat over gay rights.
Tensions have been simmering between the two neighbours as Azerbaijan
prepares to host the long-running festival, which Western European
countries often regard as the pinnacle of camp kitsch but which many
of the competitors from former Eastern bloc countries insist is a
serious celebration of music and culture.
Hours before the first live semi-final was due to take place in Baku,
the Iranian Embassy confirmed that its ambassador, Mohammad Bagher
Bahrami, had been recalled to Tehran "in connection with the insulting
of religious saints in Azerbaijan".Ahmed Nemati, charge d'affaires,
said in a statement: "He was recalled for consultations."
The move comes after several dozen supporters of the Azerbaijani
Government protested outside the Iranian Embassy last week, some
holding posters mocking Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Iran's late
revolutionary leader.
Relations were soured even further when a senior presidential
administration official, Ali Hasanov, went on to accuse Iran of
spreading fake rumours that a gay pride march would be held in the
capital of the secular Muslim state ahead of the contest.
"They are making statements about something that does not exist. We
are holding Eurovision, not a gay parade," Mr Hasanov told a news
conference. "Actually there is no word in the Azerbaijani language
for a gay parade, unlike in their language," he added. He accused
Iran of being "jealous" of Azerbaijan's economic success and worried
about its secular government.
President Aliyev, who inherited power from his father in 2003, has
been seeking to use Eurovision, which is watched by an estimated 125
million people worldwide, to promote the transformation of Azerbaijan
from former Soviet Republic to a young,rich democratic state, but the
international attention has thrown the spotlight on to allegations
of human rights abuses, including the imprisonment and intimidation
of journalists and political opponents.
Hundreds of residents claim that they were forcibly evicted and their
homes demolished to make way for the newly built Crystal Hall, in
which the finalists, including the British entry Engelbert Humperdinck,
will be competing on Saturday night.
Laser light shows across the seafront promenade have lent a party
atmosphere to the city in the run-up to what is expected to be the
most expensive Eurovision to date. But one veteran supporter told The
Times: "It's nothing like past years. Many people have stayed away,
saying they didn't want to come because of the politics and negative
publicity. Normally you see many more fans in the street."
One trader in the Old Town shrugged off the prospect of openly gay
fans descending upon the socially conservative city. "It has been
happening since antique times," he said. "Forbidden fruit is always
the sweetest. If they come, we will treat them with kindness."
Tensions between Iran and Azerbaijan, which has a mainly Muslim
population, have increased in recent months following the arrest of
a series of suspects with alleged links to Iran who are accused of
plotting an attack.
Armenia has pulled out of the contest amid renewed tensions with
its old rival, with whom it fought a war over the disputed region of
Nagorno-Karabakh in the 1990s that left at least 25,000 people dead. A
group of Armenian pop singers launched a Eurovision boycott campaign
after President Aliyev referred to Armenians as "our main enemies".