I’ve never been to Iran. I never will. It will be the stamp missing
from my passport when my final travelogue is compiled. Ok, there’ll be
others. Probably won’t make the Congo. North Korea. Afghanistan is
unlikely and I don’t think I’ll have time for Oldham. But Iran is a
place I’d be scared to go. Especially now that relations between that
fine nation and mine have, kind’a plummeted to new depths of distrust
and aggression. Add to that the Tel Aviv security stickers on the back
on my passport (Israeli glue is made by God himself and thus is
eternal) and Iran is probably not my best thought for a ‘nice relaxing
holiday’.

Yet other people go there. British people. And generally, they get
arrested, thrown into prison and left. Like Nazanin Zahari-Radcliffe,
in her third year. Though her case wasn’t exactly ‘helped’ by then
foreign secretary… errrr… blond feller… bumbling twit… oh
yeah, Boris Johnson, when he made incorrect statements about her at
which point Tehran basically ‘threw away her key’.

Yesterday we learned that two more women were arrested and jailed upon
entering that fair city. Both have ‘Ashes’ passports; dual British and
Australian. And I’m guessing here but reckon neither is likely to be a
‘spy’. Though we don’t know why they’ve been arrested yet. One is a
backpacking blogger, the other a Cambridge educated academic who was
there to lecture and has been given a 10 year sentence. Without
stating why. They don’t need to. It’s their country, they can do what
they like. And 10 years is pretty much the standard there for
anything. Jaywalking. Having a broken brake-light cover.

Another woman has died in Tehran, but died at her own hands. She used
them to set fire to herself. In protest that she can’t go and watch
her favourite football team. Iranian law forbids women from football.
Nothing to do with the offside law or anything technical. Its just
total, Isalm-inspired sexism. Women are repressed, controlled,
subjugated, imprisoned and all those great things that we’re not
allowed any longer.

So here’s my advice to anyone thinking of traveling to Iran. DON’T
FUCKING DO IT!! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING???

Lila comes home tonight. Tomorrow: SHE’S MINE AGAIN!!!!! And Joey. But
obviously he’s little and attached to his mother in the literal sense
most of the time. So less exposure. In some ways.

Happy Wednesday

A xxxx