Iranians pushed out of Zagreb hotel by Bush

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ZAGREB: USA-IRAN SKIRMISH

Bush Forces Iranians out of Westin Hotel

The celebration of the Iranian New Year was not held at the Westin, where they traditionally organise their banquet, but in the City Café.

ZAGREB, CROATIA - The arrival of American President Bush in Croatia has created confusion. Zagreb is filled with secret agents and police everyday, and the choice of Zagreb’s Westin Hotel to host the president, has deranged the plans of many people, and also those of the Iranian embassy.

One of the reasons why the Westin is so popular among foreign statesmen is surely the fact that it is considered the safest hotel in Croatia. We received confirmation of Bush’s stay from the hotel itself, and they told us that all rooms have been booked until April 5 at 10 a.m., which corresponds to Bush’s departure.

Bush, unwelcome subject

It is interesting that the Iranian community in Croatia, led by Ambassador Fadaifrad, did not want to celebrate one of the most important events in the Iranian year ‘No-rooz’, that is the New Year, in the Westin, where the Iranians have organised all their celebrations. The celebration of ‘No-rooz’ was held on March 25, in the welcoming environment of the City Café (Gradska Kavana).

During the celebration there was a relayed and cheerful atmosphere, but the mentioning of the American president’s arrival was not welcomed. An Iranian journalist even told us that it is even cheeky to come to such a solemn event and talk about this controversial subject.

The preparations at the Westin have been carried out intensively for a week already, and due to this the owners of parking places and garages under the hotel are resentful, as they had to take out their cars. The residence and the owners of surrounding shops had also problems due to the security, therefore it is no wonder that they cancelled the Iranian Embassy’s celebration. The Iranians would never admit that they had to change plans for the celebration due to Bush’s arrival, but the facts show that they are another one of a series of victims of the intensive security measures prepared for the American president.

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IRANIAN NEW YEAR

Iranians Celebrate New Year in Zagreb

Marking the traditional New Year, the always open and pleasant Iranians talked about President Bush’s arrival in Zagreb rather unwillingly.

ZAGREB, CROATIA – Happy New Year! could be heard at Zagreb’s Gradska kavana last night. Members of the Iranian community in Croatia ushered in the Iranian New Year, “No-rooz”, whose roots go 3,000 years back in history. The Iranian New Year begins on the first day of spring. Marking the No-rooz is based on Zoroastrian traditions and rituals, which was the dominant religion in ancient Persia before the arrival of Islam.

- This is the true Iranian New Year, it has been celebrated for 3,000 years and it is one of the most important Iranian events in the year – the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Croatia, Mohammad Fadaifard, said.

Bush not a well-liked subject

Before the manifestation began, we asked the Iranians about how they felt about President George Bush arriving in Zagreb, but the mention of the American president’s name did not spur talkativeness in the usually very pleasant and open Iranians.

- I don’t like it. I don’t like him. I do not agree with his strategy – said an Iranian reporter, Anahita Moghaddam, who works for Forbes magazine and who came to Zagreb to do a story on Croatia.

She said that President Bush was not the favourable subject at such events and that this was a controversial topic with Iranians.

- I think that his arrival is a good thing for Croatia and for Croatia’s relations with America. I never heard of any Iranians ever having problems with Secret Service agents, nor have I seen anybody suspicious around the embassy – Ambassador Fadaifard said.

The secret service did not check up on Iranians

Our other collocutors, the Iranian cultural attaché, Seyed Hashemi, and two other young Iranians also said they had no trouble with the American Secret Service who are currently in Croatia to make security arrangements for the arrival of the U.S. president.

Table with seven S’s

The host of the event soon announced the programme, calling the Iranian New Year, No-rooz, the revival of nature. The Iranian Ambassador took the podium, thanking the guests for coming, especially coach Branko Ivankovic and envoys of the Croatian Foreign Ministry and parliament. After his speech, a collection of poems were read from a book by Iranian poet Sohrab Sepehri, that speaks about human emotions through images of awakening of nature.

In the end two Iranian women explained the traditions and rituals characteristic for this celebration. One of the most important rituals is setting the “Haft Seen”, a traditional table with seven S’s, which are specific items that symbolise the seven parts of nature and the seven immortals protecting them. The table contained an apple, green grass, vinegar, food made from wheat, a coin, garlic and Senjed, which is a special kind of berry.

The hosts offered us traditional Iranian cakes. Every province in Iran has its own specific way of making the cakes and the tradition is handed down from generation to generation.