This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/sep/01/iran-bars-daniel-barenboim-israeli-citizenship
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Iran bars Daniel Barenboim over Israeli citizenship | Iran bars Daniel Barenboim over Israeli citizenship |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Iran has barred famed conductor Daniel Barenboim from entering the country because of his Israeli citizenship, thwarting his plan to lead a performance in Tehran, media have reported. | Iran has barred famed conductor Daniel Barenboim from entering the country because of his Israeli citizenship, thwarting his plan to lead a performance in Tehran, media have reported. |
| Barenboim, the 72-year-old general music director of the Berlin State Opera House, said on Thursday he was in talks with Iran about a concert, in what would have been a major example of cultural diplomacy. | Barenboim, the 72-year-old general music director of the Berlin State Opera House, said on Thursday he was in talks with Iran about a concert, in what would have been a major example of cultural diplomacy. |
| But an Iranian culture ministry spokesman, Hossein Noushabadi, said an investigation meant Barenboim could not enter the country for security reasons, though the Berlin orchestra was welcome. | |
| “We have no problem with the German orchestra coming to Iran, but we are opposed to the person leading that group,” Noushabadi told news agency ISNA. | “We have no problem with the German orchestra coming to Iran, but we are opposed to the person leading that group,” Noushabadi told news agency ISNA. |
| Related: Daniel Barenboim review – reveals the essence of Schubert's piano writing | Related: Daniel Barenboim review – reveals the essence of Schubert's piano writing |
| “He has multiple nationalities and one of them is Israeli. For security reasons and to prevent issues following the entry of certain people into Iran, we stopped it.” | “He has multiple nationalities and one of them is Israeli. For security reasons and to prevent issues following the entry of certain people into Iran, we stopped it.” |
| Barenboim also holds Argentinian and Palestinian citizenship. | Barenboim also holds Argentinian and Palestinian citizenship. |
| “Our reviews revealed that the conductor has nationality and identity dependence to Israel, was raised in Israel and his parents have also lived there,” Noushabadi added. | “Our reviews revealed that the conductor has nationality and identity dependence to Israel, was raised in Israel and his parents have also lived there,” Noushabadi added. |
| “So the suspicion of him being related to that country, which is illegitimate to us, was there.” | “So the suspicion of him being related to that country, which is illegitimate to us, was there.” |
| Iran does not recognise Israel as a state, usually referring to its leaders as “the Zionist regime”. | Iran does not recognise Israel as a state, usually referring to its leaders as “the Zionist regime”. |
| The German foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who is expected to visit Tehran in October following the July nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers, had agreed to back the concert. | The German foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who is expected to visit Tehran in October following the July nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers, had agreed to back the concert. |
| Steinmeier did so because he “supports Daniel Barenboim’s dedication to making music accessible to all people, irrespective of national, religious or ethnic boundaries,” a statement said. | Steinmeier did so because he “supports Daniel Barenboim’s dedication to making music accessible to all people, irrespective of national, religious or ethnic boundaries,” a statement said. |
| Israel has been the world’s most vocal opponent of the nuclear agreement between Iran and the United States, Britain, China, France, Russia and Germany. | Israel has been the world’s most vocal opponent of the nuclear agreement between Iran and the United States, Britain, China, France, Russia and Germany. |
| Barenboim’s plans had drawn an angry response from Israel. Its culture minister, Miri Regev, said she intended to send a letter of protest to the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, asking her to block the concert. | Barenboim’s plans had drawn an angry response from Israel. Its culture minister, Miri Regev, said she intended to send a letter of protest to the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, asking her to block the concert. |
| She accused Barenboim – who founded the groundbreaking West-Eastern Divan Orchestra in 1999 bringing together young Israeli, Egyptian, Iranian, Jordanian, Lebanese and Palestinian musicians – of “using culture as a platform for his anti-Israel political views”. | She accused Barenboim – who founded the groundbreaking West-Eastern Divan Orchestra in 1999 bringing together young Israeli, Egyptian, Iranian, Jordanian, Lebanese and Palestinian musicians – of “using culture as a platform for his anti-Israel political views”. |
| He has also attracted controversy in Israel for his efforts to have the music of Richard Wagner, the German composer adored by Adolf Hitler, performed in the Jewish state. | He has also attracted controversy in Israel for his efforts to have the music of Richard Wagner, the German composer adored by Adolf Hitler, performed in the Jewish state. |
| The prominent Jewish rights group, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, also hit out at the concert plans. | The prominent Jewish rights group, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, also hit out at the concert plans. |