Iranian parliamentary member visits Peace Memorial Museum
Nov. 19, 2008
by Keisuke Yoshihara, Staff Writer
A parliamentary member of Iran, which has drawn international attention due to its nuclear development, visited Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum on November 17 and listened to an A-bomb survivor (hibakusha) speak about her experience of the bombing.
During a tour of the museum, Ashtiani Hossein Fadaei, 53, a conservative and influential politician, paid close attention to the exhibits and asked Koichiro Maeda, 59, director of the museum, such questions as whether radiation from the bomb still lingers and how many nuclear weapons the museum suggests in its display are possessed by Israel.
Mr. Fadaei also learned about the horrific impact of the atomic bombing through meeting Shizuko Abe, 81, who was 18 at the time and exposed to the blast while engaged in the dismantling of houses to create a fire break. Mr. Fadaei remarked, “We can completely understand the sentiments of the hibakusha because Iranians are victims of chemical weapons used by Iraq. Everyone in Iran, from ordinary citizens to our nation’s leaders, hope for a world without nuclear weapons.” He also stressed that he felt the horror of nuclear weapons with his whole being and that Iran is only seeking to utilize nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
(Originally published on November 18, 2008)
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Mayor of Tehran visits Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum (Oct. 22, 2008)
Raising awareness of the damage caused by defoliant and poison gas (Aug. 9, 2008)
Iranian poison gas victims visit Hiroshima (Aug. 7, 2008)
A parliamentary member of Iran, which has drawn international attention due to its nuclear development, visited Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum on November 17 and listened to an A-bomb survivor (hibakusha) speak about her experience of the bombing.
During a tour of the museum, Ashtiani Hossein Fadaei, 53, a conservative and influential politician, paid close attention to the exhibits and asked Koichiro Maeda, 59, director of the museum, such questions as whether radiation from the bomb still lingers and how many nuclear weapons the museum suggests in its display are possessed by Israel.
Mr. Fadaei also learned about the horrific impact of the atomic bombing through meeting Shizuko Abe, 81, who was 18 at the time and exposed to the blast while engaged in the dismantling of houses to create a fire break. Mr. Fadaei remarked, “We can completely understand the sentiments of the hibakusha because Iranians are victims of chemical weapons used by Iraq. Everyone in Iran, from ordinary citizens to our nation’s leaders, hope for a world without nuclear weapons.” He also stressed that he felt the horror of nuclear weapons with his whole being and that Iran is only seeking to utilize nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
(Originally published on November 18, 2008)
Related articles
Mayor of Tehran visits Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum (Oct. 22, 2008)
Raising awareness of the damage caused by defoliant and poison gas (Aug. 9, 2008)
Iranian poison gas victims visit Hiroshima (Aug. 7, 2008)
