IT is clear that the Covid-19 outbreak gave no country an exception, including Iran. In this regard, we have done much, but as the head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) stated a few days ago, Iran, along with other countries, is on the frontline of fighting against the coronavirus.
A hundred years ago, we experienced the Spanish influenza and before and after that, we faced other natural disasters. History has proven that Iran will overcome such challenges, including this pandemic, and will rise again stronger.
Covid-19 does not discriminate between Asians, Europeans, Africans and Americans. In other words, for the virus, there is no difference between Qom and Rome. It knows no boundaries, disregards visa and immigration laws and regulations, infecting people regardless of religion or race.
This is a blind pandemic. Because this time, the very human existence is in danger. Unfortunately, we also see that international laws on natural disasters are not observed by some.
As stated by WHO recently, Iran, which has mobilised all its agencies and ministries to confront this pandemic, is still under the toughest United States sanctions, with its so called “maximum pressure campaign” pressing all countries around the world not to sell any goods and services to Iran, including pharmaceutical products and medical equipment.
It is pressing other countries not to do any business with Iran even at this time, and imposing restrictions on banking for Iran and Iranians abroad. Companies are threatened not to engage in any businesses with Iran even for humanitarian purposes.
Otherwise, they might be subjected to US penalties, which means nothing but harming all sectors in Iran, including its health sector.
Iran is at the forefront of the fight against Covid-19, but the irresponsibility and low morality of some people have reached the catastrophic level where someone like Mark Dubowitz tweeted: “Coronavirus has done what American economic sanctions could not.”
Saadi Shirazi, great Sufi and master of Persian poets, wrote this piece some centuries ago in response to this kind of attitude when he said: “If you have no sympathy for human pain, the name of human you can not retain.”
Based on this, the moral responsibility of all countries requires them to refrain from implementing the unethical and inhumane sanctions like the US government (more than 100 sanction cases in the last three years) and must instead allow international pharmaceutical companies and medical equipment to be sold freely to Iran, with no restrictions.
I’m requesting the new government allow Malaysian health companies to sell their products to Iran with no restrictions in light of the global health crisis.
Let’s pray together to Allah SWT for the success of the health personnels and may He grant patience to the families of victims, and speedy recovery to all the patients and, of course, sincere empathy to all of us.
The writer is charge d’affaires at the Iranian embassy, Kuala Lumpur