Marietje Schaake Talks About Her Trip to Tehran

A delegation from the European Parliament visited Iran on Saturday and Sunday to meet with high-ranking officials. These meetings have increased following the initial agreement between Iran and the P5+1 in 2013, but they remain newsworthy and at times controversial. On Sunday, the usual conclusion of a foreign delegation's visit with a press conference did not occur due to the presence of security forces at the venue and the prevention of foreign media journalists from entering the conference. Another controversial topic of this trip was the attire of Marietje Schaake, one of the members of this delegation, whose photos were published and made headlines in some Tehran newspapers. In this regard, Radio Farda conducted an interview with Marietje Schaake, a Dutch representative in the European Parliament since 2009. Ms. Schaake, what was your assessment of this two-day trip to Iran? Were you satisfied with your trip? The purpose of this high-level European Parliament delegation's visit to Tehran was to convey to the members of the Iranian Parliament, Iranian government officials, and the people of Iran that if a nuclear agreement is reached, we will adhere to our commitments. We are very hopeful that this agreement will be achieved as we hope it will lead to the lifting of sanctions and reconnecting Iran with other countries in the world. This expression of hope has previously been mentioned by European Parliament representatives. What exactly are your expectations from achieving such a situation? For me, the welfare of the Iranian people is the most important issue. I believe this agreement will be beneficial for the Iranian people, but it depends on how this agreement is implemented; of course, we can only take responsibility for the European countries in this regard. This issue could lead to structured discussions regarding human rights and allow us to address this issue in a more systematic way. Additionally, significant tensions in the Middle East, the fight against terrorism, and extreme jihadism are among the areas where we can cooperate with Iran. We have discussed drug trafficking and the high rates of drug addiction in Iran. There are many ways to show respect. Imagine how it would be if I thought that Iranian men would not shake my hand out of disrespect. I wish we had more freedoms to behave according to our traditions anywhere in the world. I am Dutch, and in my country, there are very good experiences in this regard, which will certainly open the way for such collaborations if a nuclear agreement is reached. As long as there is no agreement and sufficient basis of trust, collaborations will face challenges. Ultimately, if sanctions are lifted, we hope to resume economic relations. As politicians, we are not involved in business, but we can address how such economic relations and the lifting of sanctions will benefit a larger segment of the Iranian people (and not just a limited number of them). You are very active in the field of human rights. Did you see any signs of readiness from Iranian officials in this area during your recent trip if a nuclear agreement is reached? Yes. We have previously had discussions regarding human rights in Iran with Iranian officials, and we talked again this time. There are currently initial projects between Iran and Italy regarding judicial systems and human rights and legal and academic perspectives. We also had a meeting with the 'Human Rights Council' in Iran's judiciary. It was interesting for us to hear in Iran whether the death penalty should be enforced for drug-related crimes. If, as we hope, this issue changes, it will be very helpful. Unfortunately, the statistics on executions in Iran are very high, mostly concerning drug-related crimes. Abolishing such a sentence will open the way for European cooperation with Iran regarding drug trafficking because we cannot find criminals who later face the death penalty in court. The call for the abolition of the death penalty is a stance from the European Union that applies to all countries. Ms. Schaake, your trip also had some controversies. The newsworthy topic of this trip on Sunday was the prevention of security personnel from holding a press conference with non-Iranian media. What happened that led to this conference being stopped? I do not know exactly what happened. As far as I understand, journalists from European and international media who were invited to the press conference faced obstruction from security personnel at the hotel and consequently could not enter the press conference. The head of this delegation, whom you can ask for more details about this story, was only able to speak briefly with the Associated Press and explain. It would have certainly been good for us to have this press conference with the presence of multiple media outlets. But that did not happen. My other question about this trip relates to your attire. Your interpretation of hijab during your trip to Tehran has been criticized by some. Did you decide to go to Iran with this kind of attire, where, for example, your neck was visible, or as an Iranian official said, there was no intention behind your attire? I wish those who had a problem with my attire had personally told me about it during the meetings they had with me. Certainly, my intention was not to disrespect anyone. Our goal for this trip was to have a constructive dialogue, and the statement we prepared after this trip was in line with that and was constructive. Dialogue is not something I say only as a liberal; many groups in Europe share this belief. The fact that I should have attire in Iran is something I certainly think about and decide on, as it is very unnatural for me, who does not wear a hijab every day. I wish those who had a problem with my attire had personally told me about it during the meetings they had with me. I did not know that showing my neck was so important. In Iran, I see women with very diverse hijabs. Some wear chadors, and others wear thin scarves that sometimes fall off their heads. Therefore, I did not think my style for covering my hair, which I had to do, would become such a topic of discussion. Have you received any guidelines from officials regarding attire for these trips? In the writings we received, I knew that I had to wear a manteau that was knee-length or longer and cover my hair. And now I understand that some prefer the neck to be covered as well. But the issue here is that women politicians from different countries who go to Iran always face challenges regarding hijab; both in their own countries and in Iran. There are many ways to show respect. Imagine how it would be if I thought that Iranian men would not shake my hand out of disrespect. I wish we had more freedoms to behave according to our traditions anywhere in the world. However, in these two days, I received a lot of support from Iranian women and men who say that my critics are extremists who are probably unhappy that I traveled to Iran. I think ultimately this is an important debate that has now intensified following my attire.