Eurasia Press & News
TEHRAN (FNA) A member of the US national fencing team dismissed West’s negative propaganda about Iran, stressing that he and his teammates would never visit Iran for a second time if they observed any hostility instead of hospitality in the attitude of the Iranian people or government.
“If the Iranian people and government posed a problem (for us), the US fencing team would never take a second trip to Iran,” Ivan Lee, who is currently in Iran to attend the 2008 International Fencing Competitions in Iran’s Persian Gulf island of Kish, told FNA on Sunday.
“Everyone analyzes issues by using his own mind and logic; we know that all the negative propaganda against Iran is unreal and, thus, we attended Iran’s international competitions for a second time,” he said.
Lee also said that he was not upset with a mandatory law requiring the US citizens to undergo fingerprinting upon their arrival in Iran. The law, approved by the Iranian parliament in November 2006 in retaliation for a similar law exercised by the US government against many Muslim nations – including Iran – following the 9-11 incident, requires the government to exercise fingerprinting of the US nationals in proportion to the US practice and attitudes.
The US fencing champion who stood the fourth in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, said that he has done much practice for the Kish competitions, reminding that he and his teammates are facing a very difficult task as they have to face outstanding champions of the fencing world present in Iran’s matches as the opening event to the world championships in 2008.
