‘Unfortunate’ timing by Lange

Press, 8 March 1989, Page 6

‘Unfortunate’ timing by Lange

By

BRENDON BURNS

in Wellington The timing of comments by the Prime Minister, Mr Lange, about Salman Rushdie was unfortunate, said the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Marshall, last evening. Speaking on his return to Wellington after a visit to Japan, the Middle East and Australia, Mr Marshall said Mr Lange had spoken before the European Community’s position was known. Mr Lange had said New Zealand did not want to be part of any diplomatic protest against Iran’s death threats against Rushdie. France had announced it was withdrawing its Ambassador from Teheran, but there had been no collective response by the European Community. Later, 12 European nations withdrew their envoys from Iran.

“And unfortunately the juxtaposition of his comments at the same time as the E.C. made its decision made it look as if he was replying to them,” said Mr Marshall last evening. He said he had pointed this out to the British Foreign Secretary, Sir Geoffrey Howe, at a meeting after Emperor Hirohito’s funeral in Tokyo. Sir Geoffrey had accepted this. Mr Marshall said Sir Geoffrey’s request for New Zealand to consider withdrawing its Ambassador from Teheran was done politely. “It was a friendly suggestion rather than a heavy plea.” He said the request was considered but declined. There was no reason for New Zealand’s relations with the European Community to have been damaged. “A lot of countries haven’t withdrawn

their ambassadors.” Mr Marshall said while his description of the Iranian death threat as “State terrorism” was stronger, it was no different in essence from comments made by Mr Lange or Mr Moore. He was certain that some Iranian politicians shared his view that the death threats against Mr Rushdie were unacceptable. Mr Marshall said his talks in the Middle East had made him aware of the offence caused to Muslims by Mr Rushdie’s book, “The Satanic Verses.” He had visited Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Mr Marshall said he was not aware of Islamic leaders, other than Libya’s Lieu-tenant-Colonel Gadaffi, who had supported Ayatollah Khomeiny’s call to Muslims to assassinate Mr Rushdie.