Franco-Iranian artist Marjane Satrapi refused the Legion of Honor, denouncing on Instagram France’s “hypocritical” attitude towards Iran.
She is known for her outspokenness and character. And she adds actions to words. In a message on her Instagram account, the Franco-Iranian artist Marjane Satrapi (“Persepolis”) announced on Monday that she was refusing the Legion of Honor, to denounce “a hypocritical attitude of France towards Iran » particularly in the allocation of visas. The 55-year-old director and designer was promoted to the rank of knight of the Legion of Honor – the highest French honorary decoration – last July.
Alas, in a letter addressed to the Minister of Culture Rachida Dati, she explains why she must decline the honor given to her, because of her “principles” and her “attachment” to her “homeland of birth”. “I cannot ignore what I perceive as a hypocritical attitude of France towards Iran,” she adds, refuting any “contempt” towards the institution that distinguished her. The post that accompanies the message is even more explicit: “I can no longer see the children of Iranian oligarchs coming to spend vacations in France, or even getting naturalized while young dissidents have difficulty obtaining even a tourist visa to finally see what the country of enlightenment and human rights looks like. »
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In a video posted a few hours later on the social network, the artist evokes a “mark of solidarity with the Iranians, especially with women and with Iranian youth, but also with (his) French compatriots held hostage in Iran” .
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“For a while, I have really struggled to understand France’s policy towards Iran,” she continues, regretting that “young freedom-loving Iranians, dissidents, artists, are are refused visas”, including tourist visas, while children of “Iranian oligarchs” “walk around Paris as in Saint-Tropez without this posing any problem”.
“I deeply love this country of mine”
According to her, “supporting the women’s revolution in Iran cannot be reduced to photos with victims or celebrities during commemorations of the death of Mahsa Amini”, a young woman arrested for violating the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code and whose death triggered a vast protest movement in 2022. “The Iranians do not need communication, we need concrete actions,” argues Marjane Satrapi. The artist, who arrived in France in 1994 and has been naturalized since 2006, insists on the love she has for France. “I deeply love this country of mine,” she concludes in the video.
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Contacted by AFP, Marjane Satrapi explained that the presentation of her Legion of Honor was to take place in January. “When you have a people fighting for democracy […] we must support it,” she said.
