2. Man and dog- Hamadan, Iran

The misery of sanctions imposed by the West hits none other than the common people of Iran, those that are already struggling to survive their own Regime.

I saw this old man, huddled in a lane in Hamadan with his dog, perhaps his sole companion. What struck me was that although now reduced to poverty, his attire bore the dignity of past times.

It is rare to see dogs in Iran as they are considered “unclean” and dogs as pets are viewed by the Regime as unwanted import of Western culture. This scene therefore created a strong imprint in my memory for a painting.

During my extensive journeys in Iran or ancient Persia, I was overwhelmed by the culture, art, architecture and respect they hold for their ancient history pre-dating the advent of Islam by at least two millennia. The level of education including that of Iranian  women and kindness of its people were awe inspiring.  A once proud and prosperous country has been unimaginable hardship.

The portrayal of the country in the West is entirely related to the Regime, and does not depict the common men and women on the street.  It was one country where  people are still aware of and proud of their history ,dating back millennia before the advent of Islam. I did not see evidence of concerted destruction of pre-Islamic art, sculptures, great monuments or artefacts unlike in other countries I have visited. Here history has been absorbed in its entirety, which to me indicates the highest level of social consciousness and culture.

I did have one or two close brushes with the Regime by unwittingly wandering too close to apparently secret military facilities in my exploration of partially excavated, but now abandoned archaeological sites.