(Adnkronos) – Marjane Satrapi, an Iranian-born French cartoonist and illustrator, has refused the Legion of Honour, the highest French state distinction, in protest at the “hypocrisy” shown by Paris towards Iran. In a letter to the French Minister of Culture and posted on her social media accounts, the author of ‘Persepolis’ announced that she would not accept the honour she was due to receive in the coming days.
“I cannot ignore what I consider to be a hypocritical attitude towards Iran, which has shaped the other part of my identity,” Satrapi wrote in a post on Instagram, adding that she did not want to disrespect the award. The cartoonist went on to cite French visa policies, which prevent dissidents from leaving Iran to reach the European country.
“I cannot continue to see the children of Iranian oligarchs coming to spend their holidays in France, even being naturalised, while at the same time young dissidents find it difficult to obtain a tourist visa to come and see what the country of the Enlightenment has to offer,” added Satrapi, who arrived in France in 1994 and became French in 2006.
