31 October 2006

Hallowe'en costume

This is causing a fuss in some quarters:
"Iran's former president, Mohammed Khatami, arrives in Scotland today for a visit opposed by Iranian émigré groups and a group of MPs who charge that thousands of students were imprisoned during his rule...
Mr Khatami is the highest ranking Iranian official to visit the UK since the 1979 Islamic revolution, and will be awarded an honorary doctorate by St Andrews University this evening."

I can see both sides of the argument. Mr Khatami may have been a baddie in the past, so send him away. Alternatively, we are going to have to talk to these guys sometime.

But my main problem is that I find it hard to take the concept of honorary doctorates seriously. All that dressing up in fancy robes and hoods, and you can't even call yourself doctor...

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