Sir, – Something being left out of the current conversation about the US/Israeli strikes on Iran is conscription. Currently, all young men who reach the age of 18 in Iran are legally required to submit to about two years of compulsory military service in the Iranian army, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), or the Police Command.
Men who refuse military service can be deprived of many social and civic rights, including being issued a passport or driving licence, access to health insurance, education, opening a bank account, etc.
As this war continues to widen, I find it necessary to point out that many of the Iranian soldiers likely to die in the coming days are young men who never chose to fight. – Yours, etc,
SAMUEL ROGERS,
RM Block
PhD Researcher in International Peace Studies,
Trinity College Dublin.
Sir, – Many political commentators have portrayed Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez as foolhardy and naive in refusing the US request to use Spanish bases to pursue their war with Iran (“Spain says ‘no to war’ in response to Trump threats,” March 4th).
I believe he deserves admiration and respect for his stance.
It takes a moral core and a spine to resist the bullying tactics of a disgraceful US president.
I hope his courageous action serves as an example to other EU leaders. – Yours, etc,
BILL O’BRIEN,
Clontarf,
Dublin 3.
Sir, – Recent coverage of Irish travellers delayed in Dubai, Doha and elsewhere due to the closure of regional airspace has understandably focused on the disruption and anxiety experienced by those trying to return home. It is never pleasant to be stranded far from home amid uncertainty and I do not wish to diminish that experience.
However, the tone of some reporting, including in your own pages, describing the “terrifying” ordeal of extended stays in airports or comfortable hotels, followed by jubilant scenes of relief at Dublin Airport, sits uneasily alongside the far grimmer reality unfolding elsewhere in the same region.
While some or most Irish travellers wait in safety, well fed and accommodated, civilians in Gaza have been living under the constant threat of bombardment, without the protection of air-defence systems. Many of these people are displaced, hungry and terrified for their lives.
Irish media quite rightly reports on the experiences of its own citizens abroad. But a little perspective would not go amiss when placing such stories within the wider human context. For many in Gaza, there is no safe place to wait, no flight home to anticipate, only the daily struggle to survive. - Yours, etc,
EAVANNE MURPHY,
Glenageary,
Co Dublin.
