World Notes Zimbabwe

The Islamic fundamentalists who govern Iran have never been known for tact. Iranian President Seyed Ali Khamene'i proved that anew last week during a visit to Zimbabwe, when he refused to attend a state banquet in his honor because women were present and wine was to be served. Khamene'i demanded that all women attending, including Cabinet ministers and the wife of the President, don veils and sit at a table in a far corner of the room. An hour of frantic negotiations ensued, but neither side would budge. Finally, the dinner went on without Khamene'i and his 40-member entourage.

The visitor from Iran had signaled problems ahead when, after landing at Zimbabwe's Harare airport, he refused to shake the hands of three senior female officials who turned out to greet him. The Foreign Affairs Minister later said that women had played a major role in Zimbabwe's emergence from colonialism and would not be denied equal status. Spokesmen for both countries declared publicly that the incident would have no effect on their relations. But Zimbabwean officials were privately betting that it might be a while before Khamene'i visits again.