Monday 10th March 2014
Dear Professor Tony Allen
I will be seeing you today at Keith McLachlan’s commemorative meeting, but as I have to attend a prier engagement I will have to leave early. This will mean that I will not be able to contribute to the event personally, but I would like to share with you some of my thoughts and feelings on this occasion by saying that when I joined Keith McLachlan at SOAS about 40 years ago, I found him engaged in teaching and research works into Economic Geography of petroleum and newly emerged OPEC sensations. By accepting supervision of my work in Political Geography of territories and boundaries in the Persian Gulf, he developed a keen interest both in Political Geography and border studies as well as the study of Persian Gulf affairs. In those hectic days of early 1970s when the new craze of changing historical name of that geographical place hit British media and academia I remember Keith standing out as a shining example of sticking by his academic principles arguing that geographical names cannot be changed for any reason at all, and I remember in so many occasions he ignored financial gains because of sticking to his academic principles. I have learnt so much from him and owe him so much for having supported me throughout my academic career in all those years. To cherish those memories, I have prepared a piece in Persian which is attached herewith for the benefit of Iranian media in which I have touched on some aspects of his valuable contribution to the Iranian studies and how I saw his career in Iranian studies and how he saw my career developing under his supervision. But, beyond all that, what strikes me most when looking back at the past 40 years of my association with Keith McLachlan is your unparalleled devotion to him as a trusted colleague, a wonderful friend and as a loyal confident that demands the heartiest gratitude and respect from all of us, Keith’s loyal friends and associates who miss him so much in this day.
Yours sincerely
Pirouz Mojtahed-Zadeh
Professor of Political Geography – Tehran University
