I must admit, the very fact that the BBC could publish this headline makes me chuckle a bit. Upon scanning my RSS feed and seeing this one-line description, I immediately conjured images of Iranians en masse chanting for a magic lantern and a genie to solve their difficulties creating a viable long-range warhead. After reading the article it's clear that this is not the case, however. It seems that, following centuries of alleged imperialism, the Iranian government is demanding the return of a Persian artifact, "The Cyrus Cylinder", a clay cylinder dating from Babylonia which discusses religious tolerance and other civic rights. Commissioned by King Cyrus, the cylinder is about 2600 years old and is believed to have been created in the 6th-century BCE. While the British Museum, which currently owns the piece, claims that it is willing to return the artifact, it's progress in actually sending the cylinder has been delayed. The Head of Press for the British Museum, Hannah Boulton, is quoted as saying, "When lending any material you have to check that it is an appropriate moment," which encouraged a quick retort from the Iranians claiming that a "post-election situation" is to blame for the British Museum's hesitancy. While it is entirely possible that the British Museum does intend to loan the piece to the Iranian government and is simply working to secure its safety as an ancient artifact, the fact remains that the recent sentencing of three Iranian protesters to death for their roles in this summers pro-democracy protests could potentially "delay" their action. While a small disagreement altogether, I personally feel this is yet another example of the unwillingness of the West and Islamic world's to intersect. As long as squabbles like this continue to define the public relationship between the United States, its allies and the Islamic Republic of Iran, no tentative accords will be reached.