Mesabh Yazdi: Government of God doesn't Need the Press

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Reporting from India: Dr. Judith Judith Apter Klinghoffer

Last week at an international conference in India, I ran into Ali, an Iranian reporter who did not waste a minute before he told me of his opposition to “the new president.” Ali wrath focused on his growing inability to do his job properly. Under Khatami, he explained, a reporter could take calculated risks. If he miscalculated he would end up in the interrogation room (as happened to Ali more than once) or even in prison. No longer. Still, he could get stuff published. No more.

Using the lessons learned from the regime’s successful taming of the electoral system, “The new president” began by eliminating stories (just as the Mullahs eliminate candidates). Editors and reporters are furnished with a daily list of topics on which they may not report. You mean issues related to national security? I asked. No, he retorted. The topics include economic and social issues. For example? “I cannot write about the economic consequences UN sanctions may have for Iran or about the social problems related to the trafficking of Iranian women to Dubai.” Recently, matters got even worse. We may only write stories based on information we found in an approved list of 10 sources (like an approved list of candidates). Anything not found in those pre-selected sources cannot be published. In other words, the regime vets sources just like it vets candidates.

But Ali wanted to make sure that I report on the one ray of sunshine which successfully penetrates the Iranian night, it is called VOA. He would not let an opportunity go by without commenting on its importance. The regime constantly closes websites and successfully blocks outside voices including that of the BBC. But Ali stated triumphantly, they are unable to jam Voice Of America satellite transmission. It’s TV broadcasts last 4 hours a day and include music the young like. It also has news and information not available in the 10 approved sources. That does not mean that everybody is always happy with the content broadcast on AOL as is evident from the angry letter (posted below) an Iranian reader wanted me to send news organizations protesting CBS producer. Siamak Zand, “soft” treatment of Iran. Iranians, he says, used to resent the US for overthrowing Mossadegh. but no longer. Now, the regime’s hostility to the US is giving Iranians a negative reason to like the US while contact with the Iranian – American diaspora and, most importantly, the American support for pro-democracy movement in Iran give Iranians positive reasons to do so. Indeed, Iranians are annoyed with the Europeans who wishing to profit from Iranian trade, are ignoring the regimes’ abysmal human rights record.

Nor have Iranians forgotten the Palestinian (including Hamas) support of Saddam during the Iran-Iraq war and they resent the money being spent on it. After all, the Iranian economy is terrible and the unemployment level of educated youth is over 50%. What do you think about the Iranian army? I asked. It is no different from that of Saddam and its missiles are so inaccurate that Iranians joke that an attempt to blow up Tel Aviv will end up flattening Mecca. In other words, while we with much justice chastise our leader for jobs badly done and while our intellectuals elites tells us that losing is good for us, Iranians, like other captive peoples look to America with hope...there's more.