Rooto beram!

Balatarin
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Rooto beram!
by News Goffer
10-Jan-2009
 

In the middle of the mayhem that Gaza is these days, Khader Shahin, a Palestinian reporter (with an Israeli birth certificate) who was reporting for Iran’s Al Alam network was arrested by the Israeli ground forces who “accused Shahin of breaking a martial order about limited media coverage regarding the beginning of Israel Ground Operation in Gaza.” 

Regardless of why this reporter was arrested and whether or not the Israeli forces had a legitimate right to arrest him, I find Islamic Republic of Iran’s reaction to the event amusing.  Here’s a government that has systematically gagged and banned its newspapers and reporters, keeping them from fair and appropriate news generation and propagation for three decades, most of it during peace time, mind you.  It has followed, censored, imprisoned and tortured its newspaper men and women as a routine practice during all the years it has been in power.  A whole division of Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance is in place to implement IRI’s censorship rules and regulations, down to whether newspapers that are not close to power groups should receive subsidized paper for their publications. 

Upon arrest of Mr. Shahin, IRI authorities have raised their voices in defense of a journalist’s mission, protesting his arrest which they call a clear violation of principles of freedom of the press, filing a complaint with UNESCO to demand Mr. Shahin’s immediate release.  No problem.  I think Mr. Shahin should be released immediately.  But so should all those Iranian journalists who are under immense pressure from IRI authorities to report what is really happening in Iran and in the rest of the world without fear of persecution.  

Sources: 

//www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=80796&sectionid=351020202

//radiofarda.com/Article/2009/01/09/F7_PressTV_Gaza_Attacked.html

//www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&Do=&ID=34815

Balatarin
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more from News Goffer
 
Kaveh Nouraee

Laughable Yet Angering At The Same Time

by Kaveh Nouraee on Wed Jan 14, 2009 11:35 AM PST

IRI has no business opening their filthy mouths to say a single word, when they are among the greatest abusers of rights on this planet.

When the IRI releases Hoder and every other journalist, and stops their bullshit once and for all, maybe, just maybe they might earn the right to say something.

But even then, I doubt it.


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default

You missed the point

by Alborzi (not verified) on Sun Jan 11, 2009 01:38 PM PST

You are comparing IRI and Israel for that matter the USA and arresting the reporters. The thing is that you hold them to their own standards. Its not a big deal if a
prostitute (jendeh) has sex outside marriage, but when a teacher has sex with a 13 year old thats really newsworthy.


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Niloufar Parsi

zeynab jan

by Niloufar Parsi on Sun Jan 11, 2009 10:35 AM PST

there are over 2 million iranians who have Arabic as their first language. they live in khuzstan and along the persian gulf coast.

those with farsi as their first language are somewhere between 50 to 60% of the total population. this is the case after a long period of farsi dominance.

also, it is commonplace for foreign language media to be broadcast from various countries. from VoA to the BBC, there are plenty of examples. iran is trying to compete in a market of 400 million arab viewers.

All in all, Press tv is getting good reviews. some describe it as 'the other al jazeera english'. not saying that i agree with that, but your remarks are a little too dismissive.

while i agree with the message of the blog about iran's obvious hypocrisy, that is more related to the content of iran's broadcasts to the world rather than the act of broadcasting and the number of languages they use.

in a sense, the volume of their broadcasts and their efforts to 'name and shame' western and israeli hypocrisy on freedom of expression including the press - as surely that is the case - also pushes them into the trap of having to increasingly appear like they are being 'objective' themselves in the eyes of the world. this could explain the surprising performance of Press tv so far. not sure if it will last....


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what happened

by Bekhabar (not verified) on Sat Jan 10, 2009 09:40 PM PST

to the Northridge University student that was arrested three months ago while visiting Iran? Was she released and came back? Did she have to sign a conditional silence upon returning to US?

will someone give feedback please. She has a pretty smile.


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Zeynab

Why Iran has an Arabic channel?

by Zeynab on Sat Jan 10, 2009 03:35 PM PST

Are we arabic speaking? Such a shame, they are going to change farsi!


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MRX1

who cares

by MRX1 on Sat Jan 10, 2009 02:25 PM PST

who watches al-alam any way? Arabs have plenty of channels including Al-jazira to watch. Yet another way to waste oil revenue.


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Zahra Kazemi

by Aziz (not verified) on Sat Jan 10, 2009 08:26 AM PST

another name to remember


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Darius Kadivar

Well the IRI SHOULD FREE Hossein Derakhshan FIRST !

by Darius Kadivar on Sat Jan 10, 2009 07:50 AM PST

After all its Only Fair since the IRI has arrested and by now probably even torturing our fellow colleague and feature writer of Iranian.com Hossein Derakhshan known as BLOGFATHER.

Iranian 'Blogfather' Hossein Derakhshan is arrested on charge of spying for Israel

 


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Al-Alam

by Kurush (not verified) on Sat Jan 10, 2009 06:47 AM PST

Iranians, like Americans, have a very short historical recollection, anything beyond the last few years is realy history to them! Right before the '53 coup a lot of so-called 'newspapers' appear on the streets of major Iraninan cities out of the blue and suddenly. These newspapers linked Mossadegh with the communists and called him a Jew, etc. Later revelations and research quite clearly established that these so-called newspapers, exploiting the freedom of the press allowed by Mossadegh, were actually funded by the US and British CIA & MI6 'intelligence' services. For all practical purposes they did a pretty good job of tarnishing and tainting Mossadegh's public image and credibility. Even the NYTIMES reporter stood on the corner of the streets of Tehran and distributed CIA manufactured anti-Mossadegh, pro-Shah newspaprers and pamphalets. Folks this was NYTIMEs reporter doing the job of agent-provacateur! Myopic Iranian memory notwithstanding, Iranian governemnt has a good reason to muzzle these so-called newspapers and so-called jouranlists who seem to mysteriously sprout like mushrooms from the propaganda crap of the Western governments. So wake up Iranians! Freedom of press stops where Western subversion begins!


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I find Islamic Republic of Iran’s reaction to the event amusing

by Faribors Maleknasri M.D. (not verified) on Sat Jan 10, 2009 06:29 AM PST

and how do I find the Bushy Bushy administration`s reaction to IRAK? TO ABU GHRAIB? TO AFGANISTAN? TO GAZA? TO permanently VETOING UN`s RESOLUTIONS? HA? HOW DO I FIND THESE? The fact is: Today there exists at least one country which reacts on unjustice. Others have followed, many many others will follow soon. And the story of occupying of Palestine will be over. For ever. Then I will not have anything to find it amusing. But rather sad. A pitty? What? Greeting


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default

**Al-Alam** What the hell

by vivalavida (not verified) on Sat Jan 10, 2009 06:07 AM PST

**Al-Alam** What the hell does Iran need an Arabic speaking News Media for???

Thank God it's bombed and the oil revenues stolen by the filthy mullahs are not squandered to recruit more Arab mercenaries. Good riddance to Al-Alam and the reporter. Now, this reporter is going to get the taste of same medicine as the IRI has been dishing to its own dissenters and journalists. What goes around comes around. It's a beautiful day!


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ghalam-doon

A balanced response?

by ghalam-doon on Sat Jan 10, 2009 05:25 AM PST

"The Press TV Gaza bureau has been destroyed by IDF
troops in an attack that took place in the last hour 15:38 GMT, despite the GPS co-ordinates being held by the Israeli troops."

//www.thelondondailynews.com/press-station-de...

One side bans news media, the other side bombs them.  I think Israel has decided to break every single law in the book.

 


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IRANdokht

what hypocrites!

by IRANdokht on Sat Jan 10, 2009 01:28 AM PST

that's mind boggling... IRI's statement can only have negative outcome for Mr Shahin, and they really should release the journalists they have arrested first and stop their censorship and mistreatment first!

in any case, I am sorry that Shahin was arrested and I hope he doesn't end up with the countless prisoners currently in Israeli prisons.

NG jan

Would you please keep us updated of his situation. I wish him well and especially a quick and safe release.

what is happening to this world?

IRANdokht


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