Kurdishaspect.com - By Sharif Behruz
In looking for clues who really was behind the Wednesday attack in Mahabad, there were many reports by various news outlets, primarily relying on regime’s statements and claims in particular the notorious Revolutionary Guards who are not shy about committing any acts of aggression against the Iranian people. Remember, those club-swinging plain-clothers in Tehran’s streets last year, they are members of Revolutionary Guards without any stars on their shoulders.
There were many news sources such as the AP, AFP and Reuters that reported the news of the bombing from the regime sources without considering any other statements or news from the organizations and groups whom the regime blames for the attack.
In almost all the news reporting, there is a reference to ‘Kurdish separatists’ while no organized movement can be traced in Iranian Kurdistan that seeks separation from Iran, they are all seeking rights and respect for their rights and freedom within Iran.
There were also some independent reporting on the case such as this one by Medya News “Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Claim to have Killed those behind the Mahabad Attack” that clearly shows the twisting of information in regards to the attack and its perpetrators by regime’s various crime doers.
In search of who was really behind the attack among the English media there were also some bloggers, in particular the author of this blog that dug in for some clues of who might have carried the murder: “Who’s Behind the Bombing in Mahabad, Iran?”
The Persian media outside Iran, paid for with the British, French, German and US tax-payers money also danced with the regime’s tunes and disregarded almost all the Kurdish organizations’ claims and statements condemning the attack.
This is unethical journalism, because one side has been unjustly and partially condemned to ’separatism’ [though in my opinion not a crime] and ‘terrorism’ without being given the opportunity to defend itself and being heard.
Courageous reporters and news outlets should not fear reprisal from this terrorist regime in Iran. I remember the images from Aljazeera last year where one of its reporters was confined to report from a basement in Tehran without access to outside world filled with protesters, but still content and comfortable reporting ‘the truth’ from Iran.
There are many incidents in Kurdistan and other areas belonging to national groups in Iran, and we in the English media only hear those that the regime wants us to hear. To add injury to the insult, we only hear the regime’s interpretation of the event as there are no independent media in Iran.
Major news wires should either completely abandon reporting from Iran or seek some independent investigation of the events they are covering, and rely on all sources involved in the incident for their reporting.
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