After Intensive Coverage of Small Riots:

Blind to Massive Revolution Rallies

Date: 12 February 2018 - 21:52

News ID: ۵۰۰۱۸

TEHRAN (Dispatches) -- The BBC was one of the few media outlets which did not at all cover nationwide rallies in Iran on February 11, marking the anniversary of the victory of Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.
This is not the first time that the BBC propaganda outlet makes itself known for its biased approach and violation of professional ethics when it comes to covering events related to Iran.
The well-established media giant, using the cliché "You’re watching BBC World News/You’re listening to BBC Radio,” shaped a determining chapter in Iran’s history decades ago.
A considerable number of Iranian politicians and the masses will not forget that the media outlet’s control room turned into a nerve centre for a military coup in 1953 against the government of former Iranian Prime Minister Muhammad Mosaddeq, a popular and patriotic figure. The coup came in retaliation for his nationalization of Iran’s oil industry.
Despite such a role played by BBC, some Iranians interested in politics traditionally watch it in order to keep abreast of Britain’s schemes for Iran’s future.
Truly and clearly, Iranians today are not comparable to what they were six decades ago, and the general public, thanks to years of struggles to secure their country’s independence, happen to be able to read, even more intelligently than professional politicians, the minds of those running domestic and foreign media, so they will not have to pay, once again, the price of getting caught unawares and forgetting the lessons of the contemporary history of their country.
The Persian-language Fars news agency has, in a memo, blasted the BBC’s performance when it comes to covering events and developments pertaining to Iran.
Iranian people turned out in droves in different towns and cities across the nation Sunday for rallies marking the anniversary of the triumph of the 1979 Islamic Revolution of Iran, it said.
The turnout was so large that different media outlets across the world, even Israeli media, had to cover the event, describing it as hundreds-of-thousands-strong or millions-strong rallies.
Not to mention Saudi and Emirati media, probably the only media outlet which preferred to remain tight-lipped on the huge rallies was the BBC, the agency said. The British media company has not broadcast any news on the event so far as if February 11 was an ordinary day in Iran like other days, it added.
This comes as the recent unrest in some Iranian cities a few months ago made headlines in the BBC news, so much so that the British company broadcast news on the Iran unrest every minute, sometimes using unconfirmed images.
"The BBC’s double standards on Iran developments is reminiscent of the fact that the media outlet is acting against its own motto of neutrality, and rather than covering events as they unfold, it has politicized the developments, and only broadcasts the news which has a place in the media outlet’s jigsaw,” Fars said.
Leader Hails ‘Grandeur of Demonstration’
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Sunday said the massive participation of the Iranian people in the nationwide rallies gave a firm and crushing response to foreigners and enemies.
Describing people’s participation in the revolution anniversary rallies as a great and dazzling incident, Ayatollah Khamenei said, "The grandeur of your demonstration today, which according to accurate estimates was more crowded than previous years, gave a firm and crushing response to foreigners and enemies and those with a weak resolve.”
The Leader stated that based on their flawed conception of Iran and Iranians, enemies did their utmost to make this year’s revolution anniversary ceremony devoid of energy and even turn it against itself.
"You showed to them the liveliness and dynamism of the revolution in practice and shouted out your commitment to the ideals of the late Imam through your slogans and your warm presence,” the Leader noted.
Ayatollah Khamenei advised Iranian officials to appreciate "this unique phenomenon” and continue to serve the Iranian nation with "complete steadfastness and revolutionary spirit" and defend the ideals of the Islamic Revolution.
"The future belongs to our vigilant and foresighted nation and we officials must try not to lag behind the nation,” the Leader concluded.