Total Information Blackout: Iranian Police Destroying Satellite Dishes in Tehran
The Iranian regime apparently has something it feels it must hide. The police is going building to building smashing sattelite dishes. Is it possible the Mullahs worry that the people will find out that they are provoking their destruction? (HT: Judith Apter Klinghoffer).
Police in Tehran have begun dismantling satellite dishes from the city's rooftops - part of a campaign to prevent Iranians from watching Western television. The move follows a recent police order that all satellite dishes - officially banned but tolerated until now - be removed. The campaign against satellite television was launched by the Minister for Culture and Islamic Orientation, Hassan Saffar Harandi, who said "we have to halt the West's cultural offensive," on Iran.
Some observers believe that the clampdown is aimed at keeping the government's control over news regarding Iran's dispute with the international community regarding its nuclear program.
In recent months, all news coverage on the issue in Iran has been done with the approval of the Supreme Council of National Security, prompting people who wish to be informed by non-government sources to watch and listen to television and radio from abroad.
They won't be stopping shortwave radio. I'd bet like in many other countries (not the U.S., unfortunately), even small radio sets offer a shortwave band.
Posted by: S Silverstein | Aug 17, 2006 at 19:18
Silverstein,
The Islamist Arab-worshipping regime of Iran does it best to jam radio broadcasts. Their #1 target is the very popular RadioIsrael Persian service with its enormously well-liked anchorman the Iranian-born Mr. Mensheh Amir. People thus resort to downloading recorded programs from Radis.org website which is of course filtered in Iran. But, people have found access to filter-breakers etc.......
Posted by: Garduneh Mehr | Aug 17, 2006 at 20:32
Evidently this has been going on for several years now.
One source Iranmania indicates that in 3/04 some 40K dishes were confiscated.
I do agree though that the timing is not good.
Posted by: Dave | Aug 18, 2006 at 11:23
The Iranian police can destroy satelite dish antennas, but canot stop the voice of freedom in the short wave radio. This is the proof that the short waves remain a great value.
Posted by: Carlos Mourato | Aug 18, 2006 at 17:25
That's scary!
Posted by: Winston | Aug 18, 2006 at 23:21
Iran is banning the BBC and al-jazera? That sounds like a good thing.
The western and other international media have such an anti-American and anti-Israeli bias how can cuting it off be bad?
In fact there is so much anti-american and anti-israeli bias in the world that even objective reporting about statements made by world leaders and UN officials will still spread that bias.
Maybe we should consider if there anything that could be done to encourage other regimes to also ban the BBC and al-jazera?
Posted by: j233kj1wlj32l | Aug 20, 2006 at 04:57