Apparently George Galloway’s employer Press TV is not unique among Iranian state media in virtually ignoring the terrible earthquakes that killed at least 300, injured at least 2,000 and left thousands more homeless in East Azerbaijan province.
Many people have… shared [on social media] Mana Neyestani’s cartoon commenting on the weak coverage of the disaster by Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting. An IRIB anchor announces, “Important news: The West’s new scenario — creating instability along Syria’s borders. The death of one person from poverty in France. Zionists concerned by the meeting of…” The corner of the television screen on which he appears is peeled back, revealing a dead child and wailing mother. A sign amid the surrounding rubble reads “Azerbaijan.”
If you follow Press TV, you know that almost nothing really bad ever happens in Iran. As a rule, the less the Iranian regime likes a country, the more likely bad things (real or imagined) are to happen there. Therefore most of the bad things that happen in the world happen in– or are caused to happen by– the US, the UK and Israel.
The Obama administration has rightly offered aid to the victims of the earthquakes and announced that sanctions on the regime will not affect the ability of Americans to donate food and medicine.
After the horrible 2003 earthquake that virtually destroyed the city of Bam, a regime spokesman announced that Iran would accept aid from any country in the world except Israel. There’s no reason to expect anything different this time.
Israel has some of the world’s most skilled and experienced disaster rescue teams. But as I noted at the time:
The wise mullahs know that loyal and decent Iranians would rather suffocate under the rubble than have their lives saved by Zionists. And, hey, who wouldn’t?
