Reports from Srinagar, capital of India’s Jammu and Kashmir say that Iran’s Press TV channel has been banned in the restive province following telecast of ‘provocative’ Washington footage of a lone person tearing pages from Quran. The channel is popular in the Shia dominated areas of the Srinagar, Budgam, Baramulla and Kargil districts, which are already on boil after the death of a teenager in police firing. It was being aired on local cable TV networks without permission. Soon after the Sunday telecast, thousands of people poured into the streets across the valley to protest at what had happened in the American capital. The protests turned violent and 17 people were killed.
The US Govt. and the international community have strongly condemned the threat by a Christian Priest in Florida to burn a copy of the Holy Quran to mark the anniversary of 26/11. The priest dropped his plan in the face of world-wide condemnation. Yet, the Iranian TV chose to play up the incident to provoke Muslim sensitivities. A highly regrettable decision it is, and it deserves to be condemned strongly even if the telecast has some thing to do with the on-going spat with Washington over Iran’s nuclear programme and the sanctions regime. The media, particularly TV and radio, are powerful instruments and “irresponsible” journalism can play havoc with lives of innocent people as seen in Jammu and Kashmir.
Both Iran and Saudi Arabia, in their race to claim the leadership of the Islamic world, are often seen engaged in provoking common Muslims to attack each other in the name of religion. Shia-Sunni clashes in different countries are often a result of the `power struggle’ being played out by the two countries. Both have been supporting rival Islamic groups. While the Iranians are extending support to some rabid Sunni Islamists, the Saudis are seen encouraging Shiite groups to work against Iran.
Radio Tehran’s broadcasts programmes in Bengali for listeners in Bangladesh. These broadcasts are a prime example of how the Iranian regime is using the radio to support Jamaat-e-Islami, a radical Sunni group, which is working against mainstream secular parties like the Awami League. For instance, in its 2000 hrs bulletin on Aug. 17, Radio Tehran broadcast a statement saying that Bangladeshis would not accept Sheikh Mujib-ur Rehman as the `Father of the Nation’. It is like saying Iranians would not accept Ayatollah Khomeini as Velayat-e-Faqui or ‘supreme’ spiritual leader.
How can Iranian radio side with the Jamaat leaders when many of them are facing trial for war crimes – namely crimes committed as collaborators of the Pakistani forces during the war of independence? Mujib led the people in the war and after Dacca became a free city of a free nation in December 197, people hailed him as the Father of the Nation. Whatever be the short term pursuits of Iran, it cannot remain insensitive to the concerns of Bangladeshi people. It would, indeed, be a great disservice on the part of Iranian government if it allowed its media to play partisan politics and hurt the sentiments of innocent people in a far away country. Tehran will have to bear the consequences if its provocative broadcasts lead to violence and results in bloodshed.
