Analysis by PMOI/MEK
Iran, April 6, 2019 – To prevent an outburst of anger, the Iranian regime’s propaganda machine is doing its best to censor the news of the devastation caused by recent flash floods in various parts of Iran. But despite all its efforts, the explosive wrath of the people has reached a level that even the regime’s own media have been forced to report it. Of course, the social media available to many has been a helpful tool for the people to break the news censorship by the regime and to express their anger.
The following are examples that forced the regime to report despite its news censorship.
One flood-hit resident talks to a reporter from Iran state-run TV.
“A few days ago a man from a TV station came here. He saw us carrying the mud and sludge with a wheelbarrow and little tools we had. We expected him to at least show that on the TV, but they didn’t.”
“About four days ago a man from the state TV came here and even took videos and pictures of the disaster. He also filmed me and I stood there and said if the officials had erected even half meter of an embankment, our situation wouldn’t have become like this. Another TV station came too. I wish they would show that our lives are ruined here so the government officials would see them,” said another man from that town.
Of course, it is apparent that people express their anger and protest whenever there is a chance. This especially happens when regime’s officials go to the flood-devastated areas and appear in front of a TV camera to claim that they are doing something, ordinary people seize the chance to express their grievances and criticize that official right there and then.
Regime’s fear of the outburst of people’s anger
Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) ground forces acknowledged the people’s anger after he visited the flood-ravaged town of Poldokhtar in Lorestan province. While he was bombarded by the anger and complaints of the people during his visit, he admitted that no official dares to come to Poldokhtar out of fear of facing the people’s wrath.
“The problems in Poldokhtar are huge and there is no management control… No official dares to visit Poldokhtar,” he told Entekhab and Tabnak, two state-run websites on April 2.
Social media expose the regime’s lies
The stage, of course, is different when it comes to social media. People can talk freely and openly on social media with little control by the regime.
Government officials’ lies and deceptions surface quickly on social media. Especially about the government’s relief efforts to the flood-stricken areas.
“We are living in floodwaters for 12 days now. We have nowhere to go. There are no relief efforts by the officials and the government. They are full of empty promises saying they come and bring help. But nobody has come here during the past 12 days. We are five feet deep in water. We don’t know what to do,” a flood-stricken resident grieved.
People in the flood-hit areas quickly expose lies and deception by the Iranian regime President Hassan Rouhani and IRGC commanders.
While mocking Rouhani, one resident said, “Our president can drive the Caspian Sea water upward to the city of Semnan, north of Iran, but he cannot drive the water down.”
People are fed up of this regime
The public confrontation with the expansionist and terrorist policies of the Iranian regime are some of the aspects exposed in social media, something the official media in Iran are covering up.
“Look! All our homes have drowned. This is Khorramabad on April 1, at 9 am. And this is our lives. When the people chant ‘let go of Syria and think about us’ that’s what they mean. Look at our homes totally submerged in floodwaters,” complained another flood-ravaged person.
These, of course, are the tip of the iceberg of people’s anger towards the regime in general. The recent flash-flood has only surfaced this anger and discontent. People know that the extent of the devastation and the ruins caused by the floods are the results of the regime’s mismanagement and plundering policies.
When the storm dies down and the floods recede, comes the time for another storm to brew. A storm that is totally different than the last one. The storm of the people’s wrath that would sweep the regime and all its factions.
+
