Iran crack down on Satellite TV

[Redleg]

Is this just a continuation of Iran's government version of Sharia Law or is it another step in Iran wanting to pursue Weapons of Mass Destruction in which to threaten the world, or the most likely in my opinion another step to control their own population by only allowing the state approved media to provide news and information (you can read that as propaganda)?


TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran has launched a crackdown against "decadent" satellite television in the Islamic republic, raiding rooftops in Tehran and other major cities to seize hundreds of illegal dishes.

The action followed a warning issued last month by Tehran's metropolitan police chief to the country's estimated three to four million satellite television watchers who defy the law.

"The use of satellite dishes is prohibited by law and we ask people not to use this equipment anymore," Morteze Talaie was quoted as saying in the press.

Police armed with warrants raided rooftops of large apartment blocks and high-rises in the chic northern and western areas of Tehran on Sunday and have conducted similar operations in other cities, witnesses and press reports said.

"Police seized scores of satellite dishes in Velenjak (northern Tehran) and after loading their vans, they took off," a resident identifying himself as Hamid told AFP.

Programs broadcast on satellite channels are considered "decadent" by the authorities in the Islamic republic which frequently try to jam the airwaves.



I guess news stories that go against the Iranian government are considered decadent in Iran.

[Rodion Romanovich]

Sad to see how so many nations in the world become more and more oppressive and anti-democratic. If only there for every state that turning more anti-democratic would at the same time be one or more states turning more democratic... I suppose this period in history will be remembered by historians of the next century as "the greatest world-wide constitutional disaster since the period between ww1 and ww2". There are currently no signs anywhere of any nation trying to reverse the development, on the contrary there's instead a constant escalation. I suppose there needs to be another "big bang" first, like ww2, before regular people remember what a world war is, and why constitutional crises aren't just "boring politics", but about the lives of billions of people including themselves. Or they'll just do like some did after ww2 - think that "there was probably something with the water they drank".

[BDC]

Whatever the west does it a waste of time, it just helps the current regime. Let the Iranians fight for the right to watch crappy American sitcoms.

[Aenlic]

Clearly the world would be a much better place if people were forced to watch something funny (which as BDC pointed out, does not include most American sitcoms). My vote goes for Fawlty Towers. If everyone had to watch Fawlty Towers then the world would be too busy laughing to engage in less amusing silliness like war. Manuel for World President!

[Ja'chyra]

Don't suppose we can talk much with the amount of video cameras about and the restrictions on what is found acceptable here i.e. porn.

[Dâriûsh]

I guess news stories that go against the Iranian government are considered decadent in Iran. They are just trying to protect the populace from reruns of “Joey”.

[drone]

They are just trying to protect the populace from reruns of “Joey”.
They show reruns of "Joey" on satellite? No wonder we are considered "the Great Satan". :laugh4:

[Redleg]

They are just trying to protect the populace from reruns of “Joey”.

And I was thinking of "Three's Company" and "THe Bradey Bunch"

[cegorach]

[QUOTE]Sad to see how so many nations in the world become more and more oppressive and anti-democratic.


Quite apocaliptic vision of the word's situation. :inquisitive:

The democracy is actually spreading more than opposite - recent examples Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Serbia - the second wave of liberalisation in Europe. Iran wasn't democratic 10 years ago and isn't now, but attacking something so much important to many Iranian people as satelite dishes is quite desperate act.
It will backfire for sure.:2thumbsup:

[Navaros]

They are just trying to protect the populace from reruns of “Joey”.

No, they are trying to protect the populace from the debauchery and evil that is the "mainstay" of 99% of television programs from the so-called "enlightened" world.

Which is totally understandable.

Good job to them. I also read yesterday that they are cracking down on news media too. :2thumbsup:

[doc_bean]

No, they are trying to protect the populace from the debauchery and evil that is the "mainstay" of 99% of television programs from the so-called "enlightened" world.

Which is totally understandable.

Good job to them. I also read yesterday that they are cracking down on news media too. :2thumbsup:

With all the evil in the world, how come you still have an internet connection ? The internet can a lot more evil than television has ever tried to be, why are you still on line ?

NOTE: this is not meant as a flame or insult but as a serious question.

[Navaros]

With all the evil in the world, how come you still have an internet connection ? The internet can a lot more evil than television has ever tried to be, why are you still on line ?


Unfortunately I do not have the control to ban stuff from the Internet but if I did then I assure you I would make many just bannings of illicit materials.

As such, there is little I can do about the evils on the Internet, other than try to steer some minds away from the wrong path. Me not using it would not fix anything.

[Crazed Rabbit]

No, they are trying to protect the populace from the debauchery and evil that is the "mainstay" of 99% of television programs from the so-called "enlightened" world.

Which is totally understandable.

Good job to them. I also read yesterday that they are cracking down on news media too. :2thumbsup:

I dare say I think Dâriûsh might know a bit more about the situation than either you or I.

Crazed Rabbit

[doc_bean]

Unfortunately I do not have the control to ban stuff from the Internet but if I did then I assure you I would make many just bannings of illicit materials.

As such, there is little I can do about the evils on the Internet, other than try to steer some minds away from the wrong path. Me not using it would not fix anything.

But you are saying it would be better for the Iraqi people to not run the risk of being exposed to the evils of western media, yet you expose yourself to the evils of the internet. Isn't this a double standard ?

[Redleg]

But you are saying it would be better for the Iraqi people to not run the risk of being exposed to the evils of western media, yet you expose yourself to the evils of the internet. Isn't this a double standard ?

Its the standard hypocrit behavior that Jesus would be against.

I find it rather amusing that Navaros taken this particlur path in this discussion.

[Dâriûsh]

No, they are trying to protect the populace from the debauchery and evil that is the "mainstay" of 99% of television programs from the so-called "enlightened" world.

Which is totally understandable.

Good job to them. I also read yesterday that they are cracking down on news media too. :2thumbsup: Why don't you go live there?

[Rodion Romanovich]

Well, about censorship I must also admit that at times I've thought that I would have been a lot happier if someone had warned me about some forms of uncensored material. The idea that results in censorship is a valid argument. However censorship is a threat to democracy because it is usually used to censor political material rather than socially damaging, sexual and/or violent content that you wish to protect people from. The only solution that doesn't create any of the risks is a ratings system and parents having time to teach and warn their children. Unfortunately parents have less and less time for their children now that both parents usually work, the shortage of jobs makes it necessary to often work overtime, and so on. Today's western kids are their own parents, with both positive and negative consequences.

[cegorach]

No, they are trying to protect the populace from the debauchery and evil that is the "mainstay" of 99% of television programs from the so-called "enlightened" world.

Which is totally understandable.

Good job to them. I also read yesterday that they are cracking down on news media too. :2thumbsup:


???:inquisitive: :inquisitive:

Nonsense, utter nonsense. I am sure that Iranian people - 25 % or more of them have access to satelite TV despite bans - have completely different opinion.

I am sure you would like a trip to Iran - you can ask their embassy in your country they will be delighted to show you wonders of muslim theocracy.
But dodn't forget to leave your iPod behind - western music (including classical) is banned in Iran apparently to save their people from the evil it people like Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin spread.:laugh4:

[edyzmedieval]

Why don't you go live there?

Dariush, aren't you affected by this stupid law?
Too bad the old and mighty Persia is devastated by these crack addicts. :no:

[cegorach]

I have read that people hide the dishes so the helicopters sent to search for thse cannot find them.
People learn to avoid any stupid laws, but the new regime seems determinated to cross the border of sanity to achive their beloved goals :book:

[Rodion Romanovich]

Quite apocaliptic vision of the word's situation. :inquisitive:

The democracy is actually spreading more than opposite - recent examples Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Serbia - the second wave of liberalisation in Europe.
You're right, let's hope those countries does well in their democratization :2thumbsup: But what I'm concerned about is how we're losing America and some countries in western Europe from the democratic cause, a process which seems to escalate rather than slow down with all new population control, increased secret police actions, decreased legal safety, wiretapping of citizens and a growing fear among the populace of expressing discontent about the leadership. When people stop critisizing the leadership it's a sign of oppression, not a sign of happiness. The greatest sign of happiness is when the citizens complain loudly, but only complain about small problems. The bad thing about losing western Europe and America from the democratic cause is that they are the most economically powerful countries of the world at this time.

Imagine a future where on the side of democracy and reason, we have:
- a few East European countries, Switzerland, a few Nordic countries and Israel
...and on the side of dictatorship or fragile constitutional crisis 2 party system democracy we have:
- North Korea, Russia, China, USA, Britain, and maybe also France, Italy and Spain, Iran, other middle east and third world countries
...with either dictatorship regimes or fragile democracies that are locked up in constant constitutional crisis with 2 party system or discontent resulting in extremist parties gaining power. They're unlikely to fight as a united front against the democratic countries, but they're more likely than democracies to start war on each other and on the democratic countries, especially when there isn't a strong united front of democracy and justice standing against them.

Compare that to a future where democracy is maintained by:
- practically all of Europe, USA and Russia solves it's constitutional crises and become more democratic again
...and on the dictatorship is merely led by:
- a handful of third world countries
...and countries such as China end up in a borderline region between democracy and dictatorship, where it isn't militarily expansionistic or a champion of communist dictatorship regime (which it isn't at present, but might become again).

Of course the first scenario would be immensely dangerous, and it wouldn't take long before we have another world war - this time with all nukes it might indeed be of apocalyptic proportions.

The importance of keeping western Europe and America on the side of democracy and reason is obvious. It'll inspire dictatorships of the third world to give up such nonsense, and it'll guarantee stability in the constant cold nuclear war (that mankind will have to live with for the rest of it's existence) by granting that America or Europe doesn't destroy itself giving a constitutional crisis Russia or dictatorship China nuclear domination. However if America and Europe is lost from the democratic cause, then God knows what will happen. I neither can, nor want to, attempt to predict the outcome of such a hell on earth.

So it's quite simple - solve the constitutional crises in Europe and America, give back democratic rights and integrity to the people within these countries, and solve the problems of the early constitutions our ancestors made at a time when they didn't know the problems of two party system constitutional crisis, the impact of propaganda, the importance of widespread and better education for the citizens etc. Then a larger-scale international crisis can be avoided.

[Pannonian]

Dariush, aren't you affected by this stupid law?
Too bad the old and mighty Persia is devastated by these crack addicts. :no:
Strangely enough, the drugs issue is supposed to be one of the few areas where Iran is more liberal than the US. Perhaps Dariush can correct me, but while dealing is a crime, users are encouraged to go to clinics where they are prescribed small amounts of the drug and have to attend therapy sessions as they are weaned off it. An Ahmadinejad initiative IIRC.

[Navaros]

But you are saying it would be better for the Iraqi people to not run the risk of being exposed to the evils of western media, yet you expose yourself to the evils of the internet. Isn't this a double standard ?

I can't help being exposed to it. Even if I stopped using the Internet. There is nothing I can do to stop being exposed to it. For example I walk outside, I see 10 000 gay pride flags everywhere and 10 million ads promoting fornication & homosexuality.

Any news station on my TV or newspaper I pick up is always likewise promoting such things and the murdering of babies with a zealous fervor.

By virtue of me having been born into this cesspool that is modern day North America, I am forced to be exposed to all of it's filth.

[Banquo's Ghost]

I can't help being exposed to it. Even if I stopped using the Internet. There is nothing I can do to stop being exposed to it. For example I walk outside, I see 10 000 gay pride flags everywhere and 10 million ads promoting fornication & homosexuality.

Any news station on my TV or newspaper I pick up is always likewise promoting such things and the murdering of babies with a zealous fervor.

By virtue of me having been born into this cesspool that is modern day North America, I am forced to be exposed to all of it's filth.

I wasn't aware that staying in America was compulsory. :inquisitive:

[edyzmedieval]

I wasn't aware that staying in America was compulsory. :inquisitive:

To him, it might be, although he dislikes it. :laugh4:

You can always move to Switzerland for example. ~D
But, it would like to stay in America, although I am aware of all the danger that it presents.

[Vladimir]

I wasn't aware that staying in America was compulsory. :inquisitive:

I want to take him on a trip to Amsterdam just to see the look in his face. It may kill him :skull: .

[drone]

I can't help being exposed to it. Even if I stopped using the Internet. There is nothing I can do to stop being exposed to it. For example I walk outside, I see 10 000 gay pride flags everywhere and 10 million ads promoting fornication & homosexuality.

Any news station on my TV or newspaper I pick up is always likewise promoting such things and the murdering of babies with a zealous fervor.

By virtue of me having been born into this cesspool that is modern day North America, I am forced to be exposed to all of it's filth.
Whoa, I just had a Se7en flashback!

[Crazed Rabbit]

I wasn't aware that staying in America was compulsory.

North America. I think he's a Canuck. We here in America are decent, clean living people, especially in the big cities. In Seattle, for example, it's illegal to get lap dances in a trip club.

Crazed Rabbit

[Pannonian]

By Crazed Rabbit:
North America. I think he's a Canuck. We here in America are decent, clean living people, especially in the big cities. In Seattle, for example, it's illegal to get lap dances in a trip club.


But presumably buying and consuming acid is OK.