IMHRO condemns Channel 4 for giving a platform to Ahmadi Nejad

Iranian Minorities Human Rights Organisation (IMHRO)

Ref.IMHRO.40

02/01/09

After Channel 4 invited Ahmadi Nejad to give an Alternative Christmas Message[i], IMHRO received many e-mails from minorities in Iran annoyed and outraged by Channel 4’s appalling decision.

IMHRO condemns Channel 4 for giving a platform to Ahmadi Nejad as minorities in Iran consider him to be a war criminal.

IMHRO wonders whether Channel 4 is aware that Christians[ii] in Iran are suffering. Does Channel 4 know that if Christians in Iran were to celebrate Christmas publically as Christians in the West do every year? How then he can Ahmadi Nejad be invited to talk about Christianity and Christmas and Christ on Christmas day, while putting Christian minorities in Iran in prison?

Does channel 4 knows that minorities in Iran are suffering daily at the hand of Ahmadi Nejad’s government?

Giving such a prominent platform to Ahmadi Nejad is not fair. As the President of Iran he receives enough platforms. More than 7 satellite channels and dozen of websites and newspapers are owned by the Iranian government publishing his dangerous views day and night. IMHRO believe that minorities in Iran need a platform from which to express their views.

Will Channel 4 also give IMHRO a chance to talk about minorities in Iran? Where is the balance in their journalistic coverage of the situation in Iran?

Her majesty Queen Elizabeth in her Christmas message[iii], spoke about peace, family values, forgiveness, tolerance and helping the poor and weak in society. Do such values need alternatives? Even if Channel 4 does feel the need for an alternative, IMHRO questions whether Ahmadi Nejad really is the right person to offer such an alternative?

Ahmadi Nejad has executed more people than any other Iranian president in recent years, cracking down on minorities, with prisons full of political prisoners. In addition it is reported that his government is developing weapons of mass destruction including chemical, biological and nuclear weapons and is sponsoring terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan. IMHRO questions what sort of alternative this man is? Is he is the alternative for peace and modern values?

This is why IMHRO condemns Channel 4 for providing Ahmadi Nejad with a platform for his views. IMHRO also requests that Channel 4 provide organisations such as IMHRO with an equal platform to give a voice for minorities in Iran.

Appeal

Please write a letter to Channel 4 using the address below and express your feeling regard of giving President Ahmadi Nejad a platform.

Channel 4 Enquiries
PO Box 1058
Belfast
BT1 9DU


[i] http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/politics/international_politics/the+alternative+christmas+message+/2892692


[ii] We mean by Christian, a converted Christian and not established Armenian Church in Iran.

[iii] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7799730.stm