Monday, February 12, 2007

IRI uses British Universities as Propaganda Platform



"Note that propaganda is on the top of our agenda. Today's world rotates around propaganda. Note that the highest action that can bear fruits for our revolution here and help its export outside Iran is propaganda. Increasing and widening propaganda outside Iran should be at the top of our programmes". These are quotes from Ayatollah Khomeini on the importance of propaganda.

Whatever one thinks of Ayatollah Khomeini, it would be unfair not to admire his enormous talents in the art of revolution. He knew what levers to pull, and recognised so well the importance of the propaganda lever.

It seems those who carry Ayatollah Khomeini's legacy and represent the interests of the Islamic Republic in UK, have rightly seen the importance of the Western universities, as a useful propaganda platform for strengthening and export of the 1979 revolution. Universities after all will produce the future diplomats, think tank units, journalists, politicians, managers etc.

It is ironic that while secular academics are expelled and forced into early retirement in the Islamic Republic, student activists are imprisoned, and banned from furthering their education, and while actions like "gender rationing" in favour of more university places for male students instead of female students are being considered by the Islamic Republic, secular Western universities rather than restricting the Islamic Republic's political agenda on their campuses, knowingly or unknowingly, provide more and more opportunities for the Islamic Republic to give a rosey picture of a theocratic state.

Take a look at what happened at SOAS last week:


A request was made by an Iranian student at SOAS for a "symposium" about Iranian cinema. Later on an organisation named "Council for the Promotion of Persian Language and Literature" took over the organisation of the event and the "Iranian Cinema Symposium" actually became a pretext for an official celebration of the Islamic Revolution in a British university, organized and sponsored by the Iranian embassy in London.

The "Council for the Promotion of Persian Language and Literature" is actually a front for "Organisation for Islamic Propaganda and Communication" in Iran which amongst its long list of previous activities, printed literature in support and justification of Ayatollah Khomeini's fatwa for the assassination of the British writer, Salman Rushdie.

The official advertising poster for the event did not show the English translation of the Persian text. The English text was kept neutral, but the Persian text was aall about the glorification of the Islamic revolution in 1979.

On the first day of the event, a diplomat from the Iranian embassy in London, acted as the master of ceremony and the event was opened by recitals from the Koran and posters glorifying the Islamic revolution in 1979 were exhibited along with bookstalls disseminating Islamic Republic official literature.

Pictures of this event can be seen here on the Islamic Republic embassy related website:

http://london.icro.ir/?c=newsShow&NewsId=290259&t=4

University officials say that they had not realised the political content of the event, and have expressed their displeasure at such tactics used by the Islamic Republic embassy and have notified the Foreign Office.


12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I must say the naivite of the british universities surprizes me...

Anonymous said...

It's really sad that an "Iranian Cinema Symposium" became a propaganda forum for the 1979 Islamic revolution, especially because an Iranian Cinema Symposium in of itself is a good idea. In spite of the current regime's suppresion of artistic creativity, the Iranians have been producing excellent films. The Color of Paradise is a classic and the only film that caused me to cry as an adult. The Girl in Sneakers shows how the dreams and aspirations of young people are the same the world over. The Lizard is an amusing comedy even across the cultural gap and also a good example of "writing around the edges", that is, promoting a message while being ambiguous enough to get it past the censors. You can see the spirit of Persian culture is trying to break out of its trap.

Anonymous said...

Hi
I undrestand completly how regim try to propaganda in the world.
My own recent exprience could be another good example of Islamic regim influence on british universities.
I was trying to help our student union of london south bank univerity to prepare an event for 8th of march (women's day). victor our president when heard from me how women in iran are under pressur of regim, have accepted to invite Nazanin Afshin-Jam through me for that event to talk about discrimination of women's rights in Iran.
All of the sudden university didnt support our proposal and we had to fund rising ourselves for such events from NGO's. At the same time Ali ghaphari our vice president of union, who has contact with the Islamic centre in London which is supported by suppreme leader of Iran, prepared one anti war event on 13th feburary in our university and he didnt have funding problem at all as we had.
how this money came from for them ????????

Clear Vision said...

Dear Azarmehr,

Please see my comments here:

http://noggr.blogspot.com/2007/02/iri-uses-british-universities-as.html

Best regards,

Noggr the Bloggr

Anonymous said...

نوشتة پتکين درست و گويا است و نکته ای برای افزودن به آن نمی بينم. ولی مي خواهم مطلبی دربارة پوستری که در عکس ديده می شود بنويسم. از جماعتِ حزب الهی پرروتر و وقيحتر خودشان هستند. اينان خود را مالک و صاحب تمام دنيا و صد البته ايران مي دانند. و ايران هم که تنها به خاک و آب مقدس آن محدود نمی شود، بلکه شامل حال سمبل ها و نشانه های آن نيز می شود، پس نخست تمام آن نشانه های ايرانی مصادره می شوند و سپس به خدمت اهداف پليد مرتجعين در می آيد. نمونة آنرا در پوستر نامبرده می بينيم. برادران مکتبی ريشو و يقه چرک و خواهران زينب لچک به سر در راه تبليغ دين و مکتب و انقلاب خود نه تنها موذيانه از سمپوزيوم فيلم دانشگاه لندن بهرة جسته اند، بلکه سمبلهای ملی و تاريخی ايران را نيز مورد سوء استفاده قرار داده اند که آنها را نام می برم. در پوستر، کوه دماوند ـ نماد پايداری ايرانيان در درازای تاريخ ـ ، ارگ فرو ريختة بم ـ با قدمتی دو برابر تاريخ اسلام ـ، ميدان شهياد ـ نماد پادشاهی پهلوی و تهران مدرن ـ، آرامگاه حافظ ـ قبلة عاشقان و تزويرگريزان ـ و تئاتر شهر تهران ـ سمبل فرهنگ مدرن ايران ـ ديده می شوند. اگر نماد ديگری از ايران در پوستر ديده می شود و از قلم افتاده است، پوزش می خواهم. نمی دانم چرا قبيلة آدمخواران از سمبل ها و نشانه های هويت خويش استفاده نمی کنند؟ چرا از کوه دماوند و ارگ بم دست برنمی دارند؟ چه نکتة مشترکی بين آنان و ميدان شهياد و تئاتر شهر وجود دارد؟ آنان را چه کار با حافظ؟ آيا دليل ديگری سوای پررويی و وقاحت ذاتی آنان وجود دارد؟ـ
خشم و اندوهم را کمی با حافظ تسکين می دهم که می گويد:ـ
گفتم زمان عشرت ديدی که چون سر آمدـ
گفتا خموش حافظ کاين غصه هم سر آيدـ

Anonymous said...

The Islamic Republic is relentless in using every tool in its disposal to deceive open minded and democratic societies of the West.West’s vision is limited to a fixation on tolerance, freedom and democracy in the present. This aspect alone makes the West completely vulnerab.Another handicap of the West is its belief that "if we are kind and just and open and play by the rules, then all others will do the same". The Muslims have no intention of playing by any rules. There is no issue of conscience and honor for Muslims before non Muslims as the Quran has absolved a Muslim from honoring his or her word or any agreement with a non Muslim.

Anonymous said...

Typical of Iranian opposition in London, while they were wasting their time demonstrating outside an empty Iranian embassy in London on a Sunday, shouting Persian slogans, the embassy staff were busy advertising and recruiting in universities!

Bardia said...

They try to export their rootless culture but everythings in these films are concerning about Iranian culture except a few ones of them that cannot tell the truth.
Just look over at persons in these pictures who don't know what they are in that place for.
They supose that can steal other cultures and replace it instead of their sickly culture. But as I told in my perivios post, many of actors and actress in Iran help them in this case.
and a question: what are they exporting to persons who live in advanced and progressive countries?
Look at that man in picture with evils' eyes.

Anonymous said...

رو مطلب خوبی دست گذاشت پتکین؛
برای انتخابات ریاست جمهوری سال قبل در ایران ترانهء دوباره می سازمت وطن داریوش پخش شد و کسی واقعا نپرسیده بود این رمالان از چه چیز دیگر بهره برداری نکرده اند؟
از حس ناسیونالیستی مردم؛ در مواقع نیاز و شکست. از حس دلسوزی و هم نوعدوستی مردم؛ برای جمع آوری اعانه و پر کردن کسری درآمدشان. از احساسات مذهبی مردم؛ برای به صحنه کشاندن و وا اسلاما سردادن

ای کاش قبل از اینکه به ستم حمله می کردیم؛ به جهل و خرافه یورش می بردیم

دمت گرم پتکین جان

Anonymous said...

Islamic regime of Iran is evil. period!

Winston said...

Have You seen this on VOA

Thegeneralblogger said...

Nice information very much appreciated