Massive uprisings broke out in several major Iranian cities recently – as Iranian youth demonstrated against the Islamic regime of Iran. The uprising came while Iranians celebrated "Tchahr Shanbe Soori" (Fire Fiest) – a holiday of the Iranian heritage and is distinctly not Islamic. The Iranian youth used firecrackers, placed under the Islamic regime’s security guards’ cars, and home made grenades while rebelling against the Islamic regime, and publicly burned pictures of the Ayatollah.

This is a major event for the Iranian youth, and yet hardly any Western media has picked up on it, let alone given an accurate portrayal of what is going on. However, there is one news site that gave an accurate portrayal of the situation, straight from Iranian news sites: mensnewsdaily.com

Here is how CNN.com described the situation:

Iranians danced in the street, threw firecrackers and jumped over bonfires Tuesday night as authorities openly tolerated an ancient fire festival for the first time in 25 years.

Halted each year since the 1979 Islamic revolution because hardliners considered it un-Islamic, the Chaharshanbeh Suri, or Red Wednesday, festival was officially recognized in Tehran where the city council set aside dozens of parks for people to enjoy the boisterous celebrations.

A “fire festival”!? “Boisterous celebrations”! It’s not a massive uprising of oppressed students under a militant Islamic regime – it’s a party! It’s the goddam Fourth of July! And aren’t those mullahs nice guys for allowing it.

I honestly have never read such an evil piece of “journalism.”

I do not know exactly why the Western media has been so reluctant to report on what goes on in Iran, especially since they have reported rebellions in the past, or why they always distort what is going on. However, here are some thoughts.

It is probably for all those reasons that Western media won’t report the Iranian situation, but it is also psychologically rooted. The Western media, professors, etc., identify with the Palestinians and such, because the Palestinians are driven by hatred – the only “freedom” they want is the freedom to blow up their neighbors. But the Iranians genuinely want freedom – the freedom to think and produce and progress. Leftists cannot intellectually sympathize with people who want this kind of freedom. To leftists, the only kind of “freedom” they can understand is the right to smoke marijuana or swear on the radio.

Anyone who has an ounce of a love for life and a desire to see good things happen cannot helped but be romanced by the Iranian youth. The Iranian culture is one that is undeniably beautiful – grounded in secularism, reason, and prosperity. You would have to be completely heartless to talk to an Iranian – to see how bright and accomplished they are, how much good their culture has brought to the world – and not be whisked away, desiring freedom for them.

It is too bad the Western media is so dead set against seeing that happen.

Amber Pawlik