I Am From Iran. Here’s Why American Journalists Need To Reject Iranian Propaganda.

Since when did the free press of the United States become a useful idiot? Why are mainstream media outlets, across the spectrum, parroting propaganda from the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI)? The Wall Street Journal spoke of the recent Iranian elections, without declaring its sham nature. The Atlantic published an unironic piece detailing Ayatollah Khamenei’s fear of the reformist party, failing to note that Iran is a totalitarian state. Nothing happens without his approval, so what exactly does he have to fear? The New York Times is no better. Their recent portrayal of the new Iranian president paints a sympathetic portrait.

Apparently, the following points need to be made for the American public.

One, the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) is an Islamic theocracy with Ayatollah Khamenei as its Supreme Leader. Khamenei’s regime controls everything in the country. I repeat: everything. This is a foreign concept to Americans basking in the land of the free. So let me provide an example. When I was living in Iran, the regime chose what college I attended. The regime chose my major. The regime forced me to cut my long hair. Like the other 80 million Iranians, I had no agency over my own life.

Moreover, external narratives originating from the regime cannot be trusted. This includes any Iranian news outlet, as all media is state-run. To maintain a modicum of grace within the Western world powers, the regime creates a facade of liberalism. This is their propaganda. It is a mirage, a lie sold to the West in order to continue leeching Western resources, like funding and research, to further entrench their ideology. Instead, listen to what they say behind our backs. MEMRI, an independent U.S.-based nonprofit, translates scores of internal IRI media. Perusing these translations informs us of IRI’s true intentions.

Two, in general, the Iranian people are not our enemy. They suffer most under the oppressive regime and are essentially a collective political prisoner. The lucky few who escaped deserve our compassion and attention, not the ones who are regime apologists and come to the West to whitewash IRI’s crimes. They, who have endured trauma beyond comprehension, do not deserve  treatment similar from which they ran away. When I fled to America nearly eight years ago, I faced resistance when telling my story. It continues to alarm me that other Iranian dissidents, some who continue to face death threats from the regime, are being silenced. Some even have terror plots against them. Americans need to listen to these people. We have seen the other side (spoiler alert: it’s terrifying), we notice the warning signs, and we are committed to preserving freedom.

Three, the IRI seeks the destruction of the West, particularly America. This is not hyperbole. Don’t laugh this off. I know it sounds absurd. The end may not come with fire and brimstone, but perhaps rather a social unraveling. I fear that if diminishing pride in our country continues to grow, our institutions and infrastructure of freedom will whither. It can be metaphorical suicide to take our freedom for granted. There is a reason Ayatollah Khamenei tweeted support for American college student protesters and their encampments — which also highlights the regime’s double standard, as the Iranian people do not have access to Twitter. In fact, I echo the request of Iranian dissidents who call upon Elon Musk and other tech giants to ban Khamenei. The Supreme Leader gets high off of American turmoil. Our chaos is his schadenfreude. To be clear, anything that pleases Ayatollah Khamenei should revolt us. He hangs political prisoners from cranes for all to see.  He upholds gender apartheid, forcing women into a second-class caste. If Ayatollah Khamenei says you’re on the “right side of history,” you’re on the wrong side.

We need to be vigilant about our language. Language directly shapes how we understand our world. The stakes are too high to misunderstand the Iranian regime and the threat they pose. The challenge, of course, is that certain terms carry a different meaning in the IRI context. Words hold very different definitions within IRI. Words like “government” — for Americans this connotes something that is by the people for the people, which the Iranian regime is neither; “private” — the regime controls everything; “private” institutions in IRI are still public; “reformist” — this sounds palatable to Western ears, but the reformists and hardliners in IRI are one and the same; “crime” — did you know it is illegal to own a dog in Iran? 

If you struggle to understand the Islamic Republic, discard all that you know about the world and start anew. Just because a word is familiar, do not assume you know what it means in the IRI context.

Our journalists bear the burden of truth telling and clear communication. I urge them to reject IRI propaganda.

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William Mehrvarz was born and raised in the Islamic Republic of Iran. After rejecting Islam (the crime of apostasy), he fled under the threat of execution to seek asylum in the United States. He now writes and speaks about the dangers of Islamism and the importance of religious freedom. William can be reached on X.

The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Daily Wire.