To wonder why the mainstream media is not reporting the massive anti-regime protests in Iran?

[supernaturalmilkshake]

There are currently massive anti-Islamic regime protests all over Iran by civilians, many of them chanting for the return of the Shah.

These protestors are incredibly brave, many of them have been killed, shot or taken away by the regime police.

The protests, some of them hundreds of thousands strong, all over Iran have been widely reported and documented by exiled Iranians on places like Twitter/X but the mainstream news has been strangely silent, especially the BBC that would normally have non-stop, headline reporting if this was about happening anywhere else.

AIBU to hope the regime falls and that the Iranians finally taste freedom after 47 years (and that the BBC should be reporting on this)?

Yes, that's true unfortunately for many..

On Aisha...is it likely though that a girl could have reached puberty at nine then? I know some research used to say puberty happened earlier in hot places but that is questioned now.

People believe genocide is happening in Gaza because respected international bodies have said there is a plausible case under international law. Sky News has reported this based on findings from UN investigators and proceedings at the International Court of Justice. That is not social media opinion, and it is not something people have simply invented.

The atrocities on 7 October were horrific and widely condemned. Calling them war crimes or crimes against humanity is not controversial. But recognising those crimes does not mean denying or minimising what has happened to Gaza’s civilian population since.

This conflict did not begin in October 2023. It has its roots in partition, displacement, and decades of violence and occupation. Gaza’s civilians did not choose Hamas and cannot leave, yet tens of thousands have been killed and basic necessities deliberately restricted.

People are capable of holding more than one truth at the same time. Condemning Hamas does not require dismissing credible genocide and war crimes allegations. What would be unbelievable is pretending only one side is capable of atrocity.

I agree re Iranian women

Re the coverage of Gaza, I agree that the BBC covered Hamas far too leniently- I assume that's what you mean?

Some civilians were able to leave. Israel did allow people to leave, didn't they?

Re civilians not choosing Hamas - previous votes and cheering crowds applauding Hamas' October 7 attacks indicate a large percentage of Palestinians have been indoctrinated to support Hamas.

Otoh half of Gaza is under 18. And whether most support Hamas or not, I agree that some of Netanyahu's war tactics have been extremely wrong.

Unfortunately all 3 Abrahamic religions allow this (rape of war captives), as per Deuteronomy :

Deuteronomy 21:10-14, NIV)
"When you go to war against your enemies and the Lord your God delivers them into your hands and you take captives, if you notice among the captives a beautiful woman and are attracted to her, you may take her as your wife. After she has lived in your house and mourned her father and mother for a full month, then you may go to her and be her husband and she shall be your wife. If you are not pleased with her, let her go wherever she wishes. You must not sell her or treat her as a slave, since you have dishonored her."

The difference ofc is that Judaism & Christianity haven't had recent violent fundamentalist movements doing this, whereas Islam has..

The Telegraph has covered the Hezbollah drug links. Here are 2, there are more.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/07/venezuela-true-narco-state-prosecuting-maduro/

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/10/13/hezbollah-can-be-destroyed-by-following-the-money/

Thank you....Wahhabi ideas have causes so much suffering...

The BBC has degenerated a lot. I do think recurring features like BBC Eye, Panorama Our World, can still be good but the main coverage is definitely much worse.

I agree we need this context but I don't buy the argument that media aren't reporting on this because they're woke and don't want to criticise Islam or Maduro.

That may well be a factor, but the Times & the Telegraph have not reported on this either, aside from the Telegraph's coverage of the Hezbollah links. Is that because they're woke? Doubtful.

If our foreign reporting has declined, there must be other reasons too. What are they?

But I’ve also I’ve seen footage of women in chadoors protesting, I’ve seen imams complaining that the regime has undermined islam with their actions.

• That is interesting and should be reported more'- religious people turning against Khomeini is significant.

It sounds a bit like (much worse ofc) Franco's Spain. US Catholic conservatives lile William Buckley initially hailed him as making Spain a Catholic bulwark against communism. But of course his brutal repression & the Church's role in that ended up making Spain have one of the sharpest drops in observant Catholicism in Europe after the regime fell in the 1980s.

Come on, the Guardian has reported a lot on Woman Life Freedom, the current protests, the Taliban's misogyny in Afghanistan.

Left wing and MSM have huge areas open to criticism, but saying that they don't want to criticise misogyny in authoritarian Islamist regimes is demonstrably incorrect.

No 1 lead item on BBC tv news. More worried that it is the Crown Prince pushing things. His father's regime was equally bad.

We are in absolute agreement on unchecked power (and I would suggest the past two millennia represent masculine energy at its worst) being harmful to woman. Since the advent of the three major religion which to me have all sought to subjugate women. Using them as breeding and domestic chattels.

in 2026, in the west where I have chosen to settle, my rights as a women are equal and enshrined in law. It’s a relatively new and hard won thing, but if god forbid I were raped, I would have recourse under law, be taken to hospital, the police would treat me as a victim. The system isn’t perfect but believe me it’s better than the alternative

Of course many Muslims live peacefully. I know this.I believe in Muslim countries the women live peacefully because they submit. In Iran they have been rebelling for some time and are treated brutally.

Ive never had these freedoms in any Muslim country I’ve lived in, and I'm curious whether you believe Islam is compatible with the idea of female equality?

I am also extremely grateful that we can have this civilised discussion without being prosecuted. For the moment.

It’s an interesting question. I think journalistic standards in general have been damaged by a drop in overall education standards, and the imposition of ‘values’ that frown on rigorous examination of ‘problematic’ subjects.

I also despair when I read so-called news that starts ‘lots of people think…’

As there appear to be no sub editors these days, and journalists use more sensational hyperbole to attract readers, there’s every reason to be sceptical about the MSM, whatever one’s political affiliation. In fact more so as news often strikes me as hysterical hectoring to accept certain ways of thinking rather than dispassionate and even handed reporting of actual facts.

I agree about journalist standards ( lack of).

I read both left wing and right wing media in order to try to reach some semblance of “truth”. They are both biased but reading both at least I see the differences in how the same topics are presented.

Absolutely. It is extraordinary how the press will take the same story and present it entirely differently. The language too is emotive, both left and right. I find it puerile and intellectually dishonest but many disagree and seem to revel in having their emotions stoked and opinions confirmed.

I also used to read the European press as we often missed hearing about key events, especially protests.

These days I prefer good novels and music. I miss the days of robust debate round a table, though this forum isn’t bad for a vigorous discussion!

Yes I agree.

Especially about the emotive language (copied by people on social media to an internal eyeroll from me) & intellectual dishonesty.

Can't beat a good novel and don't mind fiction in it's rightful place 😀

It is? I watched it on BBC News?

They have been reporting on it and from what I have gathered news coming out of the country has been restricted.

What mainstream media are you consuming? I'm seeing it everywhere, often front page news?

It’s in the front page of The Times and on the BBC which I think of as mainstream media. Why would they not report it.

Where is the left wing media? There's none on the telly. The Guardian and the Economist are centrist. The Daily Mirror supports the right wing of the Labour Party.

And yet the BBC for one kept repeating those evil lies and refuse to call Hamas terrorists. It's no wonder that many of us have given the BBC up for not being impartial.

In my opinion the Guardian is an example of left wing media.

I believe people are biased if they don't think the UK has any left wing media.

Agree! I think it's a problem on both sides in social media.