The United States Government Seized My Work
In one of the most significant attacks on the press in recent times, the Biden administration seized and shut down dozens of foreign news sites belonging to Iran and its allies, including Press TV.
“The US government has seized Press TV’s website. They just straight up stole it like a bunch of pirates all because we criticize the United States for being imperialist—precisely for this behavior. Thank you so much for proving our point.
Do you know they shut down 33 news sites in one day? From Iran, Iraq, Palestine, Yemen? Can you imagine if Iran’s government shut down CNN’s website, or took down ABC or PBS? They would lose it, they would be whining on every single network and throwing a fit about freedom of press about oh Iran is a dictatorship-- but when they do it, it’s totally fine?
They didn’t just block Press TV in the US— they blocked Press TV worldwide so people everywhere can’t access this information, this news, this truth. Who gave you the right to decide what news the rest of the world can consume? Who gave you the right to come and delete all my work, and the tireless work of my colleagues? Who do you think you are? This is exactly the crap we talk about when we call out US imperialism. They seized Press TV’s website just like they seize Venezuela’s gold, Iran’s oil, Syria’s oil. They’re gangsters and bullies.
They literally used the national emergency law to shut us down: 50 U.S. Code § 1701. They say that Press TV, which includes my television program, poses —“an unusual and extraordinary threat“ —I mean if that ain’t a badge of honor. I’m going to take it and wear it right here.
Thank you so much for proving our point. You just proved everything we say about Western imperialism is true. This shows that we’re having an impact and they’re terrified of people who speak the truth and expose the US empire and Britain and israel. Best believe, if the US govt is trying to silence you you’re doing something right.
This is an attack on journalists, it’s an attack on foreign press and on the Axis of Resistance. What do all these websites have in common? They’re Arabic and Persian and Muslim and they criticize the US and defend Palestinians–two truths that you will never hear on corporate media. We talk about how brutal their sanctions are, how israel is occupying Palestine, about Julian Assange, we talk about their hypocrisy.
So now Press TV is banned in both the UK and US. These countries who claim to be liberal democracies, who shut down foreign outlets that say things they don’t like and jail journalists who expose them and who then have the audacity to come and talk about press freedoms. Hypocrites.
You know If our journalism and our exposé of the truth poses an “unusual and extraordinary threat” and the agents of empire label us as such, then this is a label I wear with pride. Thank you very much.
Press TV, including my television program The Communiqué, are accessible under a new domain: https://www.presstv.ir and https://www.presstv.ir/Section/150102