Official Media Praises Islamic Regime in Iran

The official Al-Thawra newspaper praised in its June 21 edition the political system in Iran and accused foreign media of attempting to further destabilise the country.



The daily’s editor-in-chief, Asaad Aboud, wrote that the June 12 elections in Iran were “democratic” and reflected the will of the majority of the Iranians.



Since the official announcement of hardline Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s victory in presidential elections, the Islamic Republic has seen bloody clashes between security forces and thousands of protesters who said the outcome was rigged.



Syrian newspapers have appeared to support the stance of Ahmadinejad and the conservatives who said the protests were part of a western plot to weaken the nation.



Aboud said in his editorial that foreign media coverage of Iran reflected attempts by “outside” powers to topple the political system in the country in order to cause a change in Iran’s policies in the region.



He said interest in the Iranian elections sprung from the fact that the country was a leading regional and world power, defending poor countries and supporting resistance to occupation - a reference to Iran’s backing of anti-Israeli resistance movements.



“Iran is an essential cornerstone for the stability of the region and its security,” Aboud wrote.



Iranian authorities have imposed restrictions on foreign media covering the elections and detained several Iranian journalists and activists.



Another June 18 op-ed piece in the official Al-Baath newspaper applauded what it referred to as the dynamic nature of Iran’s political system.



The author, Eyad Mahfoud, said that the vitality of the system allowed Iran to achieve economic, military and social progress and boost its regional position in the last 30 years.



He praised Iran for supporting Arab resistance movements in Palestine and Lebanon, managing its peaceful nuclear programme with success and withstanding pressure from the United States.



"Iran plans successfully for the future and knows what it wants," said the author, urging neighbouring countries to follow the Iranian model in order to reach similar achievements.



Meanwhile, the opposition website of the Damascus Declaration, Al-Nida, hailed the Iranian people in a June 20 editorial for turning up in large numbers to vote and then taking to the streets in large numbers to defend their choices and their future.



The website accused the Syrian regime of stopping progress and repressing its own people.