Iran: When Earthquakes Kill, “TV Broadcasts Prayers”
Two powerful earthquakes hit the northwest region in Iran, East Azarbaijan province on Saturday (August 11, 2012), killing 250 people and injuring around 1,800. The earthquakes measured 6.4 and 6.3 in magnitude, leaving a trail of destruction and suffering.
Iranians flocked to the Internet to mourn the victims and to appeal for blood donation and help. They also expressed their anger at the Iranian national TV, which broadcast religious programmes, instead of providing viewers with information about the earthquakes and how to help.
Source: International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran
Damavandiyeh writes [fa]:
Many people are still under the rubble in the villages. All State run channels [in Iran there is no private channel] are broadcasting religious programmes, instead of calling people to help. Iran's Supreme Leader's representative in East Azarbaijan said this earthquake reminds us “the Day of Judgement’.
Green City adds [fa]:
People are under rubble needing help but Iranian channels broadcast religious program [Dua'a Jawshan Al Kabir] and one of them is showing “Down with USA’ [slogan]…
Aandishe reflects on the tragedy, wondering why mistakes are never learning experiences:
Each of us may have been at that place…why we do not learn any lesson from previous earthquakes…shame on liars who come on TV and talk about their accomplishment to increase the resistance of buildings to cope with earthquakes in Iran.
Bidad shares [fa] similar sentiments:
All the telephone communication is interrupted, half province is destroyed and all that the television talks about is religious issues such as fasting instead of informing people about the earthquake.
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