“Free speech? Sure! You’re free to agree with me!”
You have to lie about Israel’s “crimes” in Gaza, or you can’t publish in Iran. Here is a glimpse of the model of free speech that is rapidly coming to the West: “Iranian newspaper closed for pulishing [sic] article that was sympathetic to Israel,” from Reuters, January 1 (thanks to JE):
A NEWSPAPER has been closed down for publishing an article the authorities said was sympathetic to Israel.
The moderate daily Kargozaran is regarded as close to former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who was defeated by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the 2005 presidential election.
“The reason for the closure of the newspaper is because it published an article yesterday in which it sanitised the Zionist regime’s crimes in Gaza,” Mohammad Parvizi of the Culture and Islamic Guidance Ministry said….
Kargozaran is the latest publication critical of Ahmadinejad’s government to be shut down by the authorities. A prominent pre-reform weekly magazine, Shahrvand-e Emrouz, was closed in November.
Some political analysts say closures are aimed at stifling dissent, although the government says it welcomes constructive criticism and says it upholds the principle of free speech.
Hmmm, now where have I heard that one before?