Tehran Radio Host Arrested After Anti-Semitic Rant Not Anti-Semitic Enough

He appears to be under the misapprehension that Holocaust denial suffices.

Tehran, June 24 – A popular on-air commentator in Iran faces charges of libel after he launched into a Judaeophobic tirade during his program that proved insufficiently Judaeophobic for the mullahs who run the country.

Police escorted Alqildeh Jouz of Radio Quds, a station based in the capital but whose reach spans the country, from the premises of the station Monday following the host’s two-hour show dedicated to its weekly “Zionist Crimes” feature. A statement by the police declared that Mr. Jouz faces prison time for violating the terms of his contract, which contains a clause mandated by law obligating him to devote at least forty percent of his air time to exploring the ways in which Israel and its supporters undermine moral values, especially in the Islamic world, and a further twenty percent to litanies of alleged Zionist genocide or manipulation of government, media, and economies. Two programs in a row, asserted the police, the percentages remained below thirty and ten percent, respectively.

“Last week we warned Mr. Jouz of his lackluster approach to upholding the law,” announced police spokesman Alhaf Nazijizim. “During last week’s program he devoted less than the allotted time to the right themes, and we advised him immediately following the show that this week’s program would be monitored closely for adherence to the requirements, and that officers would be standing by to enforce the provisions of the law. But he did it again this week, electing to play back interviews with Holocaust skeptics at the expense of reporting on the genocide of Palestinians happening right now.”

“It seems Mr. Jouz believes he knows better than the organs of the State what the State’s requirements are,” continued the spokesman. “He appears to be under the misapprehension that Holocaust denial can replace either of the other two subjects. It must be in addition to, not in place of. Our officers, prison officials, and courts of law will soon dispel his mistaken notion.”

Law enforcement has shown some leniency in the past with other violators of the same provision, but at least one legal analyst sees differences between those cases and this one. “Holocaust denial can be fine if it’s connected to the larger picture of Zionist lies,” explained attorney Stafidup Mibbum. “That has been the consistent approach of the courts for decades, and police have shown consistency in applying that principle over the years. In the case of Mr. Jouz, however, what he did was focus too much attention on the technical side – of how the so-called Final Solution could not possibly have occurred as all reputable historians and witnesses describe, and not enough on what the Jews have been doing to Muslims one sympathy has been generated.”

“Jouz might play the victim,” he added, “but we know better.”

Please support our work through Patreon.