Behind the Headlines/April 8

Jamshid Chalangi:

In tonight’s program we will look at the flooding disaster across Iran’s major cities and share with our fellow Iranian citizens their grief and suffering but at the same time look into the future in the new Persian year for prosperity and peace fro them.

Our guests tonight to discuss Iran’s current affairs and the decision by the US to designate the Revolutionary Guard as a “terrorist group” with our guests Sadeq Ziba-Kalam and Khosrow Forouhar.

Sadeq Ziba-Kalam:

The sudden change of climate in Iran and the consequent heavy rainfall has obviously done a great deal of damage to our country. However, this type of natural disaster happens all over the world.

In Iran it has become an excuse to condemn the government for its incompetence mainly by the supporters of Ahmadinejad, as well as the opposition groups outside the country who want to overthrow theregime.

We must avoid politicizing this natural disaster and instead help find out where the shortcomings are to assist ourfellow citizens survive the very difficult conditions that they are in.

Khosrow Forouhar:

I disagree with Mr Ziba-Kalam. My disagreement with him is based on his views about the nature of the Islamicrepublic regime.

We must look at the issue of the flood in a more realistic way and find out about the root causes of this disaster, which lie in the nature of the regime, which does not truly believe in Iran and the Iranian people. It is more interested in uniting the Islamic Umma and helping the people of Syria and Lebanon, instead of looking after the needs of the Iranians.

You can see for yourself how for the last 40 years the Iranian people’s destiny and prosperity have become hostage to the regime’s policy of supporting the Palestinian groups.