Some of the most incendiary accusations made against Iran’s government by corporate media, celebrity influencers and Western leaders in the past months are little more than fabrications. And most remain uncorrected.
by Setareh Sadeqi and Christopher Weaver
Part 3 - Iran pioneers time traveling technology
CNN falsely claimed that the family home of a female Iranian rock climber, Elnaz Rekabi, had been demolished as punishment for her participating without a hijab in a South Korean competition on October 15, 2022.
Rekabi, a member of the Iranian national team, spoke after the South Korean competition and explained that not wearing a headscarf was unintentional – due to a rushed competition – and not meant as a political statement. English-language websites began running stories that Rekabi had been abducted and her family home had been destroyed by the ‘regime’ in retribution. BBC, The Guardian, Le Monde and others had claimed Rekabi went missing, while raising concerns about her whereabouts. The wave of misinformation prompted the Iranian Embassy to take to Twitter to correct the record. Rekabi then announced on Instagram that she was doing just fine, and on her way home.
Rekabi, a member of the Iranian national team, spoke after the South Korean competition and explained that not wearing a headscarf was unintentional – due to a rushed competition – and not meant as a political statement. English-language websites began running stories that Rekabi had been abducted and her family home had been destroyed by the ‘regime’ in retribution. BBC, The Guardian, Le Monde and others had claimed Rekabi went missing, while raising concerns about her whereabouts. The wave of misinformation prompted the Iranian Embassy to take to Twitter to correct the record. Rekabi then announced on Instagram that she was doing just fine, and on her way home.
The New York Post published perhaps the most embarrassing piece of fake news on Rekabi’s supposed disappearance. The Murdoch-owned tabloid relied on BBC Persia’s supposedly well-connected reporter Rana Rahimpour’s tweets as the source of its now-discredited article. And it appears that the New York Post has not noticed that Rahimpour has deleted every single tweet it linked to in the article. While Rahimpour claimed “Iranian officials” had absconded Rekabi, in reality, she voluntarily boarded a flight with coaches of her own national team and headed home.
As for her cherished family home being destroyed, Iranian local media has asserted that the 30 square meter building was part of a 120 square meter structure built illegally on a property zoned for other uses and owned by Rekabi’s brother, not a family home.
Exactly one year before the competition, on October 18, 2021, Rekabi’s brother began receiving zoning violation notices from The Agricultural Taskforce of Zanjan Province. The chief of justice of Zanjan Province announced on May 25th that the defendant “had removed 90 square meters of unauthorized ‘change of use’ and 30 square meters remained unauthorized.” Because the violation was not resolved, the building was demolished on June 11th – four months before the wardrobe malfunction.
Exactly one year before the competition, on October 18, 2021, Rekabi’s brother began receiving zoning violation notices from The Agricultural Taskforce of Zanjan Province. The chief of justice of Zanjan Province announced on May 25th that the defendant “had removed 90 square meters of unauthorized ‘change of use’ and 30 square meters remained unauthorized.” Because the violation was not resolved, the building was demolished on June 11th – four months before the wardrobe malfunction.
Images of the demolition show green grass and vibrant foliage on the trees around the home, indicating that it took place during June – not in November, when it is often below freezing and the leaves have fallen. Clearly the event was a traumatic experience for Rekabi’s brother, and not related to his sister’s missing hijab or any other future event.
If CNN’s version of events is somehow true, it is unclear why they have failed to report on the Iranian government’s time traveling powers.
If CNN’s version of events is somehow true, it is unclear why they have failed to report on the Iranian government’s time traveling powers.
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