Read this and be shocked—“In the meantime, while the busy shrine in Qom has been declared by Health Ministry Officials as one of the focal points of spreading the virus, some people in the city filmed themselves licking the ornaments touched by thousands of pilgrims every day. A local cleric has claimed that the silver ornaments kill all germs.” From “More Members Of Iran’s Political Elite Fall Victim To Coronavirus,” Radio Farda, February 29, 2020.
Iran’s government is denying a BBC Persia report that Iran’s deaths total at least 210 — a much higher figure than the Regime has reported — based on the BBC’s own survey of Iranian hospitals. (this is one reason Iran doesn’t like the media). “Confusion and Contradiction Reign in Iran’s Coronavirus Reporting,” Farnaz Fassihi and Rick Gladstone, New York Times, February 28, 2020.
“‘There Is No Evil,’ About Executions in Iran, Wins Top Prize at Berlin Film Festival,” Thomas Rogers, New York Times, February 29, 2020.
Despite rampant discrimination against women attending football matches, and despite now the rampant coronavirus due to the Regime’s lack of timely response, Iran is still asking FIFA to hold matches in the country. “Iran asks FIFA the country’s election to be held according to timetable,” Tehran Times, February 29, 2020.
Robin Wright remains one of the best experts on Iran. “How Iran Became a New Epicenter of the Coronavirus Outbreak,” Robin Wright, New Yorker, February 28, 2020. “The outbreak appears to have started in Qom, the conservative city of Shiite seminaries run by leading ayatollahs, about two hours from Tehran. It is also home to the Fatima Masumeh shrine—famed for its massive gold dome and intricate blue tilework—which draws pilgrims from all over the world. (For its historic beauty, I visit the shrine complex whenever I go to Qom.) The first mention of the disease by the government was a report of two deaths in the city on February 19th. Initial reports indicate that the carrier of the virus may have been a merchant who travelled between Qom and Wuhan, in China, where COVID-19 is believed to have originated. The outbreak is estimated to have begun between three and six weeks ago, which would mean that the two Iranians who died could have been sick and infecting others for weeks.” … “Politics may have played a role in the government’s handling of the health crisis, Alaei, the health-policy expert, told me. The outbreak coincided with two major milestones—the anniversary of Iran’s revolution, on February 11th, and the parliamentary election, on February 21st. “The government didn’t want to acknowledge that they had a coronavirus outbreak because they feared it would impact participation in these two events,” he said. “So for weeks there was a huge silence.” Less than forty-three per cent of Iranian voters turned out for the election, the lowest rate of participation since the 1979 revolution. Both voters and poll workers were photographed wearing masks. “It was the political decision that led to this outbreak in Iran,” Alaei said. “It’s very unfortunate, as Iran has a very well-established infrastructure for the health system and well-educated doctors.” Alaei was imprisoned in 2008 for “communicating with the enemy,” running espionage rings, and trying to “launch a velvet revolution” against the government in Tehran. He spent thirty months in the notorious Evin Prison. He moved to the United States after his release.”