Despite my Arab Iranian heritage I find myself tuning in to Iranianradio.com daily to listen to classical Persian Music, and pay the hefty price to watch the Persian Satellite station Tapesh. So, when Arab Iranian activists who dare to express pride in their Ethnic heritage and advocate for equal rights within Iran are dismissed and branded as separatists I am profoundly offended. When the VOA re-circulates that, it is doubly offensive since it is done with my tax money. It is clear that the Iranian government is using the inexcusable terrorists acts committed by members of ethnic minorities in Iran to cast a wider net accusing all activists opposed to ethnic discrimination of terrorism and separatistism. The VOA has an important rule within the Iranian community abroad and within Iran so at the very least it should refrain from circulating the same adjectives applied by the Iranian regime to its opponents. Last but not least, the VOA as an American tax payer funded entity should be more receptive to criticism and try to find ways to improve rather than circle the wagens as it seems to be doing in this instance. It would also help greatly if we were to focus on the message rather than the messengers.
