Controlling the flow of information is vital for the existence of repressive governments, and so it is understandable why the Iranian government strongly objects to next week’s launch of BBC Persian TV.

The new TV channel would be the third addition to BBC’s services that are broadcast in the Persian language, after BBC Persian Radio and the online Farsi service.

The Iranian government accuses the BBC of carrying out “espionage activities” and there have been rumours of BBC reporters being arrested and charged with espionage. Ironically, the government of the Shah accused the BBC of backing the Islamic Revolution.

Of note is the Revolutionary Guards Corps declaration that the BBC network is linked to members of the Baha’i Faith. Such a baseless accusation carries grave consequences for Iran’s Baha’i minority. Since the early years of the Baha’i Faith, its adherents have been accused of serving the interests of foreign elements and working to undermine Iran.

The Baha’i minority has been scapegoated for decades; we only wonder when the Iranian authorities will finally conclude whether it’s the British, the Russians, the Zionists, the Freemasons, or the Americans that the 6,000,000+ Baha’is across the world serve.

BBC Farsi had featured our initiative in July, 2007; you can read the article here. An English translation of that news article is available here.