Iran Bans WhatsApp For An Absolutely Absurd Reason
The Iranian regime has banned access to the popular messaging app WhatsApp stating a reason that is just absolutely absurd and hard to digest with.
By Sadho Ram — 03 May 2014, 11:36 PM — Updated over 10 years ago
Iran Has Banned Access To WhatsApp, Stating That A Jewish "American Zionist" Owns The Site
Iranian President Hasan Rouhani uses social media to communicate with the world, but his regime just banned WhatsApp
Image via FOXNewsThe Iranian regime has banned access to the WhatsApp messaging site, a popular site for many to communicate both inside and outside the country, stating that a Jewish “American Zionist” owns the site.
foxnews.com
The Ban Comes Two Months After Facebook Bought WhatsApp For USD19 Billion, And A Regime Official Connected The Move Directly To Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg at the Mobile World Congress, in Barcelona, Spain, on February 24, 2014
Image via timesofisrael.com“The reason for this is the assumption of WhatsApp by the Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who is an American Zionist,” Fox quoted Abdolsamad Khorramabadi, head of the country’s Committee on Internet Crimes, as saying.
timesofisrael.com
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) blasted Iran last week in its new report on the repression of religious freedom. According to the report, Iran continues to propagate anti-Semitism and target members of the Jewish community on the basis of real or perceived ‘ties to Israel.’
Meanwhile, One Iranian Blogger Who Asked To Remain Anonymous Told Fox News That Tehran Views Social Media As A Threat To Its Power
“The Revolutionary Guard sees these social sites as a major threat because there’s an appeal for young people and the government worries about the exchange of information,” said the blogger, who asked not to be identified. “(Supreme Leader) Khamenei and his cronies, caught on to the power and potential of these sites after the (Green Revolution) uprisings.”
foxnews.com
At the time thousands took to the streets to protest the reelection of then president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Many Iranian felt the elections were rigged and mass demonstrations were held throughout the country, but were brutally subdued by the regime. The protest leaders remain under house arrest and their opposition Green Movement has been systematically dismantled through crackdowns and intimidation.
timesofisrael.com
Officially, Access To Facebook And Twitter Is Already Banned, Leaving Iranians Unable To 'Legally' Access These Sites
Iranians still find ways to access them by illegally downloading virtual private networks to bypass the state’s Internet filtering system. According to Iran’s Ministry of Sciences, 60 percent of Iranian university students use Viber and WeChat, and in a survey of 2,300 people, 58 percent reported using Facebook regularly, and 37 percent said they used Google+.
aljazeera.com
Current Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, a self-declared moderate, was elected last summer, beating conservative rivals after vowing to fix the economy, seek improved relations with the West and promote greater freedoms. Much of his election campaign was waged across reformist platforms as well as social media.
timesofisrael.com
Even Rouhani himself has accounts on both Facebook and Twitter, which are often used to convey messages on foreign and domestic matters.
foxnews.com