Sunday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 6.19.2005:

Bloggers must demand more from the mainstream media in its reporting on Iran.

I have been reporting for days now that the elections in Iran were rigged. Now that the NY Times is reporting it perhaps the blogosphere will also. I also published statements of several candidates inside of Iran that are also claiming this as well.

The blogosphere can either lead or follow the mainstream media. I hope we will lead.

With the election runoff in Iran slated for Friday, we must demand that the mainstream media visit polling stations throughout Iran to report their own sense of the turnout, or at least try . The mainstream media can no longer be given a pass to report the Iranian government’s election results as fact.

Bloggers please help, the mainstream media is failing to give voice to the people of Iran who are longing for real democracy in Iran.

Here are a few other news items you may have missed.

• Iranian blogger Windseed, Iran Votes 2005 said the final ‘official results’ are out now. However, the official rate of participation in the election still seems dubious.
• Iranian blogger Ramin Parham, Iran-Shahr Blog writing about the Iranian quest for democracy said CNN, the BBC, Le Monde and Le Figaro and the Iranian readers of Le Monde Diplomatique will be of no help. In the war for the supremacy of liberal democracy, political correctness and postmodern culturalism are the recipe for defeat.
• The Economist reported vote-rigging in favour of Mr Ahmadi-Nejad cannot be ruled out, though it also must be said that Iran’s opinion polls do not have a reputation for reliability.
• Aawsat.com reported on the failings of Iran and its theocratic rule.
• IranMania reported Canadian foreign minister Pierre Pettigrew late Friday condemned the result of Iran's election, saying true democratic choice has been stifled by a process that gives too much authority to a non-elected system.
• Washington Post reported the Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said, I just don't see the Iranian elections as being a serious attempt to move Iran closer to a democratic future.
• Dan Darling said did I mention the Iranian election was a fraud? A look at Juan Cole's report on the Iranian election.
• The New York Times reported rigging alleged in Iran election.
• Iran va Jahan reported that widespread election fraud and interference in the election results has been claimed by candidates.
• And finally, CNN reported a Northwest Airlines DC-10 made an emergency landing in Tehran. Photo.