Publish Date: 19 September 2023 - 20:11

Tehran, IRNA - In a meeting with senior American media managers in New York, President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran raised tough questions regarding the coverage of critical issues by the US mainstream media, exposing disparity and double-standards in how they cover issues such as military conflicts, human rights, racism and police brutality.

Raisi, who is in New York to take part in the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, met with senior American media managers on Monday.

Citing official data and reports, the Iranian president said more than a thousand individuals lost their lives at the hands of the police in the United States over the past year, questioning why the mainstream media did not extensively investigate and report on this matter.

Raisi also drew attention to a recent incident in the United States where a woman suspected of theft in a store lost her life in an encounter with three police officers. He questioned why the media did not rigorously pursue the investigation into the case.

The president also raised concerns about the lack of attention in Western media towards hate crimes based on race. He questioned why attacks on individuals due to their ethnicity or skin color are not given significant coverage and attention.

Furthermore, President Raisi highlighted the issue of discrimination against Muslim girls choosing to wear hijab in countries like France. He emphasized the need for the media to address this issue.

The president posed another tough question for American media managers, asking why powerful nuclear states are not held accountable over their possession of nuclear capabilities.

Elsewhere in his remarks, President Raisi pointed out the significant loss of life and the countless children left disabled during the two-decade-long US occupation of Afghanistan. He questioned why the issue of Afghanistan was not a top priority for the mainstream media, especially given the fact that billions of dollars of US taxpayer money has been spent on this war.

Iran’s president lamented that that nuclear issue, human rights, women’s rights, and the hijab are often used as excuses for selective media coverage in the West.

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