Firefighters disinfect a traditional shopping center to help prevent the spread of the new coronavirus in northern Tehran. Photo credit-AP
Mohammmad Rafiq Kashmiri
“And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart about all those one will be questioned.” Al Quran, chapter no 17 verse no 36
Yes, it is true that Novel Coronavirus has claimed 429 lives in Iran and there are 10075 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country. However it is also true that the authorities here are gradually overcoming the mamoth challenge of containing the spread of a flu like virus which originated from China. That of most of the patients ( 3276, till 12 March) diagnosed with the new virus have recovered is a sufficient proof of this.
But as entire world is grappling with the crisis I wonder why a tirade has been launched against the Islamic Republic? What has regime change slogans and other anti-Iran slogans like Death to Mullahs, End the Islamic System and Down with Iran got to do with Covid-19 spread?
Coronavirus is a natural disaster, but how vested interests backed by known lobbies are politicising the fight and pursuing their political and strategic agenda against a particular country is shameful. One reason can be to discourage people from comg out inlarge numbers to vote in the elections (Held recently). As Dr. Norman Fried, medical expert and professor at Columbia University, told Fox News a rapid response to properly quarantined patients in Iran would lead to a lower turnout for the elections and this would question the electoral legitimacy that Iran is trying to maintain”.
To all the Indians and citizens of other countries
Nobody has issued a statement that everything is normal in Iran, nor are we eligible to do so as we are not any authority as accused by some students in their posts, statuses and comments. But I would like to inform your good self that nobody has asked any Kashmiri or Indian student studying in Iran to evacuate hostels.
And when some students, activists expose those who are trying to create mass hysteria & a panic like situation by exaggerating facts about the ongoing situation after Coronavirus outbreak in Qom the rumor mongering groups and their masters call them, ‘pro-Iran maniacs.’
For medical and engineering students
Who has caged you? Who has arrested you? Aren’t you safe here? Are you running out of essential services? I ask these questions to the students studying in different universities here. All this anxiety and uneasiness in us is because of the rumors or panic created by some rumor mongers. You keep saying that Iranian media is lying? Iranian authorities are hiding the facts? And if we respond to your false claims, you call us Iranian puppets. It is the government in India or concerned authorities back home who will decide about the evacuation process not Iran as per law. As per logic if GOI allows or orders Indian airlines to fly from Iran to Delhi, Iran won’t stop you. They even issued you exit visas. What else do you expect?
Iranian deputy health minister was diagnosed with Coronavirus and was taken into quarantine like anyone else? Why should they (Iranians) hide this news. There is nothing to hide and all the Iranian media outlets carried this news in their respective newspapers and media channels. For your kind information unlike ministers in our part of the world, Iranian ministers work on the ground hence high number of top rank officials contracting the infection.
When people heard the news of Corona outbreak in China, everyone was posting stuff like “Pray for China”, “We Support China” but when it comes to Iran hypocrites chant “Free Iran”, “Regime Change”! Why?
It is World Health Organization, which praised the Iran’s action against #Covid-19 , role of Iranian religious leaders in fight against this deadly virus, not me or any pro-Iran platform, but everyone is after Iran, may I know why?
It is important that you remain calm, maintain caution, not fall prey to rumors and stop creating any sectarian issue out of the disaster no one knows about! Pandemic knows no boundaries and doesn’t distinguish between different sects, ethnicities or countries and neither should we while idealing with it!
- Author is a student of Medicine at the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran. He can be reached at: <[email protected]>
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