Parazit: Voice of America or voice of the people?

“Tonight on Parazit, the news will not be censored… executions and stoning will be condemned… Parazit will tickle the foundation of power.” Coming from a popular television show, that may sound to some like an authentic voice of the Green Movement but others accuse the U.S. funded show of simply parroting Washington’s anti-Ahmadinejad rhetoric.

The programme has been called “The Daily Show of Iran” for its satirical and highly critical view of the country’s social and political environment.

Parazit circumvents the country’s official ban on outside satellite feeds and reaches millions of viewers weekly via illegal dishes, covertly distributed recordings, and proxy servers that allow online viewing. Parazit has nearly 1million ‘likes’ on Facebook, and the average episode receives at least as many hits online.

The Iranian government alleges the VOA is affiliated with the CIA and is involved in a concerted effort to undermine the country. The U.S. and Iran are embroiled in an ongoing diplomatic conflict that some analysts have called a new “Cold War.”

At the heart of that tension is their disagreement over Tehran’s uranium enrichment programme. The United Nations has repeatedly sanctioned Iran on suspicion of building nuclear weapons, which is considered a violation of international law.

Kambiz Hosseini and Saman Arbabi, Parazit co-hosts, join the show to discuss their role as [self-described] “deceitful, belligerent spies who are enemies [of] the people of Iran.” Nima Shirazi, Iranian-American political commentator, also joins the discussion via Skype.

What do you think about the Iranian programme Parazit? Send us your thoughts and comments on Facebook or Twitter using hashtag #AJStream.

These are some of the social media elements featured in this episode of The Stream:

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