CHECK OUT THE DIFFERENCE

Pictured: Three members of the Age editorial board contemplating the vice like grip of rotten, corrupt and murderous terrorist groups like Hamas, Fatah and Islamic Jihad on Palestinian society.

On the subject of Iran and media censorship it's worth noting that the following letters appeared in both The Weekend Australian and the Age. Now, I'm only guessing here but I have a strong suspcion that the Age letters editor has (as is his/her right) censored the letter. Read on and I'll come back in the next day or so with my take on what's been happening at the Age and why the words coloured in sky blue were removed by the Age:

FROM THE AGE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 20 JUNE 2009

Is he a moderate?

THE protests we are witnessing on the streets of Tehran are the outpouring of anger and frustration, especially by the educated urbanised youth, after 30 years of theocratic repression.

They also represent an internal power struggle among the ruling clerics that may eventually weaken the tight grip of the Islamist regime.

President Ahmadinejad's opponent Mousavi is more of a reformist on some local and women's issues, but as one of only four candidates selected from thousands by the regime he is unlikely to be a real international moderate. Furthermore, he was one of the instigators of the early work on Iran's nuclear weapons program, which is by far the most pressing issue that the West should be focusing on in the Middle East.

The current turmoil also questions the wisdom of President Obama's conciliatory approach to the hardline Iranian regime.

Mary Werther, Camberwell

FROM THE WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 20 JUNE 2009

Iran’s power struggle

THE amazing protests we are witnessing now on the streets of Tehran are the outpouring of real anger and frustration, especially by educated urbanised youth, after 30 years of theocratic repression.

They also represent an internal power struggle among the ruling clerics that may eventually weaken the tight grip of the Islamist regime.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s main opponent, Mir Hossein Mousavi, is certainly more of a reformist on some local and women’s issues, but as one of only four candidates selected from thousands by the regime, he is unlikely to be a real moderate in foreign policy. Furthermore, he was one of the instigators of the early work on Iran’s nuclear weapons program, which is by far the most pressing issue that the West should be focusing on in the Middle East today.

The current turmoil questions the wisdom of President Obama’s conciliatory approach to the hard-line Iranian regime and also his attempts to artificially link rapprochement with Iran to progress on the Israel-Palestine conflict. In fact, there seems to be little sympathy for the Palestinians on the streets of Tehran, and the reported attacks on protesters by imported Hamas and Hezbollah thugs have caused additional anger.

Mary Werther Camberwell, Vic

The words "and also his attempts to artificially link rapprochement with Iran to progress on the Israel-Palestine conflict. In fact, there seems to be little sympathy for the Palestinians on the streets of Tehran, and the reported attacks on protesters by imported Hamas and Hezbollah thugs have caused additional anger" have been consigned to the blank pages.

Why?