Why is Iran backing Syria’s Bashar al-Assad? – UpFront

Aljazeera speak to Iranian Vice President Masoumeh Ebtekar, and Slavoj Zizek defends his stance on refugees in Europe.

In this week’s UpFront, Mehdi Hasan speaks to Iranian Vice President and Head of Iran’s Environmental Protection Organisation, Masoumeh Ebtekar, on her country’s support for Bashar al-Assad in Syria, and Iran’s advances in the fight against climate change.

In the Reality Check, we look into how the president of newly democratic Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi, is turning a blind eye to the violence against the country’s Muslim Rohingya population.

And in the Arena, cultural critic and philosopher Slavoj Zizek defends his stance on the European refugee crisis.

Headliner – Iran VP: Syria war images ‘bother me’

Since the Arab Spring began in 2011, Iran has declared support for the uprisings in Egypt, Libya and Bahrain.

But in Syria, hundreds of thousands have been killed and millions displaced, yet Iran continues to support President Bashar al-Assad.

Iranian Vice President Masoumeh Ebtekar says the “people of Syria” have the “right to decide”, and blames “foreign powers arming terrorist groups” in the war-torn country.

“This is something that has to be addressed,” says Ebtekar. “I think the people of Syria should be supported in terms of their struggle against terrorism.”

In this week’s Headliner, Mehdi Hasan talks to the Iranian vice president and head of Iran’s Environmental Protection Organisation.

Reality Check – Aung San Suu Kyi’s shameful silence on Rohingya

In Myanmar, violent attacks on the Muslim Rohingya have left hundreds dead and hundreds of thousands displaced.

Is Myanmar’s de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, turning a blind eye to the violence?

In this week’s Reality Check, Mehdi Hasan shows how Myanmar’s leadership is in denial when it comes to recognising the Rohingya.

Arena – Slavoj Zizek on a ‘clash of civilisations’

Europe is home to more than 1.3 million refugees, mostly from Africa and the Middle East, with thousands more coming every month.

Some are calling the refugees incompatible with European values, and a few governments have begun passing anti-immigration laws in response.

Philosopher and cultural critic Slavoj Zizek, who also calls for more scrutiny of the refugees, says that while most of the refugees are caused by “European geopolitical games”, there needs to be “clearly established” rules before accepting any more.

“I want even more refugees. I only want rules to be clearly established,” says Zizek. “In spite of all the differences, there is some minimum Western notion of human rights, freedom, equality.”

In this week’s Arena, Mehdi Hasan challenges the Slovenian thinker.

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Source: Al Jazeera News