the Islamic Republic is still pressing news coverage to paint Britain in the worst possible light.
The Fars news agency last Thursday headlined a story from England, “British court hands out harsh sentence to 11-year-old boy for attending protests.”
Actually, the unnamed youth was not convicted for “attending” the protests, but rather for stealing from a shop after others smashed its windows.
Furthermore, the “harsh sentence” he was given was an 18-month “rehabilitation order.” In Britain, a rehabilitation order is what Americans call community service. The boy is required to report to a police officer once a week and to perform one day of community service each week of at least five hours. He is also required to stay out of trouble and avoid alcohol and drugs.
Fars did not mention that the boy had been convicted just days before the rioting for slashing the seats on a bus, trying to set them afire, then kicking a hole in the bus’s door so he could jump out when the driver refused to let him off because of his attempted arson. The boy also had previously acknowledged committing a burglary.
Fars continues in all its stories to report that what it calls “protests” began August 6. It has yet to report that they ended August 9.