Geraldo Rivera slammed for selfie with Iran FM Zarif

Rivera was accused of posing with a "terrorist."

APRIL 28, 2019 00:23

Geraldo Rivera (photo credit: REUTERS/LUCY NICHOLSON) — Geraldo Rivera

(photo credit: REUTERS/LUCY NICHOLSON)

After talk show host and author Geraldo Rivera tweeted a photo on Friday in which he posed with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, he was slammed on social media, accused of posing with a “terrorist” and of not understanding that Iran’s regime routinely executes and suppresses people.

On Friday, Fox News put up a story about a forthcoming interview to be broadcast on Sunday with Zarif, who said the Trump administration is “dragging the US into a conflict” with Iran.

Rivera subsequently tweeted the photo of him with Zarif. “With HE MJ Zarif, Iran’s Foreign Minister. Whatever you think of his ancient country, at least they’re not slaughtering religious minorities like #SaudiArabia just did; executing 37, 33 of them Shi’ites.”

With HE MJ Zarif, Iran’s Foreign Minister. Whatever you think of his ancient country at least they’re not slaughtering religious minorities like #SaudiArabia just did; executing 37, 33 of them Shiites. pic.twitter.com/YHtyab29oj
— Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) April 25, 2019

A Saudi Arabia supporter replied that Iran executed innocent people from its Arab and Kurdish minorities.

“You are so ignorant,” wrote another of the hundreds of replies the photo racked up.

Writer Joey Ayoub slammed Rivera by noting what Iran had done to Syria by supporting the Syrian regime. Reza Behrouz, who tweets about Iran, pointed out that Tehran has executed numerous minority Baha’i women. Others posted photos of gay men executed by Iran and its crimes against other minority groups as well as mass executions.