Iran Female Ninjas Suing Reuters For Defamation, Says Iranian State TV

Iranian female Ninjas demonstrate Ninjutsu skills with their swords in a martial arts club during a showcase for the media in the city of Karaj, 40 kms west of the capital Tehran, on March 15, 2012. (ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

By Kristin Deasy, GlobalPost

A group of Iranian female martial artists have hit out at Reuters over a report that allegedly described them as "assassins," saying they are suing the media organization for defamation, Iran's state television reported on Wednesday.

The Reuters report came out last month but does not appear to be available anywhere except in the form of a slideshow that does not mention the word assassins.

A Reuters representative told The Atlantic's Max Fisher in an email today that "there was indeed an error in a Reuters video script that was promptly corrected." However, Fisher and others have been unable to locate the video. Press TV's selection of the claimed Reuters video, meanwhile, features a British narrator describing the Iranian female athletes as possibly "the West's worst enemy" and "ninja assassins," according to The Atlantic.

Press TV said Reuters responded to the group's complaints about the "distorted" report by issuing corrections but came short of retracting the piece.

Women are barred from many sports activities in the Islamic Republic due to the country's restrictive moral codes, a point of ongoing contention between the country's restless young female population and the authorities.

It may be why the government has invested so much in areas like martial arts in recent years, with Ninjutsu clubs throughout Iran supervised directly by the Ministry of Sports' Martial Arts Federation.

It's proven hugely popular. A traditional Japanese martial art that often focuses on guerrilla techniques like espionage and camouflage, Ninjutsu is practiced by some three thousand women throughout Iran, according to the UPI news agency.

As The Guardian put it, for women in Iran, it "turns out that when you're denied basic human rights, restricted in your ability to dress how you want and mix with the people you choose, and when your legal testimony is officially recognised as being worth exactly half that of a man's, you develop — if these [Reuters] images are anything to go by — a lot of rage."

So it would seem. These women are not through with Reuters. They say damage has already been done and demand reparation.

Martial artist Raheleh Davoudzadeh told Press TV that the report “can harm our chances to travel to other countries to take part in global tournaments and international championships," concerns possibly heightened by Saudi Arabia's recent announcement that it will allow female athletes to represent them at the upcoming Olympics — an all-time first for the conservative Muslim nation.

It also comes after world football officials denied Iranian women's soccer team entry into an Olympic qualifying round in Jordan over Iran's insistence that its female players wear headscarves, a move that lead Iran to forfeit the game, according to CNN.

Such events have not helped Iran's sports standing internationally, making the Reuters report all the more unfortunate, martial arts trainer Akbar Faraji told Press TV, calling the defamation lawsuit "a matter of reputation."

One female ninja, Khatereh Jalilzadeh, said the group is "taking legal action because the ladies that train in Ninjutsu first and foremost enjoy it as a sport," explaining that it's not political, it's just "about working out and staying fit."

The fact that Reuters is a British news organization and the ninja report was allegedly picked up by several other British media outlets, also plays into deep-seated Iranian animosity towards the country, where prejudices have been reinforced by years of political rhetoric denouncing "Britain’s imperialistic actions."

But these women are angered by more recent history. Reuters "blatantly lied about us," Jalilzadeh told Press TV.

The reporter responsible for all the brouhaha, meanwhile, "left Iran shortly before a court case was opened," noted Press TV.

Probably a smart move.

Loading Slideshow

• Iranian female Ninjas demonstrate Ninjutsu skills with their swords in a martial arts club during a showcase for the media in the city of Karaj, 40 kms west of the capital Tehran, on March 15, 2012. Martial arts has become popular among Iranian women in recent years as more than 3,000 women train in Ninjutsu in private clubs under the supervision of the Islamic republic's Martial Arts Federation. (ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

• Iranian female Ninjas demonstrate their flexibility in a martial arts club during a showcase for the media in the city of Karaj, 40 kms west of the capital Tehran, on March 15, 2012. (ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

• An Iranian female Ninja demonstrates her Ninjutsu skills in a martial arts club during a showcase for the media in the city of Karaj, 40 kms west of the capital Tehran, on March 15, 2012. (ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

• An Iranian female Ninja demonstrates her Ninjutsu skills in a martial arts club during a showcase for the media in the city of Karaj, 40 kms west of the capital Tehran, on March 15, 2012. (ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

• Iranian female Ninjas demonstrate their Ninjutsu skills in a martial arts club during a showcase for the media in the city of Karaj, 40 kms west of the capital Tehran, on March 15, 2012. (ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

• Iranian female Ninjas demonstrate their Ninjutsu skills in a martial arts club during a showcase for the media in the city of Karaj, 40 kms west of the capital Tehran, on March 15, 2012. (ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

• Iranian female Ninjas demonstrate their Ninjutsu skills in a martial arts club during a showcase for the media in the city of Karaj, 40 kms west of the capital Tehran, on March 15, 2012. (ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

• Iranian female Ninjas demonstrate their Ninjutsu skills in a martial arts club during a showcase for the media in the city of Karaj, 40 kms west of the capital Tehran, on March 15, 2012. (ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

• An Iranian female Ninja demonstrates her Ninjutsu skills in a martial arts club during a showcase for the media in the city of Karaj, 40 kms west of the capital Tehran, on March 15, 2012. (ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

• Iranian female Ninjas demonstrate their Ninjutsu skills in a martial arts club during a showcase for the media in the city of Karaj, 40 kms west of the capital Tehran, on March 15, 2012. (ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

• An Iranian female Ninja demonstrates her Ninjutsu skills in a martial arts club during a showcase for the media in the city of Karaj, 40 kms west of the capital Tehran, on March 15, 2012.(ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

• An Iranian female Ninja demonstrates her Ninjutsu skills in a martial arts club during a showcase for the media in the city of Karaj, 40 kms west of the capital Tehran, on March 15, 2012. (ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

• Iranian female Ninjas demonstrate their Ninjutsu skills in a martial arts club during a showcase for the media in the city of Karaj, 40 kms west of the capital Tehran, on March 15, 2012. (ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

• An Iranian female Ninja demonstrates her flexibility in a martial arts club during a showcase for the media in the city of Karaj, 40 kms west of the capital Tehran, on March 15, 2012. (ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

Comments

[Kirosh Kosrami]

08:52 AM on 05/23/2012

Sadly when it comes to Iran there's so much racism and ignorance in the comments it's unimaginable. I really wish Americans would just hate the Islamic Republic and drop this hatred for the average Iranian they have never even met. The amount of orientalist racism Americans must receive on a daily basis must be incredible.

[braziliancongo]

03:49 PM on 04/06/2012

Reuters and AP = intelligence community mouthpieces.

[Charlotte Bonnie]

01:55 PM on 04/03/2012

If they train thousands of them maybe they can assassinate the mullahs? Just some wishful thinking...

[Tweetybird82]

07:09 PM on 04/02/2012

Way to keep the women covered up and have an unexpected "surprise" all at once.

[1deepstar]

10:16 PM on 04/01/2012

Respect to our brothers and sisters of the Bujinkan Taijutsu. You practice true Budo and serve as an example to all who would follow the Warrior Way. Soke Hatsumi deserves our respect and praise as he guides his teachings of the Togakure-ryu into the modern age. His Shihan are a credit to the practice and his school is a guiding light towards authentic modern Budo.
The misconceptions about the Bujinkan and ninpo are many and deeply entrenched. Hopefully this action will help correct those misconceptions.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Warrior-Class/358140320870842

[Shomali]

10:52 AM on 04/01/2012

This article is another pile of nonsense, by a writer who not only has never visited Iran, she probably can't find her way on a labeled map of the world as to where Iran is.

As for the women Ninjas. It all started on a tongue and cheek variety type of report on Press TV about women athletes, and the person who actually started a club teaching ninjitsu to women in Iran and the women ninjas. This report and the video was picked up by Reuters, and then other cattle herd, western news outlets, during another Israeli created tantrum about Iran's nuclear program, as Iran training women assassins. This is a fact. This article is mixing up athletes, who sends who to olympics etc, with what it is the basis of the saga, manipulation of news, to shed a bad light to anything about Iran and Iranians. This article is another depiction of it, as it contains numerous blatantly false statements. For example:

"The Reuters report came out last month but does not appear to be available anywhere except in the form of a slideshow that does not mention the word assassins."

[Old Grady]

08:56 AM on 04/01/2012

How can we get some free publicity?
Hey, I know! Let's sue reuters!

[1deepstar]

11:38 PM on 04/01/2012

yes, the idea of being dishonored in public and forced to correct a misconception that is damaging had nothing to do with it.... thats the difference between a warrior mind and yours... it will act in defense of honor. I doubt very much that this legal action was considered lightly and rest assured that the Bujinkan has done just fine without the attention of the MSM and has no need for "publicity". It is busy making warriors, refining budoka, and there is no need to advertise. Many people are ready to engage a warriors mindset and when they are the Bujinkan, myself and others of acceptable caliber are waiting.

[Old Grady]

05:50 AM on 04/02/2012

"...warrior mind..."?
"...defense of honor."?
Yourself "...and others of acceptable caliber..."?
Okay then.
May the Force be with you while you're waiting, Grasshopper.
Or something like that...

[Christ Johnson1]

05:00 PM on 03/31/2012

The ignorant comments are saddenning. These are women enjoying one of the few sports they're allowed to participate in. That's it.

[Shomali]

10:55 AM on 04/01/2012

I agree. But women in Iran can participate in any sports they wish. The Iranian woman soccer team was banned by fifa (not Iran) because of hijab, now they have rescinded their requirement. Can you name a single sport Iranian women can't participate. The sheer volume of false reporting on Iran is incredible.

[duckzilla]

02:39 PM on 03/31/2012

These woen chose to call themselves ninjas and throughout history ninjas were assassins. that was a ninjas purpose. if they wanna blame someone for relating them to assassins they can start by blaming themselves.

that would be like someone claiming to be a carpenter and gettin offended when someone claiming they work with woods

[Shomali]

10:59 AM on 04/01/2012

Ninjitsu is a form of martial arts. We live in 21st century.

[1deepstar]

10:27 PM on 04/01/2012

You probably shouldn't talk about what you don't know about....These women are not ninja nor do they represent ninja. Review the Bujinkan Taijutsu and learn the difference. Soke Hatsumi does not teach ninjutsu.
Further, ninja as historical figures morphed during different periods of Japanese history and were actually simply scouts trained in espionage... they could hide in a town and watch couriers, or see arrow shipments, or troop movements...They gathered and moved information. At one time many Samurai were also ninja, night commandos and spies... but the yamabushi of Iga and Koga were the source of the original history...

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Warrior-Class/358140320870842

[1deepstar]

10:57 PM on 04/01/2012

http://tazziedevil.wordpress.com/ of course, you could let Duncan explain it to you... his is a great blog.....

[the81kid]

02:18 PM on 03/31/2012

Oppressed women?
Oh wait, no they're not so much!

[NoOne18]

01:25 AM on 04/02/2012

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=238553982869655&set=a.231858843539169.58352.231833770208343&type=3

[the81kid]

08:53 AM on 04/02/2012

You send me to FB as evidence?! Haaahahaha.

[James Swick]

09:33 AM on 03/31/2012

Why is the word "moral" always a code word for either sexism, anti-eros, or sex when in reality it is just another form of oppression.

[Haastnooit]

08:15 AM on 03/31/2012

what is so problematic about me saying that this isn't even bad journalism but bad sensationalism that my comment got removed?

[AIlegroTroppo]

11:34 AM on 03/31/2012

The policy is to reject most criticism.
Having said that, I think this news blub is hilarious.

[Haastnooit]

05:34 AM on 04/01/2012

yeah ok, there is that

[crankyCrackPot]

08:03 AM on 03/31/2012

I got confused here, thought I was reading the Onion.
Or am I only dreaming being awake?

[viko66]

11:56 PM on 03/30/2012

Now that's hot. Can I sign up to go fight them (wink! wink!). I bet I could make some Ninja babies with them. LOL!!

[mo524]

07:45 PM on 03/30/2012

Wow ninjas got lame there was a time when you crossed a ninja you better watch your back now they sue you what is that about.