The BBC views the eruptions throughout the Arab World as one homogeneous, righteous, peoples’ call for democracy. To them ‘democracy’ can only mean ‘Western Style’ democracy. Legitimate doubts about that are brushed aside because journalists are too busy identifying with the protesters.
If the Egyptian protesters ever get their fair and free elections, it’s predicted that the Muslim Brotherhood will play a prominent role. No doubt the BBC would collectively shrug and say that’s democracy. If a Hamas style regime is elected, they’d insist the people must have what they want, even if it means kissing goodbye to freedom and cuddling up to Iran.
Daniel Greenfield expresses an alternative view, one which many people share, and one which others might like to hear about.
“Few of the gullible Western supporters who follow the revolution by Twitter, understand just how much the ordinary Egyptian taking part in the protests hates them. Behind all the English language signs produced for the foreign press and the articulate bloggers cultivated by the US and EU governments, is the angry mob who believes that Mubarak was a puppet of the CIA and the Mossad. “
Even if the BBC disagrees, it has an obligation to acknowledge that these views exist.
The way the BBC views the serious sexual attack on CBS reporter Lara Logan is not quite the same as his. Katie Connolly’s article and Daniel Greenfield’s are quite different. The BBC explains that reporting has become increasingly dangerous, even more so for women who face violent sexual assaults and rapes.
“BBC world news editor Jon Williams, noting the horror of Ms Logan’s ordeal, says that managing the risks of conflict reporting is a complex challenge.”
That’s conflict reporting in general. But Lara Logan was in Tahrir Square, amongst protesters who were calling for democracy, and she was on their side. Surely, they were righteous protesters who wanted western style freedom, were they not?
“The only popular cause in the Muslim world is fought against the Americans– even when the Americans are on their side”
says Daniel Greenfield
“Sexual violence is also a routine part of Egyptian mob scenes. In 2006, a crowd celebrating Eid Al-Fitr began assaulting every woman in sight. In 2009 alone, the UK foreign office reported handling nearly 30 cases of sexual assault against British nationals. Under Islamic mores, non-Muslim women are treated as whores. That may be why according to a 2008 study, only 68 percent of Egyptian women complained of being harassed on a daily basis, while 98 percent of foreign women did. When a group of jubilant enthusiasts of democracy found themselves near a Western female reporter without police supervision, what followed was absolutely horrible and terribly inevitable. It is what 98 percent of foreign women in Egypt risk encountering every day.”
Over in BBC land, it’s a different story.
“In many places women are treated far better than men,” Mr Williams says, recalling that BBC world affairs editor John Simpson became one of the first foreign reporters to enter Afghanistan in 2001 after crossing the border disguised as a woman.”
And very fetching he must have looked too. In his burkha.
Daniel Greenfield again:
“The cries of “Yahood, Yahood” or “Jew, Jew” reportedly shouted at CBS’s Logan while she was being sexually assaulted, reflect two things. Yahood is a common insult in the Middle East.[..]The negative depiction of Jews is rooted in the Koran, making it ubiquitous through the Muslim world.”
“The other aspect of it however is the prevalence of conspiracy theories throughout the Arab Muslim world. In Egypt, Nazi propaganda merged with traditional Islamic beliefs to give rise to Islamofascist organizations such as the Muslim Brotherhood. While Mein Kampf and the Protocols of the Elders of Zion are given little credibility in civilized nations– they are still highly popular in the Muslim world.”
The BBC isn’t bothering about all that antisemitic nonsense. Keep sending women to conflict areas, they advise. As long as they put on a burkha, carry a rape whistle, and stick a chair in front of the door, and if that fails:
“urinate, vomit or defecate on yourself”
– preferably not while reporting live on the telly.
“urinate, vomit or defecate on yourself”
– preferably not while reporting live on the telly
You do all that first and then go on air to tell the world how welcoming the people are and how wonderful the culture is in the place you’re reporting from.
INBBC is very reluctant to report the significance of presence of Muslim Brotherhood’s Qaradawi in Cairo.
Let Glenn Beck, of Fox News, tell it about Qaradawi, as INBBC only censor:
‘If he’s telling the truth, you’re dead’
(4 min:45 sec video clip.)
Just saw Abdel Bari Atwan on Gavin Esler’s Dateline giving thanks that his anti-Western, anti-Israeli paper is now getting regular mentions on the Egyptian state media. He was also happy that Qaradawi is now getting regular mentions too.
This man (Atwan) – who admired Saddam Hussain, stuck up for the Iranian government when it brutally cracked down on opposition demonstrations and defended insanely autocratic North Korea against democratic South Korea and the Americans last year – is no democrat. He’s shamming it – and he’s certainly not the only one.
Gavin Esler was sucking up to him again from the word go:
“Bari, first of all, you and your newspaper have argued for years actually that autocratic regimes in the Arab World will have to change or they will collapse.”
There’s no other guest Esler cringes towards in this way, and he does it on a regular basis.
When the conversation turned from revolting Arabs to Cameron’s Big Society, there was an exchange that typifies the BBC’s slurpy attitude to the Islamic World. Esler asked Atwan “I’m just wondering if we could learn from the Arab World on this?” Atwan joked, “We have a surplus of excellent presidents and kings. We can actually lend you some of them if you like!” In all seriousness Esler replied, “You’ve also a surplus of excellent, well-educated people who perhaps could give us a few clues as to how to conduct ourselves. Thank you very much. That’s it for Dateline London this week.”
“you’ve also a surplus of excellent, well-educated people who perhaps could give us a few clues as to how to conduct ourselves”
And all of them “men” Gavin! No women, no homosexuals, no left wing socialists.
The West needs to infiltrate islam with a fifth column. I suggest that the only way for islam to be defeated is from within; by people who purport to support the socalled religion but in practice do all they can to destroy it. It’s a cult. If you substitute muslim for moonies or scientologists or satanists, I doubt any of what is being done to us by muslims would be tolerated. Maybe even by the bbc.
Do not send a woman to do a man’s job.
How hard was that?
Isn’t it ironic? We’ve been treated to all those lectures about how Anthony Eden was supposedly the worst Prime Minister in history (well that was before Gordon, admittedly), but we now hear that Eisenhower admitted he was absolutely wrong about Suez, while Eden was right (and, by extension, the Israelis and the French were right, too).
Now Egypt is reverting to the fascist state it was under Nasser. Mubarak’s martial state was no joke, but let’s remember one fact: Egyptians have never experienced democracy; the nearest thing to freedom they have ever known was when the British controlled the place. I could add that the second-closest thing to freedom that they have experienced was when the French were briefly in charge.
Now, we can expect thousands of Egyptian “refugees”, as the Egyptians try to kill each other (and, from what I remember of the place, that’s pretty understandable). Some “refugees” will be worthy of our help. I fear that the Copts are facing a bloodbath and every civilised country has to be ready to take in whatever number is required to stop another holocaust. Yes, they are a minority, but one numbered in millions.
As genuine democrats from Egypt have to flee the islamists, we must be prepared to offer them a refuge, too. What annoys me, though, is that, as Egypt (and Tunisia, Algeria, Yemen, Lebanon, Libya) disintegrates, our judiciary will be holding the door open, I don’t have a problem with admitting Egyptians who like us. Jesus, if we let the English and the Scots in… (joke) I just don’t want to see barking mad judges finding every excuse to give islamists indefinite leave to take up residence in this country.
John Foster Dulles was the architect of British failure at Suez, it enabled the then Soviet Union to increase its influence in Egypt Syria and Iraq. Macmillan in his memoirs took Eisenhower to task over the humiliation of Britain and he did agree it was a massive mistake. One of the greatest foreign policy mistakes by the US.
We all now whats happened since.
Yes, mass immigation from Islamic North Africa is increasing as we speak. The EU is accepting of it. It is part of the EU’s well advanced plan, (with compliance of British political elite, inc INBBC) to turn EU into Eurabia.
Italy is in the frontline for having to deal with 5,000 illegal immigrants from Tunisia in 5 days. But this is only a start.
And still they want to admit Turkey into the EU. Evan Cameron, who now admits the great milti-cultural experiment doesnt work, wants them IN….heaven protect us from this treachery, and it’s called democracy?
Straight after Dateline, the situation in Bahrain and Libya was discussed on the News Channel with an expert called Chris Doyle. After talking in a reasonable, professorial way about the latest uprisings, he suddenly turned on his heel and began attacking the U.S. for vetoing the U.N. resolution condemning Israel over settlements. This was such a change of tone that Google was needed. Turns out he’s an anti-Israeli campaigner who writes for the Guardian and his Facebook page shows that he ‘likes’ We Are With Gaza, 1001 Inventions from Muslim Civilisation, Free Gaza, Free Palestine and the Qatar Foundation. Perfect BBC guest then.
Was he introduced with any of these refernces for context? You really don’t have to answer that question!
I don’t wait with crossed fingers for the UNSC to make a resolution about the current crisis in the Arab world. I’m afraid of gangrene.
I think Jennifer Rubin has it right about BBC and other media highlighting the veto and ignoring the US Ambassadors ‘we really support the resolution but vote against it’ speech.
But let’s be clear what really happened this week. The U.S. representative, while reluctantly casting a veto, joined the pack of jackals that seek to make Israel the culprit for all that ills the Middle East. Shouldn’t THAT be the headline?
‘Turns out he’s an anti-Israeli campaigner who writes for theGuardian’
Now there’s a thing. Where do they find these guys?
It only gets mentioned in passing, practically sotto voce, on BBC reports, but the so-called uprising in Bahrain is being led by the opposition party. They don’t want to overthrow the royal family, they don’t want democracy or freedom or anything like that. They mostly seem to want their party in power to take what’s left of the country’s money.
I’m far more positive about Egypt. If the Egyptians vote in an Islamist government, they’ll get what they deserve. They won’t like it for very long, and it won’t last. But they have the right to go through it if they want. My main objection with the BBC’s handling of Egypt’s situation now is their Narrative that the Muslim Brotherhood might do well in an election because they’re the most organized group rather than because Egypt has already largely regressed to the caveman version and are far more fundamentalist than the BBC Narrative will admit.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12502189
“Television pictures showed massive crowds amid a sea of red, white and black national flags in Tahrir Square – the heart of the anti-government revolt.
People sang songs and chanted: “The army and people are united!”
A week after the downfall of President Hosni Mubarak, they came out to celebrate once again in huge numbers. The mood in Tahrir Square was universally positive. Children climbed on the surrounding tanks to be photographed waving Egyptian flags.
Influential Egyptian Sheikh Yousef al-Qaradawi said the Arab world had changed and leaders should listen to their people.
He also called for the release of all political prisoners and for Egypt’s new military leaders to form a new government.
“I call on the Egyptian army to liberate us from the government that Mubarak formed,” Mr Qaradawi said.”
Lovely stuff. But hold on. What about…..
Al-Jazeera on January 30, 2009, al Qaradawi said
“Throughout history, Allah has imposed upon the [Jews] people who would punish them for their corruption. The last punishment was carried out by Adolf Hitler. By means of all the things he did to them – even though they exaggerated this issue – he managed to put them in their place. This was divine punishment for them. Allah willing, the next time will be at the hand of the believers.“
I think the BBC missed that one…..and dozens of the same.
The political prisoners, the Sheikh is referring to are Moslem Brotherhood.
The question the BBC should be asking is will a ‘new’ Egypt want to go to war against Israel?
Give this women a medal.
Meanwhile in the GCC States of the Gulf, a picture emerges of who may be behind the agitation and, noteworthy, what their ideology is.
It’s the old familiar, cuddly, Islamists. Now there’s a surprise.
“Respect for human rights, democracy (embodied in our Diwaniyas and later in our Constitution) freedom of speech, gender equality, and religious and cultural tolerance — all these traits were ingrained in the Kuwaiti culture and person for hundreds of years.
These days we witness media reports of MPs attempting to pass legislation to ‘ban bikinis,’ ‘female sportswear,’ or completely eradicating the legal and constitutional presence of female parliamentarians — as if all major problems of the State: Ahmadi gas leaks, Mishrif Station pumping sewage into our waters, expired meat, visa trafficking, development and all the other major issues were already dealt with.
Some of these same individuals wouldn’t even run for Parliament in the 1970s because they regarded democratic public office as ‘unIslamic.’ Now, they are not just attempting to run the show, they are attempting to re-write history and modify the political and social structure of the State, by using democracy as a means to eradicate democracy.
These same ‘religious’ MPs who abhor even the national anthem and refuse even to stand in respect to their State, these ‘Sharia Sheikhs of Swing’ who observe female groups and file police reports about ‘lesbian gatherings’ — even though the assembly of women was at a wedding — and who attempt to free rapists and child molesters from police stations, visa traffickers, expired food merchants and other lawbreakers and criminals, not to mention defend terrorists who threaten the State and the troops of our Allies; hypocrisy at its finest. “
Any chance of Al Beeb joining the dots across the region?
Perhaps alQarawadhi should get a mention.
“The funniest part of the Jasmine revolution is that Sheikh Al-Islam or Sheikh Al-Jazeera TV Satellite Channel of Qatar, the pillar of Muslim Brotherhood, Yousef Al-Qaradawi has hailed the revolution and abused Ben Ali. He described Ben Ali as hubal (an idol of the pre-Islam era) and members of his political party and ministers as statues and warned the Arab rulers of the same fate as Ben Ali.
Al-Qaradawi has forgotten or pretends to forget that he was the guest of Ben Ali’s government last year when the City of Al-Qairawan was chosen the Cultural Capital.”
Details, details.
Yes, isn’t she something. Do you know when that was recorded?
I think it was the beginning of Jan 2011
And TUNISIA.
Is INBBC finding itself going cold on Tunisia ‘popular uprising’ now?:
“Tunisia: Police disperse Islamist rally against brothel”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12512406
‘Jihadwatch’ has:
Tunisia’s new govt grants general amnesty to imprisoned Islamic supremacists
“Italy: al Qaeda will exploit North African migrant flood”
http://articles.cnn.com/2011-02-17/world/italy.migrants.alqaeda_1_lampedusa-italian-voters-tiny-italian-island?_s=PM:WORLD
<!– Module ends: article-header–>