How free is the West's "free" media? By Zafar Bangash

[شمله ور خراساني]

by Zafar Bangash
(Saturday, August 7, 2010)
"Any criticism of Israel is immediately denounced as anti-semitism....So, we have established two rules of western journalism: it is open season on Muslims and Islam, and criticism of Israel is forbidden."


Hardly a day passes by without Muslims being told to grow up and accept western standards of freedom of expression and thought. Some western commentators have gone so far as to claim that they have the “right” to offend — Muslims, that is. Thus, the Danish cartoonist has the right to depict the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in the most vile manner; western newspapers have the right to publish these cartoons and Muslims must learn to live with the West’s freedom of speech. It is a cherished right of journalists and people in the west, we are told. So not only denouncing but also offending Muslims is a right in the west.
The same right, however, does not extend to those criticizing the crimes perpetrated by the Zionist State. Any criticism of Israel is immediately denounced as anti-semitism. In June, Helen Thomas, the 89-year old veteran journalist, the bane of 10 US presidents and their press secretaries, was fired from her job because she made an off-the-cuff remark to a rabbi telling him: “the Jews must get the hell out of Palestine.” True, Ms. Thomas’s choice of words was unfortunate; not all Jews are Zionists but rabbi David Nesenoff’s underhanded method of recording her comment and uploading it to his website, rabbilive.com, was equally contemptible. The Zionists and their rightwing allies went ballistic. Ms. Thomas had to go. She was fired from her job after an illustrious 62-year career in journalism.
So, we have established two rules of western journalism: it is open season on Muslims and Islam, and criticism of Israel is forbidden.
In July, we learned another rule: you cannot praise a Muslim leader/scholar or you will lose your job. Following the death of Shaykh Seyyed Fadhlallah in Lebanon on July 4, Octavia Nasr, senior editor of CNN’s Middle East affairs, wrote on her twitter: “Sad to hear of the passing of Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah… One of Hezbollah’s giants I respect a lot.” Again, the Zionists and their allies went ballistic. They inundated CNN with complaints.
Did CNN stand up for freedom of expression that it and so many others had proclaimed so loudly over the offensive Danish cartoons? Nasr, a Lebanese Christian, had to go. The dirty job of firing her was assigned to one Parisa Khosravi, Senior Vice President of CNN International Newsgathering. Of Iranian origin, Khosravi was recruited precisely because she would carry out the orders given to her. She would not dare fire a reporter spouting venom against Islam, Muslims or the Islamic Republic. In an internal memo, Khosravi wrote: “I had a conversation with Octavia this morning and I want to share with you that we have decided that she will be leaving the company” after 20 years of service. So there!
An almost identical salvo of missiles was fired at Frances Guy, Britain’s ambassador to Lebanon, for writing about Shaykh Fadhlallah on her blog: “When you visited him you could be sure of a real debate, a respectful argument and you knew you would leave his presence feeling a better person.” Immediately, the internet went viral and an Inquisition was launched against her with the Israeli Foreign Ministry leading the diplomatic charge with its spokesman saying, it would be “interesting” to know what the British Foreign Office thinks of her remarks. Ambassador Guy was forced to remove the comments from her blog but the veteran British journalist Robert Fisk was so irked by the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s comment that he wrote in his own column: “Personally, I would be far more ‘interested’ in what the Israeli Foreign Ministry knows of the British passports its government forged in order to murder a man in Dubai not many months ago” (The Independent, July 10, 2010).
So now we have the third commandment of the West’s “free” media: though shalt not praise a Muslim leader, ever.
We are forced to ask: where are all those chest thumping “defenders of the freedom of the press” who told the almost two billion Muslims not so long ago to grow up and appreciate the West’s cherished freedom of expression?


Source:Home - Media Monitors Network (MMN)


by courtesy & © 2010 Zafar Bangash

[Levanaye Zalmaye]

What bias? Isn't Robert Fisk allowed to write freely? Isn't that part of their free 'Western' media? What about Noam Chomsky in New York? Books are a medium of communication, too. What about Jon Stewart? There are many, MANY more! Israel accuses the European media of being too pro-Palestinian.

Apart from the media, what about the reports by Amnesty International that implicated Israel of being guilty of war crimes?

[Zarawar]

^^ that's also a part of the play. The prime and intended aim is obvious, wouldn't we (Sharqian/Muslims/Afghans) do the same if we were the super power of the era?

[Azmal]

by Zafar Bangash
(Saturday, August 7, 2010)
"Any criticism of Israel is immediately denounced as anti-semitism....So, we have established two rules of western journalism: it is open season on Muslims and Islam, and criticism of Israel is forbidden."


Hardly a day passes by without Muslims being told to grow up and accept western standards of freedom of expression and thought. Some western commentators have gone so far as to claim that they have the “right” to offend — Muslims, that is. Thus, the Danish cartoonist has the right to depict the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in the most vile manner; western newspapers have the right to publish these cartoons and Muslims must learn to live with the West’s freedom of speech. It is a cherished right of journalists and people in the west, we are told. So not only denouncing but also offending Muslims is a right in the west.
The same right, however, does not extend to those criticizing the crimes perpetrated by the Zionist State. Any criticism of Israel is immediately denounced as anti-semitism. In June, Helen Thomas, the 89-year old veteran journalist, the bane of 10 US presidents and their press secretaries, was fired from her job because she made an off-the-cuff remark to a rabbi telling him: “the Jews must get the hell out of Palestine.” True, Ms. Thomas’s choice of words was unfortunate; not all Jews are Zionists but rabbi David Nesenoff’s underhanded method of recording her comment and uploading it to his website, rabbilive.com, was equally contemptible. The Zionists and their rightwing allies went ballistic. Ms. Thomas had to go. She was fired from her job after an illustrious 62-year career in journalism.
So, we have established two rules of western journalism: it is open season on Muslims and Islam, and criticism of Israel is forbidden.
In July, we learned another rule: you cannot praise a Muslim leader/scholar or you will lose your job. Following the death of Shaykh Seyyed Fadhlallah in Lebanon on July 4, Octavia Nasr, senior editor of CNN’s Middle East affairs, wrote on her twitter: “Sad to hear of the passing of Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah… One of Hezbollah’s giants I respect a lot.” Again, the Zionists and their allies went ballistic. They inundated CNN with complaints.
Did CNN stand up for freedom of expression that it and so many others had proclaimed so loudly over the offensive Danish cartoons? Nasr, a Lebanese Christian, had to go. The dirty job of firing her was assigned to one Parisa Khosravi, Senior Vice President of CNN International Newsgathering. Of Iranian origin, Khosravi was recruited precisely because she would carry out the orders given to her. She would not dare fire a reporter spouting venom against Islam, Muslims or the Islamic Republic. In an internal memo, Khosravi wrote: “I had a conversation with Octavia this morning and I want to share with you that we have decided that she will be leaving the company” after 20 years of service. So there!
An almost identical salvo of missiles was fired at Frances Guy, Britain’s ambassador to Lebanon, for writing about Shaykh Fadhlallah on her blog: “When you visited him you could be sure of a real debate, a respectful argument and you knew you would leave his presence feeling a better person.” Immediately, the internet went viral and an Inquisition was launched against her with the Israeli Foreign Ministry leading the diplomatic charge with its spokesman saying, it would be “interesting” to know what the British Foreign Office thinks of her remarks. Ambassador Guy was forced to remove the comments from her blog but the veteran British journalist Robert Fisk was so irked by the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s comment that he wrote in his own column: “Personally, I would be far more ‘interested’ in what the Israeli Foreign Ministry knows of the British passports its government forged in order to murder a man in Dubai not many months ago” (The Independent, July 10, 2010).
So now we have the third commandment of the West’s “free” media: though shalt not praise a Muslim leader, ever.
We are forced to ask: where are all those chest thumping “defenders of the freedom of the press” who told the almost two billion Muslims not so long ago to grow up and appreciate the West’s cherished freedom of expression?


Source:Home - Media Monitors Network (MMN)


by courtesy & © 2010 Zafar Bangash

This coming from supporter of same narrow minded dogmatic gang that beheads people for allegedly saying something against Amirul Momenin, or commit cold blood assassination of tribal elders, does suicide bombing, prevents girls to school, burns schools and pore acid on face of girls.. Ironically it’s the same west that gives these people the right to even express themselves…what a ungrateful hypocrites. Wonder what will happen to someone that would dare to stand up in Wazirstand and say you taliban thugs and your Arab friends are bunch of hypocrites’ murderers?

Now just some facts to bloody Pakistani military apologists…Freedom of speech means the right to question things you don’t believe in or agree with even if the other part finds it an insult that you question their beliefs or opinions.
Freedom of speech is of no use to anybody if it’s not used to challenge beliefs or opinions, how would our view of the world have been today if nobody had challenged the people who claimed that worlds is flat and the center is Jerusalem? Or that ships would drop off the earth when they reached the horizon? People’s right to question existing beliefs is the reason that great inventions and discoveries have been made.

Freedom of religion is the right to freely practice the religion of your choice, but does not in anyway safeguard it from opinions the followers might find provocative

Get it? Yet its the same west that gives this right to human beings...while ppl gets stone to death in Islamic states for simply selecting a different religion or express views that are "offensive" to Islam.

[Zarawar]

^^ Thank you Jasmine khorey..

[شمله ور خراساني]

I sometimes get astounded at the amount of ignorance and rumors many members here are fed. Taliban was an ISLAMIC movement by PASHTUNS!. You are insulting Pashtuns when you attach these rumors to them. I along with hundreds of Journalists(women) can vouch for their respect and kindness. Before you accuse me of being pro a certain group make sure you do some background research on me. Just because I say something is wrong does not mean I support them.

Your welcome Zarawar Jaana.

they are not ignorant. In fact they are very smart. All of these people who speak against Islamic movements do so because they oppose Shariah or Islamic political activism.

They just want to see Muslims subdued by foreigners and non-Muslims.

[Zarawar]

yeah tell me about it, I've came across atheists. In fact NATIONALIST pashtun ATHIESTS, what a salata huh?. Seriously how rational is Pashtunwali compared to Islam?
How can someone follow Pashtunwali, with codes and practices that are considered SAVAGE/BRUTAL (in the atheist/secular world), while deny Islam. Seriously, Pashtunwali was reformed after the arrival of Islam, a lot of the un Islamic practices are gone, what we got today is more reformed type of Pashtunwali, if compared to the Pashtunwali prior to the arrival of Islam. In some cases the only thing that makes Pashtunwali different than Islam is the label "Pashtunwali", both have a lot in common. Funny, how an atheist can refute Islam but accept Pashtunism or Pashtunwali?

[akbarkhan]

This coming from supporter of same narrow minded dogmatic gang that beheads people for allegedly saying something against Amirul Momenin, or commit cold blood assassination of tribal elders, does suicide bombing, prevents girls to school, burns schools and pore acid on face of girls.. Ironically it’s the same west that gives these people the right to even express themselves…what a ungrateful hypocrites. Wonder what will happen to someone that would dare to stand up in Wazirstand and say you taliban thugs and your Arab friends are bunch of hypocrites’ murderers?

Now just some facts to bloody Pakistani military apologists…Freedom of speech means the right to question things you don’t believe in or agree with even if the other part finds it an insult that you question their beliefs or opinions.
Freedom of speech is of no use to anybody if it’s not used to challenge beliefs or opinions, how would our view of the world have been today if nobody had challenged the people who claimed that worlds is flat and the center is Jerusalem? Or that ships would drop off the earth when they reached the horizon? People’s right to question existing beliefs is the reason that great inventions and discoveries have been made.

Freedom of religion is the right to freely practice the religion of your choice, but does not in anyway safeguard it from opinions the followers might find provocative

Get it? Yet its the same west that gives this right to human beings...while ppl gets stone to death in Islamic states for simply selecting a different religion or express views that are "offensive" to Islam.

And this is coming from a halfwit progeny of some Khalqi who has been deeply dishonoured by the fall of Kremlin.

I too agree that West gives certain freedoms to its citizens, however it will take to alter those who are against its interests. Those who like yourself ignore the fact that such freedoms are limited are either too ignorant to understand the underhanded schemes or have certainly got vested interests themselves.

The Taliban were once funded by the same 'liberal' states who demonize them today, don't believe me? Ask one of your Khalqi family members!

So here is question. How can the same people with the same set of beliefs and ethics be the freedom fighters in 1980s, potential oil and gas partners in 1990s and then all of a sudden terrorists in 2000s?


Liberal media is a poltergeist cited often, but never really sighted!

[Azmal]

This is not true. Never did the Taliban behead people for speaking against them. Where in the world do you people get these childish-pro American rumors from?

The crimes of Taliban are well know, and i happen to live under their rule for 2 years, i know how these savages treated people.. Once I was even stopped by a village idiot boy of 16 years old and was ask to recruit Loy Qolwala...this literate brainwashed idiot was calling Allhamd loy Qolwala..i have witness countless lashing, cutting of hands and public execution in Ghazi Stadium by savaging Pakistani spang taliban.
were mostly done by war-lords. Not Taliban.

• Suicide bombins is their way of kicking out the infidels.
• False. Taliban prevented Girls from going because of the environment. They always supported female education. I have interviewed them, There argument was let us bring peace and stability first. We care too much about our women to see them assaulted,dead or harassed.

False, False and FALSE!

Lol by repeaiting yoursel does not make truth into false

1- Do you support sucide bombing?..Which has killed more incent afghans civlians then your so called "infidels" .

2- Can you deny the killing of 300 tribal elders by taliban in kandhar alone?


3- It seems you have very little knowledge of Taliban Islam or Human Rights... the same right that you enjoy here in infidel west as human being. Taliban ruled Afghanistan for 6 years and there were peace (peacefulness of jail) under their rule..moreover their action of burning schools now a days speaks volume...more then 400 schools has been burned in south alone by taliban.

How familiar are you with Islamic Shariah? You seem to carry the same misconceptions as everyone else I have met. Are you aware of the conditions of stoning to death? Does the Quran permit stoning of death?

There is NO stipulation in the Koran regarding Burqa or Neqab, only that women and men dress modestly. so are why women forced to wear Burqa/Neqab? I personally don't care what REAL or actual Islamic Shariah is...wt matter is what these savages called Taliban practice in my country Afghanistan. Indeed its an open secret that Sharia Laws and Human Rights are NOT Compatible...this is why in almost all Muslim countries there server human rights violations..this is why Muslim like you and me are living in "infidel" west rather then Islamic Saudi, pakistan, golf states or Iran.
The Sharia law practice by Taliban is anti-social, anti-human, and totally barbaric. I suggest that you spend a month under their rule, jailed in your home…and see how it feels. And then tell us that you would impose this on your wife, mother, or sister.
My question to all those cyber-taliban... if support these savages then what are you doing here in west? Hypocrite needs to have a limit. If you are supporting the Jahad then why dont you go to Saudi Arabia...land of Mohammad and two holiest Masjid...Kabbah and Masjid Madenah...where "infidels" has a base and wage your jahad there? why do you pakistani stooges come to Afghanistan and do paksitani bidding here?

[Azmal]

I sometimes get astounded at the amount of ignorance and rumors many members here are fed. Taliban was an ISLAMIC movement by PASHTUNS!. You are insulting Pashtuns when you attach these rumors to them. I along with hundreds of Journalists(women) can vouch for their respect and kindness. Before you accuse me of being pro a certain group make sure you do some background research on me. Just because I say something is wrong does not mean I support them.

Your welcome Zarawar Jaana.

I as a Pashton...get offended when people like you who live in west and enjoy the freedom of west try hard to associate the savage Punjabi stoogs as representative of Pashtons.

[Azmal]

they are not ignorant. In fact they are very smart. All of these people who speak against Islamic movements do so because they oppose Shariah or Islamic political activism.

They just want to see Muslims subdued by foreigners and non-Muslims.

A foreigner is a foreigner Muslim or not...what we have is some Arab leaving Saudi Arabia home of Mecca and Medina where US has a base and comes and try tow age their war against US from our soil.
I do not see any diff between NETO/US troops or those Arabs/Pakis in Afghan… except NETO US presence is welcoming for it will strengthen Afghan state while the Taliban are created to weaken Afghan state.

[Azmal]

Well, to say the Taliban are against women education is ignorance to me. If you call that intelligence, by all means Sangar.

Typical Appeal to Ridicule logical fallcy. In this case ridicule or mockery is substituted for evidence in an "argument." This line of "reasoning" has the following form:
"1+1=2! That's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard!"

Therefore 1+1=2 is false.

The ball is still in your court... show that Taliban had open a girl school, had educated 10 girls or have NOT prevented girls from studying.. including throw to jailing those that run secret home schools during their rule.

[akbarkhan]

show that Taliban had open a girl school, had educated 10 girls or have NOT prevented girls from studying.. including throw to jailing those that run secret home schools during their rule.