“Charismatic,” “revered,” a grandfatherly figure?
It’s as if these portrayals were pulled out of an alternate dimension where the chief of the Hezbollah terror group, Hassan Nasrallah, was all live, laugh, love.
But let’s not get it twisted. Nasrallah was an evil terrorist with blood on his hands – and not just of Jews. HonestReporting breaks it all down here:
Major media outlets are describing Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah as “charismatic” and “shrewd,” even using smiling photos to soften his image. But Nasrallah’s real legacy? Deadly bombings, rocket attacks, and civilian deaths—including the U.S. Embassy bombing and the Buenos… pic.twitter.com/YH1tleNo5P
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) September 28, 2024
Indeed, Sky News chose to memorialize the butcher of Syria’s Sunnis with a sweet, smiling picture of him.
Hey, @SkyNews, do you always use stock images of terrorist leaders that make them look like benign grandfatherly figures? Or is it only when they’ve been eliminated by Israel? pic.twitter.com/VFEhakqlkB
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) September 28, 2024
We saw this with the coverage of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination as well. Some of the world’s most evil and oppressive figures are receiving moments of silence and fawning obituaries in commemoration of their lifetime achievements.
Related Reading: Haniyeh’s Top 5 “Moderate” Moments That the Media Chose to Omit, Assassinated Hamas Leader Ismail Haniyeh Recast as ‘Moderate’ by Confused Media
This is unfortunately as predictable as it gets in 2024. And with journalists like Rania Khalek of Breakthrough Newsroom and Hala Jaber, formerly of The Sunday Times, it seems like the line for journalistic integrity isn’t just blurred, it’s been erased.
Distortion of facts and truth is a common thread.
Hezbollah has been committing terrorist attacks against Americans and the west for decades. The “region” launched a genocidal war against Israel 12 months ago.
Fighting back doesn’t create a “region full of people who hate them.” The mere existence of Israel does. https://t.co/0R4Js4aBun
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) September 28, 2024
Peace be upon you… Peace be upon your soul…
You were & always will be the honourable persona of the people of this nation & many of those in the Moslem world.
Rest in Peace Sayed. 🙏— Hala Jaber (@HalaJaber) September 28, 2024
Needless to say, reactions across social platform X (formerly Twitter) are on the mark.
Associated Press has since changed its headline, but not before it was exposed:
.@AP I’m sorry for your loss.
“Charismatic and shrewd…. an astute strategist… considered a pragmatist… idolized by his Lebanese Shiite followers… respected by millions across the Arab and Islamic world… ” https://t.co/bezopcUSTe
Maybe next time, speak to his victims. pic.twitter.com/qUb3EbRMri
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) September 28, 2024
The Guardian did not hold back either. This tweet sums up how we all feel while reading this sentence.
Also the @guardian: “Adolf Hitler was a gifted painter, compelling public speaker and competent organizer.” pic.twitter.com/tcDrMF5HA3
— Arsen Ostrovsky 🎗️ (@Ostrov_A) September 28, 2024
This profile on Nasrallah by The New York Times, may as well be a love letter. Since its publication, words have been changed to appear vague, but are still rather favorable towards a killer.
He often referred to Israel as “the Zionist entity” and maintained that Jewish people who arrived from other countries over decades should return to their nations of origin, and said that Israel should be replaced by the state of Palestine, with equality for all residents.
But not before the writer was caught portraying Nasrallah as a believer in coexistence for one state for Jews, Christians and Muslims in “Palestine” and a responsible leader concerned with the needs of his people.
Are you kidding me, @nytimes? pic.twitter.com/XL08ksucoD
— Eitan Fischberger (@EFischberger) September 29, 2024
Unfortunately, the bizarre obituary did not stop there. It is filled with respectful descriptions of Nasrallah and his popularity amongst the suffering Shiite Lebanese population. Almost as if he was progressive.
He came across as less dour than most Shiite clerics, partly because of his roly-poly figure, a slight lisp and a propensity to crack jokes. He never pushed hard-line Islamic rules, like veils for women in the neighborhoods that Hezbollah controls. Analysts attributed that to his exposure in his youth to many of Lebanon’s 17 religious sects and his desire not to isolate Lebanese outside of Hezbollah’s religious Shiite base.
And publications like Le Monde came out with an obituary describing his features almost lovingly and accentuating his “heroic” nature. It almost seems cool to be Israel’s biggest adversary, and the Middle East’s “object of fascination.”
With his black turban, reserved for descendants of the Prophet, thin glasses and thick salt-and-pepper beard, Hassan Nasrallah has been the face of Hezbollah for over three decades. At the head of this militia dedicated to armed struggle against Israel, which has become a state above the Lebanese state, the Shiite leader has held the fate of the country in his hands, in war and in peace.
But quite frankly, it’s embarrassing to read.
Nasrallah, an evil murderer, was granted obituaries he didn’t deserve. While he may have been seen as a heroic and revered figure by his followers, why should this matter when he has so much blood on his hands over the course of decades?
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Image Credits:
– khamenei.ir via Wikimedia Commons
– Fadel Itani via Reuters Connect
