UNSC failed to get Nord Stream blast international independent investigative commission

UNSC failed to get Nord Stream blast international independent investigative commission

    Monday, March 27, 2023   No comments

The UNSC, which literally stands for the United Nations Security Council, and whose mission “is to maintain international peace and security;” failed to adopt a resolution that “would have established an international independent investigative commission into the September 2022 “acts of sabotage” committed on the Nord Stream gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea.”

The vote, or lack thereof as was the case this time, shows how politicized this UN body has become. If the attack on an asset established to transact trade between a number of nation-states is not of concern to the UN body charged with maintaining peace and security, then what is?

The politics of power and control are not limited to the halls of the UN. The media, too, is deep in the business of writing narratives that are highly political and less informative. This screen capture shows how some of these media outlets reported about the vote: “Russia fails at UN to get Nord Stream blast inquiry” when the fact is clear: the UNSC failed to get Nord Stream blast inquiry.

It is because of media bias and the ineptitude of the UNSC that countries are invaded, peoples exploited, and resources and pillaged by the rich and powerful.

Comparing Scenes from the Protests in the Garden of Prosperity and the Celebration of Nowruz in "Women-Oppressor" Iran

Comparing Scenes from the Protests in the Garden of Prosperity and the Celebration of Nowruz in "Women-Oppressor" Iran

    Thursday, March 23, 2023   No comments

In this week’s media review report, we would like to highlight the disparity in media coverage of social events when they happen in the West versus when the happen in Muslim-majority countries. We propose this media review because the constant and consistent negative coverage of protests in Muslim-majority countries and radio-silence when violent protests and brutal police handling of protesters in the Garden of Prosperity must be challenged as a matter of equity and as a matter of freeing the human rights discourse from political manipulation.

When protests in Iran were instrumentalized to portray yet another government in yet another Muslim-majority country as authoritarian regime ruling over an Islamic society still in need of the paternal protection of the civilized world, the progressives and liberals in the West jumped on the bandwagon. How could they be wrong if someone from somewhere stated in some social media platform that Iran executed 14,000 protesters? Reflexively, even politicians joined in. The Canada’s prime minister amplified the post and condemned Iran for not respecting the rights of peaceful protests.

Here we are weeks deep into the many “peaceful” protests across Europe, and in France, especially, with scenes of heavily armed police violently clashing with unarmed protesters. Yet, not a single Western government called for an end to the violence and the use of force against peaceful protesters.

This is not about using one case of protesters and counter-protesters’ measures to legitimize police brutality against civilians in any country or in all country. It is about the incessant, constant, consistent, and overwhelming media stream portraying violence happening in a Muslim-majority country as a normal event suggesting that Muslims are of violent nature, and the total blackout and abysmal coverage of protests in the West and the violent handling of protests in the West. It is the overwhelming negative coverage of Muslim-majority countries, the absence of any images or stories that depict positive aspects in Muslim-majority countries, and the lack of coverage of the violence that happens in the West that provide a bigoted narrative, and it is this negative narrative that produce a draft of history that is deeply flawed and cruel to people of the Global South.

Here is a glimpse of the deliberate selective coverage: during the same time when Iranian men and women, yes women, were celebrating the new Persian; the streets of Paris and other major French cities were literally on fire. The police were beating, dragging, and arresting protesters. No word of concern for the use of excessive force was uttered by any Western leaders.

When Iranians protested the death of an Iranian woman, all Western leaders reacted; they introduced resolution of condemnation in world organizations, and they imposed sanctions on Iranian individuals and institutions. The world was told that Iran is no place for women to walk the streets without head coverings, and those who do risk arrest and death at the hand of the police. That is a damning narrative not just for Iran, but for Muslims in general.

But when there is evidence of Muslim women in Iran and elsewhere in Muslim-majority countries walking the streets, and celebrating holidays in public spaces wearing or not wearing a range of head coverings, such scenes are suppressed, because they provide a counter narrative to the one that has been portraying Muslims as "woman-oppressing" peoples.

Media Review: The New York Times: The Tehran-Riyadh agreement in Beijing is a great loss for Washington's interests

Media Review: The New York Times: The Tehran-Riyadh agreement in Beijing is a great loss for Washington's interests

    Friday, March 10, 2023   No comments

 A report in the American New York Times spoke about the issue of the Iranian-Saudi rapprochement, which came after Chinese mediation, on the basis of which the first meeting between the two parties was held in Beijing today, Friday.

And the American report considered that "the restoration of Iranian-Saudi relations, as a result of Chinese mediation, is a great loss and doubles the interests of the United States."

The New York Times report added, "The announcement by Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore diplomatic relations between them could lead to a major restoration of order in the Middle East."

It also considered that this rapprochement "represents a geopolitical challenge to the United States and a victory for China, which mediated the talks between the two historical rivals."

The newspaper stated, "It was not immediately clear how the breach announced today, Friday, would affect Saudi Arabia's participation in Israeli and American efforts to confront Iran," but it pointed out that "the resumption of diplomatic relations between the two regional powers represents at least a partial melting of the ice of the Cold War." that shaped the Middle East for a long time.

News of the deal, particularly Beijing's role in mediating it, worried foreign policy hawks in Washington, the report confirms, as Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said, "The renewal of Iranian-Saudi relations as a result of Chinese mediation is a loss, loss, and loss for American interests."

He said it showed that Saudi Arabia "lacks confidence in Washington" and that Iran could isolate US allies "to ease its isolation." It also indicated that China "has become the main sponsor of power politics in the Middle East."

The report concludes that this rapprochement in relations is supposed to affect Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon mainly, and these are the files that witnessed a major conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia regarding the political approach towards them.

Several Arab parties, most notably Egypt, the UAE and Qatar, welcomed the Iranian-Saudi rapprochement, stressing that it would contribute to creating a positive climate in the region and contribute to its stability and security.

Is the West losing the propaganda war to China? "Is the [pro-Ukraine group] named Biden Administration?"

Is the West losing the propaganda war to China? "Is the [pro-Ukraine group] named Biden Administration?"

    Wednesday, March 08, 2023   No comments

Researchers who monitor the global media will not miss the fact that Chinese media has been more focused these days on analyzing Western media reports than on pumping their own stories. The war in Ukraine and the pressure on China to take side have increased the Chinese media output of stories that depicts Western media and western governments as inconsistent, and biased. This social media post by a Chines official tells the story; the story of how western governments’ action have made it easy for Chinese media and Chinese officials to do their work and appear cool at the same time.

 "Is the [pro-Ukraine group] named Biden Administration?"

The editorials in China’s global media, GT, tell the rest of the story.

The performance of the US and Western media once again illustrates that their so-called independence and professionalism are selective. It's not just the US and Western media, but almost the entire Western world is very passive in seeking the truth behind the Nord Stream bombing. At a recent related UN meeting, the UK showed "tolerance," holding that more investigations are unnecessary and claiming it was unclear why the Russian Federation is suddenly pursuing the issue with such urgency. Many countries including Germany, one of the biggest victims of this incident, has yet to make a public statement. 

 

The "double standard" of the British media... This is how London's lies were promoted before the invasion of Iraq

The "double standard" of the British media... This is how London's lies were promoted before the invasion of Iraq

    Wednesday, January 18, 2023   No comments

The British "Declassified" website talked about the role of the British media in promoting the lies of the British government before the invasion of Iraq.

The site said that the British media repeated the government's lies and fabrications without scrutiny, and became part of the government's propaganda machine, before the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

He pointed out that the former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, provided the British public with false information twenty years ago about the late Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's possession of weapons of mass destruction, in order to prove the case of the illegal invasion of Iraq.

He added that Blair was not tried yet, but was honored and given the "Rabat" medal, which is the highest honor in the British Kingdom, pointing out that the journalists who repeated his lies were not tried either, but rather climbed the ladder of the profession to its highest levels.

On the other hand, those who dared to expose the lies of the war, such as the Australian journalist Julian Assange, are now in prison.

According to the site, there were serious investigations into false reports about Iraq in the United States, while this was not the case in Britain, where the press and broadcast media became an advanced part of the government propaganda machine.

Likewise, senior British journalists reported uncritical lies about the British government, often adding new fabrications of their own, according to the site.

He added that the Guardian newspaper, for example, "swallowed" the Blair government's bogus claim that Saddam Hussein's agents were looking for uranium in Africa to buy a nuclear bomb.

Under the headline: "Iraq file: African gangs offer a path to uranium - the nuclear suspicion lies with the Congo and South Africa," the newspaper claimed that it had seen secret documents proving contacts between African militias and Baghdad.

The Observer was "more intelligent and creative on the pro-war case," looking for more interesting angles to prove actual or alleged Saddam Hussein's malevolence, such as a 1,560-word interview with a woman claiming to be a former lover of Saddam Hussein, whom she claimed was With Osama bin Laden as a guest in one of Saddam's palaces, and that Saddam was financing Osama.

In turn, the "Sunday Telegraph" newspaper pumped a huge amount of government propaganda, as it published sensational reports that fueled public anxiety on the eve of the war, according to the site.

On January 19, 2003, the newspaper claimed that UN weapons inspectors "discovered evidence that Saddam Hussein is trying to develop an arsenal of nuclear weapons." Indeed, when the weapons inspectors issued their verdict a few days later, they concluded no such thing.

Meanwhile, critics of the war were marginalized or vilified. The site pointed out that Scott Ritter, the United Nations weapons inspector, has repeatedly questioned the allegations of Britain and the United States about Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction, stressing that the importance of his words were downplayed, while the narratives of the attack were reinforced.

Iran: Paris must observe the basic principles of international relations, such as respect, non-interference, and respect for the national and religious sanctities of others

Iran: Paris must observe the basic principles of international relations, such as respect, non-interference, and respect for the national and religious sanctities of others

    Sunday, January 08, 2023   No comments

Paris must observe the basic principles of international relations, such as respect, non-interference, and respect for the national and religious sanctities of others

The Iranian embassy in Paris responded to the recent abuse of the French newspaper "Charlie Hebdo". Stressing that this behavior contradicts the standards and controls of international law, and contradicts the principle of freedom of expression, and constitutes a violation of the sanctity of personalities and peoples, launching a campaign to spread lies, disgraceful expressions and hate speech, and is a clear example of the violation of human rights.

The embassy added, in a statement, that this measure indicates the selective and deceitful attitude in using the principle of freedom of expression, which this newspaper, which is proud of its disgraceful behavior and its hostility to religion and religious values, has been using since ancient times to justify its disgraceful behavior and its obscene expressions against peoples, their beliefs and sanctities.

The statement stressed that Charlie Hebdo, which falsely claims to defend women's rights, and by publishing very obscene and disgraceful pictures in its latest issue, as it committed the most heinous abuses against women, revealed its truth based on the use of women as a tool.

In its statement, the Iranian embassy also called on the concerned French authorities to take the necessary measures, as a matter of urgency, to prevent this newspaper from continuing its abuses and to stop spreading lies and hatred resulting from it, as this will definitely lead to bad and destructive results in terms of relations between the two peoples and the two countries.

Last month, the French magazine "Charlie Hebdo" launched an international competition for the best cartoon of the Iranian guide, with the aim of mocking him, saying, "We wanted to support the struggle of Iranians for their freedom by ridiculing this religious leader and returning him to the dustbin of history."

The magazine announced that it had received more than 300 cartoons and published a large group of them. As a result, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it had summoned the French ambassador to Tehran, against the background of the publication of “Charlie Hebdo” cartoons insulting to the Iranian leadership.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said: “The Islamic Republic of Iran does not accept insulting its Islamic and religious sanctities and national values in any way, and France has no right to justify insulting the sanctities of other Islamic countries and peoples under the pretext of freedom of expression.”

Kanani referred to “the black record of the French magazine in attacking the Prophet of Islam, the Holy Qur’an, and the religion of Islam,” stressing that “this hateful, insulting, and unjustified act is borne by the French government.”

The correspondent of the Danish public service station, Mathilde Kimer, reveals that the Ukrainian intelligence services asked her to carry out propaganda work for Ukraine, in order to prove that she is not pro-Russian

The correspondent of the Danish public service station, Mathilde Kimer, reveals that the Ukrainian intelligence services asked her to carry out propaganda work for Ukraine, in order to prove that she is not pro-Russian

    Friday, December 30, 2022   No comments

Denmark's leading historian of the war in Ukraine, Matilde Kimer, revealed last week that "the Ukrainian secret service has revoked her permission to work in Ukraine and will not return it, unless she agrees to let the spy agency direct its reporting."

“The proposal was made to her by an officer of the Ukrainian Security Service, the intelligence agency known as the SBU, during a meeting this month in Kyiv, which was also attended by two diplomats from the embassy,” Kimer, the award-winning Moscow correspondent, told Danish public service broadcaster DR. Danish".

Kimer added that Cavalli had told her, by phone from Copenhagen, that "a lot of multiple accusations had been made against her, and there was a lot of talk about random photos from her Facebook profile, primarily the photos taken in Donetsk in 2017."

According to Kimer's Facebook account, "an intelligence officer named Oleg told her that the photos she posted on the social network from the Victory Day parade on May 9 in Donetsk were suspicious, because they showed decorated people and vehicles, which the Ukrainians are preparing." Illegal Soviet propaganda.

Kimer said that when she asked the Danish diplomats how to convince the Ukrainian intelligence service that she was not working on Russian propaganda, the Ukrainian official suggested that Kimer agree to produce a series of "good stories" about the war, based entirely on the video and photos he provides her. State Security Apparatus, and published it on its Facebook page, in order to prove that it was not pro-Russian.

Times: Banning alcohol gave women the chance to enjoy the World Cup without hassle

Times: Banning alcohol gave women the chance to enjoy the World Cup without hassle

    Friday, December 02, 2022   No comments

There is no questions that explicit and implicit bias against Arabic and Islamic societies and their values systems were present during this FIFA World Cup hosted by Qatar. In addition to the bigotry expressed by German politicians and players, mainstream western media focused on promoting their own rights agenda without respect for the laws and cultures of host nations. 

To put things in perspective, imagine yourself going to person who is hosting you in their home, and instead of enjoying their company and hospitality, you decide to protest, while in their home, the fact that they are running a dry home require you to take your shoes before you step in their living room. Yet, that is exactly how some Western leaders and players behaved while in Qatar.

However, it seems that if they listen to some members of their social groups, especially those historically marginalized, they might end up see some of the benefits of creating an inclusive space that is not built on propaganda and identity politics.

A report by the British newspaper The Times quoted testimonies of a group of English cheerleaders who accompanied their country's national team to Doha in order to encourage the "Three Lions", confirming that they were not subjected to any harassment, and they also considered that the decision of the Qatari authorities to prevent alcoholic beverages during the matches contributed to a certain extent. Great in that, and they described the Qatar World Cup stadiums as more suitable for women to watch the matches compared to what is happening in their country.

Between truth and deception

British young woman Ellie Moloson, 19, is leading a wide campaign in her country, calling her the slogan "It's her game too" in order to make football stadiums more welcoming to women, because of the harassment they are exposed to during matches, and before she came to Qatar to support her country's national team, she felt a lot. She was so worried that she asked her father to accompany her to Doha for their protection.

However, Moloson admitted in a statement to the British newspaper that she discovered that she "did not need to disturb her father, because the World Cup stadiums in Qatar are different from what they are in her country."

"I must say that coming here was a real shock for me," she said in the report prepared by journalist Davey Brown.

The report considered that the Qatar stadiums provided a more suitable atmosphere for women than those in England, and the young Moloson - a student from Nottingham - admitted that she also had preconceived notions before going to Qatar, "but the reality was nothing like this, I did not suffer from any One of the inconveniences I experienced in England," she said, adding, "I don't know how they achieved it, but it's a great environment to experience."

For his part, Moloson's 49-year-old father, who works as a teacher, explained that he came to Qatar with the aim of taking care of his daughter, but he admitted that he discovered that he did not need to do so because of what he discovered in her.

The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly, 185 to 2, Thursday to condemn the American economic embargo of Cuba

The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly, 185 to 2, Thursday to condemn the American economic embargo of Cuba

    Thursday, November 03, 2022   No comments

The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly Thursday to condemn the American economic embargo of Cuba for the 30th year, with the Biden administration continuing former President Donald Trump’s opposition and refusing to return to the Obama administration’s 2016 abstention.

For the second year in a row, the vote in the 193-member General Assembly overwhelming--185 countries supporting the condemnation, the United States and Israel opposing it, and Brazil and Ukraine abstaining.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said before the vote that since 2019, the U.S. government “has escalated the siege around our country, taking it to an even crueler and more humane dimension, with the purpose of deliberately inflicting the biggest possible damage on Cuban families.” 

US disregard to the will of the global community was mirrored by the absence, bias, or blunt Western press coverage of the event. 

Here is a sample, for reference purposes.

Vote from previous years: