Side Note: Thanks to BeirutBeauty reader Pierre for bringing this shit to my attention.
So apparently, CNN correspondent
Octavia Nasr was fired because she “mourned” the death of Lebanese religious
figure, Sayyed Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah who passed away on Sunday.
She tweeted “Sad to hear of the
passing of Sayyed Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah… One of Hezbollah’s giants I
respect a lot”.
And that 140 character tweet
effectively ended her 20 year tenure at CNN.
OK, allow me to break it down for
you: first of all, this isn’t about politics or Hezbollah or religion or
Israel, this is about someone expressing sorrow about the death of a VERY
IMPORTANT figure in Lebanon. I don’t care if you agree with him or his
organization, but he is respected in LEBANON so much so that we had a national
day of mourning!
Lebanon is so politically
combustible and teetering on the edge of a total civil meltdown that not paying
respect to a prominent member of ANY political party can seem like someone giving you the
metaphorical middle finger. So we HAVE
to mourn because it’s a form of “nation building” and a way for us to smoke the
peace pipe with one another.
2nd of all, CNN argues
that Miz Nasr’s tweet undermined her “credibility”. Really? A fucking 140
character tweet undermined her WHOLE journalistic integrity!?! I doubt it.
Maybe she liked some of his
speeches; maybe she respected his way of handling bidness. Nasr said “that the
respect came because Sayyed Fadlallah was a pioneer of women’s rights at those
parts of the World”... and that aint half bad! Doesn't sound too friggin "terroristy"
to me!
Just because she’s a journalist
doesn’t mean she has to be devoid of any opinions or feelings of fucking
sadness when someone dies.
Since when are reporters expected to
be unbiased? NO, NO! They are expected to be neutral and that’s a BIG difference. Our biases seep into
everything we do and journalists are no exception. What is important is that
she didn’t let those biases affect her neutrality. And if you ever read her
stuff, she is as neutral as they come.
Shame on you CNN for fueling
Islamophobia in the west by firing a journalist who simply gave condolences to
a Muslim cleric.
Shame on you for stifling your own
journalists’ freedom of speech and opinion.
Shame on you for abruptly ending a
journalist’s career who has given her blood, sweat and tears for your network
(I’m assuming).
Shame on you for firing her
because she’s an ARAB or has a teeny-tiny shred of sympathy for a Muslim leader.
You do realize not ALL OF THEM ARE BAD, RIGHT?
To Miz Nasr:
You my girl, Octavia! Don't listen to those fucking CNN assholes... They know
not what they do. If I were you, I would start writing my autobiography with a
quickness!
Christian Amanpor (or Christian "Iam-a-whoore" as I like to call her) aint got nothing
on you girl!
NO ONE SHOULD LOSE THEIR LIVELIHOOD
BECAUSE THEY EXPRESSED SOME SORT OF SYMPATHY FOR ANOTHER HUMAN
BEING.
To Hala Gorani:
You better watch your back sister... Things ain’t looking so good for Arab
journalists at CNN. Best keep your condolences to yourself.
I like Octavia.
ReplyDeleteThat is just messed up!
She was just expressin her opinion.
CNN should know better...
Well said Nia..well said..I hope Octavia reads this. I wonder though, what will she do now? After CNN slandered her reputation!! I truly hope that she rises from it all, and quickly picks up another, better position.
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