[Midden-Oosten] Syrians in UK denounce victim-blaming conspiracy theories
Jeff
meisner op xs4all.nl
Di Jul 4 18:29:35 CEST 2017
Rethink Rebuild Society
The voice of the British Syrian Community
Press Release
03/07/2017
Syrians outraged by The Canary's publishing of lies
By republishing Seymour Hersh's debunked conspiracy theory absolving the
Assad regime of using Sarin on the civilians of Khan Sheikoun in April,
The Canary is responsible for spreading malicious propaganda that serves
the interests of the dictatorship. [1]
Hersh's story received minimal media interest, seemingly because it
falls far short of journalistic standards, and does not stand up to
scrutiny. [2] The Canary takes this as evidence of a conspiracy on the
part of the BBC to defend the 'official narrative'. Hersh's
unsubstantiated story contradicts the assessments of Western
governments, independent experts, and even the defences of the Assad
regime and Russia.
Syrians have had concerns about the BBC's coverage of the conflict in
the past, [3] but The Canary's suggestion that it has deliberately
covered up details of the Assad regime's chemical massacres is nonsense.
The Canary depends on clickbait headlines and shocking stories, but in
spreading this misinformation it has crossed a line. Given that the
story is very obviously false, this amounts to nothing more than scoring
political points and gaining attention by using the innocent victims of
the Assad regime.
It is unsurprising that the story is used to advertise the work of the
Stop the War Coalition, which routinely attempts to marginalise or
silence the voices of Syrians. [4]
Haytham Alhamwi, Advocacy Director at Rethink Rebuild Society, said:
"The Canary's slogan is 'for the people, not the powerful', but
conspiracy theories like this only serve the interests of the brutal
Assad regime. Propaganda and conspiracy theories not only prevent Syrian
voices from being heard, but also push the policy debate away from real,
lasting solutions to the conflict in Syria."
ENDS
For further information and press enquiries, please contact 07769704656,
or email: yasmine op rrsoc.org
Rethink Rebuild Society has established itself as a non-profit
organisation that acts as an umbrella for the British Syrian community,
and endeavours to clarify the Syrian cause to its audience in the UK and
the wider public.
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