Thursday, May 15, 2008

Hariri media. Just take a look at this front page of Hariri rag, Al-Mustaqbal. First, notice that the paper that usually covers on the front page the sneezes and coughs of Bush, is not putting the news of Bush's festive trip to Israel and his speeches on its front page. Too embarrassing for the clients of the Cheney team. Secondly, (and this should be noticed by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International), this official Hariri daily is inciting violence against the poor Syrian workers in Lebanon: it is claiming in a front page story that the huts and tents where Syrian workers live are mere centers for Syrian mukhabarat. This paper, among others including An-Nahar, are responsible for the political climate that continues to cause death and injury to Syrian workers in Lebanon.
PS I have visited Al-Mustaqbal offices in Beirut. I was interviewed at length (in a two-parts interview) on feminism when the paper allowed one of its reporters, Fatmah Huhu, to edit a feminist page--before it ended the experiment. I remember from that visit how many staffers told me that they are not necessarily in agreement with Rafiq Hariri although they work there.