Bias Media at Eliminating Butcher Mullah : Sheikh Ahmed Yassin

The following came to us from Honest Reporting. It covers a few very important points in reference to Israel's destruction of the terrorist Sheikh Ahmad Yassin.

Please use their reference material, it's easy and factual, when you speak to people, write letters to the editor, CNN, Fox, or call talk radio, etc. Make sure that whomever you are interacting with does NOT portray Yassin as an old, poor, paralyzed, innocent guy. This 'person' was the commander and chief of the terrorist organization Hamas. Remind everyone that Ahmad Yassin never sent HIS sons or daughters to commit homicide bombings; Ahmad Yassin sent other people's children to die doing the dirty work of murder for Hamas.

Communique: 22 March 2004

SHEIKH YASSIN'S 'HAPPIEST DAY'

Dear HonestReporting Subscriber,

Early Monday morning, the IDF struck and killed Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, the founder and leader of Hamas. Since early media reports misrepresented the IDF strike in a number of fundamental ways, HonestReporting encourages subscribers to be on the lookout for these four myths, and to respond appropriately with the facts:

Myth 1: The Yassin strike will escalate the violence

Nearly all news reports claimed within the first two sentences that the IDF strike is "likely to escalate violence," and constitutes "an enormous gamble by Sharon" that "risks triggering a dramatic escalation in bloodshed." (Associated Press)

This claim ― which belongs on the editorial page, not in the same breath as the actual news report of the event ― was so widespread that one almost forgets that it represents only the Palestinian position: The official PA statement characterized the Israeli strike as inviting "more violence and further escalation."

The absent Israeli position: Though terrorist efforts may increase temporarily, in the long run the elimination of Yassin will upset Hamas' leadership and violent capabilities, and serve as an essential deterrent to ongoing Palestinian terror. As Israeli spokesman Avi Pazner said:

His elimination will serve peace in the long run. He is personally responsible for all the most dreadful attacks in Israel. He was a dangerous extremist Islamic ideologist. He was danger to the entire region. By eliminating this threat to peace we will improve chances for a better Middle East.

Responsible news reports should either convey both positions, or neither.

Myth 2: Yassin was an impotent old man

BBC profiled Yassin as "a frail man who could barely see. His voice was thin and quavering." The Evening Standard prominently quoted the UK Foreign Secretary, who said "he did not believe that Israel would benefit from the killing of an old man in a wheelchair."

Actually, Yassin was in a wheelchair since age 12, when a sporting accident left him paralyzed. It's self-evident, therefore, that being wheelchair-bound never hampered Yassin's ability to orchestrate unprecedented terror ― he founded Hamas in 1987 and proved perfectly capable of building the organization to its current strength from a sitting position.

Moreover, Yassin has had enough wherewithal in the recent years to direct dozens of heinous terrorist attacks, leaving Yassin's hands drenched in Israeli blood.

HonestReporting encourages readers to check that articles present this essential information on Yassin's terror record. AP completely omitted any reference to Yassin's connection to terrorism until the final sentence of their report, and then only referred to Israel "blaming" Yassin for "inspiring" Hamas bombers.

Myth 3: Yassin was a 'spiritual leader' who deserved immunity

AFP, like most agencies, described Yassin as "the Islamist movement's spiritual guide," which suggests to a western audience that Yassin operated in a peaceful, contemplative realm aside from the violence, and was therefore unfairly targeted by the IDF. BBC went so far to say Yassin was "a powerful inspiration for young Palestinians disillusioned with the collapse of peace hopes." CNN calls Yassin a spiritual leader (unquoted), but then puts scare quotes around Israel's reference to him as a "terrorist."

Actually, Yassin's brand of 'spirituality' is the very ideological and emotional fuel that drives Palestinian (and worldwide Islamic) terrorism, the plague of our age. Yassin continually called for suicide terrorism as a religious obligation, and even said about himself that "the day in which I will die as a shahid [martyr] will be the happiest day of my life." (Al-Quds, July 26, 1998)

As Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Sofer said:

[Yassin] was not a spiritual leader. This term does injustice to the term 'spiritual leader' and an insult to real spiritual leaders. He was a terrorist mastermind.

Myth 4: Israel's strike creates a western threat of Islamic terror

American flag burning at Hamas rally, 2001
After Hamas released a statement that threatened radical Islamic retaliation beyond Israel's borders, AP called this an 'unprecedented' threat, triggered by Israel:

For the first time, Hamas also threatened the United States, saying America's backing of Israel made the assassination possible...In the past, Hamas leaders have insisted their struggle is against Israel and that they would not get involved in causes by militant Muslims in other parts of the world. Today's statement suggested that Hamas might seek outside help in carrying out revenge attacks, since its capabilities have been limited by Israeli military strikes.

This is simply untrue ― Yassin himself had long called upon world Islamic terrorists to join with Hamas in global jihad. MEMRI reported in March, 2003 that on the Hamas website, "Sheikh Ahmad Yassin called on the Islamic nation 'to strike at Western interests everywhere if Iraq is conquered.'" And just two weeks ago, Hamas announced its commitment to "the global level of the Islamic world" as the reason for its choosing British suicide bombers to murder Israelis at Tel Aviv's Mike's Place in 2003.

HonestReporting.com

In a message dated 3/22/2004 10:36:46 PM Eastern Standard Time, T. writes:

Did you notice the hypocrisy, (again) of the Pali's blaming the US along with Israel for the asassination of the ass, claiming that Israel would have needed the US's 'permission' to do it? What? After always making the claim that Jews controlled the US. Someone needs to tell these guys that they can't have it both ways.

http://www.idf.il/newsite/images/1201-2p1.gif
Hamas Placard reads: Our Struggle With Israel = Only Part Of Struggle With The WEST

By Stefan Sharkansky:

What Liberal Media?

The hottest topic on "Oh, That Liberal Media" today is the extermination of master terrorist Ahmed Yassin.

The Associated Press just can't bring itself to call Yassin a terrorist.

the L.A. Times bestows Yassin with "moral authority"

The BBC whitewashes Yassin's villainy.

While most of the media jump to parrot Hamas' routine threats for "unprecedented revenge", none seem to report that the targeted killings of Hamas leaders have actually coincided with a reduction in terorism.

and lots more good stuff. Just visit the home page and keep reading.

Sheik Yassin Mythology

By Hal Lindsey

These biases glared in virtually every news report of the Israeli missile strike that targeted and killed Sheik Ahmad Yassin.

Within the first paragraph, most reports declared that "this would greatly escalate violence." They accused PM Ariel Sharon of "taking an enormous risk that will dramatically escalate bloodshed."

These were not quotes of Palestinians, but opinions of the news sources themselves. The Associated Press led the pack on these kinds of reports.

Such statements as these should be in the "Editorial/Opinion" section, not in the news section. But when reports are on Israeli defensive actions, all rules seem to go out the window.

This kind of reporting represents only the Palestinian position. The official Palestinian statement was, 'the Israeli strike invites more violence and further escalation.'

Israeli spokesman Avi Pazner presented Israel's position, "His elimination will serve peace in the long run. He is personally responsible for all the most dreadful attacks in Israel. He was a dangerous extremist Islamic ideologist. He was danger to the entire region. By eliminating this threat to peace we will improve chances for a better Middle East." But rarely is this mentioned.

The 'apocalyptic' Palestinian threats of revenge and retaliation must be taken in context. Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Al Aqsa Brigade, et al, are already in the 'max-killing mode'. How can organizations that already seek to kill as many Israeli civilians as possible as frequently as possible become more dangerous?

Maybe they will attack with a little more emotion than usual, but the hatred-driven organizations are already in place and operating at maximum capacity.

Yassin was not a helpless and impotent old man. He was paralyzed by an accident at age 12.

Yet he founded and led the most vicious and deadly terrorist organization in the Middle East from his wheelchair. He is on record in many television interviews calling for the destruction of Israel. He has openly called for strikes against all Israelis. He called for terrorist attacks against U.S. troops in Iraq. He is the "spiritual" father of "suicide bombings".

Yassin was constantly called the "spiritual leader" of Hamas, as if he were some peaceful old religious man that was removed from the heinous terrorist attacks of Hamas. If a man is the ?spiritual inspiration? of an organization totally dedicated to killing innocent civilians, what spirit does he represent? The Bible names that spirit clearly.

HonestReporting.com reports, Actually, Yassin's brand of "spirituality" is the very ideological and emotional fuel that drives Palestinian (and worldwide Islamic) terrorism, the plague of our age. Yassin continually called for suicide terrorism as a religious obligation, and even said about himself that ?the day in which I will die as a shahid [martyr] will be the happiest day of my life.?? (Al-Quds, July 26, 1998)

The final Yassin myth implied by the media, led by the Associated Press, is that his death will cause Hamas to target the U.S. for the first time. AP reported, ?For the first time, Hamas also threatened the United States, saying America?s backing of Israel made the assassination possible ... In the past, Hamas leaders have insisted their struggle is against Israel and that they would not get involved in causes by militant Muslims in other parts of the world.

Today's statement suggested that Hamas might seek outside help in carrying out revenge attacks, since its capabilities have been limited by Israeli military strikes.

This is a blatant false reporting. Sheikh Yassin called on the Islamic nation 'to strike at Western interests everywhere if Iraq is conquered.' (Posted on the MEMRI website in March of 2003)

Sheikh Yassin was a venomous terrorist that was driven by a supernatural hatred of all Jews. He inspired this hatred in Muslims as few men ever have. He proclaimed that he would never accept peace with Israel. He vowed that he would never stop until Israel was destroyed.

Yassin was an even more dedicated enemy of Israel and the West than Osama bin Laden. His death by Israel was an execution of a formidable enemy. As stated above, Yassin said that 'his death as a shahid would be the happiest day of his life.'

Well, it appears that his desire is fulfilled.

WND: Another one bites the dust

Yassin, Presentation

THE COVENANT OF THE HAMAS - MAIN POINTS - 18-Aug-88

A legacy of pain and poison, Giving terror moral sanction (4/5/04)

WND: The satanic sheik and the enablers of evil

What a Nice Man

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