America Strikes Back

[Paule]

BBC starts hate campaign against Shia Muslims
Published on: Saturday, 12 Rajab 1422 (29 September 2001)

BBC News; holding the Islamic sect 'Shia' responsible for the kidnappings near the Syrian border.

Last week, a report pubished by BBC about the terrorists who carried out the attacks on WTC included some reference to the kidnappings which took place on the Syrian border near the Beka'a valley. BBC claims the 'Shias' are responsible for this act.

Many readers of the BBC and the Shia News urged the BBC news agency to remove this article or to ammend it by removing the paragraph blaming the entire Shia nation for this act. The kidnappings were carried out by some groups in Lebanon and not the whole of Shia'as.

It is the utmost dissapointment that major news agencies like BBC are trying to portray Islam responsible for all the unwanted acts. It is not the religion which is to be blamed, but the individuals who carry out these terrible acts of violence against humanity.

The paragraph used on the BBC website is:

The Shia or "Party of God" organised kidnappings from the parched Beka'a Valley on the Syrian border.

Hizbullah, in arabic means "Party of God". Hizbullah is a Lebanon based resistance group against Israel's occupation of Arab land. The word Shia means Followers, Party, or Group. Had it been Shiatullah, then it would mean "Party, Group or Followers of God" Shias are commonly known as ShiatuAli (Arabic) or Shian e Ali (Urdu) which means followers, group or party of Imam Ali (AS).

What is BBC trying to do here? Does this mean that all the Shia Muslims in the world belong to the Hizbullah organisation?

It seems that almost all western countries are trying to settle their scores with their opponents using the terrible WTC tragedy. Isreal and India have been on the fore front of this hate campaign against Muslims.

Shia Muslims are spread all over the world and only a small fraction belong to Hizbullah. Muslims as a whole support resistance against Israeli occupation of Arab land. What the 99.99 % of Muslims do not support is any acts of violence against innocent civilians. Islam does not teach Muslims to take innocent lives. Anyone who goes against the teachings of Islam is not a Muslim. Blaming the whole Muslim community for acts carried out by some crack pots is unjust and the western media should act with responsibility.

Is the BBC serving Israeli interests now? Is Israel using the BBC to start a hate campaign against the Shia Muslims?

If it is a reporting error, where Mr. Matt Frei, BBC's reporter got confused with Hizbullah (Army of God) and the Shias (Group or Party), then BBC ought to ammend it and apologise for this mistake.

It is if we write "The Protestants or (Ulster Defence Association) organise kidnappings from East Belfast."

Why is it that the western media uses Islam for mentioning every unwanted acts, and doesnt apply the same rules for their own home grown problems i.e. IRA conflict. Where the words IRA are used and not the Catholics.



Paule "The Walnut" lives!