In the news, we have been hearing about how CNN fired Lebanese editor Octavia Nasr from her job covering the Middle East, because she wrote a few lines on Twitter about her admiration for Sayyed Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah. The decision was taken by Parisa Khosravi, the network's vice president for international news, and it is clear from her name that she is of Iranian origin. It is also clear from the decision that she opposes the Iranian regime, or else she would have been fired from her post. I do not want to slight this lady of Iranian origin, and I do not accuse her of needing to take, from time to time, a decision or stance that proves her policy of opposing Iran and its allies. All I want is that she not be an Aunt Tom, like the Uncle Tom Fouad Ajami. Octavia Nasr is a dear friend and I know her, while I do not know Miss Khosravi. Nasr is certainly not a supporter of Hezbollah or Iran, but expressed her admiration for a Lebanese spiritual leader, who could have been Sunni, or Maronite. Since I do not work for American television, I can clearly affirm that I, like Nasr, respected the late Fadlallah very much. I admired his position against Israel, just as I respect Ayatollah Ali Sistani and consider him the most objective, fair and capable Iraqi official. Perhaps I can go further, and say that I always support Hezbollah against Israel, even if I oppose the party's domestic policy or its behavior during the civil strife of 7 May 2008. From this, it follows that I support Islamic resistance factions against Israel; as resisting occupation is a right and a duty. If it were not for the continuing operation, you would not have Hezbollah, Hamas or Islamic Jihad. However, I will move along from the topic of Octavia Nasr, and myself, and what we like or respect, to say that CNN has a prominent anchor named Wolf Blitzer, an American Jew who worked for the Israeli lobby (AIPAC), which should rule out any objectivity or credibility on his part. Blitzer is well known for his history of “struggle” in defending Israel, as it occupies, kills and destroys. Nonetheless, I have not demanded, and am not demanding now, that he be fired. Instead, I hold him accountable from what comes out of his program, and I am aware that people change. Perhaps he has matured, and become better acquainted with Israeli crimes against the Palestinians and others. Khosravi is of Iranian descent and Blitzer of Polish origin. If the few words about the late ayatollah led to the firing of a prominent editor, then I can assume that Khosravi and Blitzer have said more against Iran and its leaders, but no one holds them accountable. Blitzer worked for the Jerusalem Post, a right-wing newspaper, and it is unlikely that he was asked to be moderate in his newspaper's coverage of Washington news. Once again, Octavia does not have a cause, and is not a member of a political party. Blitzer is committed to Israel in his professional life, and provides a sufficient example against his case, in the form of a book he wrote, entitled Territory of Lies, about the spy Jonathan Pollard. Blitzer tries to play down the importance of Pollard, who spied for Israel and against his own country, its security and foreign interests. Two well-known American commentators, Robert Friedman and Stephen Luxenberg, especially the former, criticized the book and its author, and it is clear from their names that they are Jewish. Moving on slightly from CNN, we come to The New York Times, whose Jerusalem bureau chief, Ethan Bronner, stirred a controversy about his work at the beginning of this year. It became known that his son was a recruit in the Israeli army. The newspaper supported its correspondent, when doubts about his objectivity arose, and insisted that he was relaying the news with accuracy and fairness. Once again, I am not asking for Bronner to be transferred or fired, but I hold him accountable for what he writes, and he is usually objective. If I have an objection, it is to what the Israeli official says, and not Bronner's quoting of this official. But what if my dear friend Octavia Nasr had a son in South Lebanon, or in the Revolutionary Guard? The question is an impossibility since Octavia will not face such a situation. However, I am asking because she certainly would never have gotten to CNN or The New York Times, if she had this son. There is another son, Rahm Emannuel, who served in the Israeli army and became a member of Congress, representing Israel before the United States. He is now the White House chief of staff, and I do not believe that he has left his loyalty to Israel behind. Only Octavia Nasr pays the price, for a few words about a late religious leader. [email protected]
