Today's Seattle Times carries this report from Knight-Ridder:
Thousands of Iraqis call for end to violenceand:BAGHDAD, Iraq — Five thousand to 10,000 Iraqis tried to send terrorists a cease-and-desist message yesterday from downtown Baghdad in the biggest demonstration against violence to date.
Chanting "No, no terrorism" and "Yes, yes Islam," they carried photographs of religious leaders and unfurled banners that read "The Iraqis Should Not Forget Palestine."The Iraqis are doing well to remember the main lesson of Palestine, which is that a society which glorifies terrorism will only remain mired in poverty, corruption and despair. Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at December 11, 2003 10:39 AM
And they risked their lives to do it, unlike the pampered protesters in London and the U.S., as observed by Winds of Change. So which marches get the photos and sound bites on the 'mainstream media'? The pampered ones, not the risky ones. What's your opinion, Mr. Daniel Okrent?
From here, it appears that some news is just not fit to print.
Posted by: Insufficiently Sensitive on December 11, 2003 11:19 AMI think it's a stretch to believe the majority of the Iraqis marching on December 10 or most of the population seriously supports the people of Palestine. During Saddams rule, he curried favor with the Arab world by funneling money to suicide bombers and educated many Palestine students in Iraq in coveted slots at the expense of Iraqi citizens. I think this represents selective coverage that fits the Times world view.
Posted by: Gary on December 11, 2003 04:39 PMYou said:
"The Iraqis are doing well to remember the main lesson of Palestine, which is that a society which glorifies terrorism will only remain mired in poverty, corruption and despair."
Hmmm.. this would be the case if there were a fair and balanced media to present the truth about Palestinian society. The Arab media brainwash the Arab world into believing that Israel uses Apache choppers to target Palestinian hospitals and schools on an hourly basis.
Posted by: Jono on December 11, 2003 07:48 PMA somewhat different take and translation at
http://alphabetcity.blogspot.com/
Read, compare, and weep. Both versions may reflect some reality, of course, but I watched the Reuters feed (I think Instapundit had a link) and neither Islam nor Palestine seemed dominant themes.
Posted by: Alene Berk on December 11, 2003 11:10 PM