Feature Image Courtesy: Ynetnews
In a shocking development in Canada, a leaked memo from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) has instructed its journalists to avoid using the word “terrorist” when referring to Hamas group, reports the National Post.
The CBC, funded by the Canadian government like the BBC in the United Kingdom, is currently covering the ongoing war after Hamas Islamic terrorists carried out one of the deadliest terror attacks post-9/11 and the Mumbai 26/11.
The memo, originating from the office of George Achi, Director of Journalistic Standards at the public broadcaster, instructs CBC journalists to be cautious not to refer to 2005 as “the end of the occupation” of Gaza, “as Israel has maintained control over airspace, seafront, and virtually all movement into or out of the area.”
In the alleged memo Achi forwarded to the CBC journalists, he stated in bold type, “Do not refer to militants, soldiers, or anyone else as ‘terrorists.”
According to the Director of Journalistic Standards at CBC, “The notion of terrorism remains heavily politicized and is part of the story. Even when quoting/clipping a government or a source referring to fighters as ‘terrorists,’ we should add context to ensure the audience understands this is an opinion, not fact. That includes statements from the Canadian government and Canadian politicians.”
However, after this ‘memo’ that reeked of virtue signaling was leaked, Conservative Senator Leo Housakos took to X (formerly Twitter), calling Hamas “a bloodthirsty terrorist group,” and adding: “The CBC doesn’t have the journalistic integrity to call it as it is.”
Hamas is a blood thirsty terrorist group. The CBC doesn’t have the journalistic integrity to call it as it is. This isn’t an opinion or a political argument it is the facts. That’s why common sense people in Canada have given up on CBC years ago. https://t.co/OMDuuph4lR
— Senator Leo Housakos (@SenatorHousakos) October 9, 2023
The irony is that Hamas, responsible for terror attacks on Israel, is listed as a terrorist entity by the Canadian government, which describes it as “a radical Islamist-nationalist terrorist organization”. Also, over the weekend, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called Hamas a terrorist organization and said, “Hamas terrorists aren’t a resistance, they’re not freedom fighters. They are terrorists, and no one in Canada should be supporting them, much less celebrating them.”
The CBC is not the only news organization to avoid using the term “terrorist” in its coverage. In a recent interview with Jewish Insider, a former Washington Post editor said, “The basic policy that we had at the Post, which I embrace, is we should talk about acts of terrorism rather than characterizing individuals, and so when it’s a terrorist act, we call it a terrorist act.” He mentioned using the word ‘militants,’ but he acknowledged that the recent acts qualified as terrorism.
Meanwhile, Canada witnessed pro-Palestinian rallies in which supporters of Hamas were seen reveling in the fact that Israel has suffered many casualties. However, Israel’s retaliatory attack on the Gaza Strip has wiped the joy off their faces, as Israel has vowed to systematically dismantle Hamas.
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