Joseph Loconte: When Terrorism Hits Close to Home

Joseph Loconte, a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and commentator for National Public Radio, is the editor of The End of Illusions: Religious Leaders Confront Hitler’s Gathering Storm.

In what surely ranks as one of the most aggressive advocacy campaigns in its history, the BBC is pulling every diplomatic lever possible to secure the release of journalist Alan Johnston, kidnapped by Palestinian terrorists in Gaza over 10 weeks ago. Appeals from U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, statements from Prime Minister Tony Blair and leading Anglican bishops, BBC vigils worldwide, rallies in Trafalgar Square, an online petition with over 100,000 signatures—the outpouring of support has been evocative and impressive. Yet it raises troubling questions about media coverage of terrorism and the culture of religious radicalism that sustains it.

Seized from his Gaza City office on March 13, Johnston allegedly is being held by a terror group called Jaish al-Islam (Army of Islam). Last month the organization delivered a videotape to al-Jazeera television—the network of choice for Islamo-fascists everywhere—demanding the release of cleric Abu Qatada, a Palestinian-Jordanian being held in Britain. Last week we learned that the British government entered into talks with Abu Qatada to see if he might aid in Johnston’s safe release. In a letter sent to the Islamic Observatory Center, Qatada was unambiguous: "I announce my full readiness to go on a trip to Gaza, with a delegation from BBC, to meet with the brothers, the abductors, concerning the release of the journalist Alan Johnston."

No surprise that Qatada would like to rejoin his "brothers" in Gaza: Found guilty of participating in terrorist activity in Jordan, Qatada lost a February appeal to avoid deportation to face trial. Dubbed Osama bin Laden’s "spiritual ambassador in Europe," Qatada is regarded as one of the UK’s most dangerous extremist preachers. He has been linked to al-Qaeda cells in Spain, France, Italy and Belgium. His vitriolic videos were found in the Hamburg flat used by Mohamed Atta—the ringleader of the 9/11 attacks. He reportedly gave "spiritual advice"—as the BBC delicately puts it—to Richard Reid, the would-be Atlantic flight shoe bomber, and Zacarias Moussaoui, both jailed for terrorist activities.

What seems to evade BBC officials and others is the connection between the sermons of hate that have poured into the minds of Muslim youth and the kidnapping of one of their most respected correspondents. The BBC’s campaign for Johnston’s release is predicated on the idea that the seizure of journalists somehow crosses a bright moral line. "Alan...is a brave, dedicated and humane journalist who was deeply committed to reporting events in Gaza to the wider world," BBC director general Mark Thompson said in a statement last month. "The people of Gaza are ill-served by kidnappings of this nature."

It is of course understandable that the BBC would want to avoid antagonizing Johnston’s captors with tough talk about the illegality of his kidnapping. Yet it’s an odd way to frame this tragedy: The people of Gaza are ill-served by every kidnapping, every senseless atrocity, every merciless act of terrorism—whether it’s directed at journalists or government officials, Palestinians or Jews.

For the terrorist act itself, by exulting in the murder of civilians, is an assault on the moral norms of civilized states. It is utterly fantastical to believe that those devoted to this brand of wickedness—this deadening of the conscience—will make fine distinctions between "neutral" journalists and anyone else who gets in their way. If extremists, under the banner of Islam, can cut down Muslims on their way to prayer, why would they show restraint toward a Western infidel?

The Islamist descent into barbarism has proceeded in earnest for quite a long time, with the tacit approval of too many diplomats and political leaders, and not a few media elites. Israel’s deeply problematic occupation, of course, has provided cover for those eager to condone Palestinian terrorism. Many sympathizers frequent the diplomatic halls of Geneva and New York. The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) — whose 57 members include terror-sponsoring states such as Sudan, Syria, and Iran — has prevented the United Nations from even defining terrorism. When the word does appear in U.N. proclamations, it usually is attached to Israel. As Adam Lebor writes in Complicity With Evil: The United Nations in the Age of Modern Genocide, "the U.N. is obsessed with Israel." In 2005, for example, the United Nations produced 107 resolutions, decisions, reports and other measures against the Jewish state—an average of two per week. No other country comes close.

The BBC, for its part, plans to launch an Arabic television service this year. But if it’s anything like the BBC World Service in its treatment of events in the Middle East, the problem could grow worse. In a disturbing op-ed for The New York Times, Frank Stewart, a professor at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, complained that the BBC’s Arabic service shields Arab leaders and terror groups from criticism, but treats Western democracies with suspicion and even cynicism. "If the BBC’s Arabic TV programs resemble its radio programs, then they will be just as anti-Western as anything that comes out of the Gulf, if not more so," he warned. "They will serve to increase, rather than to diminish, tensions, hostilities and misunderstandings among nations."

That cannot be good news for Alan Johnston or any other civilians considered choice targets for terror. For anything that rationalizes the culture of rage and grievance gives succor to groups such as Jaish al-Islam—and assures that the kidnappings and killings will continue.

Comments

[John]

Why would the BBC want to launch an Arabic television service when the Middle East has already Al-Arabiya?
Why not save their money? Sorry, my mistake ... why not save the money of the British people?
Have to add, though, probably counterproductive to use the word "Islamo-fascists". Better to marginalize the religious fanatics by not calling them Muslim at all and to accomodate the true (moderate) Muslims.

[Steevo]

>"Alan...is a brave, dedicated and humane journalist who was deeply committed to reporting events in Gaza to the wider world," BBC director general Mark Thompson said in a statement last month. "The people of Gaza are ill-served by kidnappings of this nature."

>It is of course understandable that the BBC would want to avoid antagonizing Johnston’s captors with tough talk about the illegality of his kidnapping. Yet it’s an odd way to frame this tragedy: The people of Gaza are ill-served by every kidnapping, every senseless atrocity, every merciless act of terrorism—whether it’s directed at journalists or government officials, Palestinians or Jews.

Well it really is not an odd way to frame it. If anything its merely a gross understatement ;-) concerning the truth. Alan Johnston was not an impartial observer, just google his name concerning his reporting there.

You have to admit this is a little revealing, from a hardened Palestinian 'uprising' leader:

April 19,2007

Marwan Barghuti, the charismatic leader of the second Palestinian uprising, on Thursday called for the release of BBC journalist Alan Johnston kidnapped more than a month ago in Gaza.

"From my prison cell and in the name of the 10,000 Palestinian prisoners I call for the immediate release of journalist Alan Johnston, a friend of the Palestinian people," Barghuti said in a statement published by an organisation advocating his release.

hat tip: peter42y at biasedbbc.com

[Bradford]

Why would the BBC want to launch an Arabic television service when the Middle East has already Al-Arabiya?

Because Her Majesty's Government in the form of the Foreign Office instructed the BBC to do so and since BBC world Service is funded by the Foreign Office the BBC will comply

[Teddy Bear]

If anything highlights the maxim about the Palestinians, that they've "never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity" it is the abduction of Johnston. A video released today has him saying pretty much what was his standard reportage. But now saying it while abducted, it makes it appear as if he's forced to say it under duress.

Also this incident has shown fairly conclusively that Hamas is somewhere behind it, with links to the group claiming responsibility for the abduction.
At the weekend, Ghazi Hamad, a Hamas member of the Palestinian government, said that Mr Johnston was healthy and unharmed and efforts to release him were "continuous".

He said he was dealing personally with his captors as part of the efforts to secure his release.

"It is a small group which is holding Alan," Mr Hamad told an audience at the Guardian Hay literary festival. "It is not secret, I met with them, what I know is that Alan is healthy, well and in a very good situation - this is my certain information."

The same Hamas that the BBC panders to as 'freedom fighters', and that Norway has today decided to open full relations with, despite EU and US opposition.

[bijan damneshmand]

you still miss the most significant point ... the arab satellite channels and the BBC by whitewashing and excusing islamic terrorism and crimes commited in the name of islam crimes carried out for maximum media effcet (beheadings, hangings, suicide bombings, ...) is complicit in the spread of radical islam throughout the world

[bijan damneshmand]

Its worth considering BBC's role in manipulating UK relationship with Hamas & PA

1. UK & US Democrats Reaching Out to Hamas April May 2007

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world...ast/ 6528875.stm

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/ 2...Brotherhood.php

http://www.americanthinker.com/ 2...m_brotherh.html

2. the longstanding connections between the British FO, the BBC and the Muslim Brotherhood (which operates in Palestine Under the Banner of Hamas).

History of Covert US/UK Support For the Muslim Brotherhood & Hamas

http://www.antiwar.com/orig/onei...? articleid=9615

3. Alistair Crooke, MI6 & Hamas

http://www.danielpipes.org/article/2545

http://www.terrorism-info.org.il..._05/ tran_eu.htm

4. Hamas & Alan Johnston = "Old Friends"

http://news.independent.co.uk/ wo...icle2588947.ece

http://www.presstv.ir/ detail.asp...ionid=351020202

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