Jan 15 2015 : Mirror (Bangalore)
World leaders played hoax on world, marched for photo op
Behind the front line of leaders were rows of other dignitaries and officials, while the real march took place elsewhere in Paris
Around 40 world leaders joined more than one million people in a march to honour the victims of the Paris shootings on Sunday.But while the image of Francois Hollande, David Cameron, Angela Merkel and others linking arms was hailed in a New York Times editorial as showing “unity in outrage“, the display has not been without its own controversies.
Never mind those who did attend the US President Barack Obama “let the world down“ by failing to make the journey to France, according to the front page of the New York Daily News.
Now, a different perspective on the leader's portion of the march has emerged in the form of a wide shot displayed on French TV news reports.
It shows that the front line of leaders was followed by just over a dozen rows other dignitaries and officials after which there was a large security presence maintaining a significant gap with the throngs of other marchers.
The measure was presumably taken for security reasons but political commentators have suggested that it raises doubts as to whether the leaders were really part of the march at all. The FT's Middle East correspondent Borzou Daragahi commented: “Seems world leaders didn't “lead“ Charlie Hebdo marchers in Paris but conducted photo op on empty, guarded street.“
Ian Bremmer, a US political scientist and founder of the Eurasia Group, said: “All those world leaders: Not exactly `at' the Paris rallies.“ Another US commentator, Gerry Hassan, called the leaders' contribution “pseudo-solidarity“.
It was also observed that nine of the countries represented by leaders and dignitaries in the march for press freedom are themselves in the bottom third of the World Press Freedom Index, compiled by Reporters Without Borders.
But amid all the criticism, student Axel Fougner effectively represented the views of many on social media by writing today: “Hypocritical world leaders showing up in Paris does not in any way reduce the sincerity of the millions who marched for #jesuischarlie.“
PRESS FREEDOM MY FOOT! SOME COUNTRIES REPRESENTED AT THE MARCH HAVE DODGY RECORDS AT BEST
`
SAUDI ARABIA
On the Friday before the rally, Saudi Arabia had blogger Raif Badawi publicly flogged for setting up a liberal website which they deemed to be insulting to Islam. He is currently serving a ten year prison sentence, along with countless other Saudi activists and dissidents.`
BAHRAIN
Bahrain imprisons the second highest number of journalists in the world per capita, and has also been accused of torturing France 24 correspondent Nazeeha Saeed for covering 2011's pro-democracy demonstrations.`
EGYPT
Sixteen journalists are currently imprisoned in Egypt for doing their job, including the Al Jazeera trio Peter Greste, Baher Mohamed and Mohamed Fahmy, and photojournalist Mahmoud `Shawkan' Abou Zied.`
TURKEY
Turkey was the top jailer of jour nalists in the world in 2013.Today, it still holds seven in prison, and in December police detained a further 23 people following raids on media outlets linked to opposition cleric Fethullah Gülen.
` RUSSIA
Russia has jailed journalists and bloggers for such crimes as “insulting a government servant“ and “insulting a judge.“ Its government has also been heavily criticised for press censorship and blocking independent media websites.
` ISRAEL
According to Reporters Without Borders, Israeli forces killed up to six journalists during the war in Gaza over the summer. They have also been accused by Human Rights Watch of “targeting civilians“ in a string of attacks on media facilities two years ago. The Foreign Press Association also alleges that the Israeli army has been “deliberately targeting“ journalists covering protests in the West Bank.
`
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
s There are four bloggers current ly imprisoned in the United Arab Emirates: Osama al-Najjar, Obaid Yousef al-Zaabi, Saleh d Mohammed al-Dhufairi, and Khalifa al-Nuami. In 2013, the UAE also held a journalist in communicado and without charge for a month over alleged links to the Muslim Brother hood.
` QATAR Qatari poet Muhammad ibn al Dheeb al-Ajami was sentenced t to life in prison in November 2012 for publicly reciting the r Jasmine Poem, which praised the uprising in Tunisia against president Ben Ali.
` PALESTINE
Courts in the occupied West Bank sentenced two Palestini ans to jail for insulting president i Mahmoud Abbas in 2013, in cluding journalist Mamdouh Hamamreh who shared a satirical photo of Abbas on Facebook.` ALGERIA Algeria has detained journalist Abdessami Abdelhai without trial for the last 17 months. In November he began a hunger strike to protest his imprisonment.` TUNISIA In December a military court in Tunisia jailed blogger Yassine Ayari for three years on charges of “defaming the army“ in a series of Facebook posts. Amnesty International have since called for his “immediate release.“
` UNITED STATES
In Ferguson, police arrested Washington Post reporter Wesley Lowery after slamming him against a soda machine in a McDonald's, while other journalists have also been detained and threatened during the unrest.`
GREECE
Riot police in Greece injured photographer Tatiana Bolari at a protest in June last year, after beating her legs and back with riot shields. Another journalist, Marios Lolos, was also beaten by the authorities. Reporters Without Borders described their behaviour as “intolerable.“
` UNITED KINGDOM
In 2013, Reporters Without Borders accused the British authorities of “an extremely grave violation of freedom of information“ after they forced The Guardian to destroy computer hard drives containing documents provided by Edward Snowden.
` POLAND
Police arrested two journalists while they were covering a protest in November last year.They did not inform their families for more than 24 hours and allegedly prevented one of the detained reporters from having access to a lawyer. Reporters Without Borders condemned their arrest.
Never mind those who did attend the US President Barack Obama “let the world down“ by failing to make the journey to France, according to the front page of the New York Daily News.
Now, a different perspective on the leader's portion of the march has emerged in the form of a wide shot displayed on French TV news reports.
It shows that the front line of leaders was followed by just over a dozen rows other dignitaries and officials after which there was a large security presence maintaining a significant gap with the throngs of other marchers.
The measure was presumably taken for security reasons but political commentators have suggested that it raises doubts as to whether the leaders were really part of the march at all. The FT's Middle East correspondent Borzou Daragahi commented: “Seems world leaders didn't “lead“ Charlie Hebdo marchers in Paris but conducted photo op on empty, guarded street.“
Ian Bremmer, a US political scientist and founder of the Eurasia Group, said: “All those world leaders: Not exactly `at' the Paris rallies.“ Another US commentator, Gerry Hassan, called the leaders' contribution “pseudo-solidarity“.
It was also observed that nine of the countries represented by leaders and dignitaries in the march for press freedom are themselves in the bottom third of the World Press Freedom Index, compiled by Reporters Without Borders.
But amid all the criticism, student Axel Fougner effectively represented the views of many on social media by writing today: “Hypocritical world leaders showing up in Paris does not in any way reduce the sincerity of the millions who marched for #jesuischarlie.“
PRESS FREEDOM MY FOOT! SOME COUNTRIES REPRESENTED AT THE MARCH HAVE DODGY RECORDS AT BEST
`
SAUDI ARABIA
On the Friday before the rally, Saudi Arabia had blogger Raif Badawi publicly flogged for setting up a liberal website which they deemed to be insulting to Islam. He is currently serving a ten year prison sentence, along with countless other Saudi activists and dissidents.`
BAHRAIN
Bahrain imprisons the second highest number of journalists in the world per capita, and has also been accused of torturing France 24 correspondent Nazeeha Saeed for covering 2011's pro-democracy demonstrations.`
EGYPT
Sixteen journalists are currently imprisoned in Egypt for doing their job, including the Al Jazeera trio Peter Greste, Baher Mohamed and Mohamed Fahmy, and photojournalist Mahmoud `Shawkan' Abou Zied.`
TURKEY
Turkey was the top jailer of jour nalists in the world in 2013.Today, it still holds seven in prison, and in December police detained a further 23 people following raids on media outlets linked to opposition cleric Fethullah Gülen.
` RUSSIA
Russia has jailed journalists and bloggers for such crimes as “insulting a government servant“ and “insulting a judge.“ Its government has also been heavily criticised for press censorship and blocking independent media websites.
` ISRAEL
According to Reporters Without Borders, Israeli forces killed up to six journalists during the war in Gaza over the summer. They have also been accused by Human Rights Watch of “targeting civilians“ in a string of attacks on media facilities two years ago. The Foreign Press Association also alleges that the Israeli army has been “deliberately targeting“ journalists covering protests in the West Bank.
`
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
s There are four bloggers current ly imprisoned in the United Arab Emirates: Osama al-Najjar, Obaid Yousef al-Zaabi, Saleh d Mohammed al-Dhufairi, and Khalifa al-Nuami. In 2013, the UAE also held a journalist in communicado and without charge for a month over alleged links to the Muslim Brother hood.
` QATAR Qatari poet Muhammad ibn al Dheeb al-Ajami was sentenced t to life in prison in November 2012 for publicly reciting the r Jasmine Poem, which praised the uprising in Tunisia against president Ben Ali.
` PALESTINE
Courts in the occupied West Bank sentenced two Palestini ans to jail for insulting president i Mahmoud Abbas in 2013, in cluding journalist Mamdouh Hamamreh who shared a satirical photo of Abbas on Facebook.` ALGERIA Algeria has detained journalist Abdessami Abdelhai without trial for the last 17 months. In November he began a hunger strike to protest his imprisonment.` TUNISIA In December a military court in Tunisia jailed blogger Yassine Ayari for three years on charges of “defaming the army“ in a series of Facebook posts. Amnesty International have since called for his “immediate release.“
` UNITED STATES
In Ferguson, police arrested Washington Post reporter Wesley Lowery after slamming him against a soda machine in a McDonald's, while other journalists have also been detained and threatened during the unrest.`
GREECE
Riot police in Greece injured photographer Tatiana Bolari at a protest in June last year, after beating her legs and back with riot shields. Another journalist, Marios Lolos, was also beaten by the authorities. Reporters Without Borders described their behaviour as “intolerable.“
` UNITED KINGDOM
In 2013, Reporters Without Borders accused the British authorities of “an extremely grave violation of freedom of information“ after they forced The Guardian to destroy computer hard drives containing documents provided by Edward Snowden.
` POLAND
Police arrested two journalists while they were covering a protest in November last year.They did not inform their families for more than 24 hours and allegedly prevented one of the detained reporters from having access to a lawyer. Reporters Without Borders condemned their arrest.
The "MAKE BELIEVE, FARCICAL SHOW of UNITY
in FRANCE"! By the way WHY does questioning the veracity of
"HOLOCAUST" becomes a CRIME and
is not ALLOWED to be a PART of the "HOLY COW - FREEDOM of
SPEECH"? Different YARDSTICKS for DIFFERENT SENSIBILITIES ? OR a PURE and SIMPLE CASE of SICKENING DOUBLE
STANDARDS of RACIST EUROPEANS?
http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31820&articlexml=World-leaders-played-hoax-on-world-marched-for-15012015001026&Mode=1
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