by Shiryn Ghermezian
Egyptian peace activist Ahmed Meligy called for an end to biased reporting against Israel. Photo: Facebook.
An Egyptian-Muslim peace activist expressed strong support for Israel on Monday and called on major media outlets to halt their biased coverage of the Jewish state.
In a video posted on Facebook, Ahmed Meligy criticized the media’s “dishonest reporting” and “brainwash methods” in relation to the current wave of violence in Israel. Filming from Egypt, he spoke to the camera with Israeli and Egyptian flags hanging on the wall behind him. After proclaiming his passion for his home country, the activist said he hung the Israeli flag as well because Israel has the right to be recognized “in a proper, decent, honest way.”
Meligy specifically mentioned the BBC and The Washington Post for “undermining what’s going on in Israel to the point that they are trying to bury it, so the world won’t know.” He cited specific headlines from both media outlets, which report on Palestinians being killed, but fail to identify them as terrorists and attackers.
If you think they are bad, and they are, try reading RT.
“Israel has the right to be recognized. What’s going on has to be mentioned fairly without these cheap tactics,” he said. “This [the biased reporting] has nothing to do with honesty. This has nothing to do with integrity and it’s a shame.”
The Egyptian activist urged the public to become the “true news reporters,” saying, “It is our duty to act and show the world what’s going on in Israel.”
"We have so much in common. Some of my Israeli friends are more Arab then a lot of Arabs I know," said Egyptian activist Ahmed Meligy.
Ben Bresky & INN Staff
Ahmed Meligy in Tahrir Square 2011 Photo Courtesy Ahmed Meligy
Hitler good; Jew bad
"When I was a kid, I wondered why they told us that Adolph Hitler was a good guy and that he did good by the Holocaust," reminisced Ahmed Meligy, a self described Egyptian peace activist. "This sounded like pure racism and ignorance, but I couldn't speak my mind or say that out loud," he continued. Meligy has been making waves since publishing a series of editorials in the Jerusalem Post and other media outlets about his opposition to a more radicalized, less democratic Egyptian government.
The young man gave a live phone interview from Alexandria, Egypt on Israel National Radio's News & Views call-in show with Tamar Yonah.
"I cannot blame them," said Meligy, referring to anti-Jewish sentiment in Egyptian society. "Years ago while I was in school, we didn't have internet, or cable TV. We just had government TV and this was the only source of information we had," Meligy stated.
President Hosni Mubarak ruled Egypt from 1981 until 2011 when he was ousted. The June elections in Egypt have caused Meligy and others concern that the new government will not allow any more freedoms then the old one.
"Our government was telling us whatever they wanted," continued Meligy. "We saw everything from their view. They were saying Israel is this very big monster. They were magnifying it."
Meligy said he has been seeking to communicate with non-Egyptians, specifically Israelis. He found Arutz Sheva - Israel National Radio show host Tamar Yonah through Facebook. "I was very curious about the Jewish people and wanted to know everything," he said.
Meligy said he does not blame the Egyptian people for being anti-Jewish because "they were fed propaganda and hatred toward the Jewish world."
Meligy expressed initial shock when he first communicated with real Israelis. "One of the things they were telling us was that the Israelis have nothing to do with the Middle East and Israelis are nothing but Europeans and Americans," he enthused. "I used to believe that, until I started to have Israeli friends who listened to the same music I listen to, who play the same video games I play, who love soccer. We have so much in common. They are some times that my Israeli friends are more Arab then a lot of Arabs I know. So this is why I started my activism. I have to give to show the truth to my people and show the truth to your people that we are not terrorists," said Meligy.
Unfortunately, I am unable to find a good link to this interview.
An Egyptian-Muslim peace activist expressed strong support for Israel on Monday and called on major media outlets to halt their biased coverage of the Jewish state.
In a video posted on Facebook, Ahmed Meligy criticized the media’s “dishonest reporting” and “brainwash methods” in relation to the current wave of violence in Israel. Filming from Egypt, he spoke to the camera with Israeli and Egyptian flags hanging on the wall behind him. After proclaiming his passion for his home country, the activist said he hung the Israeli flag as well because Israel has the right to be recognized “in a proper, decent, honest way.”
Meligy specifically mentioned the BBC and The Washington Post for “undermining what’s going on in Israel to the point that they are trying to bury it, so the world won’t know.” He cited specific headlines from both media outlets, which report on Palestinians being killed, but fail to identify them as terrorists and attackers.
If you think they are bad, and they are, try reading RT.
“Israel has the right to be recognized. What’s going on has to be mentioned fairly without these cheap tactics,” he said. “This [the biased reporting] has nothing to do with honesty. This has nothing to do with integrity and it’s a shame.”
The Egyptian activist urged the public to become the “true news reporters,” saying, “It is our duty to act and show the world what’s going on in Israel.”
Egyptian Activist: "We Were Taught to Hate Israel"
"We have so much in common. Some of my Israeli friends are more Arab then a lot of Arabs I know," said Egyptian activist Ahmed Meligy.
Ben Bresky & INN Staff
Ahmed Meligy in Tahrir Square 2011 Photo Courtesy Ahmed Meligy
Hitler good; Jew bad
"When I was a kid, I wondered why they told us that Adolph Hitler was a good guy and that he did good by the Holocaust," reminisced Ahmed Meligy, a self described Egyptian peace activist. "This sounded like pure racism and ignorance, but I couldn't speak my mind or say that out loud," he continued. Meligy has been making waves since publishing a series of editorials in the Jerusalem Post and other media outlets about his opposition to a more radicalized, less democratic Egyptian government.
The young man gave a live phone interview from Alexandria, Egypt on Israel National Radio's News & Views call-in show with Tamar Yonah.
"I cannot blame them," said Meligy, referring to anti-Jewish sentiment in Egyptian society. "Years ago while I was in school, we didn't have internet, or cable TV. We just had government TV and this was the only source of information we had," Meligy stated.
President Hosni Mubarak ruled Egypt from 1981 until 2011 when he was ousted. The June elections in Egypt have caused Meligy and others concern that the new government will not allow any more freedoms then the old one.
"Our government was telling us whatever they wanted," continued Meligy. "We saw everything from their view. They were saying Israel is this very big monster. They were magnifying it."
Meligy said he has been seeking to communicate with non-Egyptians, specifically Israelis. He found Arutz Sheva - Israel National Radio show host Tamar Yonah through Facebook. "I was very curious about the Jewish people and wanted to know everything," he said.
Meligy said he does not blame the Egyptian people for being anti-Jewish because "they were fed propaganda and hatred toward the Jewish world."
Meligy expressed initial shock when he first communicated with real Israelis. "One of the things they were telling us was that the Israelis have nothing to do with the Middle East and Israelis are nothing but Europeans and Americans," he enthused. "I used to believe that, until I started to have Israeli friends who listened to the same music I listen to, who play the same video games I play, who love soccer. We have so much in common. They are some times that my Israeli friends are more Arab then a lot of Arabs I know. So this is why I started my activism. I have to give to show the truth to my people and show the truth to your people that we are not terrorists," said Meligy.
Unfortunately, I am unable to find a good link to this interview.
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