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Author: Stephen Sorace
Publication: News.com.au
Date: October 28, 2019
URL: https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/media/washington-post-publishes-albaghdadi-headline-referring-to-is-leader-as-austere-religious-scholar/news-story/a5fdfa83f042b9f54de81344d90a949e
A major newspaper has published a gasp-inducing headline, using three astonishing words to describe IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
The Washington Post published a gasp-inducing headline for the ages on Sunday, describing Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as an “austere religious scholar”.
The obituary, written by The Post’s National Security reporter Joby Warrick, followed confirmation of al-Baghdadi’s death in a US military operation in Syria on Saturday night.
It detailed al-Baghdadi’s rise to the terrorist group’s shadow leader from what the paper described as his origins as a “religious scholar with wireframe glasses”.
The headline read, “Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, austere religious scholar at helm of Islamic State, dies at 48”.
The story first appeared to run under a headline that referred to al-Baghdadi as the “Islamic State’s ‘terrorist-in-chief’”. It was unclear why or who decided to change the “terrorist” label to “austere religious scholar”.
The Post then changed the headline again, settling on “extremist leader of Islamic State”.
The Washington Post vice president of communications Kristine Coratti Kelly told Fox News, “Regarding our al-Baghdadi obituary, the headline should never have read that way and we changed it quickly.”
White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham tweeted that she had “no words” regarding the Post headline.
Former press secretary Sean Spicer also responded, writing, “Stop, read this & think about it: last night a ruthless, brutal terrorist who threatened our country & is responsible for the death of American citizens was killed in a successful operation by US military & @washingtonpost described #Albagdadi as an ‘austere religious scholar’.”
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I have no words. https://t.co/4zH9Ji0Smy
— Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) October 27, 2019
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Others on social media took notice of the bizarre headline changes, taking digs at the paper.
“They had it right the first time,” Yashar Ali, New York Magazine and HuffPost contributor tweeted, alongside screenshots of the two headlines.
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They had it right the first time.
The Washington Post changed the headline on its Al-Baghdadi obituary from “Islamic State’s terrorist-in-Chief” to “austere religious scholar at helm of Islamic State.” pic.twitter.com/cs243EVz7W
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) October 27, 2019
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“@washingtonpost trying desperately to hold on to #ISIS online subscribers,” Wyoming Republican Representative Liz Cheney said.
Social media users mocked the paper by writing death notices for other historic figures who committed crimes and atrocities.
“#WaPoDeathNotices Genghis Khan, accomplished horseman and indefatigable traveller, breathes his last,” Bard College professor and The Wall Street Journal columnist Walter Russell Mead wrote.
“Adolf Hitler, passionate community planner and dynamic public speaker, dies at 56.#WaPoDeathNotices,” wrote Jason Howerton.
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Mao Zedong, who saved 20-45 million of his own people from having to suffer through the struggle of existence, dies at 82.#WaPoDeathNotices pic.twitter.com/4wwJqQqXp3
— Jason Howerton (@jason_howerton) October 27, 2019
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Bloomberg and The New York Times were also criticised for lukewarm comments about the terrorist leader’s death.
“Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi transformed himself from a little-known teacher of Koranic recitation into the self-proclaimed ruler of an entity that covered swathes of Syria and Iraq,” Bloomberg wrote in a tweet.
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What the hell is going on pic.twitter.com/mvcYZdAziA
— Harry Khachatrian (@Harry1T6) October 27, 2019
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The New York Times correspondent Rukmini Callimachi said in a Twitter thread, “We are familiar with the atrocities his group carried out & are used to thinking of Baghdadi as a criminal & a thug. But those who knew him as a teen & as a young man described him as having a spiritual gift.”
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Americans: "we are disgusted by WaPo trying to humanize and sympathize this savage, enemy of all that's decent in the world, who murdered thousands, including many journalists".
Rukmini Callimachi: "Hold my beer".
— DecentAmerican (@DecentAmerican1) October 27, 2019
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Under Al-Baghdadi’s leadership, IS carried out a slew of barbaric atrocities, including the enslavement and rape of thousands of women from Iraq’s Yazidi minority. They massacred captives and threw individuals believed to be gay from the rooftops of buildings.
Journalists and aid workers were beheaded, including Americans, in videos and photos the terror group broadcast with delight.
James Foley, an American journalist, was beheaded by IS terrorists in August 2014 while covering the Syrian civil war. Foley, 45, was the first US citizen to be murdered by the terrorist group.
The beheadings of Steven Sotloff, another American journalist, and Peter Kassig, an American aid worker and former Army Ranger, followed the death of Foley. The beheadings of all three were broadcast on video.
Kayla Mueller, another American aid worker, was also killed at the hands of ISIS, after having been taken hostage in 2013 and forced to “marry” one of their leaders. Her death was confirmed in 2015.
The killings and barbaric treatment extended to citizens from other countries, including journalists from Britain and Japan, who were also beheaded.
In December 2014, Jordanian pilot Muath Al-Kaseasbeh was shot down and captured in Syria. He was taken hostage and months later seen on video being burned alive in a cage.
President Donald Trump announced the death of al-Baghdadi on Sunday morning, describing him as dying “in a vicious and violent way, as a coward, running and crying”.
Al-Baghdadi had retreated to a dead-end tunnel, taking three children with him, and detonated a suicide vest. He along with the children were killed in the blast.
Fox News’ Nick Givas and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
* This article originally appeared on Fox News and was reproduced with permission |
