The Washington Post’s Hypocrisy

Opinion

February 21st, 7:44pm

Tariq Al-Homayed

Tariq Al-Homayed - Saudi journalist and writer, and former editor-in-chief of Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper

At a time when the new US administration is rushing to negotiate with Iran, despite all the actions Tehran and its proxies – the Houthis and Hezbollah – and others in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon are responsible for across the region, the American daily The Washington Post published an inflammatory editorial against Egypt! Last Friday, The Washington Post published a sharply-worded editorial that is critical of US President Joe Biden’s dealings with Egypt and President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi. In the headline, the daily invoked the strong ties shared between Sisi and former US President Donald Trump. By definition, an editorial denotes the publishing media outlet’s point of view. This leaves us with the conclusion that The Washington Post is a hypocritical newspaper with positions that are not based on values and principles but rather derived from blind ideology that cannot be respected in its current direction. On one hand, the daily criticizes Biden for dealing with Egypt under the pretext of human rights, but on the other hand, it goes on to support US negotiations with Iran, which executes journalists, dissidents, and even an Iranian wrestler for simply protesting. More so, The Washington Post supports US-Iranian negotiations, disregarding Tehran’s persecution and oppression of its critics, even those who are Shiites. Vocal criticizers of Iran are constantly being assassinated in Iraq and Lebanon. The latest evidence for that can be found in the killing of Lebanese researcher Lokman Slim. The newspaper makes a case for US-Iranian talks, although Iran is swamped with extremism and oppression and has shown no real openness, or social or legislative development, unlike Saudi Arabia, which has transformed itself into a workshop for achieving true reform. While it turns a blind eye to Iran’s blatant crimes, The Washington Post sends a cry out on human rights in Egypt based on local stories. It overlooks the terrorism and devastation that worry at least four Arab states and are caused by Iran's extremism. Hypocrites like The Washington Post are not concerned with threatening the safety of nearly 100 million Egyptians. Rather, it is all about implementing a subversive agenda and promoting pretenses. If the newspaper’s positions were based on real and well-established values in support of human rights, then it would have demanded the new US administration put an end to Iran-aided state terrorism that killed and displaced innocents who only asked for freedom and social justice in Syria. The Washington Post has clearly shown it has double standards when it comes to holding states accountable for human rights violations. It is far from impartial when it incites against authorities in Egypt yet argues for the international community reembracing Iran which not only oppresses its people but is also destroying other countries in the region. Instead, the daily ignores the conduct of Iranian proxies in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen. When The Washington Post calls on the US administration to stop dealing with Egypt, it also forgets about China's human rights record. With that being said, should Biden boycott Beijing?! The daily’s views simply do not add up coherently. Its approach is unprincipled and does not function in the world of politics. Though it praises Biden’s statements on Myanmar and Russia, The Washington Post makes no mention of Iran, its terrorism and its human rights violations track record. If this isn’t hypocrisy at its best, then what is it?!

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2819481/tariq-al-homayed/washington-post%E2%80%99s-hypocrisy