The BBC's headline initially called Muhammad Bhar's killing a 'lonely death', despite him being attacked by a dog and left to die by the Israeli army.

A BBC report published on Tuesday on the killing of a disabled Palestinian man by Israel has drawn intense backlash, following what activists described as a “misleading headline” and “dehumanisation of Palestinians” amid the war in Gaza.

The British public broadcaster’s news website initially ran the story with the headline “The lonely death of Gaza man with Down’s syndrome” — omitting mention of the fact that 24-year-old Muhammad Bhar was left to die by the Israeli army after a combat dog was violently set on him.

In the report, written by veteran Irish journalist Fergal Keane, the attack was not mentioned until the 16th paragraph — almost halfway through the piece.

  • @MrkawfeeEnglish
    7•5 months ago

    Israel is a creation of the English. Prime Minister Lloyd George, who agreed the Balfour declaration, was a virulent Islamophobe.

    • @[email protected]English
      4•5 months ago

      Politics has evolved a lot since then. The British Empire was also still a thing that far back.

      • @AceticonEnglish
        2•5 months ago

        Last I checked when I lived there (about 5 years ago), Islamophobia was alive and well in the UK.

        Sure, they don’t voice it much - which is just the cultural nature of the place: don’t say what you really think, white lies, politelly compliment even if you dislike something, that kind of thing - but they certainly act it judging by the experiences of Muslim friends I had there.

        • @[email protected]English
          2•5 months ago

          And at this point there’s people who support Isreal at least partly just to hurt Muslims, which is sad. Y’know, historically Jews and Muslims got along okay. Better than Muslims and Christians, at least.