Monday, March 12, 2012

UN Information Coordinator Khulood Badawi spreads Mis-information

From a well known Hasidic story:

After telling lies about a local rabbi, a man realized the wrong he had done, and felt guilty. He went to the rabbi to beg forgiveness, saying he would do anything he could to make amends. The rabbi told the man, "Take a feather pillow, cut it open, and scatter the feathers to the winds." The man did it gladly. When he returned to tell the rabbi that he had done it, the rabbi said, "Now, go and gather the feathers. Because you can no more make amends for the damage your words have done than you can recollect the feathers."

Just as feathers scattered in the wind can never be fully gathered, the lightning speed of the internet has magnified the damage of lies and mis-information. The taint of lies spread on the internaet remains, long after the source has been discredited and the stource debuked. Just this weekend, we've seen how fast a fraudulent photo has circulated around the web. We've seen how it is still being tweeted, placed on Facebook, and emailed thoughout the anti-Israel, by people who are so consumed by hatred they have willingly abandoned truth.

The cynical use of a 5 year old photo to spread hate is now well documented - but who started this cycle of lies? Its been traced to Khulood Dadawi, who tweets as "Long Live palestine". She is employed by the United Nations as an Information and Media Coordinator. You'd think, you'd hope that an Information and media Coordinator would be, well- unbiased. Accurate. You'd be disappointed in this case

From Honest Reporting

"Khulood Badawi happens to work for the OCHA – the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs where, according to a UN Contact List, she works as an Information and Media Coordinator.
A Google search reveals that Badawi has a history of activism in a range of pro-Palestinian non-governmental organizations, some of them radical and politicized. While this background may not in itself disqualify her from a career with the UN, it is absolutely unacceptable that a UN employee working specifically on dissemination of information to the media and public tweets malicious and false information to libel Israel.
HonestReporting’s CEO Joe Hyams comments:
Once again, we are bearing witness to the extent that organizations such as the United Nations have failed to vet the integrity of their employees. The disgusting actions of this individual – invoking the imagery of a dead child to slander Israel – exposes once more the abject failure of NGOs to ensure a basic work ethic and commitment to fair and impartial conduct on the part of its employees.
The halo-effect enjoyed by the UN, where the public trusts the integrity of its staff and its Mission, demands higher professional standards than we are seeing. The UN owes the public, no less than this young girl’s family, an apology. The immediate dismissal of Khulood Badawi on the grounds of incitement is expected.
Powerful images such as these have a deep impact on public opinion. Where Israel is trying desperately to defend more than 1 million of its civilians from the incessant murderous rain of Gazan rocket terror – it is abhorrent that a UN employee working for a body concerned with humanitarian welfare would have more concern for manipulating public sentiment than a true desire to protect innocent human life. Badawi cares more for the lie, than for life."


Does this assault on truth bother you as much as it ought to? Contact the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs through its Contact page. Let them knbow what you're thinking

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