By John Ballard
Nick Kristof remains in Bahrain, tapping out Twitter snapshots.
Huge thanks to my #Bahrain followers who helped me cover the shootings yesterday and transport me around! Shokran Jazeelan!
The backdrop for #Bahrain brutality is #Saudi backing for it. Saudi fears Shia unrest spilling into its eastern province
#Bahrain Pearl Roundabout quiet now, still with lots of tanks. Mixed accounts of whether protesters will march on it today.
If they do march, I'd bet troops will open fire again. For a ruler, killing protesters is like a drug; it's addictive.
I hear members of the #Bahrain royal family are circulating a petition complaining about my columns. Haven't seen it yet.
Quite a few tanks have pulled out of #Bahrain Pearl Roundabout over last hour. I count 11 tanks/apc's left. Not sure what this means. [1 hour ago]
Ah, here's the #Bahrain petition against me: http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/NickKristoff/Dear New York Times Editor:
The events that have fallen on Bahrain the past few days have been nothing short of tragic. So when the violence escalated, the world tuned in, through you, the media. This brings us to the point of this petition: we write to you today, complaining about the shoddy journalism of one of your own reporters, Nicholas D. Kristof. Through his twitter feed, he has accomplished nothing short of spreading the wrong message of the Bahraini situation, giving one-sided report, and spreading unchecked lies.
This issue was not about sectarian hate, the people did not want to overthrow the government. What the people were peacefully protesting for was reform, but Nick Kristof went on to compare the situation to Tunisia�s and Egypt�s. Not once did he mention the opposing point of view, not once did he see look at the situation objectively, and see that both sides were wrong.
Many of us during the past days have relied heavily on twitter to keep up with the latest updates on this grief that has struck our nation. I myself am studying in the United Kingdom, and it has been my main source of information. Which is why it was so disappointing to find Nick Kristof post unconfirmed information, such as the presence of Saudi military in Bahrain. For him to make this a Sunni and Shiite matter only fuels the hate.
We understand that the criterion for newsworthiness sometimes necessitates focusing on human interest, conflict, and shock value from an emotional angle. However, to continuously aim for such spin by intentionally ignoring other truths and exaggerating inaccuracies was extremely hurtful to our small national and its people, fueling a horrible fire and destroying alread strained relations.
We kindly ask that you review and independently investigate all that has been said when this situation is over, and take any appropriate actions you see fit in line with the journalistic standards befitting your esteemed organization.
----------------------------------------------------
Added by: hassan.albashhotmail.com on February 18, 2011, 4:11:11 pm ----------------------------------------------------Dear New York Times Editor:
The events that have fallen on Bahrain the past few days have been nothing short of tragic. So when the violence escalated, the world tuned in, through you, the media. This brings us to the point of this petition: we write to you today, complaining about the shoddy journalism of one of your own reporters, Nicholas D. Kristof. Through his twitter feed, he has accomplished nothing short of spreading the wrong message of the Bahraini situation, giving one-sided report, and spreading unchecked lies.
This issue was not about sectarian hate, the people did not want to overthrow the government. What the people were peacefully protesting for was reform, but Nick Kristof went on to compare the situation to Tunisia�s and Egypt�s. Not once did he mention the opposing point of view, not once did he see look at the situation objectively, and see that both sides were wrong.
Many of us during the past days have relied heavily on twitter to keep up with the latest updates on this grief that has struck our nation. I myself am studying in the United Kingdom, and it has been my main source of information. Which is why it was so disappointing to find Nick Kristof post unconfirmed information, such as the presence of Saudi military in Bahrain. For him to make this a Sunni and Shiite matter only fuels the hate.
We understand that the criterion for newsworthiness sometimes necessitates focusing on human interest, conflict, and shock value from an emotional angle. However, to continuously aim for such spin by intentionally ignoring other truths and exaggerating inaccuracies was extremely hurtful to our small national and its people, fueling a horrible fire and destroying alread strained relations.
Military vehicles continuing to leave Pearl Roundabout. I see only 1 APC left, no tanks. Police vehicles remain.
Small group of protesters just reached #Bahrain Pearl Roundabout. Police firing tear gas. Nobody shot that I can see.
[Retweet] Libya protest deaths 'rise to 84' - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12512536 human rights watch says
White House discusses suspending military licenses to #Bahrain: http://wapo.st/hkpmDH
Meantime, Twitter seems to be backed up. During the few minutes it took for me to copy Nick's tweets, the #Bahrain tab notes "220 new tweets." Before refreshing, I will capture a few on the screen since they get lost once the tab refreshes. Refreshing, btw, fails to download more than a couple dozen of the 200+ tweets. Only the most recent get into the system...
in #Bahrain there are community police, traffic police, THE police, RIOT police, BDF, Special Forces, RAF, BRN, Royal Guard & more!!![21 minutes ago]
RT@AJELive Clashes reported between protesters and police at Manama's Pearl roundabout, where tear gas has been fired.
Al Arabiya reports that the #Bahrain army is withdrawing tanks from Pearl Square in Manama.
RT @jrug Army withdrawn after shooting unarmed protestors yesterday - but police fired tear gas instead nr Pearl roundabout today #Bahrain
14Feb Bahrainis - you are my only hope for a better Bahrain!! I trust you!" #feb14 #bahrain
so you want us to talk with this government. we will not do so. we will talk from the pearl roundabout. not from other place. #Bahrain
Headin to salmaniya to try to liberate lulu roundabout with the crowds #bahrain
hmm.. to trust a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner @NickKristof or Bahrain state TV, such a tough decision #bahrain #feb14
Remember Soldiers & Police, "Only following orders" is no excuse under the Nuremberg Protocols. #Bahrain #Feb14 #Libya #Feb17 #Yemen #YF
Community police in #Bahrain are all Bahrainis from all towns and cities, decent Bahrainis and protesters would never attack or harm them
Police vehicles around but do not see tanks in the Pearl Roundabout #Bahrain - where did they pull out?
#Bahrain: Al Wefaq says more time the govt takes to cool situation, the hotter it gets.. the more people die, the more demands increase [NicRobertsonCNN]
Mood in Salmaniya is calm, many sleeping bags, tents, water food n tea is being distributed.. Expected more anger in the air #bahrain #lulu
Crown Prince orders troops to leave but says police will continue to oversee law and order in Manama #Bahrain [BBC News ]
RT @asteris @AJELive: Three separate protest marches set to begin in about two hours in Manama, bound for Pearl roundabout. #Bahrain
General Federation of Workers Trade Unions in #Bahrain announced a general strike tomorrow.
I think any #bahrain tweet that is more than half an hour old should not be RTed! This is how fast things are changing. [4 minutes ago]
UK Foreign Secretary "deeply concerned" by "continuing reports" of "unacceptable violence" - it wasn't just reported. It happened. #Bahrain
In pearl square #Bahrain. No army. Lots of cheering, celebrating. Riot police arrive. Firing. We ran.
I'm so proud of young Arabs everywhere who are thinking for themselve and standing up for what's right. #Bahrain #Libya #Yemen
I am on my way to Lulu Randoabout to give the support and open my chest to the fire #Bahrain #feb14
3 Arab countries have reached the point of no return: #Libya #Yemen #Bahrain. Keep it up boys and girls! Love, The World
Protesters around danamall growing in number,seen pulling barbwire put by the army.Huge no: of riot police only meters away #bahrain #feb14
The presidents of #Bahrain, #Libya, #Algeria, #Egypt, #Yemen must go to Saudi Arabia NOW. It's a good place for any dictator in the World!!!
Our heroes @RedhaHaji @NickKristof and @angryarabiya reporting live from Lulu in #Bahrain with pictures NOW! Please follow them!
Machine xslation RT @Aood: Now, dozens of protesters carrying roses and tend to riot police, chanting "peaceful! peaceful!" #Bahrain
Two views of the Pearl Roundabout today., before and after the demonstration. Notice the tanks leaving earlier.
?That gives the reader a taste of what's happening on the ground in Bahrain.
In addition to Twitter and the Kristof and Robertson Tweetfeeds, Al Jazeera's live blog is another good place to track what is happening.
?Other live blogs are reporting from Libya and Egypt
?Robert Fisk in Bahrain: 'They didn't run away. They faced the bullets head-on'
Why has the royal family of Bahrain allowed its soldiers to open fire at peaceful demonstrators? To turn on Bahraini civilians with live fire within 24 hours of the earlier killings seems like an act of lunacy.
But the heavy hand of Saudi Arabia may not be far away. The Saudis are fearful that the demonstrations in Manama and the towns of Bahrain will light equally provocative fires in the east of their kingdom, where a substantial Shia minority lives around Dhahran and other towns close to the Kuwaiti border. Their desire to see the Shia of Bahrain crushed as quickly as possible was made very clear at Thursday's Gulf summit here, with all the sheikhs and princes agreeing that there would be no Egyptian-style revolution in a kingdom which has a Shia majority of perhaps 70 per cent and a small Sunni minority which includes the royal family. [And the royal families thinks Kristof is a problem! JB]
?I have not yet watched this half-hour program but it has several of the right people (Clay Shirky, Amy Goodman...) participating in a panel discussion at Columbia University. I grab it here to see later. Meantime, I have an assignment....
Later, yall.
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