Mehdi Hasan delivers powerful speech at Wembley, accuses media of failing Gaza journalists
London: Award-winning British-American journalist Mehdi Hasan delivered a powerful and emotional speech at a packed Wembley Arena, where over 13,000 people had gathered for the ‘Together For Palestine’ fundraising concert. Hasan, the CEO and editor-in-chief of the media company Zeteo, used the platform to highlight what he described as the systematic silencing of Palestinian voices and the failure of Western journalism in covering the ongoing violence in Gaza.
Speaking to thunderous applause, Hasan said that for the last 23 months the world has been misled and manipulated, not only by Israel but also by the mainstream media in the West. He accused international outlets of failing in their duty to tell the full story of the “genocide in Gaza” and said it angered him when people demanded that Israel should allow more journalists into the besieged territory.
“Yes, Israel should. But Western media must stop acting as if there aren’t already journalists in Gaza,” Hasan said. “The bravest journalists in the world are in Gaza right now – Palestinian journalists.”
Hasan drew attention to the staggering number of journalists who have lost their lives in Gaza since the escalation of violence. He said 270 Palestinian journalists had been killed, a figure that, according to him, exceeded the number of journalists killed in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Iraq War combined.
“These journalists were not killed by accident, they were not collateral damage,” Hasan declared. “They were killed as part of Israel’s deliberate campaign to blind the world and erase evidence of its crimes.”
He went on to name several slain journalists, including Anas al-Sharif, Hossam Shabbat, Maryam Abu Dhaka, Roshdi Siraj, Muhammad Abu Hattab – who died along with 11 members of his family – and Bilal Jadallah. Hundreds of others, Hasan said, would never be remembered on platforms like CNN or the BBC.
Strongly criticising the silence of his peers, Hasan said, “Shame on those Western journalists who have not uttered a single word about the mass killing of their Palestinian counterparts.” He added that Palestinian journalists were “the best of us” because they were not only documenting a war but also their own annihilation and starvation in real time.
In one of the most striking moments of his speech, Hasan led the Wembley crowd in chanting: “You can’t bomb the truth away.” The audience repeated the slogan several times, filling the arena with a defiant chorus.
Hasan urged people worldwide to carry forward the work of the fallen journalists, not with fear or silence, but with courage, loud voices, and resistance. “Every fallen journalist leaves behind their footage, their words, their example. Let us honour their sacrifice not with despair, but with defiance,” he said.
Ending his speech on a note of solidarity and hope, Hasan addressed the journalists who died in Gaza: “Your voices are our voices. Your struggle is our struggle. And your truth will not die.”
He also sent a strong message to Israel, its allies, and sections of the media: “You will not silence Gaza. You will not silence Palestine. You will not silence the truth. And one day soon, Palestine will be free.”
The speech was met with a standing ovation, with many in the audience visibly moved by Hasan’s words. The Wembley gathering was one of the largest solidarity events for Palestine in recent times, combining fundraising with calls for justice and international accountability.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
National Herald case: Shivakumar to seek time next week to appear before Delhi police
New Delhi/Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Monday said he will ask for time from Delhi police to appear before them next week, to provide required information as part of the probe into the National Herald case.
He said he will seek time after the ongoing winter session of Karnataka legislature ends on December 19. He will also ask the Delhi police to provide him the FIR copy.
Shivakumar, who is in the national capital, had earlier said that he will appear before the Delhi police on Monday. But, he postponed the plan in order to rush back to Karnataka to participate in the last rites of veteran Congress leader Shamanuru Shivashankarappa, scheduled later in the day in Davangere.
"I had to go (to appear before the Delhi police), but I have to go back urgently. I'm asking them for time, stating that I will come next week," Shivakumar told reporters in New Delhi.
"They (Delhi police) have not attached the FIR copy while issuing notice to me. I need FIR copy, because we had already given all the required replies to the ED. I don't know what the FIR says, I only read in papers. They have given notice, I will ask for a FIR copy. I will come next week after the Assembly session."
The Delhi Police had issued a notice to Shivakumar, who is also the Karnataka Congress chief, seeking financial and transactional details as part of its probe into the National Herald case.
The notice issued by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) states that Shivakumar is "supposed to be having vital information" pertaining to the National Herald case registered on October 3 this year, against top Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
In the notice dated November 29, the EOW had asked Shivakumar to appear before it or provide the requested information by December 19 latest.
Investigators have sought details about his personal background, his association with the Congress party, and a complete break up of funds allegedly transferred by him or associated entities to Young Indian.
To a question on meeting AICC General Secretaries K C Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala, amid the ongoing power tussle between him and CM Siddaramaiah over the Chief Minister post, Shivakumar said when he comes to Delhi, he usually meets every one.
"Whether it is Surjewala or Kharge (AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge) or Venugopal, I will meet everyone. During lunch yesterday I met Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. I have met everyone. What's wrong?" he asked.
Shivakumar was in Delhi to take part in Congress' "Vote Chori" rally on Sunday, and had also participated in the lunch organised by the party for its leaders.
Responding to a question, whether any meeting is planned with leaders today, the Deputy CM said, he and Kharge will be travelling together to Karnataka, to pay last respects to Shamanuru Shivashankarappa.
Asked if he will seek time for a separate meeting with Congress leadership including Rahul Gandhi, during the next visit to Delhi, Sivakumar said, "such things will be there between us in the party.... you don't worry."
