Poor Level of SA Journalism

John Qwelane has written one of the worst attempts at a column on the Middle East I have ever read. It is riddled with jaw dropping moments of complete juvenile reasoning.

The article has to my knowledge not only appeared in the news24 news website but also in the Sunday Sun newspaper. It leaves a dark stain not on Israel or the Jews that Qwelane has a dig at. No, it leaves a dark stain on the level of journalism that South Africa produces. Every South African journalist, columnist, and reporter has been smeared.

Read some of the highlights, then if you can stomach it read the full article. And then, pick your jaw up from the floor.

Palestinians 'robbed blind' (Headline in Sunday Sun is “Sophistry and Lies will never change the truth".) The two buttheads who throw their weight around in much of the world today, generally never cease to amaze me with their flocculent reasoning. Last week the Palestinian revolutionary movement, Hamas, proved most definitely that it is the voice of the oppressed and marginalised people of Palestine, much to the chagrin of the knucklehead in Washington, George Bush. Not that his chief sidekick, the butthead in London, Tony Blair, was any pleased that the "terrorists" had convincingly beaten all and sundry at the polls.

First they are both buttheads, then Bush warps into a knucklehead leaving Blair as the only butthead. Interesting. And WTF does flocculent mean?

The two buttheads, or in the favourite lexicon of their foes in the Islamic world - Big Satan (America) and Little Satan (Britain) - put on their most idiotic display of insanity.

Whoa…hold it right there…Bush has warped back into a butthead. Okay…so its butthead, then knucklehead and now butthead again. How nuanced!

The Satan brotherhood always tells anyone who will listen to their nonsense, like the Israelis always listen very attentively, that democracy must prevail, and will prevail.

I’m no expert (and obviously Qwelane isn't one either), but it doesn’t take a genius to spot the frightening grammar problems of that statement.

The Palestinians have elected a party which they believe will deliver on their mandate: to free Palestine from Israeli/Zionist oppression. In addition, they want the return of the occupied territories, which Israel annexed in 1967 after a "war" which it provoked against the Arab nations. Now I am very much aware that the local bunch of Zionist apologists of Israel will choke on their matzo balls at this. I will be told that I am "ignorant" of the Middle-East situation, and that I must shut up immediately.

Logic John logic. First it’s a return of the territories and then they will free Palestine from Israeli/Zionist oppression.

As for staring the war, John has obviously read very little history. I challenge anyone out there to debate with me who provoked the 67 war. It’s clear and certain.

This highly intolerant bunch will also very likely call me "anti-Semitic", which they have done before and readily hurl it at anybody saying what they do not want to hear; it is their most potent weapon to stifle debate about anything to do with Israel's illegal occupation of Arab land.

I think it's you John who is highly intolerant because you deem any criticism you receive as accusations of anti-Semitism. Your intolerance for criticism is well known in this country. Maybe if you weren’t so intolerant you would still have that job at 702 talk radio.

What should now happen is that the level of hostilities must lessen: Hamas must stop its bombs and the Israelis must also stop their American-made missiles raining down on Palestinian areas and destroying homes, and their trigger-happy soldiers must stop mowing down mere children. A Codesa-type conference will now be very imperative, and America must stop arming Israel. …. Whether the wealthy self-exiled Jewish financiers of Israel and the US and UK like it or not, the real issues of Palestine are beginning to manifest themselves in the Middle-East.

Sigh.

Comments to the Sunday Sun Editor Phalane Motale: [email protected] and Managing Editor Mike Vink [email protected]

Be polite. Explain that it’s very sad to see such amateur journalism setback a newspaper which was growing in such great strides.

Do you think the avalanche of complaints about calling people anti-Semitic means that we should always refrain from doing so? I for one never call anyone anti-Semitic. What do you think?

As far as Qwelane is concerned I think he is anti-white and anti-West. I don’t think he is necessarily anti-Semitic.

Update
Thanks to Pajamas Media who have posted this item on their blog.

Here’s an item of similar interest. It looks at an article written by the South African Minister of Intelligence Ronnie Kasrils about the myths of Zionism.

For more about the South African media see the SA_media category and if you ever want resources dispelling the Israel apartheid comparison then see the apartheid category.

Also on a South African flavour and seeing as South Africa recently abstained in the vote to haul Iran before the UNSC here is a post that aggregates various stories about South Africa’s murky relationship with Iran.

Comments

[Anti-UN]

I think that the anti-semite label only hurts us. But I dont think you should simply never do it. Dont let them dictate the rules of the game.

But you forgot to mention that Qwelane is the one who quickly labels all of his detractors racist whites. Any white who disagress with the man is always a racist.

So how can he accuse Jews of quickly labelling people anti-Semites when he is guilty of doing same.

[mike]

Its sounds like his years of excessive drinking have finally affected his brain. What utter garbage. I find his ‘matzo balls’ (should be Matzos balls) comment the most distasteful (pun intended). Someone should tell him that Israel has never annexed the West Bank and Gaza as he claims. Moreover it’s not Pesach time yet.

We must just be thankful that he was fired from 702. An irrational article in a newspaper now and again is certainly better than his constant pollution of the airwaves. There was once a time when he terrorise the South African Jewish Community nightly. Thankfully that has ended.

Not well known is the controversy surrounding his dismissal from 702. A rumour I heard from a reliable sources is that in his last few months he was on air drunk. His slurring and irrational tirades would testify to this.

How a respectable newspaper could publish his crap is just beyond me.

[Jak]

Seems like John's been spending a bit too much time with Ronnie Kasrils...

[John Foland]

This man doesn't think right, talk right, or write right. When I was young I used to have a heavy-duty bicycle to deliver newspapers. He should get a bicycle and leave the writing to those who can.

[Mr Keet]

Allow me to express my outrage that our country has been so savaged in the South African media.

I can accept criticism of my country and I dont even support the war in Iraq but this is pure buffoonary.

Our media would never resort to such low levels in an attempt to criticise or mock South Africa.

[Richard Boycott]

Hi,
I arrived here via Pajamas Media. Its fantastic to see such a good job being done by a South African blog.

I am originally from Britain but did spend 10 years in South Africa before heading to California.

Well done.

And I second the point made by John Folans. This man should not be writing in newspapers.

[Seed]

Disgrace. You should also be sending criticism to the website.

[Roland]

First time visitor.

I think it is very close to being anti-Semitic. He describes Jews as intolerant people choking on matzos balls.

[mike]

You right Roland there are some anti-Semitic references in his article. The part where he speaks about wealthy Jewish financers screams the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Maybe that’s what he does for light reading. As I said before the Matzos Balls is also distasteful.

In his defence, John Qwelane does have a close relationship with a very influential Orthodox Rabbi in Johannesburg. Not that it seems to have moderated or informed his views.

[Steve]

Maybe those references are naive on his behalf. So im still not sure whether i would charge him of being anti-semitic.

Qwelane is generally anti-everyone. (Except for Mugabe and Zuma...he loves them.)

[Just a caring individual]

Yes - that is a very childish article. And it is biased.

Sins far less guilt than those for which you sir are guilty. He does not support murderers. YOU DO!!!!

[mike]

Just a caring individual, neither I nor Steve support murderers. What exactly are u refering 2?

[Jak]

Just a caring individual, lastr time I checked Hamas was going around blowing up Israeli women and children while they sit in coffeee shops and restaurants. By my definitions and most of the civilized world that's murder!

[Wayne]

Qwelane is the editor on the South African version of The Sun. A paper which thinks little of publishing pictures of decapitated children on the front page along with stories about people claiming that Zombies eat their soap.

That says it all about him.

[Just a caring individual]

you support the IDF. Army that aims for kids.

[mike]

Just a caring individual, the IDF does not aim for kids. It does happen that while engaging with Palestinian militants innocent civilian are killed in the cross fire. I certainly do not support this, but do recognise that civilian casualties are a reality of war. The fact that Palestinian militants fight from within civilian area contributes to this situation.

Israel is a democracy with a very independent judiciary. All levels of Israeli society including the army are subject to the rule of law. If the rules of engagement are contravened, the soldier responsible is brought before a tribunal and punished appropriately.

Contrast with Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups that deliberately target innocent civilians. In law intention is an important aspect of how serious a crime is. There is for example a large difference between the treatment of those who commit culpable homicide and murder. The same standard applies to warfare.

[Susy]

Flocculent means "like tufts of wool" - such a pretentious word - he probably meant flatulent because that's what describes him to a "t" (or an "f")..........

[mike]

nice one susy.

[greenmamba]

I sent a little note to Mr Qwalane and ignored the "anti-Semitic" thing as it's a trap.

Just a caring individual: It's easy to think the Israeli army targets kids because of the way the media has reported things. You need to understand that the Palestinian fighters fire from behind children to promote this view.

When the intifada broke out in 2000, the media was very prepared to report things this way. Sharon was a hated figure owing to biased reporting from the 80s. There was a famous case, 12 year old Mohamed al Dura, shot in his father's arms, that did much to portray the IDF as child killers. I have read much about this and it was impossible for the IDF to have killed him. It was most likely faked or possibly a sacrifical killing by Palestinians. One need to know what one is dealing with here.