An important case study amid today’s inundation of propaganda. My latest in FrontPage:
It’s a story that would tug at anyone’s heartstrings, unless you’re a heartless, racist, xenophobic, bigoted, Islamophobic hatemonger, and that’s just the point: a recent article that ran in at least two British papers, the Daily Mail and Metro UK, provided an enlightening case study in how media manipulation works. It’s the same on this side of the Atlantic as well; the establishment media in America as well as in Britain is today not remotely a news source. Instead, it is wholly and solely a propaganda arm of the hard-Left, devoted to turning you into a loyal, docile member of the new collectivist, open-borders, socialist, authoritarian post-republic that is being foisted upon us.
The tearjerker story in question ran in the Mailonline and Metro on Wednesday, with minor variations between the two. “A refugee who fled the war-torn Middle East after her relatives were killed,” the Daily Mail intoned, “says life in Hull is ‘the same’ as Iraq.”
Good heavens! Life in tranquil, stable Britain the same as Iraq? Why, what horrors is Intesar Hassan, 55, suffering, and why? “Since arriving in the city, the mother says she has been left mostly bed bound and reliant on a wheelchair, after enduring squalor at her home and having to wash in her kitchen sink. The mother-of-four says her life in Hull is in fact ‘hell’, adding: ‘When I think about Iraq and Hull, they are the same to me. When I came here my health conditions worsened and are getting worse day by day in this house. I cannot walk, talk or eat due to the conditions I am living in. All night long I worry about the house.’”
It seems that Hassan and her family were “placed into their private-rented house in west Hull on their arrival in the city eight years ago. Since then, Ms Hassan claims there has been no maintenance carried out on the house, while also stating there is no heating and there’s damp on the walls.” She complains: “I open the window at night because I can’t breathe from the damp inside the house. This situation is reminding me and re-traumatising me from past experiences. I told the Refugee Council that the house is freezing but they didn’t do anything. We have no heating and no maintenance work has been done on the house in the past eight years. I fell down the stairs in the house which led to me needing to have my gall bladder operated on. I have letters from Castle Hill Hospital, GPs and occupational therapists which recommends I am placed into a new house suitable for disabled people, but I have waited on Hull City Council’s housing list since the day I arrived in Hull.”
Sounding the sole discordant note, a spokesman for the Hull City Council said that the the house “was ‘immaculate’ upon the family’s arrival, with the tenants denying access to maintenance workers,” and also, “its environmental health team had also been denied access to the house.”
But that Hull City Council spokesman is doubtless just an “Islamophobe.” Intesar Hassan’s predicament is a shame indeed. But beyond the British media spin, a few questions remain. Notably these: What obligation do British taxpayers have to provide for her needs? How did they incur this obligation? And why do the Daily Mail and Metro think her misfortune is newsworthy? Note how the stories in both are almost identical, evidence of a coordinated campaign.
There are no doubt British citizens who have cold houses that are served by inadequate maintenance staff. Yet would any of them ever get written up in the Daily Mail or Metro? Of course not. And why is that? Because stories such as this one are meant to further a narrative, to appeal to one’s emotions so that resistance to mass Muslim migration is softened.
After all, who would be so callous as to deny an old, bedridden woman a bit of taxpayer money to get her a new place, right? And haven’t these refugees from war-torn Iraq suffered enough? How could you possibly oppose their mass migration into the UK, you cruel, greasy Islamophobe?
Articles of this kind are, in short, no less state propaganda designed to inculcate views and attitudes in the populace than anything turned out by Goebbels. Every time one is published, it must be called out. The more aware the public is of how it is being manipulated, the less effective that manipulation will be.
Pray Hard says
Where did we even get the idea that we have an OBLIGATION to take care of the entire world?
mortimer says
The West has no more obligation than Muslim countries to look after Muslims, but it would be more reasonable to build facilities in Muslim-majority countries to look after Muslims in places that have the same culture.
Mount Zion says
It would make more sense to build facilities in muslim majority countries to look after christians as long as they are any left .
Mike N says
That would, definitely, improve the efficiency of the terrorist attacks.
James Lincoln says
We don’t, Pray Hard.
Countries should put the health and well-being of their own citizens first. If there’s anything left over, foreign aid can be given to help them in their *own* country.
Only potential immigrants who are very carefully vetted – and can add *value* to the new host country should be considered.
Eleanor says
It might be the fact that the UK signed the UN Global Compact for Migration a couple of years ago, one of the 23 objectives being to “strive to create conducive conditions that enable all migrants to enrich our societies through their human, economic and social capacities, and thus facilitate their contributions to sustainable development at the local, national, regional and global levels.”
If anyone can tell me how this woman “enriches UK society” I’d love to hear it.
Mount Zion says
“Taking in immigrants from war ridden countries always enriches us because it shows our humanity it brings out the best in us by helping people who are in dire need” . That’s the explanation they come up with . They always have the upper hand when it comes to advancing their agenda of softening mass muslim migration by appealing to ones emotion without considering that there are also locals in dire need . I remember the first time I heard the explanation on why mass muslim migration enriches us in any case , I almost threw up .
James Lincoln says
Yes, Mount Zion.
Where’s the vomit bag?
terry sullivan says
ask mrs may
Andrew Clarke says
Well said. We do not have that obligation.
terry sullivan says
un agenda 21
kalergi plan
and now un accord
if hull and iraq are the same–send her back to iraq–shes a parasite following the koran–get infidels to pay
Aastra says
from christianity to civilize and colonize the entire world.
W says
The Daily Mail publishes stories like this because they know it get the backs of the populace up it’s just a form of click bait for a website that generates revenue from adverts, and if they did hope the story would generate any kind of sympathy the comments section on the papers website would show them how futile that gesture was even with moderation the comments where whole heartedly negative towards her self induced plight.
Zoran Anzelc says
Have Muslim communities done anything good for us yet? It’s quite the opposite.
Rob says
Like Ilhan Omar they are programmed to run down and despoil what their hosts have provided. Ditto the Boston Bombers. Ditto Ft Hood and so many more.
moqifen says
You forgot to mention that’s she’s already owing thousands in rent, despite getting housing benefit. These people are nothing more than leeches.
moqifen says
She’s also milking this gall bladder problem – per nhs “Recovering from gallbladder removal surgery
It doesn’t usually take long to recover from keyhole surgery to remove your gallbladder.
Most people can leave hospital the same day or the next morning.
You’ll probably be able to return to most of your normal activities within 2 weeks.
It takes longer to recover from open surgery. You may need to stay in hospital for 3 to 5 days and it could be 6 to 8 weeks before you’re feeling back to normal.” She’s found some dhimmi doctor and social worker who’ve fallen for her son story.
Infidel says
If she thinks UK is no better than Iraq, why not send her back there, and let her compatriots handle her?
gravenimage says
+1
Christopher Watson says
And the British government hands over many millions every year to the ME. We all pay for this. She’s free to return to Iraaq any time she likes.
gravenimage says
Bedridden Iraqi Woman Shows How Leftist Media Manipulates Opinion
…………………..
This family has been in the UK for *eight years*, and still expects British taxpayers to provide them with a house and its maintenance.
Then, the family has refused to allow maintenance people in to do the work–so the claim that they have done nothing is false in any case.
When I was first on my own, I lived in a rental in a marginal area, and knew that the rent was so low in part because the landlord planned on doing little to maintain the property. So, even though I was making little money at the time, I did a lot of small repairs myself, and only called the landlord once, when the neighbors upstairs had let their water overflow and the ceiling in the kitchen was in danger of caving in.
Oh–and there was no heat. So I did what most people do in these circumstances–I got a couple of space heaters and wore sweaters inside during cold wheather.
And I never went whinging to the newspapers–nor would they have picked up the story if I had–nor should they have.
Many native Britons are in worse circumstances than these sponging invaders.
This is not the only case where Muslims have whined about the quality of the freebies Infidels have charitably given them. Just appalling.
Keith O says
GI, Your right, There are many people living in far worse conditions here in “the lucky country”, Australia, I know this first hand. I lived in a tent in the bush for a year after I lost my job.
I got a job, worked my arse off, built my own home and eventually had to retire due to disability, but I did it.
So when I see ungrateful arseholes like this I have a tendency to get just a tad pissed off.
terry sullivan says
read koran–we must pay moslems or they will kill us
gravenimage says
Thanks, Graham and Keith.
And good for you for your hard work, Keith!
Clifford Fodor says
60 Minutes is an example of manipulation. They ran a segment in which a Central American family owned a motorcycle and had a small child. They sold their motorcycle and started on their way to the USA in a bus. They met hardship along the way. And when they reached the USA border, they could not get in. Moral of the story: The USA is heartless. The truth and the solution: You Central Americans–stay at home with your motorcycle.
Phil Copson says
Perhaps they should have sold the child ? That way – when they couldn’t get into the USA, they’d still have had a motorbike to get home on ! Sometimes, the obvious solution is the best.
Dano says
I would urge her to leave and go back to Iraq before her hellish existence in a civilized country makes her health deteriorate even more. Somehow though, I think she will stay where her and her family are while receiving generous payouts and free healthcare. Throw the ungrateful parasite out.
Fred van de Bunt says
If you read between the lines, it is the social benefit system, that is being spoken of. People get there a fixed maximized benefit for food and clothing The housing expenses, that do not carry a maximum, are directly paid to the house lord.
Collusion between government employees and house lords can be very profitable, if you have a couple of dozen people on social benefits you rent rooms to for 700 pounds a month. It did and still does happen.
terry sullivan says
direct payment to landlords is rare
Giacomo Latta says
and, of course, refusal to rent to muslims is ”racial” discrimination
andrew mckendrick says
Old English saying , Hull, Hell and Halifax….should have done her homework before moving there.
Jacquethelad says
Actually Hull is quite a nice city! Have you ever been?
Beneath the Veil of Consciousness says
Your Welcome.
Mark says
Muslims from the levant are the most coward arrogant people you will every come across in this world they prey on on the weak such as children women and the elderly. Most Muslims in reality are nothing but a useless coward human who will only back away if he or she suspects revenge or retaliation from his or hers actions and yes they are dumb and delusional people who think they can do what they want like God which is neither true. My Grandparents, Muslim neighbours of Indian ethnicity at housing commission in Australia from time to time give my grandparents a hard time although when ever I show up and knock on there door to question them why did you do this, they get get so scared and close the door then open the door again only when recording with there phone camera out of fear. Not only that he and his wife are in the wrong and they waste police time by calling them over and make false accusations against my Grandparents.
gravenimage says
So sorry your grandparents are being harassed, Mark.
Gourdhead says
An immediate solution would be to go back where you came from.
OLD GUY says
Biden just opened the American TAX payer to this same scam. The do gooders will bring these islamic people to our neighborhoods and dump them on our door steps so they can feel good about themselves. The Do-Gooders will then go back to their gated community and feel so wonderful for their humanity with no thought as to who has to deal with these people forever. We have plenty of people on welfare in this country now, we don’t need more. As a citizen and TAX payer I want my money spent to improve this country and the lives of my fellow TAX payers not foreigners and people who are to lazy to get off their butts and go to work. The NANNY STATE won’t work!
Fang. says
Endless numbers of people are walking around and living a normal existence without a gall bladder, yet this parasitic POS is making it a debilitating illness. The biggest bit missing from her and debilitating her is her brain.
moqifen says
see my comment above – the nhs estimates longest recovery time as 8 weeks – the shortest as 2 weeks. but then again lying comes as natural as breathing to a muslim. When dealing with them it’s best to take the default position that they are lying to you (usually to gain some advantage over you) The fact that in the original article she’s now using a wheelchair after a gall bladder operation tells you to what lengths these people will go to to pull the wool over your eyes.
Kathleen Walsh says
I am originally from Hull. The people are the salt of the earth and would bend over backwards to help each other in need. Now parts of it are no go areas thanks to the relocation scheme where immigrants are bussed all over the UK.
Hull being one of the city’s forced too accept them. My cousin was forced to move after Iraqis moved in next door. She was forced to flee after he tried too run her over with his car. She had to move after living in her house for years.
I have seen the decline in my city. It’s getting like the shit hole of Khans Londonstan.
If she doesn’t like Hull then go back to Iraq Simples.
OLD GUY says
Hull is just another example of what happens when you bring tases muslim/islamic refugees into a stable community. Tucson Az. U.S.A. has the same thing. The do gooders brought a large group of Somalians into a middle class neighborhood and subsequently the area is now the highest crime rate area of the city, business closed, home values way down and trashed. The do gooders went back to their upper class gated communities and felt warm all over for helping these poor Somalians. They never thought about the middle class Americans that lost their business and homes because of their actions.
moqifen says
Somalians – the dregs of the dregs. You have my sympathies.
gravenimage says
Thanks for that grim view on the ground, Kathleen.
Crusades Were Right says
Say, didn’t we see this story in JW a few weeks ago?
Deja vu, or what!