Statement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Walters interview betrays the Syrian people, the Syrian opposition and gives stage to a sociopath

ABC’s engagement of Assad continues its bizarre tour of Despots with no moral value and shameless voyeurism

PHOENIX (December 8, 2011) – Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser, a devout Muslim and the co-founder of the Save Syria Now! issued the following statement regarding the outrageous interview of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria by ABC News’ Barbara Walters:

“Barbara Walters’ irresponsible and disgusting interview of President Bashar al-Assad was a direct betrayal of the people of Syria who have sacrificed everything in hopes of attaining their freedom. ABC’s decision to send Walters’ to Damascus and continue their tour of the Middle East’s leading despots demonstrates a complete misunderstanding of just who these assassins are and what they have done to their own people. Walters’ post interview analysis goes as far as giving Assad the perception of being disconnected from what is happening at the hands of his military. Instead of seeing the broad abuse that is taking place hourly in Syria, ABC viewers were subjected to a litany of insane denials. It was as if Assad was laying the groundwork for the day he will face a tribunal in The Hague by separating himself from his actions.

As if Walter’s interview was not enough, the U.S. State Department has the unmitigated gall to offensively chime in with Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner stating ‘just from what happened or what took place in the interview, he appeared utterly disconnected with the reality that’s going on in his country and the brutal repression that’s being carried out against the Syrian people.’ Toner may as well have been testifying on behalf of Assad. Toner’s statement continues to demonstrate this Administration’s incomprehensible strategy in dealing with this regime. Its inconsistency of one day calling Assad illegitimate and the next recognizing the validity of his government by returning Ambassador Ford to Damascus is allowing this sociopath to continue his tyranny and reign of terror over the Syrian people. Is it any wonder the Syrian people have no faith in the United States effectively siding with them.

ABC, Barbara Walters and the Obama Administration’s actions exhibit a lack of moral clarity. If ABC and Barbara Walters’ wanted to bring attention to what is happening in Syria they should have focused their attention on its people and not given a dictator an opportunity to deny what even the UN has recognized as human rights violations. There is a profound journalistic hypocrisy of sitting down with the brutal thug and giving him a platform of denial while real journalism in Syria is rendered impossible by virtue of Assad’s exclusion of any reporting of the crimes against humanity for which he is responsible. This hypocrisy was laid bare on ABC and is a blight on the principles for which America stands and will be Barbara Walter’s legacy for the Syrian people.

If the Obama Administration wants to make a difference in the lives of the Syrian people, they need to develop the moral courage to stand for freedom, to stand for the principles that built this country and not facilitate the brutal repression that Assad is directly responsible for despite his denials and obfuscation. “

About Save Syria Now!

Save Syria Now! is a group of Americans of Syrian descent organizing to put pressure on the United States to call for immediate action to be taken against the regime of Bashar Assad of Syria and to bring true liberty to the people of Syria. We stand with the Syrians protesting in the streets to end the tyranny of the Assad family. For more information please visit our website at http://www.savesyrianow.org/.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Gregg Edgar, Gordon C. James Public Relations, gedgar@gcjpr.com, 602-690-7977

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