Watan- Al-Jadeed TV, a prominent Lebanese broadcaster, has come under fire following controversial statements made by its anchor, Lara Munif. In her remarks, Munif made derogatory comments about both Syrians and Palestinians, leading to a significant backlash on social media platforms, as highlighted by Watan.
The contentious statement by Munif was: “A Palestinian cultivates the land by sniping, and a Syrian sows it by displacement.” She further added, “Between the two rivers flowing with crises, lies exhausted Lebanon, prey to two files placed on a powder keg.”
These comments were widely perceived as discriminatory and promoting hate speech, especially given the sensitive nature of the topics she touched upon. The remarks were especially concerning as they come amidst ongoing debates in Lebanon about the status and future of Syrian refugees in the country, whose numbers are estimated to be around 1.5 million.
This isn’t the first time Al-Jadeed has been embroiled in such controversies. In 2018, the channel faced criticism for airing a satirical song that mocked Syrian refugees, suggesting they had become the majority and made Lebanese feel like strangers in their own country. In response, Syrians released two songs condemning racism and highlighting the involvement of various Lebanese political powers in Syria.
Moreover, in July 2022, another Al-Jadeed anchor, Dalia Ahmed, faced backlash for her comments about Syrian refugees. She stated that Lebanese had shared their best days of collapse with the Syrians, but now there’s nothing left to share except migration. She further claimed that Syrian refugees receive dollars from the United Nations and that their homeland is now safe for their return.
It’s worth noting that Dalia Ahmed herself was a target of online bullying earlier that year due to her dark complexion and comments about Hezbollah, which were deemed offensive by the party’s supporters.