On this website, we have addressed love, justice, and peace, but we found them all absent or absented. As for talking about the truth, it settles deep agony in the heart, especially on these days when humanity is descending into deep pits. It is the truth for whose cause people die. Notable philosopher Socrates referred to it saying, “The comfort of the wise is in the presence of truth, and the comfort of the foolish is in the presence of falsehood.”
However, at this particular time, we talk about the “falsehood” that is clothed as fabricated facts, namely bought facts, sold facts, cheap facts, facts that are wrapped up in beautiful words and sold to the public, especially in media outlets that try to distort them, conceal them, or fabricate them in a false manner. Therefore, we find in the media the term “fake news”.
Is it present? Yes, profusely. Does it exist these days? Yes, more intensely. Let us go back to October 7, the day invoked by countries, senior leaders, diplomats, and stakeholders, in addition to many societies. At that time, a certain narrative was put forward, and the Israeli cries reached the entire world, so countries rushed to help Israel and give it legitimacy for self-defence. Delegations continued to express solidarity, while stressing Israel's "right" to defend itself.
Moreover, as the matter develops further, this media reporting was presented in this manner engulfed with cries, lashings, and lamentations, to the point that the world found itself nowadays facing a spiral of violence that can neither be stopped nor near future can be predicted. Let us not forget that there is a people being killed on daily basis, and rather every minute. Innocent lives are lost and the truth is also missing. The world is still, according to Fr. Joseph Sweid, “watching stoically, as well as blocking the tear of a mother and the cry of a suffering child.”
I yearn for you, O absent truth. I long for you as you can rid the world of the entire falsehood, exaggeration, and hypocrisy that the capitals of our world are experiencing nowadays. What happened recently cannot be excluded from what took place decades ago. This truth that the world must remember--rather than be distracted by its media outlets--reveals some partial, truncated, and subsidiary facts. However, let me say rather fake.
Fake news actually produce false reporting. What is most absent at this time is the truth. Perhaps the world has forgotten the truth that indicates that the occupation is the root-cause of the problem and the basis of all the tragedies currently prevailing in the Holy Land. Thus, we appeal to the dear media, including the Arab media outlets as well, not to come under the impression to highlighting fake news and illusions based on lies by legitimizing killings on the basis that they are a “reaction” or “self-defence.” There is nothing more impressive than the sentence incorporated by Pope Francis for World Communications Day in 2018 titled, “The Truth will Set you Free (John 8:32). Fake News and Journalism for Peace,” by quoting Dostoevsky:"People who lie to themselves and listen to their own lie come to such a pass that they cannot distinguish the truth within them, or around them, and so lose all respect for themselves and for others.” Has the civilized world not reached this point, as many of its media outlets--that instead of being tools for peace--have become tools for conflict and wars wrapped unfortunately in legitimacy? We want the present world's media be neither subject to bargaining nor to the promotion of certain policies. What is important for the media is to be honest, to be able to portray reality as it is, and to stand up to its sacred message, namely, “Media for the sake of humanity,” by calling for an end to the cycle of killing, violence and forcible displacement, as well as by urging the opening of paths not only to sending relief aid, but by opening avenues leading towards peace, justice, freedom, security and stability.
O suffering truth, you have been absent in one of the most famous trials in history, when Lord Jesus Christ said to Pilate, “For this purpose I have come to bear witness of the truth.” Nevertheless, Pilate retorted, “What is truth?” This question remains open for discussion about the truth which implies both truth and justice so as to answer this question by not disseminating fake pieces of news that distort the fact, but rather with pieces of news that reveal to the recipients absolutely true facts, capable of building humanity, rather than demolishing it.
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