MEMRI – A Propaganda Machine for Israeli Extremists!

MEMRI is a tax exempt organisation based in Washington DC, which aims to influence public opinion and by extension influence government policies in America and elsewhere. MEMRI was founded in 1998 by Yigal Carmon a former colonel in the Israeli military intelligence and another Israeli Meyrav Wurmser who was one of the authors of the "Clean Break" report which proposed reshaping Israel's "strategic environment" in the Middle East by overthrowing Saddam Hussein and weakening Syria. MEMRI’s board of directors include some of the most infamous Islamophobic and pro-Israeli extremists such as Oliver "Buck" Revell, Steve Emerson and Elliott Abrams.

MEMRI monitors television channels that are broadcast in Arabic and it then provides selected clips from these broadcasts with “English translations”. The majority of the very loosely “translated” clips available on MEMRI’s website are themed around pro violence and anti- semetic sentiments within fringe elements of Muslims whilst neglecting the mainstream views in Middle Eastern society. It therefore provides a distorted insight into Middle Eastern society to its Western audience, where the average Muslim is perceived as a mindless savage. These selected clips have featured in almost every major television channel in America and in the United Kingdom including CNN, Fox, Sky, NBC and CBS. It’s clear that MEMRI have had a big impact on how the Middle East is perceived by the West.

In addition to portraying Muslims as mindless savages MEMRI has played a pivotal role in the breakdown of relations between different branches of Islam. In particular it has sort to exploit and exacerbate the differences between the Shias and the Sunnis. MEMRI’s latest ploy to manipulate relations between different branches of Islam is a clip which appears to show a group of so called Shias celebrating the death of Aisha RA, the wife of the prophet Muhammad SAW. This clip has reached above 10,000 views in a couple of days; it will no doubt change the perception of Shia Muslims amongst many Sunni Muslims and lead to disunity. It is needless to state that according to the Shia branch of Islam it is totally prohibited to insult the wife of the prophet. Despite this one Facebook user commented about the clip “may the Shias kuffar burn in hell!” Indeed such generalisations are the exact planned outcome that MEMRI had intended in order to weaken the position of Muslims around the world.

In light of MEMRI’s close ties with Israeli officials and the sheer volume of clips on its website related to creating a negative perception of Muslims and increasing sectarianism. One can quite reasonably conclude that MEMRI is an Israeli propaganda machine ultimately aimed at weakening the Muslims. MEMRI presents a global threat to Muslims.