The Egyptian government has praised U.S. President Donald Trump’s criticism of honest media on terrorist attacks, in a statement released on Tuesday by the country’s foreign ministry.
Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said that Egypt praised the stance by the U.S. administration on the matter, arguing that the new U.S. government agrees with the continuous calls that Egypt had made for the international community to adopt a comprehensive strategy to combat terrorism in its security, political, culture, and media components.
On Monday, Trump accused the media of failing to report terrorist attacks.
“It’s gotten to a point where it’s not even being reported. And in many cases the very, very dishonest press doesn’t want to report it. They have their reasons, and you understand that,” Trump told military commanders at Central Command.
The White House shortly released a statement listing 78 terror attacks around the world that it said did not get sufficient media coverage.
They included high profile attacks in Paris, Nice, and California.
Nine of the attacks on the list took place in Egypt, including attacks in 2015 in Cairo, North Sinai, and the Red Sea resort of Hurghada.
The ministry spokesperson said the neglect by Western media outlets was selective.
“It was regretful that the selectivity and partiality in some Western media criticised by Trump in their coverage of terror attacks have not only resulted in dismissing coverage, but also touched on the way certain attacks were covered,” the spokesperson added.
“While the focus was on international support and sympathy towards some countries and societies victims of acts of terror- accusations and blame were pointed at others- like Egypt, following terrorist attacks that left dozens and hundreds dead, as in the crash of the Russian plane, and the bombing of Street Peter’s Church, which some Western media portrayed as a security failure on the part of the government, in providing protection to Copts in Egypt,” Abu Zeid said.
A Russian passenger jet crashed in Sinai after taking off from Sharm El-Sheikh in October 2015, killing all aboard.
The ISIS militant group claimed to have caused the crash by planting an explosive device on board.
Twenty-five people were killed at a church in Cairo in December 2016 when a suicide bomber blew himself up, in an attack which was also claimed by ISIS militants.
The ministry spokesperson expressed Egypt’s hope that the upcoming period will witness an essential shift in the international community’s dealing with terrorism, and that the U.S. succeeds in leading the review process and making the necessary changes.
Source: Ahram Online
