This statement from the Islamic Army in/of Iraq's spokesman claims that the media are ignoring crimes perpetrated against Sunnis in Iraq. Needless to say, his narrative overlooks some of the more recent media coverage of Shi'a militia excesses against Sunni populations, such as this Reuters report by Ned Parker and Ahmed Rasheed. Meanwhile, the Islamic Army of Iraq continues to pay little heed to the problem of the Islamic State phenomenon, despite admission to problems in the field.
In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
Media failure
Praise is due to God the Lord of the Worlds and the Helper of the Oppressed, and prayers and peace be upon His servant and messenger Muhammad the sought one, mercy to the worlds; and prayers and peace be upon all his family and companions, and on the callers to His religion and guidance to the Day of Judgment. As for what follows:
The one who follows media today like the satellite channels and social media related to the Ahl al-Sunna and examines our Sunni reality on the face of the matter and our Iraqi situation in its general aspects should be surprised at the depth of inconsistency between the needs and misfortunes that are familiar with this society and what follows on those media channels that many claim are interested in their grievances and sufferings, for some of them have become so intoxicated that they have become engrossed in an imaginary world that has no link with reality. For example they tell you about the one Iraqi people in terms of its Sunna, Shi'a, Arabs and Kurds, and that the problem in their view is that it is only political!!! Thus has been diminished hearing of those who are being killed and whose abodes are being seized by the militias of Shi'a mobilization with the urging of the fatwas of the seniors of the Shi'a marja'iyyat, such that they have gnashed their teeth and continue to breathe hatred against the Ahl al-Sunna and Islam?!!!! And who are Abu Bakr, Omar and Aisha* to have had their [the marja'iyyas'] Shi'a convoys appear raising placards announcing curses on them and in front of satellite channel cameras?!!!
But naturally the satellite channels and sites reckoned on this movement do not transmit those displays, and even when they report on massacres of the Ahl al-Sunna they do so on the claimed basis that it is only a problem among politicians, despite the fact that there is more agreement among the politicians than ever before that has led them to mutual embrace, for the politicians of the Ahl al-Sunna have generally kept silent, ignored the suffering of their people, let the formation of the government pass through, the manner of their statements has declined, and they have welcomed a new modified copy of Shi'a rule apart from statements of embarrassment from time to time. Thus it is not a problem among the politicians. Rather it is a complex, pathological, deep-rooted problem that lies with Shi'a militias and sectarian gangs that have a historical revenge complex. I am not speaking of a religious program for there is no religious call to undertake the carrying out of those massacres and heinous crimes against the weak and defenceless who are reckoned to be the field of its call, with things having come to such a point that there is the rape of men even in front of cameras. For days ago there appeared revealing photos of a mentally ill old man in Diyala against whom was committed an act that man does not consider whatever may be within his right. So is this only a political problem?!
Some of our media have not transmitted anything worthy of being followed for much of their news consists of fabricated lies, some of them inconsistent and much it is not news of importance to an entire people that has become the greatest displaced population in the world today. Finally some of them are oblivious, occupied with the triviliaties of the news in a world in which the blood of their people is flowing, their taboos are violated, and their abodes are destroyed at the hands of foreigners of every region and colour...I do not doubt that there are those concered to report on the suffering of their people and you see them doing what they can in that regard, but you don't find any one of them with a well-known satellite channel or even sub-merged, but the best of their capabilities is in designing a poster or a video clip published on Youtube. From that for example I saw a video published by some activists in some organizations that work to provide aid for displaced persons, in which video there appears an old lady- a displaced person- whose interview/story sums up all the suffering and pains of the Ahl al-Sunna [...]
Dr. Ibrahim al-Shammary, official spokesman for Islamic Army in/of Iraq.
23 December 2014.
Original here
*- Figures revered by Sunnis in particular. The dichotomy of Omar vs. Ali is particularly relevant re. Sunni-Shi'a sectarian tensions today.