Sometimes public pressure works. An update on this story. “Newseum reverses plan to honor accused terrorists,” by Lisa Daftari for FoxNews.com, May 13:
Washington’s Newseum reversed its plans to honor two accused members of a terrorist organization when it pays tribute to journalists who died in the line of duty last year, FoxNews.com has learned.
The museum dedicated to journalists had planned to include Mahmoud Al-Kumi and Hussam Salama, former members of the terrorist group Hamas and employees of a TV station known for anti-Israel propaganda at Monday’s annual Journalist Memorial dedication. But after FoxNews.com and other media outlets wrote about the controversy surrounding their inclusion, Newseum officials changed their minds.
“Serious questions have been raised as to whether two of the individuals included on our initial list of journalists who died covering the news this past year were truly journalists or whether they were engaged in terrorist activities,” said Newseum spokesman Jonathan Thompson. “We take the concerns raised about these two men seriously and have decided to re-evaluate their inclusion as journalists on our memorial wall pending further investigation.”
The dedication has recognized more than 2,000 reporters, photographers and broadcasters who have died in the line of duty from around the world, including Daniel Pearl, who was kidnapped by Pakistani militants and murdered by Al Qaeda terrorists in 2002. Thompson’s statement left open the door that their names could be inscribed on the memorial at a later date, though they are not being honored at today’s ceremony….
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