The Free Media Union and the Kurdistan Journalists Syndicate have issued a joint statement condemning what they described as a dangerous escalation in hate speech and sectarian incitement by certain Arab media institutions, notably Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya, and Al Arabiya Al Hadath. The two organizations called on these outlets to adhere to journalistic ethics and international professional standards.
In their joint statement, the Free Media Union and the Kurdistan Journalists Syndicate warned that the intensifying rhetoric of hate and sectarian incitement has become a cover for systematic genocidal attacks against components of the Syrian people. They strongly denounced the inciting role played by several Arab media outlets—foremost among them Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya, and Al Arabiya Al Hadath—alongside official media institutions and figures affiliated with Syria’s transitional authorities.
The statement accused these outlets of disseminating misinformation, stoking sectarian strife, directly inciting violence and massacres, distorting public awareness, and deliberately undermining Syria’s pluralistic social fabric.
The two organizations stated that they consider these media institutions complicit in falsifying the reality of events, particularly the ongoing crimes committed against Rojava (North and East Syria). According to the statement, these outlets have abandoned the most basic professional standards, violated journalistic codes of ethics, and subordinated their work to political agendas, effectively turning into instruments of incitement.
The Free Media Union and the Kurdistan Journalists Syndicate called for an immediate halt to hate speech and incitement, urging media institutions to commit to neutrality and objectivity. They also appealed to journalists and media workers to stand with truth and conscience and to refrain from involvement in Syria’s ongoing bloodshed.
Furthermore, the statement called on relevant local and international authorities, as well as human rights and legal organizations, to assume their responsibilities in documenting crimes of incitement and hate speech committed by these channels, collecting evidence, and taking steps to curb such practices.
The two organizations also placed historical and ethical responsibility on journalists working within these media outlets, urging them to uphold journalistic ethics and respect international conventions.
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