I say to every honorable member of the Fatah movement that he should be happy that we got rid of the plague

July 13, 2007 2:07 PM

"To be honest, the French gave us the medical report, that stated that the cause of Abu Ammar's death was AIDS." Ahmad Jibril, found of the PFLP-GC (and the PLO's (read:Fatah) enemy) on July 5, 2007 told Al-Manar TV in Lebanon that he was told by Fatah that the French autopsy team had concluded that Yasser Arafat had died of AIDS after rumours of the cause of his death proliferated. The video is available on the MEMRI website, #1507.
posted by loquax (41 comments total)

If this were to be confirmed, or even accepted by Palestinians, the impact could be severe, given the common conflagration of AIDS and homosexuality (and the rumours), coupled with intolerance of homosexuality in the Islamic world.
posted by loquax at 2:08 PM on July 13, 2007

Here we go again. . .
posted by boubelium at 2:09 PM on July 13, 2007

Blah Blah

and when Memri gets involved it's Blah Blah BS
posted by zouhair at 2:12 PM on July 13, 2007

and when Memri gets involved it's Blah Blah BS

So he didn't really say that? I don't get it, did they fake the transmission from Lebanon? Pay their enemy to show up and say what he said? For what purpose? If anything this strengthens Hamas in their fight with Fatah, the faction Israel is supporting. Your comment makes no sense.
posted by loquax at 2:14 PM on July 13, 2007

Other than the msnbc link, how is this more substantive than the post that got deleted?

Or is this some kind of statement?
posted by lekvar at 2:16 PM on July 13, 2007

Double post.
posted by nevercalm at 2:18 PM on July 13, 2007

Badgers AGAIN?!?
posted by kittens for breakfast at 2:18 PM on July 13, 2007

Other than the msnbc link, how is this more substantive than the post that got deleted?

My understanding was that the problem was that the original post did not have source material and linked to biased sites. This post has source material, context and no scary wingnut sites (other than MEMRI, of course, who hosts unaltered videos from Arabic language sources). If I am wrong, and the potential for Arafat to be "branded" a homosexual AIDS carrier to his constituency holds no value, please, feel free to delete, admins. If anyone else has a problem with this post, I believe there's a Metatalk thread open...
posted by loquax at 2:19 PM on July 13, 2007

Kittens, you can never have enough badgers.
posted by lekvar at 2:20 PM on July 13, 2007

Selective MEMRI
MEMRI tries a SLAPP
posted by nevercalm at 2:20 PM on July 13, 2007

Flagged as homophobic noise.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 2:20 PM on July 13, 2007 [1 favorite]

Keep fighting loquax. You have 70 AIDS-ridden freedom fighters waiting for you in the afterlife.
posted by felix betachat at 2:21 PM on July 13, 2007 [1 favorite]

oh, what the hell:

BRIAN:
Are you the Judean People's Front?
REG:
Fuck off!
BRIAN:
What?
REG:
Judean People's Front. We're the People's Front of Judea! Judean People's Front. Cawk.
FRANCIS:
Wankers.
BRIAN:
Can I... join your group?
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 2:24 PM on July 13, 2007

I've heard this before.

David Frum has mentioned this several times, and I couldn't quite place my distaste for his remarks... until now.
posted by gsb at 2:33 PM on July 13, 2007

loquax, get your own blog fuckwit.
posted by bardic at 2:34 PM on July 13, 2007 [3 favorites]

A man who detested Arafat, and Hezbollah TV! Why would these paragons of honesty want to lie about this?
posted by WPW at 2:36 PM on July 13, 2007

So, wait-- the MSNBC link, which was ostensibly added to provide a supporting link consisting of unbiased source material, says that "French and Arab doctors have “excluded the other reasons which caused Arafat’s platelet deficiency, like viral or bacterial infection, blood and other forms of cancer and lowered immunity.”

How, exactly, is this a supporting link?
posted by dersins at 2:36 PM on July 13, 2007

David Frum?!? 'Axis of Evil' David Frum?!? Piece of Shit Embarrassment to His Mother's Memory David Frum?!?

Why, this changes everything!
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 2:39 PM on July 13, 2007

why would it be assumed he got it from homosexual behavior?
am I taking crazy pills? Is Reagan back in the Oval Office? And again, who cares about this, when the Palestinian authority is crumbling today?
posted by Busithoth at 2:41 PM on July 13, 2007

Honestly, even assuming that every word of this is the gospel truth; who cares?

We know that a lot of non-homosexual people die of AIDS. And even if Arafat was gay, what does that change? Does the Muslim world fall apart when one of their leaders espouses one thing and acts differently?

And if this is true, does it make Arafat any less dead?
posted by quin at 2:49 PM on July 13, 2007

he said that he said that someone else said... on Hezbollah TV, translated by the partisan MEMRI

It's no wonder that no news source (not even JPost or Faux news) are touching this.
posted by nielm at 2:50 PM on July 13, 2007

So, what, a thinly-sourced slander from people who have an interest in denigrating Arafat? I mean, the only way this qualifies as something as interesting as, I dunno, that guy from the NBA complaining about maybe having gay teammates, is by examining the context in which such a meatless bit of libel could be given creedence and serve as an effective bit of political communication. Which, y'know, your post doesn't do.

Otherwise it's just schoolyard taunting from people who have already taken up fucking guns against each other— the very definition of misplaced focus.
posted by klangklangston at 2:52 PM on July 13, 2007

It may very well be news and it's appearance on the front page may be inevitable, but it's still out there as a smear and I wouldn't want to be the one helping spread it.
The freepers need their red meat, I guess.
posted by 2sheets at 2:54 PM on July 13, 2007

Right, as I stated in the other thread, this his absolutely disgusting homophobic and AIDSphobic nonsense. Millions of people the poorest countries in the world get AIDS from heterosexual contact. I think it's pretty doubtfull that Arafat died from Aids (and the MSNBC link provided said he didn't) but even if he had, that wouldn't make him gay.

I couldn't care less about Arafat, but this post and line of speculation is disgusting. I don't give a damn about Arafat, but this sort of nonsense should be deleted.

Oh who am I kidding. He probably got AIDS from Jamil Hussain which had been created from Saddams WMD which had been shipped to Syria, and then Lebanon where Hezbollah used it to kill people, which they would then pose dramatically for A.P photoshoppers to edit in order to make Israel look bad.

I mean that's just so obvious
posted by delmoi at 3:02 PM on July 13, 2007

But klang, I know that MC Lyte isn't actually gay, but I mean, seriously, she brought it, and the rumors didn't hurt her standing at all--they may have helped. I mean, "Paper Thin" is hot!

Wait a minute...where am I? Oh yes, Arafat. Guess what doesn't matter? Even if it's true and/or verifiable?

This.

Widespread clandestine homosexuality in Islamic societies and its cultural ramifications is an interesting topic. Arafat's enemies slinging old mud at him is not. At all. Interesting. Or. Even potentially "important" in the Middle East.
posted by kosem at 3:05 PM on July 13, 2007

loquax: all MEMRI did was translate Hezbollah TV. Do you think Al-Manar TV is a reliable source now?
posted by delmoi at 3:08 PM on July 13, 2007

Ride, Captain, ride
Upon your hobby horse

- or -

Surely this will be the thing that turns the tide against Bush bashing on Metafilter.

- or -

loquax: ripping the scales of hypocrisy off Mefi since 2004.

- or -

oh, well, you get the point...
posted by Fezboy! at 3:08 PM on July 13, 2007

God, I used to love Arafat, and now loquax's double-post has ruined everything.
posted by KokuRyu at 3:10 PM on July 13, 2007

I didn't know there were rumors about MC Lyte being gay. If only Loquax would have included links to them in his FPP!

10% Dis was the bomb though.
posted by klangklangston at 3:11 PM on July 13, 2007

Dude, I'd provide supporting links, but all I have is a grainy vid of Sheikh Nasrallah calling her a carpetmunching infidel.
posted by kosem at 3:15 PM on July 13, 2007

You'd better watch out— Metafilter's liberal bias might delete that if it's all you've got. Go edit her wikipedia page to say she's gay and include that.
posted by klangklangston at 3:16 PM on July 13, 2007

Okay the first post definitely left something to be desired, but this I think is perfectly fine. As far as speculative B.S. goes it's no less worthy than a million other things that have appeared as FPPs. Nevermind that even if it's a rumor, in a society as intolerant as as the Arab world it could have a major impact on politics even if does turn out to be demonstrably false. It's worth paying attention to.

Also, while Memri certainly has an agenda -- the fact that they translated this shouldn't matter. Who cares what there agenda is if their translation is correct? Now if the translation is wrong then that would be troubling...
posted by Heminator at 3:16 PM on July 13, 2007

Wasn't Hitler gay?
posted by KokuRyu at 3:18 PM on July 13, 2007

He probably got AIDS from Jamil Hussain which had been created from Saddams WMD which had been shipped to Syria, and then Lebanon where Hezbollah used it to kill people, which they would then pose dramatically for A.P photoshoppers to edit in order to make Israel look bad.

I heard he got if from all the dancing.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 3:19 PM on July 13, 2007

let the assorted neocons & Republican party apparatchiks have their fun kicking around Arafat. . . Outside of the recent 5-4 Roberts Court decisions, this is the first good news they've had in a while . . .
posted by Heywood Mogroot at 3:22 PM on July 13, 2007

You know, I really liked the guy until I found out he had AIDS. Now, I'm not so sure. I guess I'll have to completely reassess him based on this rumor of the disease that he might possibly have died from. It kinda changes everything, you know?

But I'll never forget that smile.
posted by Pater Aletheias at 3:27 PM on July 13, 2007

Loquax, I know you got upset when your BF told you about his 'wild nights at Arafat's', but please don't take it out on us.
posted by wendell at 3:28 PM on July 13, 2007

I don't know if it's mistranslated or not, but there is some (recent and very relevant) history where mistranslation is concerned. Mix in MEMRI's "fair and balanced" treatment of the Arab world, and you've got some really laughable material for an FPP.
posted by nevercalm at 3:42 PM on July 13, 2007

3 .... 2 ....
posted by EatTheWeek at 3:46 PM on July 13, 2007

1.9.......1.8......1.7.....
posted by nevercalm at 3:50 PM on July 13, 2007

-0.3.... -0.4.... -0.5...
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 3:51 PM on July 13, 2007