Has Australian journalism become weapons of mass lies and character assassinations? When did our media become instruments of sabotage and reputation busting outfits? Whatever the answer is, some print media outlets have been exposed as mere butchers’ papers.
An example of this can be found in The Australian’s “exclusive” article, “Labor hopeful’s links to ‘ratbag’ Iranian envoy”, August 8, 2024, by Alexi Demetriadi, an NSW political reporter for The Australian.
The following is how this reporter set out to intentionally destroy my opportunity for preselection for Labor’s federal seat of Barton and butcher my reputation. All because I stand for justice for the people of Palestine.
It started with a missed phone call on August 7 and a follow up text message from Mr. Demetriadi: “Hi Shaoquett,… Alexi here from The Australian…Given the Iranian ambassador has made the headlines last couple of days, doing a story on your dinner with him on the weekend and your bid for Barton. Was keen to see if you’d provide comment or information. Please let me know! Give me a call at any time. The deadline I’m working towards is COB. Best wishes, Alexi.”
What followed was a 27-minute conversation with Mr Demetriadi, and my explaining to him why there was no story here and that the dinner I attended in honour of the Iranian ambassador, had been a week or ten days before the ambassador made his remarks.
Unfortunately, the reporter simply dismissed my argument. There is a “fair” story to tell about a hopeful for Barton attending a dinner in honour of the Iranian Ambassador, he asserted.
At first, I refused to offer a quote. But an hour or so before his deadline, I decided to proceed. It was a case of “damned if you do and damned if you don’t” respond. Here is the text in part:
“Hi Alexi. I am not sure for whom you are doing this hit job, but this is my quote: ‘You asked me if it is appropriate to attend a function for the Iranian ambassador given the headlines? Now, as I said before, I am not sure what headlines and what it is that the Iranian ambassador may have said… a week after the community dinner I had attended. I don’t understand how my attending a community function ten days ago is somehow connected to comments the Iranian ambassador is alleged to have made a few days ago??… In this instance, I was invited to a dinner in honour of the Iranian Ambassador with a room full of other Australian Lebanese community guests. It took place on the 28th of July, that’s almost two weeks ago now. Long before what it is alleged the ambassador said three days ago. On the night, I was asked to say a few words, which I did. I spoke of the history of the Australian Lebanese community and called for a ceasefire in Gaza and a stop to the Israeli genocide. I thanked the host for his invite and for his kind dinner invitation…’
Here are the facts: Neither at the date of the event nor at the time I posted the dinner photos on my Facebook, had the ambassador made his comments.
When I received the text message and called the reporter, it was not clear what he wanted me to comment on. His response was, to my surprise, an off-handed claim: “Oh I don’t have the words in front of me.” So, how was I expected to make a comment about something which he couldn’t recall?
Now for many in our multicultural communities, as it is for the Australian Arab and Islamic community, being in the company of diplomats is a privilege. Especially so when in the company of a representative of a nation that has long supported justice for Palestine. Why should Australians shy away from attending an engagement that honours Iran’s strong stance for justice for the Palestinian people? Justice is what we value in Australia. Australians want a ceasefire and want our government to recognise Palestine immediately and without preconditions, in line with the 147 nations that have already done so.
Australia must not allow any lobby group to dictate who Australians can or cannot associate with. After all, we are a democracy with freedom of association – and – importantly in this case – the Iranian ambassador is an official representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran with whom we have diplomatic relations.
The question is, what is this supposed ‘link’ the reporter is trying to make between the ambassador’s statement and my attendance at the community dinner, that took place a week or so before the ambassador’s comment?
Answer: None.
For the reporter, what mattered was the use of this fabricated ‘link’, to launch an attack on my character.
Twisting my words, the reporter wrote that I was grateful for being with the ambassador. In fact, what I said was that I was grateful to the host for his kind invitation.
The talk of alleged “cross factional sources agreeing that the former state MP (i.e. me) had little chance of replacing Ms. Burney” is the reporter’s own scurrilous innuendo. This is hardly journalism. It is the reporter’s own fictitious fabrication at its best. Void of any notion of professional Journalistic objectivity.
Furthermore, why was the reporter selective in his use of part of my quote? Why cut out the words “a stop to Israeli genocide”? The omission of the words “Israeli genocide” speaks volumes perhaps of the one sidedness of The Australian newspaper that remunerates him and its opposition to Palestine. An approach that smacks with overt partiality.
To further justify why I shouldn’t be preselected, the reporter quotes the Opposition’s Home Affairs Senator James Paterson, in confected outrage said: “This should immediately disqualify Mr. Moselmane’s ambitions to run for Barton. The Prime Minister must personally intervene to prevent him from being Labor’s candidate.” In agreement, the reporter concludes that “Party sources said it was inconceivable that he (I) could be preselected.”
For the past 42 years in the ALP, my political journey has been tough because of who I am and what I stand for.
It has been full of ups and downs, hatchet jobs, lies and intimidations, yet I will persist and will not be cowered. Political character assassinations, lies and bullying tactics should have no place in the Australian media landscape. Nor should lobby groups be allowed to influence and manipulate media reporting and party pre-selections.
That must stop.
For more on this topic, P&I recommends:
Shaoquett Chaher Moselmane is an Australian politician who has been a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council since 2009 and is a member of the parliamentary Australian Labor Party until suspended in June 2020. He was assistant president of the Legislative Council from May 2019 to April 2020.
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