Updated October 28th, 2019 at 20:54 IST
Washington Post slammed for calling slain ISIS chief 'austere scholar'
US news agency Washington Post grabbed the headlines for its controversial headline on the obituary written about the Baghdadi, as US forces killed ISIS chief
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While news broke of the ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's termination, US news agency Washington Post grabbed the headlines for its controversial headline on the obituary written about the Baghdadi. The terror group's chief was terminated by US forces who carried out an operation in the north-west Syrian region of Idlib on Sunday night. Washington Post initally titled the obituary as 'Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, austere religious scholar at helm of Islamic State, dies at 48.'
READ | US ends Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi's reign of terror: All about ISIS chief
Washington Post slammed for 'soft' obituary
This controversial title raised many questions and severe backlash for trivialising a major terrorist to a mere 'religious scholar', inspite of the many terror attacks all over the world. The news agency then changed the title to 'Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, extremist leader of Islamic State, dies at 48'. But netizens were quick to notice Washington Post's mild stance and were merciless with #WaPoDeathNotices trending.
Here are some of the best reactions:
The @washingtonpost is a disgrace. Refers to Baghdadi as a:
— Eric Trump (@EricTrump)
“austere religious scholar" who “maintained a canny pragmatism"
"Acquaintances would remember him as a shy, nearsighted youth who liked soccer but preferred to spend his free time at the local mosque" @JeffBezos pic.twitter.com/MW1Ikfl8eZ
#WaPoDeathNotices :
— Anne-Elisabeth Moutet (@moutet)
Gaius Julius Caesar, 56, noted author and Egyptologist, dies surrounded by his friends.
READ | ISIS chief Baghdadi killed in US action, as per reports; All we know
Washington Post Journalists After Death of their Favourite Terrorists#WaPoDeathNotices #WaPoDeathNotice pic.twitter.com/AlvdxZ5Nsd
— Khalnayak😎 (@abhijit_d_nayak)
"Thanos, a passionate advocate of population controls to save Earth, dies at over 1,000 years" #WaPoDeathNotices pic.twitter.com/16lvv8hery
— Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher)
Voldemort, austere wizard who overcame a severe facial deformity to achieve dark lordship, dead at 71 #WaPoDeathNotices
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro)
READ| Turkey claims 'coordination' with US in killing ISIS chief al-Baghdadi
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi killed
On Sunday, US President Donald Trump confirmed that ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has been killed. Addressing a press conference, Trump said that US forces carried out an operation in the north-west Syrian region of Idlib to kill ISIS chief Baghdadi. Baghdadi had been under US intelligence surveillance for 'a couple of weeks' and died at the end of the tunnel as US forces attack dogs chased him. According to the US president, Baghdadi immolated himself with 3 children after which his cave was bombed. The United States lost no soldier in the operation apart from a canine fatality.
READ | ISIS chief al Baghdadi ignited vest, spent last moments in fear: Trump
About Al Baghdadi
Al Baghdadi has led ISIS reportedly for five years. It was under his reign that ISIS spread rapidly and captured major parts of Syria after a civil war broke in the country in the aftermath of the Arab Spring in 2010. In 2014, Al-Baghdadi announced to recapture the caliphate from the Al -Nuri mosque in Mosul. He urged Muslims around the world to swear allegiance to the caliphate and obey him as its leader begining the reign of ISIS which ended finally in 2019.
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Published October 28th, 2019 at 20:38 IST