Mehdi Hasan blasts tweet from Newsweek opinion editor: ‘This is racism plain and simple’

NBC journalist Mehdi Hasan on Thursday blasted Newsweek Opinion Editor Josh Hammer for a tweet, calling it “racist.”

Hammer had shared an NBC segment featuring Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on the “Mehdi Hasan Show” to Twitter on Thursday, writing, “Your Qatari $$$ at work.”

The segment discussed Palestinian-Israeli relations and what Hasan called a “de facto” annexation of the occupied territories by Israel. He also pressed Murphy to comment on alleged human rights abuses against Palestinians. 

Your Qatari $$$ at work. https://t.co/wWNHIppXCw

— Josh Hammer (@josh_hammer) December 10, 2020

Hasan, who said he was British and American, went on to say he is not from Qatar, and that it was racist to suggest so. 

“I am not Qatari and I do not receive ‘Qatari $$$’. I’m British and American. And this is racism, @Newsweek, plain and simple.”

This is the same @Newsweek, and same guy, who ran a racist ‘birther’ op-ed about @KamalaHarris, remember? They had to apologize. Wonder if I’ll get an apology too. The @Newsweek editor is @NancyCooperNYC. Wonder if she signs off on this kind of open bigotry from her staff.

— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) December 10, 2020

Hammer in a subsequent tweet offered a clarification, saying Hasan was “obviously” not a Qatari national, but arguing his “rise to fame” was because of a stint at Al Jazeera, a news organization funded by the Qatari government.

To clarify: Hasan is obviously not a Qatari national. He is British. But his rise to fame is attributable to his long stint at Al Jazeera, the Qatari regime’s propagandist media wing.

Many are willfully and disingenuously misinterpreting this very simple tweet.

— Josh Hammer (@josh_hammer) December 10, 2020

Newsweek in response to a request for comment from The Hill said: “Josh Hammer followed with a tweet clarifying that his reference to Qatar was meant to point out Hassan’s long employment with Al Jazeera. It was not a comment about his nationality.”

Hasan in his series of tweets expressed the worry that other Muslims in the media might be treated unfairly.

“I’m pretty high profile, people know me/my work. And yet I still have to endure this racist, Islamophobic crap, and it’s tiring. Imagine younger Muslims & POC trying to enter this industry.”

I’ve been in this biz for 2 decades now. Had to prove myself on both sides of Atlantic. I’m pretty high profile, people know me/my work. And yet I still have to endure this racist, Islamophobic crap, and it’s tiring. Imagine younger Muslims & POC trying to enter this industry…

— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) December 10, 2020

This story was updated at 7:10 p.m. Friday to include Newsweek’s statement and Hammer’s subsequent tweet.