How Western travel bloggers project a sanitized reality of Syria’s war

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Updated 30 August 2022
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How Western travel bloggers project a sanitized reality of Syria’s war

  • YouTubers often emphasize security and normality, stressing how they feel “perfectly safe” in war-torn country 
  • Human rights monitors warn such content gives the wrong impression Syria is safe for returnees 

LONDON: Saddled with a bankrupt economy, a devastated infrastructure and a worthless currency, the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad is on a desperate mission to mend relations with its neighbors and expedite its return to the Arab League.

Although political rehabilitation on a global scale remains a bridge too far, the Assad government has made some progress in rebuilding its ties with Arab states, as evidenced by the reopening of some embassies in Damascus and the return of Syrian ambassadors to some Arab capitals.

With active conflict easing across large swaths of Syria — remaining rebel factions are confined to isolated holdouts in the far south and northwest — the regime has increasingly turned to tourism in an attempt to whitewash its well-documented crimes against humanity.

In recent months, Western travel bloggers and YouTubers have flocked to regime-held areas of Syria in record numbers in search of images and testimonies they believe offer a candid, agenda-free look inside the outcast dictatorship.

Content of this kind, which includes videos that in some cases have amassed more than 2.5 million views, is often presented as a perspective on the “Syria that the media won’t show,” as Benjamin Rich, a British vlogger who goes by the YouTube user name “Bald and Bankrupt,” put it in a recent upload.




Benjamin Rich (‘Bald and Bankrupt’) filming destroyed buildings in Homs. (Supplied)

But human-rights monitors and experts are concerned that this rise of “war tourism” projects a sanitized version of reality that serves the regime’s disinformation campaign about Syria now being safe for refugees to return and resume their normal lives.

“Travel bloggers are perhaps the best advertising the Syrian government has had in over a decade,” Simon Bayley, the lead Syria analyst at the Center for Operational Analysis and Research, told Arab News.

“They tell only stories that the government would tell, gloss over the crimes of the state, and neglect realities that the government would consider best ignored. There can be no accountability, only more denial, control and marginalization of the many millions of Syrians to have lost loved ones, homes and livelihoods as a result of the regime’s actions.”

In several videos, bloggers appear keen to emphasize a sense of security and normality in Syria, for example by stressing how “perfectly safe” they feel, as YouTube user “Backpacker Ben” stated in one of his videos. “We were walking around, drinking beers on the street, talking to people,” he said.




‘Backpacker Ben’ filming a destroyed rebel stronghold in Maaloula, in rural Damascus. (Supplied)

But the Syria Justice and Accountability Center, a human rights organization based in Washington, D.C., warned that the content uploaded by travel bloggers creates a false impression of stability and security.

“Syria is clearly not safe for the return of refugees,” Mohammed Al-Abdallah, the center’s executive director, told Arab News. “But, if you watch these videos, you see a Syria that is safe, stable and, in some ways, prospering.”

The videos also appear to suggest the conflict in the country is largely over and life is returning to normal.

“Syrians who return to Syria don’t have those same experiences and often face intense suspicion and persecution by the Syrian government,” said Al-Abdallah.

According to human rights monitors, including the European Asylum Support Office, the Syrian regime continues to arrest, detain, interrogate, torture and kill returnees, despite many of them obtaining security clearances and status settlement before returning to Syria.

“For millions of Syrians, returning to Syria is not an option,” Laila Kiki, the executive director of rights-monitoring group The Syria Campaign, told Arab News.

“Several human rights reports indicate that those who do so have been arrested, forcibly disappeared, tortured or even killed.”

“Backpacker Ben” told Arab News that he does not have any political agenda and was not aware of the situation that returning refugees faced. He said that since he published his videos, displaced Syrians have sent him messages expressing “confusion” on seeing, of all people, a tourist visiting their war-torn homeland.

INNUMBERS

100,000+ Estimated number of people missing or disappeared.

50% Proportion of the prewar population who are displaced.

90% Share of the remaining population now living in poverty.

Source: UN Human Rights office

Many travel bloggers say they are apolitical and know little about the Syrian conflict. Some, however, try to offer explanations for the scenes of destruction they encounter and film during their travels. Many critics suspect that they are merely repeating and amplifying talking points fed to them by regime-approved tour guides.

For example, videos uploaded by Rich (“Bald and Bankrupt”) show bombed-out buildings in Aleppo, Homs and Maaloula. Tellingly, he attributes the damage to “militants” without any mention of the Assad regime, whose war tactics are widely blamed for most of the destruction of Syria’s urban infrastructure.




Thomas Brag (‘Yes Theory’) in abandoned neighborhoods in Homs. (Supplied)

When travel bloggers are shown around Damascus, many of them venture to the nearby town of Sednaya to visit a renowned Greek Orthodox Church monastery. What these bloggers often gloss over is the fact that one of Syria’s most notorious prisons, where thousands of regime opponents have been tortured to death, is also located in Sednaya.

Bloggers’ visits are usually arranged through Syrian travel agencies that claim to be independent. However, experts say these agencies, like all other companies in the country, must obtain the approval of the Assad regime to operate.




Jaabar Citadel, the ancient lake-side fortress once used by jihadists to launch attacks, is slowly regaining its status as a top cultural destination. (AFP)

“For a country in which it is practically impossible to establish a volunteer charity initiative without considerable — often wholly prohibitive — interference from the central state, it is improbable that a Syrian travel agency has been able to secure the requisite licensing, permissions and access without some form of state intervention,” said Bayley.

Such travel agencies are carefully vetted by state security services, he said, and it is likely they are made well aware of the consequences for their business if their tours result in any bad publicity for the regime.

“Backpacker Ben” said he was accompanied throughout his visit to Syria by a “fixer” who guided him around the country. He admitted feeling “slightly restricted” as a result. Such guides appear to stay at the same hotels as their tour parties.




A family visits the ruins of the Jaabar Citadel in Syria's Raqqa province on June 3, 2022. The ancient lake-side fortress is attracting visitors from across war-torn Syria. (AFP) 

Hesham Nasri, the marketing director at Syrian travel agency Golden Team, told Arab news that tour operators typically take care of the entire process for foreign clients, from obtaining visas to creating itineraries.

He said the agency applies to government authorities for all required security clearances on behalf of clients who want to visit Syria, and the permits that allow the tourists and their guides to travel around the country.

Although Nasri said no conditions are attached to the security-clearance process, Syrian immigration authorities have been known to reject the visa applications of certain nationalities, notably American citizens.




What the gullible travel bloggers are not saying is the danger that awaits visitors in much of war-ravaged Syria. (AFP file)

Monitors say that by facilitating such stage-managed visits for often ill-informed and gullible travel bloggers, the regime is able to peddle its propaganda in cyberspace and bypass the professional rigour of conventional journalism.

“In future, I hope those with an online presence are mindful as to the consequences of their actions in such a politically sensitive place,” said Bayley.

“Regardless of how much one knows about the conflict, it is abundantly clear that a war is still being fought and that the wounds from that conflict are still very much open for many millions of people.”

 

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Hundreds of media figures accuse BBC of acting as ‘PR’ for Israel, urge removal of board member

Updated 02 July 2025
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Hundreds of media figures accuse BBC of acting as ‘PR’ for Israel, urge removal of board member

  • Open letter by media professionals, BBC staff say Gaza coverage ‘falls short’ of editorial standards
  • Sir Robbie Gibb, former chief of Jewish Chronicle, accused of ‘ideological allegiances’ to Israel

LONDON: Hundreds of media professionals, including over 100 current BBC staff, have signed an open letter accusing the broadcaster of acting as “PR for the Israeli government,” and called for the removal of BBC board member Sir Robbie Gibb over alleged conflicts of interest.

The letter, sent to BBC Director-General Tim Davie and the broadcaster’s board, follows a string of controversies — including the BBC’s live broadcast of anti-Israel chants by the punk-rap duo Bob Vylan at Glastonbury, and the decision to pull a commissioned documentary on Gaza.

“All too often it has felt that the BBC has been performing PR for the Israeli government and military. This should be a cause of great shame and concern for everyone at the BBC,” the letter stated.

The signatories — which include actress Miriam Margolyes, filmmaker Mike Leigh, actor Charles Dance, and historian William Dalrymple — claim the BBC’s coverage of Gaza “falls short” of its editorial standards and fails to reflect the reality on the ground.

The letter also raises concerns over the BBC’s decision to withdraw from airing “Gaza: Doctors Under Attack,” a documentary it originally commissioned, which will now be broadcast by Channel 4.

The BBC said it pulled the film because it “risked creating a perception of partiality.”

“This appears to be a political decision and is not reflective of the journalism in the film,” the letter stated. “This illustrates precisely what many of us have experienced first hand: an organisation that is crippled by fear of being perceived as critical of the Israeli government.”

Much of the criticism focuses on Gibb, a former head of the BBC’s Westminster political team and ex-spin doctor for Prime Minister Theresa May.

Gibb helped lead the consortium that purchased The Jewish Chronicle in 2020 and served as a director until August 2024.

The letter describes his position on the BBC board — including on the editorial standards committee —  as “untenable,” citing the Jewish Chronicle’s alleged history of publishing “anti-Palestinian and often racist content.”

The letter accuses Gibb of a conflict of interest and highlights what it sees as a double standard: “For many of us, our efforts have been frustrated by opaque decisions made at senior levels of the BBC without discussion or explanation. Our failures impact audiences.

“As an organisation we have not offered any significant analysis of the UK government’s involvement in the war on Palestinians. We have failed to report on weapons sales or their legal implications. These stories have instead been broken by the BBC’s competitors.”

The statement alleges Gibb has a “conflict of interest” which “highlights a double standard for BBC content makers who have themselves experienced censorship in the name of ‘impartiality.’”

The letter further stated: “In some instances staff have been accused of having an agenda because they have posted news articles critical of the Israeli government on their social media.

“By comparison, Gibb remains in an influential post with little transparency regarding his decisions despite his ideological leanings being well known. We can no longer ask licence fee payers to overlook Gibbs’s ideological allegiances.”

A BBC spokesperson said: “Robust discussions amongst our editorial teams about our journalism are an essential part of the editorial process.

“We have ongoing discussions about coverage and listen to feedback from staff and we think these conversations are best had internally.

“Regarding our coverage of Gaza, the BBC is fully committed to covering the conflict impartially and has produced powerful coverage from the region.”

The spokesperson added that in addition to “breaking news, ongoing analysis, and investigations,” the BBC has produced award-winning documentaries such as “Life and Death in Gaza,” and “Gaza 101.”


Paramount to pay $16 million in settlement with Trump over ‘60 Minutes’ interview

Updated 02 July 2025
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Paramount to pay $16 million in settlement with Trump over ‘60 Minutes’ interview

  • Paramount said the money will go to Trump’s future presidential library, not to the president himself

NEW YORK: In a case seen as a challenge to free speech, Paramount has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump over the editing of CBS’ ” 60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris in October.
Paramount told media outlets the money will go to Trump’s future presidential library, not to the president himself. It said the settlement did not involve an apology.
Trump’s lawyer said the president had suffered “mental anguish” over the editing of the interview by CBS News, while Paramount and CBS rejected his contention that it was edited to enhance how Harris sounded. They had sought to get Trump’s lawsuit dismissed.
There was no immediate word from the White House about the settlement of the case, which Trump filed in Amarillo, Texas.
The case has been closely watched by advocates for press freedom and by journalists within CBS, whose lawyers called Trump’s lawsuit “completely without merit” and promised to vigorously fight it after it was filed.
In early February, “60 Minutes” released a full, unedited transcript of the interview.
Under the settlement reached with help of a mediator, Paramount agreed that “60 Minutes” will release transcripts of future interviews of presidential candidates, “subject to redactions as required for legal and national security concerns,” CBS News cited the statement as saying.
Trump, who did not agree to be interviewed by “60 Minutes” during the campaign, protested editing where Harris is seen giving two different answers to a question by the show’s Bill Whitaker in separate clips aired on “60 Minutes” and “Face the Nation” earlier in the day. CBS said each reply came within Harris’ long-winded answer to Whitaker, but was edited to be more succinct.
The president’s lawyer, Edward Andrew Paltzik, said that caused confusion and “mental anguish,” misleading voters and causing them to pay less attention to Trump and his Truth Social platform.
Paramount and controlling shareholder Shari Redstone were seeking the settlement with Trump, whose administration must approve the company’s proposed merger with Skydance Media. CBS News President and CEO Wendy McMahon and “60 Minutes” executive producer Bill Owens, who both opposed a settlement, have resigned in recent weeks.
The Freedom of the Press Foundation, a media advocacy group that says it is a Paramount shareholder, has said that it would file a lawsuit in protest if a settlement was reached.
In December, ABC News settled a defamation lawsuit by Trump over statements made by anchor George Stephanopoulos, agreeing to pay $15 million toward Trump’s presidential library rather than engage in a public fight. Meta reportedly paid $25 million to settle Trump’s lawsuit against the company over its decision to suspend his social media accounts following the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol.


Asharq to bridge US-Arab divide with new Arabic politics podcast

Updated 02 July 2025
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Asharq to bridge US-Arab divide with new Arabic politics podcast

  • America Bi Lahjetna (“America in Our Dialects”) is the first journalist-led Arabic-language political podcast produced in the US capital
  • Hosted by Hiba Nasr, Zena Ibrahim, Kareem Yousry, and Azouz Allilou, the show dives into American political developments with fresh, localized insight

RIYADH: From the heart of Washington DC, Asharq Podcasts launches America Bi Lahjetna, which translates to “America in Our Dialects”, the first journalist-led Arabic-language political podcast produced in the US capital. The show delivers weekly episodes that bring American headlines closer to home, in a voice that speaks directly to the region. 

Hosted by Hiba Nasr (Bureau Chief), Zena Ibrahim (Reporter and Producer), Kareem Yousry (Reporter and Producer), and Azouz Allilou (Reporter and Producer), the show dives into American political developments with fresh, localized insight. Each episode moves beyond the headlines to draw meaningful connections to the realities, concerns, and interests of Arab audiences across the region — precisely when and where it matters most. 

In line with growing demand for content that feels less formal, simpler, and more conversational, America Bi Lahjetna moves away from traditional news delivery. Instead, it offers a smart, approachable format that reflects how today’s audiences, especially younger listeners — consume political content: through relatable voices, contextual storytelling, and accessible language. 

“This podcast isn’t about translating the news, it’s about explaining why it matters to us,” said Hiba Nasr, Asharq’s Washington Bureau Chief. 

“Every week, we unpack the headlines that dominate the American conversation and connect them to the Arab world, politically, emotionally, and strategically. From our base in Washington, we bring clarity to a chaotic media landscape and give our region both a window into and a voice within US political discourse. That’s what makes America Bi Lahjetna different. We’re not observers. We’re participants.” 

In its first episodes, the team breaks down some of the most pressing stories in US politics, offering Arab audiences’ critical context often missing from international coverage, and linking Washington’s decisions to their regional implications. 

America Bi Lahjetna is now streaming on YouTube and Asharq NOW.  


Screening of ‘Rewriting Arab News’ documentary held at EU Embassy in Riyadh

Updated 02 July 2025
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Screening of ‘Rewriting Arab News’ documentary held at EU Embassy in Riyadh

  • Film focuses on relaunch of Saudi Arabia’s first English-language daily and its coverage of the Kingdom’s reforms
  • EU Ambassador: “You are part of Vision 2030 and many of you in this room are an embodiment of this new Saudi Arabia”
  • Faisal J. Abbas: “This documentary tells a small — albeit an exciting — chapter in the history of our newspaper and the country”

RIYADH: A special screening of the documentary “Rewriting Arab News” took place at the EU Embassy in Riyadh on Tuesday as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of Saudi Arabia’s first English-language newspaper.

The film, presented by the London-based Global Arab Network, sheds light on the 2018 relaunch of Arab News, at a time when the Kingdom itself was transforming.

A ceremony, held in honor of Arab News, was attended by European ambassadors to Saudi Arabia and other notable guests, including Saudi dignitaries, diplomats, policymakers, media industry professionals, and staff of the Arab News Riyadh bureau.

Speaking at the ceremony, Christophe Farnaud, the EU ambassador to Saudi Arabia, said: “It’s a great pleasure to be here with you on … the 50th anniversary of Arab News.”

He added: “You don’t just cover the news; you also analyze them. You decipher what’s going on in the world, in the Kingdom, in the region. And you also allow dialogue and comments. And you are an open space, which I think every country needs.

“And I think it comes at the very right time, right now in the Kingdom. So, when you are also part of Vision 2030 and I must say this new Saudi Arabia and many of you in this room are an embodiment of this new Saudi Arabia.

A ceremony, held in honor of Arab News, was attended by European ambassadors to Saudi Arabia and other notable guests. (AN Photo)

“It is something that we not just support, but also, admire, in a way, my European colleagues, they came tonight in numbers — I think would share what I’ve just said.

“Once again I want to congratulate you and your team at Arab News for your work.”

Also speaking at the ceremony, Arab News’ Editor-in-Chief Faisal Abbas said: “On behalf of the Arab News family, we wish to extend our gratitude to the EU ambassador in the Kingdom for hosting this screening occasion as part of our 50th anniversary celebrations this year.

“This documentary tells a small — albeit an exciting — chapter in the history of our newspaper and the country as it accounts for an exciting and transformative period in our country’s progress.

“Of course, Arab News would have not been where it is today without the hard work, passion and dedication of my predecessor editors in chief, and of course, not without our founders — the Hafez Brothers — who started the newspaper in 1975.”

Part of the documentary is narrated by Prince Turki Al-Faisal, the former Saudi ambassador to the US, who in the film delves into the paper’s origins.

Arab News’ Editor-in-Chief Faisal Abbas. (AN photo)

Arab News was established in Jeddah in 1975 by brothers Hisham and Mohammed Ali Hafiz under the slogan to give Arabs a voice in English while documenting the major transformations taking place across the Middle East.

In April 2018, Arab News changed its 43-year-old logo with a new one as well as its motto to “The Voice of a Changing Region.” The newspaper relaunched with a new design and a new approach to stories that it believed was better suited to the internet age.

In June, an event hosted by the Global Arab Network at the Frontline Club in London paid tribute to Arab News and its founders by screening a preview of the documentary for leading editors, reporters, diplomats, and analysts.

Asked following Tuesday’s screening whether he believed the documentary reflected the changes that had been taking place in the region, EU Ambassador Farnaud said: “I would say even more. I mean, it’s one of the embodiments of these changes.

“The Kingdom is undergoing incredible changes. And so is Arab News. And I particularly appreciated, by the way, the historical dimension when it was created in 1975, that was also a project corresponding to the new role of the Kingdom, in a way.

“And yes, now the Kingdom has entered a new phase, a spectacular phase of transformation. And we see that Arab News, in its own ways, is also going through a huge phase of transformation and a successful one at that.

“I was really impressed.”

Also responding to the film, Saudi philanthropist Ameera Al-Taweel said: “A lot of the transformational story for Arab News reminded me of the transformation that was happening in Saudi Arabia back in 2015, 2016 to get to Vision 2030.

Arab News was established in Jeddah in 1975 by brothers Hisham and Mohammed Ali Hafiz. (AN Photo)

“It was right around that time that Arab News was also transforming. It’s very interesting how it aligned with a youthful leader (Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman) who was injecting a lot of changes, believing in the younger generation, believing in keeping the legacy, but building on it.

“So a lot of what I saw in Vision 2030 and of course, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, you see it happening in the private sector or the public sector, even in the journalism sector, and the transformations that have that are happening in it.”

Although she only moved to the region in the spring, Ville Linnala, deputy head of mission at the Embassy of Finland, said the film raised pertinent issues.

“I have been in Riyadh and Saudi Arabia since May 5, so I’m very fairly fresh in the region, but I can really see these issues that were mentioned and raised in the documentary,” she said.

“For example, of course, when it comes to women’s rights and all these kinds of things, and with the Saudi Vision 2030 happening and moving forward.

“It was really, really, really interesting to see. I enjoyed this documentary a lot, so much.”

“Rewriting Arab News” is a short film about the newspaper’s relaunch and digital transformation between 2016 and 2018, presented by Global Arab Network.

 


Clashes in Istanbul over blasphemous cartoon

Updated 02 July 2025
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Clashes in Istanbul over blasphemous cartoon

  • The incident occurred after Istanbul’s chief prosecutor ordered the arrest of LeMan magazine editors

ISTANBUL: Clashes erupted in Istanbul Monday with police firing rubber bullets and tear gas to break up an angry mob after allegations that a satirical magazine had published a blasphemous cartoon, an AFP correspondent said.
The incident occurred after Istanbul’s chief prosecutor ordered the arrest of the editors at LeMan magazine on grounds it had published a cartoon which “publicly insulted religious values.”
“The chief public prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation into the publication of a cartoon in the June 26, 2025 issue of LeMan magazine that publicly insults religious values, and arrest warrants have been issued for those involved,” the prosecutor’s office said.
As the news broke, several dozen angry protesters attacked a bar often frequented by LeMan staffers in downtown Istanbul, provoking angry scuffles with police, an AFP correspondent said.
The scuffles quickly degenerated into clashes involving between 250 to 300 people, the correspondent said.
In several posts on X, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said police had arrested the cartoonist responsible for “this vile drawing”, the magazine's graphic designer and two other staffers.
Police had also taken over the magazine’s offices on Istiklal Avenue and arrest warrants had been issued for several other of the magazine's executives, presidential press aide Fahrettin Altin wrote on X.
In a string of posts on X, LeMan defended the cartoon and said it had been deliberately misinterpreted to cause a provocation.
“The cartoonist wanted to portray the righteousness of the oppressed Muslim people by depicting a Muslim killed by Israel, he never intended to belittle religious values,” it said.
Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said an investigation had been opened on grounds of “publicly insulting religious values.”
“Disrespect toward our beliefs is never acceptable,” he wrote on X.
Istanbul governor Davut Gul also lashed out at “this mentality that seeks to provoke society by attacking our sacred values.
“We will not remain silent in the face of any vile act targeting our nation's faith,” he warned.