“There are some Americans we’re better off without. Furkan Dogan is one of them.” - The Guardian’s Joshua Treviño on 3 June 2010.

Today, despite the uproar over his incitement to murder Americans, Joshua Treviño was allowed to debut his new regular column at The Guardian.

The Guardian is sticking to the fiction that Treviño’s tweet of 25 June 2011 in which he wrote, “Dear IDF: If you end up shooting any Americans on the new Gaza flotilla – well, most Americans are cool with that. Including me,” was a one-off and somehow not representative or typical.

Why won’t the Guardian correct these lies?

Guardian editors were as of today still directing readers to a so-called “clarification” Treviño wrote on 16 August in which he told the following bald-faced lie:

any reading of my tweet of 25 June 2011 that holds that I applauded, encouraged, or welcomed the death of fellow human beings, is wrong, and out of step with my life and record.

In fact Treviño regularly applauded, encouraged and welcomed the deaths of fellow human beings, specifically the 9 unarmed civilians killed aboard the Mavi Marmara on 31 May 2010. A year later, in June 2011, he goaded Israel to kill passengers aboard a new flotilla. Some of the people aboard that later flotilla were American author Alice Walker and Holocaust survivor Hedy Epstein.

Earlier today, I wrote to Guardian editors Alan Rusbridger, Janine Gibson, Matt Seaton, Nell Boase and PR rep Jennifer Lindenauer asking for a correction of Treviño’s blatantly false statement. So far I have had no response.

Not only has The Guardian been purveying false information about Treviño’s record, but on Saturday I caught them surreptitiously altering a press release after publication apparently to downgrade Treviño’s status. Are these really the kinds of dirty tricks The Guardian has sunk to?

A few of Treviño’s most vile statements

On 3 June 2010 in reference to 19-year-old American Furkan Doğan, killed execution-style aboard the Mavi Marmara, Treviño wrote, “Make no mistake: in choosing to aid Hamas on the #flotilla, Furkan Dogan raised his hand against his country. His fate was deserved.”

On 3 June 2010, Treviño tweeted, “There are some Americans we’re better off without. Furkan Dogan is one of them: http://bit.ly/abfbLl #flotilla.”

On 1 June 2010, the day after Israeli forces murdered 9 unarmed civilians aboard the Mavi Marmara in international waters, Treviño tweeted, “Only way the #flotilla story gets better is if it’s revealed the IDF drew Muhammed on a bulkhead.”

On 2 June 2010, Treviño tweeted, “After examining the facts on #flotilla, I condemn Israel: for being too nice, too soft, too accommodating to the scum of the earth.”

You can find many more examples at Topsy.

These are vile dehumanizing comments. I encourage everyone to read our interview with Dr. Ahmet Doğan who spoke of the moment he heard that the Mavi Marmara, with his idealistic young son aboard, had been attacked. Furkan’s father sat down, buried his head in his hands and “felt that boiling water was poured over me.” Dr. Doğan is struggling for justice for his son.

These comments also demonstrate that Treviño is a liar, and by extention The Guardian’s editors are liars for continuing to spread Treviño’s falsehoods.

The Guardian was likely aware of Treviño’s record

In a radio interview with conservative radio host Peter Ingemi on Saturday 18 August 2012, Treviño explained how he became a columnist at The Guardian (starting at approximately 20 minutes). “The origin is in my Twitter feed. I started to engage over the past few years with a couple of Guardian personnel there.” In March 2012, he was invited to speak at The Guardian Open Weekend in London, and then in May 2012 he spoke at the DC launch event for The Guardian’s US edition. “Shortly thereafter,” he says, The Guardian began to discuss hiring him for a daily column.

If we are to believe Treviño – admittedly difficult given his record – The Guardian knew about his vile tweets all along.

Enough. It is time for The Guardian to stop the lies.

Write to The Guardian and demand correction of Treviño’s falsehoods

The Guardian’s editors have so far been unresponsive to requests that they correct the blatant falsehood in Joshua Treviño’s “clarification,” detailed above, that he never “applauded, encouraged, or welcomed the death of fellow human beings.”

Perhaps they need to hear from more people? If you want to add your voice to the call for accountability and a correction, these are the people to write to:

Alan Rusbridger, Editor in Chief: [email address removed]

Janine Gibson, Editor in Chief Guardian US: [email address removed]

Matt Seaton, Editor Comment is Free US: [email address removed]

Ombudsman Chris Elliott: [email address removed]

Feel free to send a copy of your letter to me at: [email address removed]

Note: Guardian email addresses are public information.

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