MENA: CNN Journalist’s Comment Sparks Controversy · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

The passing of Lebanese religious leader Sayyed  Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah was, for many, a major event, as Amira al Hussaini explains in this post.  And yet, a passing remark on Twitter by an American CNN journalist of Lebanese background is causing a stir in the Twittersphere, blogosphere, and beyond.
The (now-deleted) tweet, made by Octavia Nasr of CNN (@OctaviaNasrCNN) read simply:
“Sad to hear of the passing of Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah.. One  of Hezbollah's giants I respect a lot. #Lebanon”
Nevertheless, the 117 character statement has carried weight with pundits and bloggers who take issue with an American journalist praising a member of Hezbollah, deemed a terrorist group by the U.S. government, prompting Nasr to issue a statement explaining her tweet.
Some were satisfied to be provided with more context, a sentiment Canadian BloggerSeif expressed in this tweet:
@octavianasrCNN I think you did well in your apology, very true and straight from the  heart.Inspiration for writers across Lebanese bless
While others felt that no apology could fix the tweet, some bloggers across the region expressed frustration with the fact that Nasr had to apologize at all.  Mustapha of Beirut Spring defends Nasr, saying:
The critics are using Ms. Nasr to kick CNN, but CNN would be making a  terrible mistake if they fired her. Octavia not only knows Lebanon and  the region very well, she is very popular with the Lebanese and Arabs on  Twitter and the Blogosphere. She has painstakingly built personal  relationships with the region’s online activists and she’s the go-to  person whenever someone thinks they have a scoop. In fact, one can  argue that her offending tweet is something all savvy networkers do all  the time: Mirror her audience.
Whether the pro-Israelis in America like it or not, there is a  general consensus in Lebanon of “respecting” Ayatollah Fadlallah, and  Octavia Nasr, an excellent journalist, did what any professional would  have done.
Lebanese blogger Independence '05 also expressed support for Nasr, emphasizing her excellent relationships with bloggers in the region:
I am quite sure CNN will simply ignore them. But this doesn't mean I  should let such a silly incident go by without saying those 4 points:
1- We met Octavia, she is such a down to earth lady, so smart, so  charismatic, simply a beautiful soul
2- Octavia connects with us, the ordinary people, it's a give and take  relationship, and she helps us like there's no tomorrow
3- She's smart, she understands the region and the politics of it very  well, she's objective and she manifests her presence in such a strong  and charismatic way
4- She's Lebanese, and not a terrorist or a terrorist supporter. You  guys who are trying to get her because of what she said about Fadlallah,  require at least a century of knowledge and history before you  understand such a tweet. So please, go do something you understand, such  as propaganda.. oh wait! This is what you're doing!
One more thing, showing respect is something, supporting is something  else. Way to go American Democracy, you preach the world yet you  can't digest a different point of view?
Octavia, you got our support… #justsayin
Twitter user Bashar Hamad leaves us with a final, poignant thought:
I wonder if all these people so quick to jump on @octavianasrCNN comment Re: Fadlallah's passing be so quick to jump on real hate speech