[1]From Aziz Ansari's Instagram account uploaded 3 months ago with the caption, “Hugging my parents on stage at MSG. Happiest I've ever been.”
American comedian Aziz Ansari launched a Twitter hashtag #RupertsFault [2] to ridicule media mogul Rupert Murdoch’s comments that Muslims should be “held responsible” for the attacks at Charlie Hebdo [3] and the Kosher supermarket in Paris.
With nearly 27,000 tweets [4] already using the hashtag according to the social analytics service Topsy, waves of Twitter users continue to join Ansari’s online movement.
Murdoch, founder and CEO of the world's second largest media conglomerate News Corp [5], sparked outrage when he aired this tweet to his 550,000 Twitter followers in the aftermath of the attacks at the offices of the satirical newspaper in Paris:
Maybe most Moslems peaceful, but until they recognize and destroy their growing jihadist cancer they must be held responsible.
— Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) January 10, 2015 [6]
The Australian-American hit back at angry Twitter users by saying:
Big jihadist danger looming everywhere from Philippines to Africa to Europe to US. Political correctness makes for denial and hypocrisy.
— Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) January 10, 2015 [7]
Some of the famous media companies Murdoch [5]and his family owns are 20th Century Fox, Fox News, Fox Networks, Sky News, Star TV, Wall Street Journal, The New York Post, and UK's The Times, and The Sun.
Ansari was particularly irked by the idea that each of the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims should be held accountable for the attacks committed by extremists, brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi and Amedy Coulibaly.
.@rupertmurdoch [8] Rups can we get a step by step guide? How can my 60 year old parents in NC help destroy terrorist groups? Plz advise.
— Aziz Ansari (@azizansari) January 12, 2015 [9]
.@RUPERTMURDOCH [8] PLEASE TELL ME WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO STOP ANY AND ALL CRIMES COMMITTED BY PEOPLE OF YOUR RELIGION???!!!
— Aziz Ansari (@azizansari) January 12, 2015 [10]
Murdoch's use of the outdated term, ‘Moslems’, further fuelled his critics. The word has colonial connotations – it was used by the British Empire to refer to the inhabitants of its conquests in the Middle East. The Washington Post [11] notes that it was after September 11, 2001 that the media really reconsidered the term’s use, recognizing that “many regard Moslem as a term of abuse”.
The Parks and Recreation TV actor poked fun at the media mogul in a series of tweets, asking him [12] “are you responsible for the evil shit all Christians do”? Intent on branding Murdoch a hypocrite, Ansari started the hashtag #RupertsFault – holding him accountable for crimes committed by Christians, with #RupertsFault.
Anytime a Christian person rear ended your car. #RupertsFault [2]
— Aziz Ansari (@azizansari) January 12, 2015 [13]
.@rupertmurdoch [8] You are Catholic, why are you not hunting pedophiles? #RupertsFault [2]
— Aziz Ansari (@azizansari) January 12, 2015 [14]
@azizansari [15] Those 70 kids in Norway? #Rupertsfault [16]
— Chris Bowers (@cjbowers) January 12, 2015 [17]
The Crusades which he CONVENIENTLY never denounced or apologized for #RupertsFault [2] — Shariah Bolshevik (@PillowThighs) January 12, 2015 [18]
@azizansari [15] Hitler was raised Catholic. Holocaust = #RupertsFault [2] — Christopher Kelly. (@Asssouls) January 12, 2015 [19]
Many used the hashtag to blame the media mogul for all injustices and crimes in general:
Ebola #RupertsFault [2] — David Villar (@davidwvillar) January 12, 2015 [20]
When someone uses their, there and they're incorrectly. #RupertsFault [2]
— Kimberly Mikrot (@kmikrot) January 12, 2015 [21]
All past, present & future human suffering. #RupertsFault [2]
— Hari Kondabolu (@harikondabolu) January 12, 2015 [22]
Reality TV #RupertsFault [2] — Femi the DriFish (@outofwaterX) January 13, 2015 [23]
There might be nothing more dangerous than an old, uber-rich, prejudiced white guy w/multiple media outlets & a twitter acct. #RupertsFault [2]
— Tammy Mansell (@tjmansell) January 12, 2015 [24]
Murdoch soon had a change of tone, which was not welcome by Ansari:
@rupertmurdoch [8] Quit back peddling you racist piece of shit
— Aziz Ansari (@azizansari) January 12, 2015 [25]
Ansari was born in South Carolina. His family are Tamil Muslim, originally from India but he is careful to clarify on his Twitter feed:
To be clear, I am not religious and have nothing against Christians or Muslims, just ignorance like what @rupertmurdoch [8] is spreading.
— Aziz Ansari (@azizansari) January 12, 2015 [26]
Murdoch is no stranger to scandal on Twitter. In 2013, he declared [27] “Society has to integrate. Muslims find it hardest”. And in the aftermath of the Sydney siege, he congratulated the Daily Telegraph (part of his newspaper empire) for capturing the “bloody outcome”.
Ansari was not the only famous person to take on Murdoch's tweets, J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, also tweeted:
I was born Christian. If that makes Rupert Murdoch my responsibility, I'll auto-excommunicate. http://t.co/Atw1wNk8UX [28]
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) January 11, 2015 [29]