PR Agency Proclaims: Israel Is Controversial, Muslim Brotherhood Is Not

eg_mbrhdThe world of public relations is filled with constant pressures and moving parts. As CEO of one of the largest US PR firms, I know and understand the intricacies of spin.

Last week, the Emirate of Qatar hired one of the world’s largest PR agencies, Portland Communications, “for a communications/political push targeted at Congress and federal agencies to improve ties with the United States.” Qatar follows sharia law and has numerous human rights issues. On the heels of that partnership comes the revelation that recently released federal government filings indicate that Burson-Marsteller, one of the world’s leading PR firms has been hired to improve the foreign image of Tunisia’s Ennahda Party, a Muslim Brotherhood-inspired organization. The Ennahda Party has good reasons to have close American ties given the upheaval Islamist-backed governments have caused in the Middle East.

While paying homage to Middle Eastern money isn’t an anomaly to only the PR industry, the shock is that the same firm taking money from the Muslim Brotherhood refused to work for Israel, calling the Jewish State “highly controversial.” Sigurd Grytten, Managing Director of Burson-Marsteller, refused Israel’s request for a meeting, explaining, “We will not deliver tender to such a project … we are running a commercial venture. If we accept this project, this will create a great amount of negative reactions … Israel is a particularly controversial project.”

As a Jerusalem Post editorial on the Ennahda Party described,

[T]he movement’s members have been implicated in both incitement and violent actions against Tunisian and foreign targets. The party supported the 1979 embassy takeover in Iran, and evidence suggests it was responsible for bombing four tourist hotels in the 1980s.

A party leader “called for attacks on US interests in the Middle East in response to America’s invasion of Iraq in the Gulf War,” and more recently, the organization spoke of “victory” of the Palestinian resistance in Gaza, and opposes relations with Israel.

In the eyes of my peers in the PR industry, a party inspired by the Muslim Brotherhood is mainstream – and Israel is “a particularly controversial project.” Fascinating times we live in.

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  • Kenneth Dreger

    Just goes to show how “Out of Touch” from reality these “PR” folks really are! MB is somehow a better group to do business with than Israel ? Shame on the PR Firm, shame on them…..

  • Elisheva

    I guess Qatar’s money and the Muslim Brotherhood’s money is greener than the shekel. PR is not about morality it is about brainwashing and cannot be controlled. That is why Jihad Watch, Front Page and Gatestone, etc is so helpful to people who seek the truth. We cannot depend our our government to help.

  • Pericles

    “Israel Is Controversial, Muslim Brotherhood Is Not.”

    So say the leftists, progressives, MSM, pop culture, our government, CAIR, MSA, ISNA, anti-Semites, and many other groups and institutions which dominate our culture and politics.

    While Israel has to spend its resources defending itself against the threats of annihilation, its Arab enemies can spend money to promote their image and their cause by hiring PR firms.

    The US and Europe have become Philistines in their corporations and governments,

  • Dallasyaherd

    Great article, wikipedia, “consesus” is also controlled by Islamic lobbying.

  • John Adams

    The Muslim Brotherhood is definitely NOT controversial as our illustrious, all knowing and all wise former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton confirmed in July 2012 after meeting Mohammad Morsi in Egypt, when she gushed “the Muslim Brotherhood are Conservative Muslims, a peaceful Secular
    Organization.

    Of course this is just a minor detail that Hillary overlooked, that In September 2010 the Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Guide Muhammad Badi declared The Brotherhood calls for jihad against “the Muslim’s real enemies, not only Israel but also the United States. Waging jihad against both of these infidels is a commandment of Allah that cannot be disregarded.”

    As Hillary the all American Patriot would say (or shriek) “what does it matter”