Mehdi Hasan launched a scathing critique of The New York Times for its recent profile of children’s entertainer Rachel Griffin Accurso better known as Ms Rachel accusing the paper of peddling “mad, mad claims” and leaning on a “ridiculous anonymous rightwing website.”
The piece suggested that Accurso, famed for her educational singalongs and 14 million-strong YouTube subscriber base, may be indirectly promoting a Hamas-linked agenda by virtue of her outspoken advocacy for children in Gaza.
In a tweet, Hasan wrote: “I’m embarrassed for the New York Times that they published this piece on Ms Rachel, in which they cite a ridiculous anonymous rightwing website StopAntisemitism while indulging the mad, mad claim she may be funded by Hamas (!).”
StopAntisemitism had labelled Accurso “Antisemite of the Week” and reportedly urged officials to investigate alleged ties to Hamas an accusation the former music teacher vehemently denies.
Accurso’s social-media posts have alternated between toddler tutorials and impassioned appeals for humanitarian relief amid conflict zones.
A video on her socials shows two Gazan children watching her content amid the rubble of their home, captioned: “My friends Celine and Silia in what used to be their home in Gaza.” She has also shared her meeting with Rahaf, a three-year-old amputee of an airstrike, pledging $1 million alongside her husband to the World Food Programme.
Critics claim her focus on Palestinian suffering eclipses the plight of Israeli children, including hostages Ariel and Kfir Bibas, but Accurso counters: “The painful reality is that Palestinian children in Gaza have been killed by the thousands and continue to be killed, maimed and starved right now. Caring about one group of children does not preclude caring for another.”
Hasan Mehdi: A controversial past
Hasan’s defence of Accurso sits uneasily alongside his own controversial record. He insists that Western media marginalises Palestinian voices, observing on Democracy Now! that “Palestinian voices not being on American television or in American print is one of the biggest problems when it comes to our coverage of this conflict.”
He has likewise criticised what he sees as muted Western media coverage: “Where is the outcry here in the West?” he asked, decrying the silence over alleged Israeli war crimes in Gaza. “We don’t value Palestinian life,” he told the New Statesman, scolding what he characterised as Western double standards on civilian casualties.
Yet recordings from Hasan’s early career reveal incendiary remarks that he now says he regrets. In a resurfaced lecture more than a decade ago, he compared atheists to “cattle” and grouped “homosexuals” among behaviours “contrary to Islamic teachings.” He warned that “once we lose the moral high ground, we are no different from… those who live their lives as animals, bending any rule to fulfil any desire.” Following widespread backlash, Hasan apologised in 2019, labelling his comments “dumb offensive ranty stuff” from his twenties and admitting: “It was a silly attempt to be bombastic. I regret it and find it embarrassing now.”
Beyond personal pronouncements, Hasan’s professional affiliations have attracted scrutiny. His tenure at Al Jazeera often viewed as a mouthpiece for Qatar’s Islamist-leaning regime and his vocal critiques of US terminology, such as “jihadist terrorism,” have fuelled accusations of bias.
The piece suggested that Accurso, famed for her educational singalongs and 14 million-strong YouTube subscriber base, may be indirectly promoting a Hamas-linked agenda by virtue of her outspoken advocacy for children in Gaza.
In a tweet, Hasan wrote: “I’m embarrassed for the New York Times that they published this piece on Ms Rachel, in which they cite a ridiculous anonymous rightwing website StopAntisemitism while indulging the mad, mad claim she may be funded by Hamas (!).”
I'm embarrassed for the New York Times that they published this piece on Ms. Rachel, in which they cite a ridiculous anonymous righwing website Stopantisemitism while indulging the mad, mad claim she may be funded by Hamas (!).
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) May 15, 2025
This isn't journalism:https://t.co/JBCT90UAgr
StopAntisemitism had labelled Accurso “Antisemite of the Week” and reportedly urged officials to investigate alleged ties to Hamas an accusation the former music teacher vehemently denies.
Accurso’s social-media posts have alternated between toddler tutorials and impassioned appeals for humanitarian relief amid conflict zones.
A video on her socials shows two Gazan children watching her content amid the rubble of their home, captioned: “My friends Celine and Silia in what used to be their home in Gaza.” She has also shared her meeting with Rahaf, a three-year-old amputee of an airstrike, pledging $1 million alongside her husband to the World Food Programme.
Critics claim her focus on Palestinian suffering eclipses the plight of Israeli children, including hostages Ariel and Kfir Bibas, but Accurso counters: “The painful reality is that Palestinian children in Gaza have been killed by the thousands and continue to be killed, maimed and starved right now. Caring about one group of children does not preclude caring for another.”
Hasan Mehdi: A controversial past
Hasan’s defence of Accurso sits uneasily alongside his own controversial record. He insists that Western media marginalises Palestinian voices, observing on Democracy Now! that “Palestinian voices not being on American television or in American print is one of the biggest problems when it comes to our coverage of this conflict.”
He has likewise criticised what he sees as muted Western media coverage: “Where is the outcry here in the West?” he asked, decrying the silence over alleged Israeli war crimes in Gaza. “We don’t value Palestinian life,” he told the New Statesman, scolding what he characterised as Western double standards on civilian casualties.
Yet recordings from Hasan’s early career reveal incendiary remarks that he now says he regrets. In a resurfaced lecture more than a decade ago, he compared atheists to “cattle” and grouped “homosexuals” among behaviours “contrary to Islamic teachings.” He warned that “once we lose the moral high ground, we are no different from… those who live their lives as animals, bending any rule to fulfil any desire.” Following widespread backlash, Hasan apologised in 2019, labelling his comments “dumb offensive ranty stuff” from his twenties and admitting: “It was a silly attempt to be bombastic. I regret it and find it embarrassing now.”
Beyond personal pronouncements, Hasan’s professional affiliations have attracted scrutiny. His tenure at Al Jazeera often viewed as a mouthpiece for Qatar’s Islamist-leaning regime and his vocal critiques of US terminology, such as “jihadist terrorism,” have fuelled accusations of bias.
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