Samaritan’s Purse Threatens Legal Action Against Borkena Over OpEd on Franklin Graham’s Message to Trump

Borkena

Toronto – Samaritan’s Purse is threatening legal action against Borkena, a Toronto-based Ethiopian news portal, over an OpEd piece published on March 9 entitled “The Crossroads Government: Franklin Graham, Evangelical Pastors, and Political Lobbying in Ethiopia.”

Mark Barber, whose email signature identifies him as the “Media Relations Director | Quality Assurance and Social Media” for Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, wrote, “This article is deeply concerning and gravely misleading and needs to be immediately corrected or removed.”

Borkena clarified that the article in question is an OpEd piece and does not reflect the views of borkena.com. The platform includes disclaimer statements on all OpEd articles, and the piece in question was no exception. Borkena also offered Mr. Barber the opportunity to submit a rebuttal article, but he did not appear interested in doing so.

Borkena reached out to the author, Caleb T., and forwarded Samaritan’s Purse’s concerns. Caleb responded, “I couldn’t locate the video I originally watched before writing the article, as it has since been deleted, and unfortunately, I no longer have access to the evidence. However, I was fortunate enough to find that Ethio Forum used part of the press conference video in their program, which you can view here: Ethio Forum Program. https://youtu.be/Sv_6YmGTri0?si=AE-Lnl982RSDjb7i “

Upon reviewing the video, much of Caleb’s writing appears to be a contextual interpretation of Mr. Graham’s remarks in relation to Ethiopia’s political, security, humanitarian, and other issues.

In a subsequent email, Mr. Barber complained that the author did not use his full name. Borkena’s editor explained that some writers choose not to disclose their identities for security reasons, including concerns for the safety of their family members in Ethiopia. This practice is understood within the context of restrictions on freedom of expression and the dangers associated with expressing political opinions in the country.

Mr. Barber further stated, “If this fabricated story hadn’t gained any traction, I wouldn’t be as concerned. However, it has been read all over the world and this impacts our affiliate offices in Canada and the United Kingdom. Most unfortunately, this editorial was included in one of the daily OCHA briefings distributed by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. We are taking up this alarming issue with them as well as with you.”

Upon reviewing the video footage published by Ethio Forum on https://youtu.be/Sv_6YmGTri0?si=AE-Lnl982RSDjb7i it does not appear that views in the OpEd piece are “fabricated.”

Borkena informed Mr. Barber that the platform is short-staffed (It is operating under difficult circumstances) making back-and-forth communication challenging. The author of the article was cc’ed.

In his next email, Mr. Barber reiterated the importance of the matter and insisted that it be addressed. “We can certainly understand and appreciate that you are short-staffed and would like to limit further communication. We would too! Our two organizations are working in over 100 countries as we speak. However, we cannot move on until this issue has been corrected and addressed, so we appreciate your continued attention to our concerns. Thank you, Dimetros and Cal T.”

The communications escalated further, and a legal counsel became involved. “Through publishing fabricated quotes like this, Borkena has placed a great ministry with a longstanding history of humanitarian work in Ethiopia at risk. Please immediately correct or retract the story or discuss this issue with our legal team—Justin Arnot, our General Counsel, is copied.”

Mr. Arnot wrote, “Please understand that we do not desire an escalation of this matter, as that can become messy, expensive, and time-consuming. That said, to emphasize the gravity of our concerns and the resolve we have to see them addressed, it is important for you to be aware that I have already contacted litigation counsel in Toronto in anticipation of the need to bring a formal defamation action. Please either remove the article or take steps such as Mark has described in order to correct the situation and mitigate further harm to Rev. Graham’s and our organizations’ reputations. We reserve all rights and options.”

The quote that the organization claims is “misquoted” and attributed to Franklin Graham is: “When I return to the United States, I will tell President Trump how Addis Ababa has changed and explain what is happening in Ethiopia.” This statement appears in the video link shared above.

The spokesperson and legal counsel are demanding that the article be removed or that a disclaimer be added at the top of the article. Mr. Barber provided the following suggested text: “The quotes and information attributed to Franklin Graham in this editorial are disputed. A spokesperson for Mr. Graham says they are false and have been fabricated. Borkena has not independently verified the statements made by the author of this article.” However, based on the video link shared above (watch starting from the fifth minute), Mr. Graham made similar remarks.

The matter appears to be of crucial importance to the author, Caleb T., as is potentially the case with millions of Ethiopians, who has written two additional articles on the same topic.

Samaritan’s Purse’s spokesperson also demanded that a picture used in an article submitted by Ethiopian Community Omaha, entitled “Allowing an American Pastor While Rejecting an Ethiopian Bishop Is Injustice,” be removed. The picture was submitted along with the article.

Borkena’s mission is to provide Ethiopian news updates to the Ethiopian community, friends of Ethiopia, and beyond, while offering a platform for discussions on topics related to Ethiopian current affairs, culture, history, and more. The platform also occasionally covers Canadian and other contents.

While Borkena does not have the resources to engage in a legal battle with a large organization like Samaritan’s Purse, which operates in over 100 countries, it also does not wish to succumb to what appears to be legal bullying or to silence the views of concerned writers. Legal experts willing to provide support on this matter would be most welcome.

Related Readings : A Moral and Theological Critique of Franklin Graham’s Visit to Ethiopia: Justice, Repentance, and the Role of Evangelism in Political Contexts

The Prosperity Party’s Political Use of Evangelical Leaders in Ethiopia

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