Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby is the son of Sheikh Rehana, the younger sister of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and the grandson of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman[1]. Born on May 21, 1980, in the United Kingdom, he is the eldest of three siblings and the brother of British MP Tulip Siddiq[1][5][7].
Bobby is a trustee of the Centre for Research and Information (CRI), a research organization associated with the Awami League[1][5][7]. Some sources allege that the CRI, under Bobby’s leadership, is a propaganda machine for the Awami League[6]. However, the CRI claims to create a platform for public discussion and produce high-quality research[2].
As a trustee of CRI, Radwan Mujib Siddiq oversees the Awami League’s research organization and its initiative Young Bangla, working to empower and inspire the youth[1]. He also played a pivotal role in creating the graphic novel Mujib, based on Bangabandhu’s unfinished autobiography, to engage young readers with his life[1][5].
In 2023, Bobby paid tribute to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on behalf of the Prime Minister, sparking discussions about his potential entry into politics, which Sheikh Hasina dismissed as having no political motive[1]. He also works as a strategy and communications consultant for various organizations[5][9].
Citations:
[1] https://thereport.live/bangladesh/radwan-mujib-siddiq-bobbys-birthday-today/30101
[2] https://netra.news/2021/centre-for-disinformation/
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radwan_Mujib_Siddiq_Bobby
[4] https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/counter-anti-govt-propaganda-social-media-3412716
[5] https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/national/bangabandhus-grandson-radwan-mujib-siddiq-turns-40-1590040165
[6] https://www.themirrorasia.net/news/2024/09/14/2319
[7] https://bdnews24.com/people/bangabandhus-grandson-radwan-mujib-siddiq-turns-41
[8] https://asianews.network/counter-anti-government-propaganda-on-social-media-pm-hasina/
[9] https://www.bonikbarta.com/home/news_description/396778/Radwan-Mujib-Siddiq-Bobby-and-his-advisory-board
[10] https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q131704166
Mike Benz
Mike Benz is a former State Department official and the founder of the Foundation for Freedom Online, known for his work in international communications and digital freedom[1][3]. He is a vocal critic of government overreach, particularly concerning internet censorship, free speech, and foreign policy influence[1].
Benz argues that organizations like USAID engage in activities that influence foreign policy and may play a role in online discourse management[1]. He describes USAID as a central entity in a “trifecta of foreign policy establishments,” alongside the State Department and the Department of Defense, managing the affairs of what he calls the “American empire”[1]. According to Benz, USAID’s role has evolved into shaping political and social dynamics in other countries under the guise of development aid[1].
Some reports have linked Benz to alt-right circles and allegations that he promoted conspiracy theories with racist undertones[1].
Citations:
[1] https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/michael-benz-rising-voice-conservative-criticism-online-censorship-rcna119213
[2] https://www.kslegislature.gov/li_2024/b2023_24/committees/ctte_s_fed_st_1/documents/testimony/20230201_08.pdf
[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o98Y1cEja-U
[4] https://podcastnotes.org/shawn-ryan-show/inside-the-censorship-industrial-complex-mike-benz-on-the-shawn-ryan-show-132/
[5] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9Mm_AFpjPM
[6] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c8zNuUBTlY
[7] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZtXQNDJJm4
[8] https://www.happyscribe.com/public/the-joe-rogan-experience/2237-mike-benz
The Grayzone
The Grayzone is a news website and blog, founded by Max Blumenthal, that presents itself as dedicated to investigative journalism on war and empire[1][4]. However, it has faced considerable criticism for promoting propaganda and disinformation[1][4].
Points of criticism against The Grayzone include:
- General Dishonesty The Grayzone has been accused of general dishonesty, including whining about how Wikipedia has supposedly censored them[1]. Wikipedia editors deprecated The Grayzone as a reliable source due to its pro-Kremlin propaganda[1]. Critics also say that The Grayzone often uses ad hominem attacks, calling its critics neocon shills or McCarthyites[1].
- Fabrication of Quotes In 2011, Max Blumenthal, the founder of The Grayzone, was accused of fabricating quotes from Karen Greenberg[1]. When confronted, Blumenthal speculated that she was intimidated by pro-Israel forces into denying she said it[1].
- Sympathetic Coverage of Authoritarian Regimes The Grayzone has been criticized for its sympathetic coverage of the Russian, Chinese, and former Syrian governments[4]. It has been accused of downplaying the persecution of Uyghurs in China and publishing conspiracy theories[4]. Critics say that The Grayzone’s website is filled with pieces whitewashing the actions of regimes that it describes as “independent foreign governments that are targeted by the US government for regime change, such as Nicaragua, Cuba, Syria, Iran, China, and Russia”[2].
- Doxxing The Grayzone doxxed a Hong Kong activist named Brian Kern, also known as Kong Tsung-Gan[1].
- Russia-Ukraine Disinformation Amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, The Grayzone has been accused of publishing disinformation, including the debunked claim that Ukrainian fighters were using civilians as human shields and that the 2022 Mariupol theatre bombing was staged by the Azov Regiment to warrant NATO intervention[4].
- Use of AI After the documentary Navalny won an Academy Award in February 2023, The Grayzone published an article by Lucy Komisar criticizing the film; the article was written by the neural network Writesonic and referenced sources that did not exist[4].
- Right-Wing Turn In early October 2023, former Grayzone contributor Ben Norton feuded with Blumenthal on Twitter over Norton’s accusation that The Grayzone had taken a right-wing turn to appeal to supporters of Donald Trump[4].
- Whitewashing The Grayzone is accused of whitewashing the actions of certain regimes, with not a single piece critical of their anti-democratic, brutal actions other than to deny that such things happened[2].
Citations:
[1] https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/The_Grayzone
[2] https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/jack-gerson-reply-to-the-grayzone-slander
[3] https://www.reddit.com/r/chomsky/comments/u9j5xm/is_grayzone_good_or_bad/
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grayzone
[5] https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/09/anti-war-camp-intellectually-bankrupt/671576/
[6] https://thegrayzone.com
[7] https://thegrayzone.com/2024/01/24/washington-post-grayzone-holocaust-deniers-adl/
[8] https://newpol.org/against-the-grayzone-slanders/