Isareli falsely identified as terrorist by Lebanese media.
Lebanese media mistakenly identify Israeli as suicide attacker
Sheikh Taha Kiel from Galilee town shocked to see his Facebook photo on Lebanese outlets naming him as one of two terrorists behind a bombing at coffee shop in Tripoli.
An Israeli was shocked to find his Facebook picture circulating on Lebanese media as a photograph of the terrorist who led the attack on a café in Tripoli on Saturday.
Sheikh Taha Kiel of the Galilee town of Jadeidi-Makr was surprised to find out that Lebanese media outlets had published his picture, claiming he was the terrorist behind the deadly attack. Kiel found out that the perpetrator of the attack had the same name and that the Lebanese media outlets had mistakenly used photos from his Facebook page.
Kiel's photo in Lebanese news website.
Despite several requests made by Kiel to take the photos down, the Lebanese media outlets have refused to take down the image, not willing to believe Kiel that they had mistakenly identified him as one of two attackers who blew themselves up at a coffee shop in the northern Lebanese city which led to the death of 9 individuals and 35 others wounded.
Kiel, 42, is married and a father of three. He works as an Imam at a mosque in the Bedouin village of Arab al-Aramshe in the western Galilee. Kiel learned of the incident when he was sent a link to one of the article's touting his image.
Sheikh Kiel is considering suing the Lebanese media outlets that published his photo. (Mohammed Shinawi)
"A friend sent me a link and there I saw my picture and next to it was written "the terrorist Taha Kiel who carried out the attack," Kiel described on Wednesday."Later on I got several phone calls from people who know me and I was forced to calm them down. I told them these were lies and that I am still alive," he said.
Kiel turned to the media outlets and asked them to take down his photograph but said, "I guess they think I'm lying."
"The publication really hurt me. A lot of people started to talk to me. I am seriously considering suing the websites that published (my picture) with help from an international lawyer and demand an apology," said Kiel.
