Loading ...
Fox News Presenters Mock UAE's Female Fighter Pilot
Presenters on a US cable channel have made a number of sexist jokes about Major Mariam al-Mansouri, the UAE’s first female fighter pilot who led her country’s air strikes on militants in Syria earlier this week.
Fox News presenters Greg Gutfeld and Eric Boiling reportedly made the comments after reporting on al-Mansouri’s role in the US-led air strikes, the UK’s Guardian reported.
It said Gutfeld mocked the pilot, saying: “The problem is after she bombed it she couldn’t park it” while Bolling joined in, asking: “Would that be considered boobs on the ground or no?”
Their sexist remarks followed a piece to camera by fellow presenter Kimberly Guilfoyle, who had tried to pay tribute to al-Mansouri.
She said: “Major Mariam al-Mansouri is who did this. Remarkable, very excited. I wish it was an American pilot. I’ll take a woman doing this any day to them.”
But after the her co-presenter’s quips, Guilfoyle reportedly hung her head, saying: “Oh my gosh, why did they ruin my thing?” Another voice was heard afterwards saying: “Did you just say what I thought you said?”
The conversation between panellists, which was broadcast on Wednesday, was part of discussion show The Five on Fox News, the Guardian reported.
On Thursday, the UAE’s ambassador to Washington confirmed news reports that that al-Mansouri had led air strikes against militants in Syria earlier this week, saying: “She is a fully qualified, highly trained, combat-ready pilot, and she led the mission.”
The UAE was one of five Arab allies, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain that supported the US-led airstrikes against IS targets inside Syria. Members of IS and Al Qaeda were reportedly killed during the mission.
Al-Mansouri was born in Abu Dhabi and graduated from the country’s Khalifa bin Zayed Air College in 2007, according to a profile published earlier this year. She is one of eight children and has a degree in English literature.
ArabianBusiness.com