On Sunday, US President Donald Trump announced the biggest breaking news of recent times by confirming the death of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Washington Post, one of the biggest media houses in the US, however, had more surprises in store when it described the IS leader as an 'austere religious scholar' in its obituary.
“Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, austere religious scholar at helm of Islamic State, dies at 48,” read the obituary headline on its website.
Twittter was soon inundated with parody tweets.
#WaPoDeathNotices, showing 'subtle', 'kind' death notices of real life notorious personalities such as Adolf Hitler and Osama Bin Laden, soon turned out to be a trending hashtag.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor used the opportunity to describe Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi as 'eloquent defender of majority rights'. 'Godse, eloquent defender of majority rights, passes away in suspended animation at 39,' read the tweet.
Another tweet described Mumbai attack mastermind Ajmal Kasab as a 'biriyani connoisseur'.
“Ajmal Kasab, student, backpacker and biryani connoisseur, dies at 25.”
A tweet described Adolf Hitler as a “dedicated art enthusiast, animal rights activist, and talented orator.”
Popular comedian Joe De Vito decided to give an obit headline to former Al Qaeda leadership Osama Bin Laden. “Osama bin Laden, father of 23, killed in home invasion,” he said.
“Gaius Julius Caesar, 56, noted author and Egyptologist, dies surrounded by his friends,” tweeted Anne-Elisabeth Moutet from Telegraph.
Another tweet referred to American gangster Al Capone as 'noted self-made entrepreneur'.
Twitter was also filled with tweets glorifying fictional villains like Voldermort from Harry Potter, Cersei Lannister from Game of Thrones and American supervillain Thanos.
How it began
It all began after Yashar Ali, a contributor to the New York Magazine and Huffington Post raised objections to the 'soft' headline. “They had it right the first time,” Ali said in his tweet.
Washington Post has since changed the headline. It is not clear whether the twitter backlash forced it to make the changes.
The new headline on its website reads thus:
'Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, extremist leader of Islamic State, dies at 48.
