Wadah Khanfar was accused by some of a pro-Islamist bias.[26] Responding to these accusations in a 2007 interview with The Nation, Khanfar said: "Islam is more of a factor now in the influential political and social spheres of the Arab world, and the network’s coverage reflects that. Maybe you have more Islamic voices [on the network] because of the political reality on the ground."[26] In June 2007, Hafez Al-Mirazi, Al-Jazeera's Washington bureau chief, denounced what he saw as the station's "Islamist drift", and singled out Khanfar in particular, saying: "From the first day of the Wadah Khanfar era, there was a dramatic change, especially because of him selecting assistants who are hardline Islamists."[26]