Israeli and Palestinian Journalism Conference
Ambassador Hotel, Sheikh Jarrah, Off Nablus Road (at the
intersection for the police department)
It is a few blocks north of the American Colony Hotel ... the number there is
541-2222
Journalists from the print media and Internet media address their experiences, your background, what you have learned about covering the Middle East, describe your beat, what you look for, what challenges you might face and how you deal with them ... any
examples of great stories, tough stories, stories you can't get to do because of barriers ... things you would like to see change, etc. (Humor is always good)
Our purpose is not to get into a political debate, but obviously, as we all know, politics is the world in the Middle East so it will surely inject itself into the discussion. But the purpose is to focus on professional journalism, and also introduce journalists together, Palestinians and Israelis.
------------------- Program ------------------
NAAJA EVENTS
SPJ-Arab Journalists
Monday, Dec. 3, 2007
Ambassador Hotel, Sheikh Jarrah, East Jerusalem
1st Floor Conference Room
Sponsored by NAAJA, SPJ-Arab Journalists
PANEL 1: Internet Media: Strategies and Challenges facing Internet News Web and
Blog sites
Monday, Dec. 3, 2007, 12-2:30
- Moderator, Charley Warady, co-host, Israelisms, an online weekly audio blog of
life in Israel (Confirmed)
- Alan Abbey, Former editor, YnetNews.com, one of the most popular English
language news sites from Israel (Confirmed)
- Khaled Abou-Aker, Editor, AMIN.org, a center for Palestinian, Israeli and
Middle East opinion (Confirmed)
- Elizabeth Cohen, MidEastYouth.com one of the highest ranked Middle East news
blogs on the Internet (Confirmed)
- Fadi Abu Sada, Director Palestine News Network, an online news agency
(Confirmed – or a representative if he is not allowed to cross from Bethlehem)
- Sherif Hedayat, standup comedian, online video producer
PANEL 2: Traditional Media: Strategies and Challenges facing coverage of the
Palestine-Israel Conflict
Monday, Dec. 3, 2007, 2:45-5:30
- Moderator: Ray Hanania, syndicated columnist, SPJ-Arab Journalists coordinator, and Arab Writers Group Syndicate manager.
(Confirmed)
- Steve Linde, managing editor, The Jerusalem Post, editor at Israel Radio.
Linde has worked at the Jerusalem Post for the past 10 years and 18 years at
Israel Radio. (Confirmed)
- Lisa Zilberpriver, reporter Haaretz Newspaper. (confirmed)
- Dion Nissenbaum, McClatchy Newspapers Jerusalem Bureau (Confirmed)
- Joel Greenberg, Middle East correspondent for the Chicago Tribune (Confirmed)
- Zaki Abu Al-Halaweh, correspondent for al-Quds Newspaper (Confirmed)
- Issa Sharbati, correspondent for al-Hayat al-Jadida newspaper (Confirmed)
The event is open to the public. We encourage you to have lunch at the
Ambassador Hotel prior to the conference.
end
Friday, November 30, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Common Ground News Service Original Articles on Iraq and cholera, Lebanon, Youth Views
Title: Bridging businesses, bridging worlds
Author: Hiam Nawas
Source: The Common Ground News Service, 27 November 2007 Word Count: 884
Title: Iraq in the time of cholera
Author: César Chelala
Source: The Common Ground News Service, 27 November 2007 Word Count: 801
Title: ~Youth Views~ Living in a bubble in Lebanon
Author: Raissa Batakji
Source: The Common Ground News Service, 27 November 2007 Word Count: 752
Each article is available in Arabic, French, English, Indonesian and Urdu; just ask and I'd be happy to send you any translation. Please feel free to republish the article(s) and, if possible, let me know by sending an email to: akessinger@sfcg.org.
With regards,
Andrew Kessinger
Common Ground News Service
**********
Bridging businesses, bridging worlds
Hiam Nawas
Washington, DC - Business has often been a catalyst for cultural blending and has proven capable of having profound effects on culturally or religiously dissonant societies. Overall, interactions resulting from commercial contacts have yielded positive results in the long run, leading to better understanding and, at times, acceptance of foreign cultures, customs and traditions.
The success of joint ventures (JVs) in cementing US-West European relations during the 1950s and 1960s – such as KLM's partnership with Delta Air Lines – demonstrates their positive potential among like-minded nations. These types of JVs strengthened already existing ties between the United States and Western Europe, and also gave greater impetus to NATO, which contributed to the decline of domestic Communist threats in a number of Western European countries, including France and Italy. While NATO was primarily military and anti-Soviet, it has often been argued that it also reinforced shared values and cultural traditions between member countries as well as US ideological influence.
More recently and in a more antagonistic context, Chinese-American JVs have played a key role in moderating long-standing ideological differences between the two superpowers, promoting a renewed relationship based on common interests: free trade and the success of the global economy. For example, companies such as Wal-Mart have been at the forefront of this geopolitical trend, providing ready markets for Chinese goods while influencing China's trade posture. Not only has it helped China tap new overseas markets, but American consumers have benefited from lower-priced Chinese goods.
There is also an often-ignored impact of JVs – the influence they have had and continue to have on each other's societies. In essence, they are another vehicle for diplomacy and good relations. To be sure, JVs in and of themselves do not guarantee peace and stability, especially in situations where hostility runs high. They may, however, have the potential to humanise the "other" and contribute to bridging political differences when significant economic interests are at stake.
For example, while the underlying dynamics between countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the West (Western Europe and the US) have been very different from West European-US relations, JVs between Western and GCC countries have given them a stake in the welfare of US and European economies. This has mainly taken place through GCC direct and indirect investments in both economic powerhouses. Stability and economic prosperity in the West therefore equates with steady and healthy returns for GCC investments.
In more high-tech JVs, local capital is often combined with foreign technological know-how. One example of this is in the medical industry, where prominent centres such as the Cleveland Clinic, the Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, Harvard, and others have engaged in JVs with GCC countries and opened medical centres locally.
Another prime example of successful JVs rests in academia, where Jordanian and GCC universities have entered into exchange agreements with US and European institutions of higher education.
American universities have invested heavily in JVs in the Middle East, creating not only business channels but also a common educational experience for Western and Middle Eastern academic communities. The partnership between the Qatar Foundation and Virginia Commonwealth University's (VCU) School of the Arts is a good example of how such a JV is offering students in the Gulf a rare opportunity to study Western approaches to design and fashion without having to leave their own countries.
VCU's JV with the Qatar Foundation, and other similar ventures with language centres around the Middle East, are creating fields of specialisation that would have otherwise been unavailable to local students, particularly in fields that are heavily populated with women, such as fine arts, theatre decor, fashion design, and nursing. These opportunities are especially important with regard to women's empowerment and the growth of a progressive and vibrant civil society, undoubtedly a couple of the major factors influencing the establishment of the democratic process.
While this cause-and-effect relationship might not be apparent nor provide for short-term gains, the long-term strategic value of JVs benefits both partner countries. JVs alone do not resolve complex political and strategic differences, but they do help enhance cooperation where the political will already exists.
An example of this has been the policies followed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which has worked hard to become an international financial hub while attempting to navigate a difficult regional environment. This focus on business and trade has paid dividends, evidenced by the Dubai phenomenon, and has resulted in an increase in foreign direct investment and the relocation of several Western companies and individuals to Dubai. These business relationships have created new links between the UAE and its Western partners, building good will and a forum for ongoing communication.
Even in the very troubled waters of US-Iranian relations, business ventures could have possibly provided a small window of opportunity – were it not for current US-imposed economic sanctions on Iran – by bridging political and ideological gaps and by engaging individuals from both countries. Business interactions provide an opportunity for human contact and economic collaboration, despite the current lack of political will to engage in a real dialogue between the two countries.
Although JVs are not a short-term fix or cure-all for complex political and social issues, they have been shown to open doors between cultures and create human partnerships that can have lasting, positive impacts on relations between countries, even those in conflict, over the long-term.
###
* Hiam Nawas, a Jordanian American, has lived and worked in various countries in the Middle East and specialises in Middle Eastern Affairs and Islamic law. This article is part of a series on joint Muslim-Western business ventures and is distributed by the Common Ground News Service.
Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 27 November 2007, www.commongroundnews.org Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.
**********
Iraq in the time of cholera
César Chelala
New York - It is the kind of news that everybody had been dreading. An outbreak of cholera in Iraq, which started in two Northern provinces, has already reached Baghdad and has become Iraq's biggest cholera outbreak in recent memory. "This frightening and dangerous situation," as stated by Bahktiyar Ahmed, a UNICEF emergency health facilitator, serves to underscore the unrelenting threat to people already affected by a devastated health care system.
Statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicate that there have already been more than 3,300 cases of cholera in the country, and more than 33,000 cases of diarrhoea – which could be a milder form of the disease. The cholera epidemic aggravates what is, under any measure, a most serious humanitarian and public health emergency.
According to Jeremy Hobbs, director of Oxfam International, "The terrible violence in Iraq has masked the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Malnutrition amongst children has dramatically increased and basic services, ruined by years of wars and sanctions, cannot meet the needs of the Iraqi people. Millions of Iraqis have been forced to flee the violence, either to another part of Iraq or abroad. Many of those are living in dire poverty."
It is estimated that 28 percent of children are malnourished, compared with 19 percent before the 2003 invasion. In 2006, more than 11 percent of newborn babies were born underweight, compared with four percent in 2003. Malnutrition contributes to death from other conditions such as intestinal and respiratory infections, malaria and typhoid.
The lack of food is affecting not only children. It is estimated that four million Iraqis –15 percent of the total population – regularly cannot buy enough to eat, and are now dependent on food assistance.
Children's suffering doesn't end there. Last year, the Association of Psychologists of Iraq (API) released a report that states that the US-led invasion has greatly affected the psychological development of Iraqi children. The Association's spokesperson, Maruan Abdullah, stated, "It was incredible how strong the results were. The only things they [the children] have in their minds are guns, bullets, death and a fear of the US occupation." What can one say to those that are responsible for the destruction of children's lives and hopes?
Those unable to resist the situation any longer have fled in terror to other parts of the country or to neighbouring countries, which have seen their health and social services totally overwhelmed by the sudden influx of millions of refugees.
Presently, 70 percent of the population in Iraq is without adequate water supplies and 80 percent lacks adequate sanitation. Dr. Abdul-Rahman Adil Ali of the Baghdad Health Directorate has warned about the serious consequences of a defective sewage system. "In some of Baghdad's poor neighbourhoods," he said, "people drink water which is mixed with sewage."
Hospitals are unable to respond to people's needs. 90 percent of hospitals lack essential resources such as basic medical and surgical supplies. Most international aid agencies have left the country, a situation compounded by the emigration of qualified personnel, particularly medical personnel. Of the 34,000 doctors living in the country in 2003, 12,000 have emigrated and over 2,000 have been murdered.
The war is not only affecting Iraqis. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has issued a report to lawmakers stating that the war could ultimately cost the US government well over a trillion dollars – at least double what has already been spent. That will happen even under the best conditions – an immediate and substantial reduction of troops – and impact American taxpayers for at least the next ten years.
US soldiers have psychological wounds to last for a lifetime. A 2004 study of 1,300 Fort Bragg paratroopers who participated in the war showed that 17.4 percent had Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. In addition, many soldiers have suffered so many injuries that the term "polytrauma" is being increasingly used by military doctors.
To adequately respond to this emergency situation facing most of the country's population, it is crucial to improve the mechanism for distributing food and medicines, and to support the work of non-governmental agencies that continue to work in Iraq. The Association of Psychologists of Iraq has urged the international community to help establish centres specialised in child psychology and programs devoted to children's mental health, which is a most urgent need.
It is also imperative to lower the climate of hatred and distrust now reigning in Iraq. Improving Iraqis' health on all levels could indicate to them that they have not been forgotten and disregarded. Because of UNICEF and WHO's reputation for their devotion to improving people's health throughout the world, a task force should be constituted with both organisations' officials to address Iraqis' most pressing health needs and plan future actions. Improving people's health can be the key to breaking a vicious circle of negativity and distrust, thereby giving Iraqis a renewed sense of hope.
###
* César Chelala is an international public health consultant and a co-winner of an Overseas Press Club of America award for an article on human rights. He is the foreign correspondent for Middle East Times International (Australia). This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org.
Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 27 November 2007, www.commongroundnews.org Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.
**********
~Youth Views~ Living in a bubble in Lebanon Raissa Batakji
Beirut - Fadi is a 23-year-old medical student living in a bubble. He walks around in it, goes out with a girl living in a similar bubble, and socializes with friends from his bubble community. Fadi and other fellow bubblers make up a vast number of the Lebanese people.
But if these religious, ethnic or cultural bubbles were ever to pop, would Fadi and his friends be able to breathe the different air? Listen to different voices? Speak a different language?
The Lebanese government today officially identifies eighteen different religious sects distributed over an area of 10,452 square kilometers. That makes Lebanon a country with many beliefs, but very little space. Lebanon's democracy is "governed" by a confessional system whereby quotas divide the country's major political posts among the various sects. For example, Lebanese law dictates that the president should be a Christian Maronite, the Speaker of Parliament a Shi'a Muslim, and the Prime Minister a Sunni Muslim. Furthermore, a recurrent historical observation clearly shows that major sectarian problems arose particularly when political tensions came to a climax, and vice versa. Thus, politics and sectarianism in Lebanon have always been intertwined, with the major political blocks each associated with a certain religious sect.
The problem with Lebanese diversity does not merely lie in the fact that it is not being celebrated, but in that it poses a threat. Most, if not every one, of the many sects or political groups feel threatened by others. Therefore, people who are religiously or politically affiliated in Lebanon often find refuge in their own communities, which most of the time provide them with social services, security, job opportunities, and sometimes even schooling for their children.
As a result, many people end up spending most of their lives safely hidden in their own bubbles. You can easily find people who have never communicated with people from a different sect or political affiliation, even if they are geographically very close.
The bubble problem is most important when it comes to Lebanon's youth, since they represent a fresh hope to old problems. Most of the time, they fall victim to the existing segregated system and end up joining the same political party, adopting the same ideas, attending the same religious schools and raising the same flags as their parents.
In the last six years, as political events climaxed once more following the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, Lebanon has witnessed a rise in NGO activism. These NGOs are working to bring people together for the overall welfare of the country. Many of these NGOs are calling for anti-sectarianism, secularism, and even the formation of a shadow youth government. Despite the success of some of these projects, in general, they face many problems, especially in their approach and the sustainability of results.
We cannot simply settle for the adoption of Western methods and expect them to work perfectly in Lebanese society. A typical example of a Western approach to solve this kind of socio-political problem would be to launch awareness campaigns on the subject and call for short, one-time seminars and conferences that bring young people together. Unlike in the United States where college students are somewhat removed from their parents' opinions and lifestyles, most Lebanese youth live with their parents during and after college, and so students return to the same home, the same bubble, at the end of their day, mitigating the impact of these short experiences.
Young Lebanese need to see, taste, touch, and listen to the things that they have in common, regardless of other general differences. Youth need to leave their day-to-day routines and live with each other, without any intervention from their parents, neighbours, or political affiliates. Sending young people to an interfaith work-study camp, where they would have to work together and leverage everyone's skills - such as leadership, teamwork and constructive debating - in order to achieve shared goals. In the process, they are exposed to challenges that are representative of problems they might face in the real world. A successful simulation of a bubble-free world would helps demonstrate that a real version of such a world is in fact possible.
Today, Lebanon is experiencing the worst political climax in the modern history of the country, where we are left – for the very first time – with no elected president, due to a lack of dialogue at the level of the country's leaders and so-called diplomats. More urgently than ever, the youth of this country must choose a different future, and begin to see their role as active ingredients change.
###
* Raissa Batakji is in her junior year in communication arts and journalism at the Lebanese American University in Beirut. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org.
Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 27 November 2007, www.commongroundnews.org Copyright permission has been obtained for publication
end
Author: Hiam Nawas
Source: The Common Ground News Service, 27 November 2007 Word Count: 884
Title: Iraq in the time of cholera
Author: César Chelala
Source: The Common Ground News Service, 27 November 2007 Word Count: 801
Title: ~Youth Views~ Living in a bubble in Lebanon
Author: Raissa Batakji
Source: The Common Ground News Service, 27 November 2007 Word Count: 752
Each article is available in Arabic, French, English, Indonesian and Urdu; just ask and I'd be happy to send you any translation. Please feel free to republish the article(s) and, if possible, let me know by sending an email to: akessinger@sfcg.org.
With regards,
Andrew Kessinger
Common Ground News Service
**********
Bridging businesses, bridging worlds
Hiam Nawas
Washington, DC - Business has often been a catalyst for cultural blending and has proven capable of having profound effects on culturally or religiously dissonant societies. Overall, interactions resulting from commercial contacts have yielded positive results in the long run, leading to better understanding and, at times, acceptance of foreign cultures, customs and traditions.
The success of joint ventures (JVs) in cementing US-West European relations during the 1950s and 1960s – such as KLM's partnership with Delta Air Lines – demonstrates their positive potential among like-minded nations. These types of JVs strengthened already existing ties between the United States and Western Europe, and also gave greater impetus to NATO, which contributed to the decline of domestic Communist threats in a number of Western European countries, including France and Italy. While NATO was primarily military and anti-Soviet, it has often been argued that it also reinforced shared values and cultural traditions between member countries as well as US ideological influence.
More recently and in a more antagonistic context, Chinese-American JVs have played a key role in moderating long-standing ideological differences between the two superpowers, promoting a renewed relationship based on common interests: free trade and the success of the global economy. For example, companies such as Wal-Mart have been at the forefront of this geopolitical trend, providing ready markets for Chinese goods while influencing China's trade posture. Not only has it helped China tap new overseas markets, but American consumers have benefited from lower-priced Chinese goods.
There is also an often-ignored impact of JVs – the influence they have had and continue to have on each other's societies. In essence, they are another vehicle for diplomacy and good relations. To be sure, JVs in and of themselves do not guarantee peace and stability, especially in situations where hostility runs high. They may, however, have the potential to humanise the "other" and contribute to bridging political differences when significant economic interests are at stake.
For example, while the underlying dynamics between countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the West (Western Europe and the US) have been very different from West European-US relations, JVs between Western and GCC countries have given them a stake in the welfare of US and European economies. This has mainly taken place through GCC direct and indirect investments in both economic powerhouses. Stability and economic prosperity in the West therefore equates with steady and healthy returns for GCC investments.
In more high-tech JVs, local capital is often combined with foreign technological know-how. One example of this is in the medical industry, where prominent centres such as the Cleveland Clinic, the Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, Harvard, and others have engaged in JVs with GCC countries and opened medical centres locally.
Another prime example of successful JVs rests in academia, where Jordanian and GCC universities have entered into exchange agreements with US and European institutions of higher education.
American universities have invested heavily in JVs in the Middle East, creating not only business channels but also a common educational experience for Western and Middle Eastern academic communities. The partnership between the Qatar Foundation and Virginia Commonwealth University's (VCU) School of the Arts is a good example of how such a JV is offering students in the Gulf a rare opportunity to study Western approaches to design and fashion without having to leave their own countries.
VCU's JV with the Qatar Foundation, and other similar ventures with language centres around the Middle East, are creating fields of specialisation that would have otherwise been unavailable to local students, particularly in fields that are heavily populated with women, such as fine arts, theatre decor, fashion design, and nursing. These opportunities are especially important with regard to women's empowerment and the growth of a progressive and vibrant civil society, undoubtedly a couple of the major factors influencing the establishment of the democratic process.
While this cause-and-effect relationship might not be apparent nor provide for short-term gains, the long-term strategic value of JVs benefits both partner countries. JVs alone do not resolve complex political and strategic differences, but they do help enhance cooperation where the political will already exists.
An example of this has been the policies followed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which has worked hard to become an international financial hub while attempting to navigate a difficult regional environment. This focus on business and trade has paid dividends, evidenced by the Dubai phenomenon, and has resulted in an increase in foreign direct investment and the relocation of several Western companies and individuals to Dubai. These business relationships have created new links between the UAE and its Western partners, building good will and a forum for ongoing communication.
Even in the very troubled waters of US-Iranian relations, business ventures could have possibly provided a small window of opportunity – were it not for current US-imposed economic sanctions on Iran – by bridging political and ideological gaps and by engaging individuals from both countries. Business interactions provide an opportunity for human contact and economic collaboration, despite the current lack of political will to engage in a real dialogue between the two countries.
Although JVs are not a short-term fix or cure-all for complex political and social issues, they have been shown to open doors between cultures and create human partnerships that can have lasting, positive impacts on relations between countries, even those in conflict, over the long-term.
###
* Hiam Nawas, a Jordanian American, has lived and worked in various countries in the Middle East and specialises in Middle Eastern Affairs and Islamic law. This article is part of a series on joint Muslim-Western business ventures and is distributed by the Common Ground News Service.
Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 27 November 2007, www.commongroundnews.org Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.
**********
Iraq in the time of cholera
César Chelala
New York - It is the kind of news that everybody had been dreading. An outbreak of cholera in Iraq, which started in two Northern provinces, has already reached Baghdad and has become Iraq's biggest cholera outbreak in recent memory. "This frightening and dangerous situation," as stated by Bahktiyar Ahmed, a UNICEF emergency health facilitator, serves to underscore the unrelenting threat to people already affected by a devastated health care system.
Statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicate that there have already been more than 3,300 cases of cholera in the country, and more than 33,000 cases of diarrhoea – which could be a milder form of the disease. The cholera epidemic aggravates what is, under any measure, a most serious humanitarian and public health emergency.
According to Jeremy Hobbs, director of Oxfam International, "The terrible violence in Iraq has masked the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Malnutrition amongst children has dramatically increased and basic services, ruined by years of wars and sanctions, cannot meet the needs of the Iraqi people. Millions of Iraqis have been forced to flee the violence, either to another part of Iraq or abroad. Many of those are living in dire poverty."
It is estimated that 28 percent of children are malnourished, compared with 19 percent before the 2003 invasion. In 2006, more than 11 percent of newborn babies were born underweight, compared with four percent in 2003. Malnutrition contributes to death from other conditions such as intestinal and respiratory infections, malaria and typhoid.
The lack of food is affecting not only children. It is estimated that four million Iraqis –15 percent of the total population – regularly cannot buy enough to eat, and are now dependent on food assistance.
Children's suffering doesn't end there. Last year, the Association of Psychologists of Iraq (API) released a report that states that the US-led invasion has greatly affected the psychological development of Iraqi children. The Association's spokesperson, Maruan Abdullah, stated, "It was incredible how strong the results were. The only things they [the children] have in their minds are guns, bullets, death and a fear of the US occupation." What can one say to those that are responsible for the destruction of children's lives and hopes?
Those unable to resist the situation any longer have fled in terror to other parts of the country or to neighbouring countries, which have seen their health and social services totally overwhelmed by the sudden influx of millions of refugees.
Presently, 70 percent of the population in Iraq is without adequate water supplies and 80 percent lacks adequate sanitation. Dr. Abdul-Rahman Adil Ali of the Baghdad Health Directorate has warned about the serious consequences of a defective sewage system. "In some of Baghdad's poor neighbourhoods," he said, "people drink water which is mixed with sewage."
Hospitals are unable to respond to people's needs. 90 percent of hospitals lack essential resources such as basic medical and surgical supplies. Most international aid agencies have left the country, a situation compounded by the emigration of qualified personnel, particularly medical personnel. Of the 34,000 doctors living in the country in 2003, 12,000 have emigrated and over 2,000 have been murdered.
The war is not only affecting Iraqis. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has issued a report to lawmakers stating that the war could ultimately cost the US government well over a trillion dollars – at least double what has already been spent. That will happen even under the best conditions – an immediate and substantial reduction of troops – and impact American taxpayers for at least the next ten years.
US soldiers have psychological wounds to last for a lifetime. A 2004 study of 1,300 Fort Bragg paratroopers who participated in the war showed that 17.4 percent had Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. In addition, many soldiers have suffered so many injuries that the term "polytrauma" is being increasingly used by military doctors.
To adequately respond to this emergency situation facing most of the country's population, it is crucial to improve the mechanism for distributing food and medicines, and to support the work of non-governmental agencies that continue to work in Iraq. The Association of Psychologists of Iraq has urged the international community to help establish centres specialised in child psychology and programs devoted to children's mental health, which is a most urgent need.
It is also imperative to lower the climate of hatred and distrust now reigning in Iraq. Improving Iraqis' health on all levels could indicate to them that they have not been forgotten and disregarded. Because of UNICEF and WHO's reputation for their devotion to improving people's health throughout the world, a task force should be constituted with both organisations' officials to address Iraqis' most pressing health needs and plan future actions. Improving people's health can be the key to breaking a vicious circle of negativity and distrust, thereby giving Iraqis a renewed sense of hope.
###
* César Chelala is an international public health consultant and a co-winner of an Overseas Press Club of America award for an article on human rights. He is the foreign correspondent for Middle East Times International (Australia). This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org.
Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 27 November 2007, www.commongroundnews.org Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.
**********
~Youth Views~ Living in a bubble in Lebanon Raissa Batakji
Beirut - Fadi is a 23-year-old medical student living in a bubble. He walks around in it, goes out with a girl living in a similar bubble, and socializes with friends from his bubble community. Fadi and other fellow bubblers make up a vast number of the Lebanese people.
But if these religious, ethnic or cultural bubbles were ever to pop, would Fadi and his friends be able to breathe the different air? Listen to different voices? Speak a different language?
The Lebanese government today officially identifies eighteen different religious sects distributed over an area of 10,452 square kilometers. That makes Lebanon a country with many beliefs, but very little space. Lebanon's democracy is "governed" by a confessional system whereby quotas divide the country's major political posts among the various sects. For example, Lebanese law dictates that the president should be a Christian Maronite, the Speaker of Parliament a Shi'a Muslim, and the Prime Minister a Sunni Muslim. Furthermore, a recurrent historical observation clearly shows that major sectarian problems arose particularly when political tensions came to a climax, and vice versa. Thus, politics and sectarianism in Lebanon have always been intertwined, with the major political blocks each associated with a certain religious sect.
The problem with Lebanese diversity does not merely lie in the fact that it is not being celebrated, but in that it poses a threat. Most, if not every one, of the many sects or political groups feel threatened by others. Therefore, people who are religiously or politically affiliated in Lebanon often find refuge in their own communities, which most of the time provide them with social services, security, job opportunities, and sometimes even schooling for their children.
As a result, many people end up spending most of their lives safely hidden in their own bubbles. You can easily find people who have never communicated with people from a different sect or political affiliation, even if they are geographically very close.
The bubble problem is most important when it comes to Lebanon's youth, since they represent a fresh hope to old problems. Most of the time, they fall victim to the existing segregated system and end up joining the same political party, adopting the same ideas, attending the same religious schools and raising the same flags as their parents.
In the last six years, as political events climaxed once more following the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, Lebanon has witnessed a rise in NGO activism. These NGOs are working to bring people together for the overall welfare of the country. Many of these NGOs are calling for anti-sectarianism, secularism, and even the formation of a shadow youth government. Despite the success of some of these projects, in general, they face many problems, especially in their approach and the sustainability of results.
We cannot simply settle for the adoption of Western methods and expect them to work perfectly in Lebanese society. A typical example of a Western approach to solve this kind of socio-political problem would be to launch awareness campaigns on the subject and call for short, one-time seminars and conferences that bring young people together. Unlike in the United States where college students are somewhat removed from their parents' opinions and lifestyles, most Lebanese youth live with their parents during and after college, and so students return to the same home, the same bubble, at the end of their day, mitigating the impact of these short experiences.
Young Lebanese need to see, taste, touch, and listen to the things that they have in common, regardless of other general differences. Youth need to leave their day-to-day routines and live with each other, without any intervention from their parents, neighbours, or political affiliates. Sending young people to an interfaith work-study camp, where they would have to work together and leverage everyone's skills - such as leadership, teamwork and constructive debating - in order to achieve shared goals. In the process, they are exposed to challenges that are representative of problems they might face in the real world. A successful simulation of a bubble-free world would helps demonstrate that a real version of such a world is in fact possible.
Today, Lebanon is experiencing the worst political climax in the modern history of the country, where we are left – for the very first time – with no elected president, due to a lack of dialogue at the level of the country's leaders and so-called diplomats. More urgently than ever, the youth of this country must choose a different future, and begin to see their role as active ingredients change.
###
* Raissa Batakji is in her junior year in communication arts and journalism at the Lebanese American University in Beirut. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org.
Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 27 November 2007, www.commongroundnews.org Copyright permission has been obtained for publication
end
Immigrants coalition criticizes Lou Dobbs for continued racist talk
Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
36 S. Wabash, suite 1425 · Chicago, IL 60603 · 312.332.7360 voice · 312.332.7044 fax · www.icirr.org
For Immediate Release: Press Advisory
November 27, 2007
For more information contact:
Ashley Moy-Wooten, 773.987.7767 (cell)
Catherine Salgado, 312.332.7360 ext 235
Anti-racism activists join immigrant advocates to protest fear mongering by anti-immigrant TV pundit Lou Dobb’s anti-immigrant messages fuel fear and rancor, provide no solutions
What: Immigrant advocates join activists to protest anti-immigrant pundit Lou Dobbs. Lou Dobbs is on tour promoting his latest book and will be at Barnes and Noble bookstore promoting his messages of hate and lies. David Leonhardt of the New York Times calls Dobbs “the heir to the nativist tradition that has long used fiction and conspiracy theories as a weapon against the Irish, the Italians, the Chinese, the Jews and, now, the Mexicans.”
Immigrant advocates will remind Lou Dobbs that this is a land of immigrants that have contributed with their work and culture. “We need to stop the fear mongering that he is promoting and stop the hate against the immigrant community,” said Tom Cordaro from Pax Christi.
When: Wednesday, November 28, 2007 7:00 PM
Where: Corner of State St. and Jackson Blvd. outside Barnes and Noble bookstore
Chicago, IL
Who: Anti-racism activists, immigrant advocates, youth and community leaders from the Chicago area and suburbs
Visuals: Participants will carry signs and will be chanting.
-END-
Catherine Salgado
Communications Coordinator
Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
55 E. Jackson Blvd. Suite 2075
Chicago, IL 60604
312.332.7360 ext. 235
312.332.7044 (fax)
www.icirr.org
csalgado@icirr.org
36 S. Wabash, suite 1425 · Chicago, IL 60603 · 312.332.7360 voice · 312.332.7044 fax · www.icirr.org
For Immediate Release: Press Advisory
November 27, 2007
For more information contact:
Ashley Moy-Wooten, 773.987.7767 (cell)
Catherine Salgado, 312.332.7360 ext 235
Anti-racism activists join immigrant advocates to protest fear mongering by anti-immigrant TV pundit Lou Dobb’s anti-immigrant messages fuel fear and rancor, provide no solutions
What: Immigrant advocates join activists to protest anti-immigrant pundit Lou Dobbs. Lou Dobbs is on tour promoting his latest book and will be at Barnes and Noble bookstore promoting his messages of hate and lies. David Leonhardt of the New York Times calls Dobbs “the heir to the nativist tradition that has long used fiction and conspiracy theories as a weapon against the Irish, the Italians, the Chinese, the Jews and, now, the Mexicans.”
Immigrant advocates will remind Lou Dobbs that this is a land of immigrants that have contributed with their work and culture. “We need to stop the fear mongering that he is promoting and stop the hate against the immigrant community,” said Tom Cordaro from Pax Christi.
When: Wednesday, November 28, 2007 7:00 PM
Where: Corner of State St. and Jackson Blvd. outside Barnes and Noble bookstore
Chicago, IL
Who: Anti-racism activists, immigrant advocates, youth and community leaders from the Chicago area and suburbs
Visuals: Participants will carry signs and will be chanting.
-END-
Catherine Salgado
Communications Coordinator
Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
55 E. Jackson Blvd. Suite 2075
Chicago, IL 60604
312.332.7360 ext. 235
312.332.7044 (fax)
www.icirr.org
csalgado@icirr.org
Malta Conference brings Arabs and Israelis together on environmental issues
CHICAGO (Sept. 18, 2007) – Scientists from Israel and 13 other Middle Eastern countries will search for solutions to common environmental issues – particularly air and water quality – that defy geopolitical barriers when they join together in December for the third in a series of precedent-setting conferences.
The five-day conference will take place in Istanbul, Turkey, on a date embargoed for security reasons. Titled “Frontiers of Chemical Sciences III: Research and Education in the Middle East – A Bridge to Peace,” it is expected to attract over 76 chemical scientists along with seven Nobel laureates. In a series of workshops intended to foster collaborative solutions, participants will work together to address such global environmental issues as greenhouse gases, global climate changes and water and air quality.
Nations represented include: Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, the Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
“Despite our nations’ political differences, we are bound by our allegiance to science as holding the answers to many problems that transcend borders,” says Zafra M. Lerman, head of the Institute for Science Education and Science Communication at Columbia College Chicago, who conceived and organizes the conference. “The conference continues to grow in stature as a model of what the scientific community can achieve when we work together.”
The first two conferences were held in Malta in 2003 and 2005. Initiatives springing from recommendations made at them include:
• A collaborative research project on water quality led by Palestinian scientists from the University of Bethlehem, and Israeli scientists from Bar Ilan University and the Weizmann Institute of Science.
• Exchanges between visiting Israeli and Palestinian professors through the Weizmann Institute of Science and Palestinian institutions, as well as new admissions of Palestinian students at Weizmann.
• A $134,000 grant presented by the National Science Foundation to Nobel laureate Roald Hoffman for three U.S.–Middle Eastern workshops for scientists under the age of 35.
• Malta III is sponsored by: UNESCO, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, the American Chemical Society, the Royal Society of Chemistry - London, the German Chemical Society, and Columbia College Chicago.
For media inquiries, contact David Donze at Hodge Schindler Integrated Communications: ddonze@hodgeschindler.com or 312.666.6662. Other inquiries should be directed to Jeffrey Wade at Columbia College Chicago: jwade@colum.edu or 312.344.7544
# # #
The five-day conference will take place in Istanbul, Turkey, on a date embargoed for security reasons. Titled “Frontiers of Chemical Sciences III: Research and Education in the Middle East – A Bridge to Peace,” it is expected to attract over 76 chemical scientists along with seven Nobel laureates. In a series of workshops intended to foster collaborative solutions, participants will work together to address such global environmental issues as greenhouse gases, global climate changes and water and air quality.
Nations represented include: Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, the Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
“Despite our nations’ political differences, we are bound by our allegiance to science as holding the answers to many problems that transcend borders,” says Zafra M. Lerman, head of the Institute for Science Education and Science Communication at Columbia College Chicago, who conceived and organizes the conference. “The conference continues to grow in stature as a model of what the scientific community can achieve when we work together.”
The first two conferences were held in Malta in 2003 and 2005. Initiatives springing from recommendations made at them include:
• A collaborative research project on water quality led by Palestinian scientists from the University of Bethlehem, and Israeli scientists from Bar Ilan University and the Weizmann Institute of Science.
• Exchanges between visiting Israeli and Palestinian professors through the Weizmann Institute of Science and Palestinian institutions, as well as new admissions of Palestinian students at Weizmann.
• A $134,000 grant presented by the National Science Foundation to Nobel laureate Roald Hoffman for three U.S.–Middle Eastern workshops for scientists under the age of 35.
• Malta III is sponsored by: UNESCO, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, the American Chemical Society, the Royal Society of Chemistry - London, the German Chemical Society, and Columbia College Chicago.
For media inquiries, contact David Donze at Hodge Schindler Integrated Communications: ddonze@hodgeschindler.com or 312.666.6662. Other inquiries should be directed to Jeffrey Wade at Columbia College Chicago: jwade@colum.edu or 312.344.7544
# # #
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Muslims under siege by radio talk show haters Savage, Boortz, Hannity
CAIR: HATEFUL HOST ATTACKS ISLAM ON US RADIO - TOP
Al-Arabiya, 11/22/07
Major U.S. corporations and civil organizations are launching a campaign to boycott channels that broadcast shows of controversial radio anchor Michael Savage after his hateful remarks about Islam.
Giant companies like JCPenny department stores, Office Max stationary supplies and IT company Citrix Systems have pulled all their commercials from the show hosted by Savage, America in Arabic News Agency reported…
The show, called 'The Savage Nation,' airs on more than 350 radio stations across the U.S. to an estimated 8 million listeners a week, but now major advertisers are moving to distance themselves from the hate-filled host.
"We want to make clear that the opinions expressed on the Michael Savage program—or any other program we advertise in—do not in any way represent the views of Citrix Systems or Citrix Online," Bernardo de Albergaria, vice president and general manager of Citrix Systems said.
Using the slogan "Hate Hurts America," a coalition of religious and civic organizations has launched a campaign against Savage and other shows that promote hate, by putting pressure on advertisers to drop their spots.
The coalition includes the California Council of Churches, LA Jews for Peace, and The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
Earlier this year, another U.S. radio host likened Muslims who fast during Ramadan to cockroaches.
"…Muslims don't eat during the day during Ramadan. They fast during the day and eat at night. Sort of like cockroaches," talk show radio host Neal Boortz said on his hit show of the same name.
SEE ALSO:
ACTION: ASK AT&T TO DROP ADS FROM ‘SAVAGE NATION’ - TOP
IMMEDIATE ACTIONS REQUESTED: (As always, be POLITE. Hostile comments can and will be used by Savage to further defame Islam and Muslims.)
1. CONTACT AT&T, today's featured "Savage Nation" advertiser. (Other advertisers will be featured in the future.)
As part of the ongoing campaign to ask companies that advertise on "The Savage Nation" to stop buying air time on that program, today's featured company is AT&T. Please contact company officials to express your concerns about their support of such a hate-filled program.
CONTACT:
Randall L. Stephenson
Chairman of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer, AT&T
175 E. Houston
San Antonio, TX 78205
Tel: (210) 821-4105
Fax: (210) 351-2071
E-Mail: randall.stephenson@att.com, forrest.miller@att.com, karen.jennings@att.com, richard.dietz@att.com, walt.sharp@att.com, wes.warnock@att.com, mjthornburg@YELLOWPAGES.COM, drucilla.cessac@att.com, elva.gonzalez@att.com
COPY TO: info@cair.com
2. Because "The Savage Nation" is a syndicated program, many of the advertisers vary from station to station. FIND OUT which station carries Michael Savage's program in your area, LISTEN to the program and write down the contact information for both local and national advertisers.
CONTACT those advertisers to POLITELY inform them that you and your friends and family will not purchase their products or services as long as they continue to subsidize a hate-filled program.
For a listing of radio stations that air Michael Savage's program, click here.
3. CONTACT Talk Radio Network, Michael Savage's syndicator, to express your concerns about his hate-filled attacks on Muslims, Islam and the Quran.
Mr. Mark Masters
Chief Executive Officer
Talk Radio Network
P.O. Box 3755
Central Point OR 97502
Phone: 541-664-8827 or 541-474-2297
Fax: 541-664-6250 or 866-876-5075
E-Mail: mmasters@talkradionetwork.com, eterry@talkradionetwork.com, gregdoyle@talkradionetwork.com, info@talkradionetwork.com, affiliates@talkradionetwork.com, rubend@talkradionetwork.com
4. SEND COPIES of all correspondence to CAIR at: E-Mail info@cair.com or fax to 202-488-0833.
5. ORGANIZE local coalitions with friends of the Muslim community to challenge Savage's hate rhetoric.
---
ISLAM NOT WELCOME IN HANNITY’S AMERICA - TOP
News Hounds, 11/23/07
As has been noted in numerous News Hounds threads, Sean Hannity is very hostile to numerous groups and ideas prominent among them Islam and public education. In the November 18th edition of “Hannity’s America,” Hannity was able to bash both of the aforementioned categories. He was also able to work in the ever popular Fox “fear factor” as he introduced his piece by stating that a “radical Islamic agenda is infiltrating public schools all across the nation and targeting our kids.” He spoke in apocalyptic terms when he declared that “there is a battle reaching the boiling point in California. Parents are taking a stand and fighting back.” In an “us vs them” (very popular with the conservative right wing and Fox News) metaphor he asserted that it’s “smalltown USA vs. Islamic indoctrination.”
Hannity began by noting that Lodi, California is the “Zinfandel capitol of the world;” but “it’s not wine that is drawing attention to Lodi but radical Islam” (while showing photos of Muslim children playing in a school yard). He said that 2 years ago a pair of Muslim residents was charged with being part of a terror sleeper cell. (Comment: If Hannity were trying for accuracy he would have added that Hamid Hayat was sentenced to 24 years in jail; but the jury was deadlocked in the case of Hamid’s father, Umer Hayat.)
So now that the stage has been set by inferring that Lodi is a hotbed of radical Islam, Hannity moved to the main topic which was about a group of parents who are upset that the local school’s history text, “History Alive,” is being used to “teach Islam.” He interviewed local parents, Jim and Korina Self, who feel that the history of Islam, in this text, is given more attention than it warrants and that the information is inaccurate. The Selfs have petitioned the local school board to remove the text. (Comment: not mentioned by Hannity is the fact that the boy is now being homeschooled and that a school administrator “didn't know of any other parent who has contacted the district to complain about the textbook.” So much for this boiling point battle!) (MORE)
end
Al-Arabiya, 11/22/07
Major U.S. corporations and civil organizations are launching a campaign to boycott channels that broadcast shows of controversial radio anchor Michael Savage after his hateful remarks about Islam.
Giant companies like JCPenny department stores, Office Max stationary supplies and IT company Citrix Systems have pulled all their commercials from the show hosted by Savage, America in Arabic News Agency reported…
The show, called 'The Savage Nation,' airs on more than 350 radio stations across the U.S. to an estimated 8 million listeners a week, but now major advertisers are moving to distance themselves from the hate-filled host.
"We want to make clear that the opinions expressed on the Michael Savage program—or any other program we advertise in—do not in any way represent the views of Citrix Systems or Citrix Online," Bernardo de Albergaria, vice president and general manager of Citrix Systems said.
Using the slogan "Hate Hurts America," a coalition of religious and civic organizations has launched a campaign against Savage and other shows that promote hate, by putting pressure on advertisers to drop their spots.
The coalition includes the California Council of Churches, LA Jews for Peace, and The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
Earlier this year, another U.S. radio host likened Muslims who fast during Ramadan to cockroaches.
"…Muslims don't eat during the day during Ramadan. They fast during the day and eat at night. Sort of like cockroaches," talk show radio host Neal Boortz said on his hit show of the same name.
SEE ALSO:
ACTION: ASK AT&T TO DROP ADS FROM ‘SAVAGE NATION’ - TOP
IMMEDIATE ACTIONS REQUESTED: (As always, be POLITE. Hostile comments can and will be used by Savage to further defame Islam and Muslims.)
1. CONTACT AT&T, today's featured "Savage Nation" advertiser. (Other advertisers will be featured in the future.)
As part of the ongoing campaign to ask companies that advertise on "The Savage Nation" to stop buying air time on that program, today's featured company is AT&T. Please contact company officials to express your concerns about their support of such a hate-filled program.
CONTACT:
Randall L. Stephenson
Chairman of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer, AT&T
175 E. Houston
San Antonio, TX 78205
Tel: (210) 821-4105
Fax: (210) 351-2071
E-Mail: randall.stephenson@att.com, forrest.miller@att.com, karen.jennings@att.com, richard.dietz@att.com, walt.sharp@att.com, wes.warnock@att.com, mjthornburg@YELLOWPAGES.COM, drucilla.cessac@att.com, elva.gonzalez@att.com
COPY TO: info@cair.com
2. Because "The Savage Nation" is a syndicated program, many of the advertisers vary from station to station. FIND OUT which station carries Michael Savage's program in your area, LISTEN to the program and write down the contact information for both local and national advertisers.
CONTACT those advertisers to POLITELY inform them that you and your friends and family will not purchase their products or services as long as they continue to subsidize a hate-filled program.
For a listing of radio stations that air Michael Savage's program, click here.
3. CONTACT Talk Radio Network, Michael Savage's syndicator, to express your concerns about his hate-filled attacks on Muslims, Islam and the Quran.
Mr. Mark Masters
Chief Executive Officer
Talk Radio Network
P.O. Box 3755
Central Point OR 97502
Phone: 541-664-8827 or 541-474-2297
Fax: 541-664-6250 or 866-876-5075
E-Mail: mmasters@talkradionetwork.com, eterry@talkradionetwork.com, gregdoyle@talkradionetwork.com, info@talkradionetwork.com, affiliates@talkradionetwork.com, rubend@talkradionetwork.com
4. SEND COPIES of all correspondence to CAIR at: E-Mail info@cair.com or fax to 202-488-0833.
5. ORGANIZE local coalitions with friends of the Muslim community to challenge Savage's hate rhetoric.
---
ISLAM NOT WELCOME IN HANNITY’S AMERICA - TOP
News Hounds, 11/23/07
As has been noted in numerous News Hounds threads, Sean Hannity is very hostile to numerous groups and ideas prominent among them Islam and public education. In the November 18th edition of “Hannity’s America,” Hannity was able to bash both of the aforementioned categories. He was also able to work in the ever popular Fox “fear factor” as he introduced his piece by stating that a “radical Islamic agenda is infiltrating public schools all across the nation and targeting our kids.” He spoke in apocalyptic terms when he declared that “there is a battle reaching the boiling point in California. Parents are taking a stand and fighting back.” In an “us vs them” (very popular with the conservative right wing and Fox News) metaphor he asserted that it’s “smalltown USA vs. Islamic indoctrination.”
Hannity began by noting that Lodi, California is the “Zinfandel capitol of the world;” but “it’s not wine that is drawing attention to Lodi but radical Islam” (while showing photos of Muslim children playing in a school yard). He said that 2 years ago a pair of Muslim residents was charged with being part of a terror sleeper cell. (Comment: If Hannity were trying for accuracy he would have added that Hamid Hayat was sentenced to 24 years in jail; but the jury was deadlocked in the case of Hamid’s father, Umer Hayat.)
So now that the stage has been set by inferring that Lodi is a hotbed of radical Islam, Hannity moved to the main topic which was about a group of parents who are upset that the local school’s history text, “History Alive,” is being used to “teach Islam.” He interviewed local parents, Jim and Korina Self, who feel that the history of Islam, in this text, is given more attention than it warrants and that the information is inaccurate. The Selfs have petitioned the local school board to remove the text. (Comment: not mentioned by Hannity is the fact that the boy is now being homeschooled and that a school administrator “didn't know of any other parent who has contacted the district to complain about the textbook.” So much for this boiling point battle!) (MORE)
end
Saturday, November 17, 2007
CAIR Denounces Radio Talk Show Host Michael Savage
Contact: Ibrahim Hooper, +1-202-488-8787 or +1-202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; Rabiah Ahmed, +1-202-488-8787 or +1-202-439-1441, rahmed@cair.com; Amina Rubin, +1-202-488-8787 or +1-202-341-4171, arubin@cair.com, all of CAIR
Host does not 'represent the views of Citrix Systems or Citrix Online'
WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today thanked Citrix Systems, Inc. for agreeing to drop its advertisements from Michael Savage's nationally-syndicated radio program because of the host's anti-Muslim views.
CAIR recently reported that Savage, whose "The Savage Nation" airs on more than 300 radio stations nationwide, screamed attacks on Muslims, Islam and the Quran, Islam's revealed text, during his October 29, 2007, program.
To listen to Savage's bigoted statements, go to: http://www.cair.com/audio/savage_102907.asp
SEE: National Radio Host Goes on Anti-Muslim Tirade www.cair.com/ArticleDetails.aspx?ArticleID=23608&&name=n&&currPage=1&&Active=1
The Washington-based Islamic civil rights and advocacy group called on radio listeners of all faiths to contact companies that advertise on Savage's program to express their concerns about the host's anti-Muslim bigotry. (He has since stepped up his attacks on Islam and Muslims in response to CAIR's advertiser campaign.)
In a letter to CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad, a Citrix official wrote:
"Citrix Systems, Inc. and Citrix Online, LLC are in receipt of numerous communications from representatives, members and constituents of your organization.
"On behalf of Citrix Systems and Citrix Online, I want to share with you and your organization that free speech is a valued constitutional right that is respected by Citrix Systems and Citrix Online; however we want to make clear that the opinions expressed on the Michael Savage program -- or any other program we advertise in -- do not in any way represent the views of Citrix Systems or Citrix Online.
"Separately, please know that effective Monday, November 5, 2007, Citrix Online ended its advertising relationship with the Michael Savage program."
Citrix is a global leader in application delivery infrastructure, including www.gotomypc.com, www.gotomeeting.com, www.gotoassist.com, www.gotowebinar.com.
"We appreciate Citrix's principled action to disassociate itself from Michael Savage's hate-filled rhetoric," said CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin. "We urge other local and national companies running ads on Savage's program to follow Citrix's example in support of religious tolerance."
Rubin added: "Free speech is a precious right that we fully support and strive to protect. We are not seeking to curb Mr. Savage's freedom of speech, but to demonstrate that Americans and American companies will not tolerate hatred and bigotry."
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 33 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
SOURCE Council on American-Islamic Relations
Host does not 'represent the views of Citrix Systems or Citrix Online'
WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today thanked Citrix Systems, Inc. for agreeing to drop its advertisements from Michael Savage's nationally-syndicated radio program because of the host's anti-Muslim views.
CAIR recently reported that Savage, whose "The Savage Nation" airs on more than 300 radio stations nationwide, screamed attacks on Muslims, Islam and the Quran, Islam's revealed text, during his October 29, 2007, program.
To listen to Savage's bigoted statements, go to: http://www.cair.com/audio/savage_102907.asp
SEE: National Radio Host Goes on Anti-Muslim Tirade www.cair.com/ArticleDetails.aspx?ArticleID=23608&&name=n&&currPage=1&&Active=1
The Washington-based Islamic civil rights and advocacy group called on radio listeners of all faiths to contact companies that advertise on Savage's program to express their concerns about the host's anti-Muslim bigotry. (He has since stepped up his attacks on Islam and Muslims in response to CAIR's advertiser campaign.)
In a letter to CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad, a Citrix official wrote:
"Citrix Systems, Inc. and Citrix Online, LLC are in receipt of numerous communications from representatives, members and constituents of your organization.
"On behalf of Citrix Systems and Citrix Online, I want to share with you and your organization that free speech is a valued constitutional right that is respected by Citrix Systems and Citrix Online; however we want to make clear that the opinions expressed on the Michael Savage program -- or any other program we advertise in -- do not in any way represent the views of Citrix Systems or Citrix Online.
"Separately, please know that effective Monday, November 5, 2007, Citrix Online ended its advertising relationship with the Michael Savage program."
Citrix is a global leader in application delivery infrastructure, including www.gotomypc.com, www.gotomeeting.com, www.gotoassist.com, www.gotowebinar.com.
"We appreciate Citrix's principled action to disassociate itself from Michael Savage's hate-filled rhetoric," said CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin. "We urge other local and national companies running ads on Savage's program to follow Citrix's example in support of religious tolerance."
Rubin added: "Free speech is a precious right that we fully support and strive to protect. We are not seeking to curb Mr. Savage's freedom of speech, but to demonstrate that Americans and American companies will not tolerate hatred and bigotry."
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 33 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
SOURCE Council on American-Islamic Relations
Friday, November 16, 2007
New York State Department of Health blocks US-Egyptian study on Hepatitis
PRESS RELEASE
November 17, 2007
New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) Stops a World First U.S. - Egyptian Collaborative Study on Hepatitis C and Blood Ozonation
Recently coming to light is the involvement of the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) in stopping a world-first U.S. - Egyptian collaborative study on hepatitis C in Egypt. According to one of its principals, Dr. Gérard Sunnen, the study, bringing together the Egyptian National Research Centre (NRC) and Medizone International, Inc., a US - based company, sought to evaluate new therapeutic options for stimulating natural immune factors in fighting the disease. “Blood ozonation is an innovative technique of interfacing blood with minuscule amounts of ozone/oxygen mixtures that enhance natural cytokine and interferon production for purposes of viral clearing. This process, if successful, could greatly reduce the cost of current treatments for hepatitis C,” states Dr. Sunnen. In 2002, the NYSDOH stopped the study. “It is a sad day for the some estimated 5 million Egyptian patients, and some 170 million patients worldwide,” he added.
Hepatitis C (HCV) is a chronic affliction caused by a lipid-enveloped virus with a high mutation rate. All pathogenic viruses with high mutation rates are major threats to humanity because they are more likely to behave as they never had before. HCV's wide genetic spectrum and mutational thrust are responsible for its expanding prevalence base and its growing worldwide distribution. By some estimates, hepatitis C world prevalence will reach a quarter billion in a few years.
Hepatitis C preferentially invades the liver, but it can also affect other organ systems, including the bone marrow and the kidneys. Progressive liver destruction may lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. Indeed, after 20 years, about 25% of hepatitis C patients develop cirrhosis, and another 5% liver cancer. Up to 20% of patients, however, conquer the disease, presumably due to the adaptability and creativity of their immune systems.
The hepatitis C virus is spread by body fluid transmission. Like many other viruses, its life cycle shows fluctuations of relative dormancy alternating with viremic episodes when blood is virally flooded. It is estimated that in any one viremic hepatitis C episode, up to 10 billion viral particles may be generated daily. The immune system in hepatitis C is thus perennially challenged.
Clinically, in the first few years, hepatitis C is often manifested by vague symptoms of fatigue, headache, and gastrointestinal malaise. Later on, the extent of organ damage determines the severity of its symptom profile.
Medications for hepatitis C include interferons, which are natural cellular products that activate neutrophils, macrophages, and natural killer (NK) cells, and drugs that inhibit enzymes responsible for viral replication (e.g., ribavirin). Success rate is variable and relapses are common. Frequently, these drug cocktails are poorly tolerated leading to discontinuation.
Blood ozonation may initially sound like a toxic process. It is not. Decades ago, German clinicians thought that ozonation could clear blood of pathogens, much as it does water. They devised methods of interfacing ozone with blood so that its cellular elements (e.g., red and white blood cells, platelets) retained their integrity. Immune models have surpassed this early notion of ozone's direct viral clearance. In the miniscule doses in which ozone is administered to blood, it is now firmly documented that blood ozonation stimulates immune system components to produce natural interferons and cytokines capable of initiating viral kill.
It may appear surprising--or even preposterous--to suggest that our own bodies utilize endogenously-generated reactive oxygen molecules, one of which is ozone, to destroy constantly invading microbes. A greatly underappreciated study from the Scripps Institute in California found that ozone is indeed created by our own white blood cells to function as a natural virucidal agent.
The prevalence of hepatitis C is variable in different regions of the world. In the U.S., about 1% of the population is affected, an estimated 4 million carriers. In Egypt, the prevalence rate is the highest in the world. Fully 20% of the population is or has been afflicted by hepatitis C.
In view of this hepatitis C emergency, the National Research Centre (NRC) in Cairo contacted Medizone International, a leader in ozone-based therapeutics. Egyptian health authorities were interested in new therapeutic approaches for hepatitis C, one being innovative technologies of oxygen/ozone administration.
With great enthusiasm, and hope, an NRC - Medizone investigative study was designed, and officially named "Safety and Efficacy of Ozone in the Treatment of Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C."
The study was to involve 66 patients. The main objectives of the study were to measure and evaluate, among other things, hepatitis C viral load reduction with blood ozonation, liver enzyme recovery, and clinical improvement, as measured by scales of health and well-being
Officially, the investigators for this study were:
Principal Investigator: Professor Dr. M.Y. Estefan, M.D., MRCP
Clinical Team:
Prof. Dr. Mouchira A-Salam, M.D.
Prof. Dr. Said Shalaby, M.D.
Dr. Hala Zaki Raslan, M.D.
Dr. Seif W. Morcos, MRCP
Dr. Ibrahim M. Kamal, M.S.
Dr. Yasser A. El-Houssary, M.S.
Laboratory Team:
Prof. Shadia A. Ragab, M.D.
Prof. Mostafa El-Awadi, Ph.D.
Dr. Azza A. Ali, M.D.
Dr. Hanaa R. Mohamed, M.D.
Chemical Engineering Team:
Prof. Gizeen El-Diwany, Ph.D.
Dr. Maaly Khedr, Ph.D.
Statistics:
Dr. Emad El Din Samala, M.D.
Research Designer:
Prof. Dr. Maher Y. Estefan, M.D., MRCP
Study Progress Monitor: The Egyptian and Foreign Committees
Patronage: Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population
The study was well under way as regard the selection of participating patients and the readying of NRC personnel and laboratory facilities where the study was to take place. In 2002, however, through various actions -- and for reasons that can, as of now, only be speculated -- the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) stopped this study. As a result, millions of patients lost a unique opportunity for better health care.
Furthermore, the fruits of this research would have extrapolated far beyond the treatment of hepatitis C. Immune function enhancement is a bonus for a host of diseases. In addition, it appears that those viruses that are lipid-enveloped have increased vulnerability to ozone exposure. Ozone-based therapeutics, administered via innovative technologies, could thus well complement current treatment options for viruses such as hepatitis B, HIV, and influenza, among others.
Promising future directions for ozone-based therapeutics also includes external ozone applications for the enhanced healing of diabetic skin ulcers, all types of poorly healing skin lesions, and war wounds.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Gérard Sunnen, MD
President, OZONICS INTERNATIONAL, LLC
200 East 33 Street, Suite 26J
New York, NY 10016-4831 USA
Tel. 1-212-6790679
Fax 1-212-6798008
Ozonicsint.com
GSunnen@aol.com
November 17, 2007
New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) Stops a World First U.S. - Egyptian Collaborative Study on Hepatitis C and Blood Ozonation
Recently coming to light is the involvement of the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) in stopping a world-first U.S. - Egyptian collaborative study on hepatitis C in Egypt. According to one of its principals, Dr. Gérard Sunnen, the study, bringing together the Egyptian National Research Centre (NRC) and Medizone International, Inc., a US - based company, sought to evaluate new therapeutic options for stimulating natural immune factors in fighting the disease. “Blood ozonation is an innovative technique of interfacing blood with minuscule amounts of ozone/oxygen mixtures that enhance natural cytokine and interferon production for purposes of viral clearing. This process, if successful, could greatly reduce the cost of current treatments for hepatitis C,” states Dr. Sunnen. In 2002, the NYSDOH stopped the study. “It is a sad day for the some estimated 5 million Egyptian patients, and some 170 million patients worldwide,” he added.
Hepatitis C (HCV) is a chronic affliction caused by a lipid-enveloped virus with a high mutation rate. All pathogenic viruses with high mutation rates are major threats to humanity because they are more likely to behave as they never had before. HCV's wide genetic spectrum and mutational thrust are responsible for its expanding prevalence base and its growing worldwide distribution. By some estimates, hepatitis C world prevalence will reach a quarter billion in a few years.
Hepatitis C preferentially invades the liver, but it can also affect other organ systems, including the bone marrow and the kidneys. Progressive liver destruction may lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. Indeed, after 20 years, about 25% of hepatitis C patients develop cirrhosis, and another 5% liver cancer. Up to 20% of patients, however, conquer the disease, presumably due to the adaptability and creativity of their immune systems.
The hepatitis C virus is spread by body fluid transmission. Like many other viruses, its life cycle shows fluctuations of relative dormancy alternating with viremic episodes when blood is virally flooded. It is estimated that in any one viremic hepatitis C episode, up to 10 billion viral particles may be generated daily. The immune system in hepatitis C is thus perennially challenged.
Clinically, in the first few years, hepatitis C is often manifested by vague symptoms of fatigue, headache, and gastrointestinal malaise. Later on, the extent of organ damage determines the severity of its symptom profile.
Medications for hepatitis C include interferons, which are natural cellular products that activate neutrophils, macrophages, and natural killer (NK) cells, and drugs that inhibit enzymes responsible for viral replication (e.g., ribavirin). Success rate is variable and relapses are common. Frequently, these drug cocktails are poorly tolerated leading to discontinuation.
Blood ozonation may initially sound like a toxic process. It is not. Decades ago, German clinicians thought that ozonation could clear blood of pathogens, much as it does water. They devised methods of interfacing ozone with blood so that its cellular elements (e.g., red and white blood cells, platelets) retained their integrity. Immune models have surpassed this early notion of ozone's direct viral clearance. In the miniscule doses in which ozone is administered to blood, it is now firmly documented that blood ozonation stimulates immune system components to produce natural interferons and cytokines capable of initiating viral kill.
It may appear surprising--or even preposterous--to suggest that our own bodies utilize endogenously-generated reactive oxygen molecules, one of which is ozone, to destroy constantly invading microbes. A greatly underappreciated study from the Scripps Institute in California found that ozone is indeed created by our own white blood cells to function as a natural virucidal agent.
The prevalence of hepatitis C is variable in different regions of the world. In the U.S., about 1% of the population is affected, an estimated 4 million carriers. In Egypt, the prevalence rate is the highest in the world. Fully 20% of the population is or has been afflicted by hepatitis C.
In view of this hepatitis C emergency, the National Research Centre (NRC) in Cairo contacted Medizone International, a leader in ozone-based therapeutics. Egyptian health authorities were interested in new therapeutic approaches for hepatitis C, one being innovative technologies of oxygen/ozone administration.
With great enthusiasm, and hope, an NRC - Medizone investigative study was designed, and officially named "Safety and Efficacy of Ozone in the Treatment of Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C."
The study was to involve 66 patients. The main objectives of the study were to measure and evaluate, among other things, hepatitis C viral load reduction with blood ozonation, liver enzyme recovery, and clinical improvement, as measured by scales of health and well-being
Officially, the investigators for this study were:
Principal Investigator: Professor Dr. M.Y. Estefan, M.D., MRCP
Clinical Team:
Prof. Dr. Mouchira A-Salam, M.D.
Prof. Dr. Said Shalaby, M.D.
Dr. Hala Zaki Raslan, M.D.
Dr. Seif W. Morcos, MRCP
Dr. Ibrahim M. Kamal, M.S.
Dr. Yasser A. El-Houssary, M.S.
Laboratory Team:
Prof. Shadia A. Ragab, M.D.
Prof. Mostafa El-Awadi, Ph.D.
Dr. Azza A. Ali, M.D.
Dr. Hanaa R. Mohamed, M.D.
Chemical Engineering Team:
Prof. Gizeen El-Diwany, Ph.D.
Dr. Maaly Khedr, Ph.D.
Statistics:
Dr. Emad El Din Samala, M.D.
Research Designer:
Prof. Dr. Maher Y. Estefan, M.D., MRCP
Study Progress Monitor: The Egyptian and Foreign Committees
Patronage: Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population
The study was well under way as regard the selection of participating patients and the readying of NRC personnel and laboratory facilities where the study was to take place. In 2002, however, through various actions -- and for reasons that can, as of now, only be speculated -- the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) stopped this study. As a result, millions of patients lost a unique opportunity for better health care.
Furthermore, the fruits of this research would have extrapolated far beyond the treatment of hepatitis C. Immune function enhancement is a bonus for a host of diseases. In addition, it appears that those viruses that are lipid-enveloped have increased vulnerability to ozone exposure. Ozone-based therapeutics, administered via innovative technologies, could thus well complement current treatment options for viruses such as hepatitis B, HIV, and influenza, among others.
Promising future directions for ozone-based therapeutics also includes external ozone applications for the enhanced healing of diabetic skin ulcers, all types of poorly healing skin lesions, and war wounds.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Gérard Sunnen, MD
President, OZONICS INTERNATIONAL, LLC
200 East 33 Street, Suite 26J
New York, NY 10016-4831 USA
Tel. 1-212-6790679
Fax 1-212-6798008
Ozonicsint.com
GSunnen@aol.com
MidEast Reality Show pits 16 Business Entrepreneurs in new Abu Dhabi Reality TV Series
It's Showtime for The Hydra Executives
First International Reality TV Show Casting Call
***
Casting begins next month for New TV Series bringing two countries,
16 entrepreneurs and Abu Dhabi together for First International English Language Reality TV Show filmed in UAE
What:
The launch of the first global entrepreneur reality TV Show In LA
Who:
CEO Sulaiman Al-Fahim, Hydra Properties LLC
Eric Preven, Showtime, U.S.A.
Executive Producer Ziad Batal
(United Arab Emirates Rep. in LA to intro Hydra-TBA)
When: WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2007-10:00 AM (PST)
9:30 AM media-check-in Abu Dhabi Style Continental breakfast
Where: The Beverly Hilton
"OASIS" ROOM (PLS RSVP)
9876 Wilshire Boulevard Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Hotel Ph: Tel: +1-310-274-7777
(Media Directions: visit (http://www.beverlyhilton.com/contact_form/directions.cfm)
Background:
Hydra Properties LLC plan to announced the Launch and casting for the first International reality TV series "The Hydra Executives". Casting begins on December 15 in Hollywood and will feature a cast of budding American and British entrepreneurs to be filmed in Abu Dhabi, but broadcast entirely in English. The reality TV series is the brainchild of CEO Sulaiman Al-Fahim, Hydra Properties LLC, a leading Abu Dhabi-based international real estate company and the key backer of the show. Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority and Chamber of Commerce and Industry are also sponsoring the show. According to Fahim around $5 million would be spent on the first season. The executive boardroom-style program is currently being shopped for global distribution in March 2008. It is being produced in association with Showtime Arabia, which is partly owned by Viacom, and Dubai's Infinity TV.
"We are inviting 16 entrepreneurs, eight Americans and eight Brits, to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates to compete against each other for 15 weeks," said Al-Fahim. "Contestants will fly to the capital city of Abu Dhabi where they will spend their first 2 weeks in boot camp to learn the art of the real estate deal and how to identify various playing fields. Following this they will be split into two mixed teams to compete in real estate business assignments for a three month period." At the end of the competition one winner will walk away with the grand prize worth $1 million to set up his or her own style real estate venture.
[Editors: Media please call for advanced interviews and to RSVP for event. For interviews call, George McQuade @ 818-340-5300 or 818-618-9229 PR@MayoCommunications.com]
First International Reality TV Show Casting Call
***
Casting begins next month for New TV Series bringing two countries,
16 entrepreneurs and Abu Dhabi together for First International English Language Reality TV Show filmed in UAE
What:
The launch of the first global entrepreneur reality TV Show In LA
Who:
CEO Sulaiman Al-Fahim, Hydra Properties LLC
Eric Preven, Showtime, U.S.A.
Executive Producer Ziad Batal
(United Arab Emirates Rep. in LA to intro Hydra-TBA)
When: WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2007-10:00 AM (PST)
9:30 AM media-check-in Abu Dhabi Style Continental breakfast
Where: The Beverly Hilton
"OASIS" ROOM (PLS RSVP)
9876 Wilshire Boulevard Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Hotel Ph: Tel: +1-310-274-7777
(Media Directions: visit (http://www.beverlyhilton.com/contact_form/directions.cfm)
Background:
Hydra Properties LLC plan to announced the Launch and casting for the first International reality TV series "The Hydra Executives". Casting begins on December 15 in Hollywood and will feature a cast of budding American and British entrepreneurs to be filmed in Abu Dhabi, but broadcast entirely in English. The reality TV series is the brainchild of CEO Sulaiman Al-Fahim, Hydra Properties LLC, a leading Abu Dhabi-based international real estate company and the key backer of the show. Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority and Chamber of Commerce and Industry are also sponsoring the show. According to Fahim around $5 million would be spent on the first season. The executive boardroom-style program is currently being shopped for global distribution in March 2008. It is being produced in association with Showtime Arabia, which is partly owned by Viacom, and Dubai's Infinity TV.
"We are inviting 16 entrepreneurs, eight Americans and eight Brits, to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates to compete against each other for 15 weeks," said Al-Fahim. "Contestants will fly to the capital city of Abu Dhabi where they will spend their first 2 weeks in boot camp to learn the art of the real estate deal and how to identify various playing fields. Following this they will be split into two mixed teams to compete in real estate business assignments for a three month period." At the end of the competition one winner will walk away with the grand prize worth $1 million to set up his or her own style real estate venture.
[Editors: Media please call for advanced interviews and to RSVP for event. For interviews call, George McQuade @ 818-340-5300 or 818-618-9229 PR@MayoCommunications.com]
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Arab History Conference Dec. 7-9, 2007
The Arab American Historical Foundation
cordially invites to its second annual
Arab American History Conference
hosted by
The University of Maryland
College Park., MD
December 7-9, 2007
Prof. Suheil Bushrui
conference chairman
For registration and to place ads in the conference program book, contact:
Conference committee
Arab American Historical Foundation
POBox 291159, Los Angeles, CA 90029
(323) 466-9800, (818) 507-0333,
fax: (818) 246-1936
e-mail: newscircle@sbcglobal.net
www.arabamericanhistory.org
www.arab-american-affairs.net
Conference Speakers:
Among confirmed scholars to present papers at the Arab American History Conference are:
Dr. Anan Ameri
Director of the Arab American National Museum, author of
several books about Arab Americans, Detroit, Michigan.
Sami Asmar
Physicist at NASA’s Jet Prepulsion Laboratory(JPL) Pasadena,
California, manages a group investigating plenetary gravity via spacecraft radio
signals; will address the historic role of Arab American scientific contributions;
Advisory Board member of the Arab American Historical Foundation.
Prof. Miles L. Bradbury
Professor in the Department of History, University of
Maryland teaches courses on U.S. History and Early American History with
a special interest in Ameen Rihani and his times.
Prof. Suheil B. Bushrui
Director of the Kahlil Gibran Chair for Values and Peace Project at the
Center for Heritage Resource Studies, the University of Maryland.
The Chair is the first academic forum in the world devoted to the preservation of
Gibran’s legacy and the promotion of East-West intercultural relations. He is the foremost
authority on the works of Kahlil Gibran, and has done extensive work in Arabic and
English on Ameen Rihani and his intellectual legacy as a bridge-builder between the East and the West.
Dr. Sawsan El Hady
Egyptian scholar; one time Professor of Arabic at the
University of Beijing, China; the University of New Zealand; author and consultant.
Dr. Edmund Ghareeb
Is the first Mustafa Barzani Scholar of Global Kurdish
Studies at American University’s Center for Global Peace and Adjunct Professor
of Middle East History and Politics in the School of International Service;author.
Hon. Nick J. Rahall
Congressman, Fourth District, West Virginia, since 1977.
Became the youngest member of the 95th Congress at 27, Washington, DC.
Prof. Paul Shackel
Associate Chair and Director of Undergraduate Studies
Department of Anthropology and Director of the Center for Heritage Resource
Studies at the University of Maryland. His research interests include: historical
archaeology, industrial archaeology, complex societies, labor history, consumer
behavior and public history.
Richard Shadyac, Esq.
Attorney and former executive director of ALSAC/
St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital which recently celebrated its 50th Anniversary, Virginia.
Dr. Irfan Shahid
Professor of Arabic and Islamic Literature at Georgetown
University where he teaches courses on Classical Arabic Poetry and Prose, and
Arabic Literature and Culture. He has written on Gibran and Rihani, and has a
special interest in the literary tradition of Arab-American writers.
He is giving the keynote address at the Second Arab-American History Conference.
Prof. Michael Suleiman
Professor at the University of Kansas,
author of several books about Arab Americans, Kansas.
Poet Henri Zoghaib
Director, The Center for Lebanese Heritage,
Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon.
___________________________
The Arab American Historical Foundation:
The Arab-American Historical Foundation (AAHF) was established in Los Angeles, 1978,
by Joseph R. Haiek, publisher of The News Circle/Arab American Affairs magazine and
the Arab American Almanac series, to promote preservation and dissemination of Arab-American history.
It is a non-profit organization under section 501(c)(3). For more details, contact:
The Arab American Historical Foundation:
POBox 291159, Los Angeles, CA 90029
(323) 466-9800, (818) 507-0333,
fax: (818) 246-1936
e-mail: newscircle@sbcglobal.net
www.arabamericanhistory.org
cordially invites to its second annual
Arab American History Conference
hosted by
The University of Maryland
College Park., MD
December 7-9, 2007
Prof. Suheil Bushrui
conference chairman
For registration and to place ads in the conference program book, contact:
Conference committee
Arab American Historical Foundation
POBox 291159, Los Angeles, CA 90029
(323) 466-9800, (818) 507-0333,
fax: (818) 246-1936
e-mail: newscircle@sbcglobal.net
www.arabamericanhistory.org
www.arab-american-affairs.net
Conference Speakers:
Among confirmed scholars to present papers at the Arab American History Conference are:
Dr. Anan Ameri
Director of the Arab American National Museum, author of
several books about Arab Americans, Detroit, Michigan.
Sami Asmar
Physicist at NASA’s Jet Prepulsion Laboratory(JPL) Pasadena,
California, manages a group investigating plenetary gravity via spacecraft radio
signals; will address the historic role of Arab American scientific contributions;
Advisory Board member of the Arab American Historical Foundation.
Prof. Miles L. Bradbury
Professor in the Department of History, University of
Maryland teaches courses on U.S. History and Early American History with
a special interest in Ameen Rihani and his times.
Prof. Suheil B. Bushrui
Director of the Kahlil Gibran Chair for Values and Peace Project at the
Center for Heritage Resource Studies, the University of Maryland.
The Chair is the first academic forum in the world devoted to the preservation of
Gibran’s legacy and the promotion of East-West intercultural relations. He is the foremost
authority on the works of Kahlil Gibran, and has done extensive work in Arabic and
English on Ameen Rihani and his intellectual legacy as a bridge-builder between the East and the West.
Dr. Sawsan El Hady
Egyptian scholar; one time Professor of Arabic at the
University of Beijing, China; the University of New Zealand; author and consultant.
Dr. Edmund Ghareeb
Is the first Mustafa Barzani Scholar of Global Kurdish
Studies at American University’s Center for Global Peace and Adjunct Professor
of Middle East History and Politics in the School of International Service;author.
Hon. Nick J. Rahall
Congressman, Fourth District, West Virginia, since 1977.
Became the youngest member of the 95th Congress at 27, Washington, DC.
Prof. Paul Shackel
Associate Chair and Director of Undergraduate Studies
Department of Anthropology and Director of the Center for Heritage Resource
Studies at the University of Maryland. His research interests include: historical
archaeology, industrial archaeology, complex societies, labor history, consumer
behavior and public history.
Richard Shadyac, Esq.
Attorney and former executive director of ALSAC/
St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital which recently celebrated its 50th Anniversary, Virginia.
Dr. Irfan Shahid
Professor of Arabic and Islamic Literature at Georgetown
University where he teaches courses on Classical Arabic Poetry and Prose, and
Arabic Literature and Culture. He has written on Gibran and Rihani, and has a
special interest in the literary tradition of Arab-American writers.
He is giving the keynote address at the Second Arab-American History Conference.
Prof. Michael Suleiman
Professor at the University of Kansas,
author of several books about Arab Americans, Kansas.
Poet Henri Zoghaib
Director, The Center for Lebanese Heritage,
Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon.
___________________________
The Arab American Historical Foundation:
The Arab-American Historical Foundation (AAHF) was established in Los Angeles, 1978,
by Joseph R. Haiek, publisher of The News Circle/Arab American Affairs magazine and
the Arab American Almanac series, to promote preservation and dissemination of Arab-American history.
It is a non-profit organization under section 501(c)(3). For more details, contact:
The Arab American Historical Foundation:
POBox 291159, Los Angeles, CA 90029
(323) 466-9800, (818) 507-0333,
fax: (818) 246-1936
e-mail: newscircle@sbcglobal.net
www.arabamericanhistory.org
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
CAIR publishes free guide on media coverage of Islam and Muslims
Help Improve Coverage of Islam in the U.S. Media
Sponsor 'A Journalist's Guide to Understanding Islam and Muslims'
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 11/13/2007) - CAIR today called on Muslims to support a major new initiative to help improve coverage of Islam in the American news media.
At a press conference in the nation's capital, CAIR said the centerpiece of its "Beyond Stereotypes" campaign will be distribution of the newly-published "American Muslims: A Journalist's Guide to Understanding Islam and Muslims" to some 40,000 media professionals nationwide.
Muslims are being asked to sponsor copies of the guide for $20 or to order hard copies for distribution to local media outlets.
SEE: Beyond Stereotypes: A CAIR Initiative to Enhance Understanding of Islam in the Media
CAIR's new guide offers journalists the tools needed to gain a better understanding of Islam and to write accurate and balanced stories about Muslims. The guide also offers background information on issues related to Islam and Muslims, best practices for reporting on the American Muslim community and definitions of terminology often used in news stories or editorials.
In challenging common misconceptions about Islam and Muslims, the guide provides an Islamic perspective on hot-button issues such as Islam and democracy, freedom of religion, women's rights, and interfaith relations.
Media professionals may request a free copy of CAIR's journalist guide through the "Beyond Stereotypes" website. (Sample pages of the guide can be viewed on the website.)
Along with distribution of the guide to editors, reporters, producers, and other journalists, CAIR is offering media relations training to Muslim communities nationwide. The "Beyond Stereotypes" website also offers tips on pro-active educational activities such as hosting media events and meeting with newspaper editorial boards.
"Because we work with media professionals on a daily basis, we know the vast majority of journalists are doing the best job they can with the information resources they have available," said CAIR Communications Coordinator Rabiah Ahmed. "It is our duty, and that of the Muslim community, to make sure every journalist who writes about Islam or Muslims has access to accurate information."
In a statement released at today's news conference, CAIR said: "We recognize that much of the negative perception of Islam and Muslims is the result of negative actions by a tiny minority of Muslims. That minority should not be allowed to overshadow the vast majority of Muslims in this country and worldwide who reject terrorism and religious extremism."
IMMEDIATE ACTIONS REQUESTED:
1. SPONSOR A JOURNALIST'S GUIDE. For only $20, you can help improve coverage of Islam and Muslims in the U.S. media. Click here to sponsor a journalist's guide.
2. ORDER HARD COPIES OF THE JOURNALIST'S GUIDE for distribution to local media outlets. Click here to order a guide.
3. REQUEST MEDIA RELATIONS TRAINING for your community. Either contact a local CAIR chapter, or click here to request training or learn about other actions you can take.
end
Sponsor 'A Journalist's Guide to Understanding Islam and Muslims'
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 11/13/2007) - CAIR today called on Muslims to support a major new initiative to help improve coverage of Islam in the American news media.
At a press conference in the nation's capital, CAIR said the centerpiece of its "Beyond Stereotypes" campaign will be distribution of the newly-published "American Muslims: A Journalist's Guide to Understanding Islam and Muslims" to some 40,000 media professionals nationwide.
Muslims are being asked to sponsor copies of the guide for $20 or to order hard copies for distribution to local media outlets.
SEE: Beyond Stereotypes: A CAIR Initiative to Enhance Understanding of Islam in the Media
CAIR's new guide offers journalists the tools needed to gain a better understanding of Islam and to write accurate and balanced stories about Muslims. The guide also offers background information on issues related to Islam and Muslims, best practices for reporting on the American Muslim community and definitions of terminology often used in news stories or editorials.
In challenging common misconceptions about Islam and Muslims, the guide provides an Islamic perspective on hot-button issues such as Islam and democracy, freedom of religion, women's rights, and interfaith relations.
Media professionals may request a free copy of CAIR's journalist guide through the "Beyond Stereotypes" website. (Sample pages of the guide can be viewed on the website.)
Along with distribution of the guide to editors, reporters, producers, and other journalists, CAIR is offering media relations training to Muslim communities nationwide. The "Beyond Stereotypes" website also offers tips on pro-active educational activities such as hosting media events and meeting with newspaper editorial boards.
"Because we work with media professionals on a daily basis, we know the vast majority of journalists are doing the best job they can with the information resources they have available," said CAIR Communications Coordinator Rabiah Ahmed. "It is our duty, and that of the Muslim community, to make sure every journalist who writes about Islam or Muslims has access to accurate information."
In a statement released at today's news conference, CAIR said: "We recognize that much of the negative perception of Islam and Muslims is the result of negative actions by a tiny minority of Muslims. That minority should not be allowed to overshadow the vast majority of Muslims in this country and worldwide who reject terrorism and religious extremism."
IMMEDIATE ACTIONS REQUESTED:
1. SPONSOR A JOURNALIST'S GUIDE. For only $20, you can help improve coverage of Islam and Muslims in the U.S. media. Click here to sponsor a journalist's guide.
2. ORDER HARD COPIES OF THE JOURNALIST'S GUIDE for distribution to local media outlets. Click here to order a guide.
3. REQUEST MEDIA RELATIONS TRAINING for your community. Either contact a local CAIR chapter, or click here to request training or learn about other actions you can take.
end
ADC expresses concerns on "Muslim Mapping" plan in LA
ADC Deeply Troubled by LAPD Plan to 'Map' LA-Area Muslims
Washington, DC | November 10, 2007 | www.adc.org | The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is deeply troubled by the Los Angeles Police Department's "community mapping" plan. The intelligence-guided mapping plan, which is to be carried out in conjunction with the University of Southern California's National Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events, would collect information about Muslim communities in the Los Angeles area in an effort to identify who the Muslims are and where the Muslims reside.
During his October 30, testimony before the before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Los Angeles Commander Michael P. Downing discussed this plan. The nature and scope of the plan is unclear from this testimony and numerous questions remained unanswered. What is clear, however, is that the plan singles out individuals for investigation, surveillance, and data collection based solely on religion, which is a form of religious profiling. In addition to obvious constitutional concerns that such a practice would violate equal protection and burden the free exercise of religion, religious profiling will engender fear and lack of trust in the community which will, in turn, hinder law enforcement efforts.
Once the Muslims in the Los Angeles area are identified, then the LAPD would then, according to Downing’s written testimony, "take a deeper look at their history, demographics, language, culture, ethnic background, socio-economic status, and social interactions." In an interview with the Congressional Quarterly (Nov 1), Downing said he hopes to complete the community mapping plan by this Spring and, "if its successful, he believes it could be transmittable, at least in part, to other major U.S. cities."
ADC Communications Director Laila Al-Qatami said, "ADC supports efforts to keep our country safe and to prevent violence, extremism, and terrorism, but is deeply concerned with the emerging details of this plan. In terms of potential risk factors, Downing’s testimony cites the use of non-mainstream media as a possible indicator of extremist ideology and inclination, ADC raises serious objections to that idea. Additionally the implications of how much data will be collected, and with whom it will be shared, raises obvious privacy concerns, particularly in these times of warrantless wiretapping and illegal surveillance."
Washington, DC | November 10, 2007 | www.adc.org | The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is deeply troubled by the Los Angeles Police Department's "community mapping" plan. The intelligence-guided mapping plan, which is to be carried out in conjunction with the University of Southern California's National Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events, would collect information about Muslim communities in the Los Angeles area in an effort to identify who the Muslims are and where the Muslims reside.
During his October 30, testimony before the before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Los Angeles Commander Michael P. Downing discussed this plan. The nature and scope of the plan is unclear from this testimony and numerous questions remained unanswered. What is clear, however, is that the plan singles out individuals for investigation, surveillance, and data collection based solely on religion, which is a form of religious profiling. In addition to obvious constitutional concerns that such a practice would violate equal protection and burden the free exercise of religion, religious profiling will engender fear and lack of trust in the community which will, in turn, hinder law enforcement efforts.
Once the Muslims in the Los Angeles area are identified, then the LAPD would then, according to Downing’s written testimony, "take a deeper look at their history, demographics, language, culture, ethnic background, socio-economic status, and social interactions." In an interview with the Congressional Quarterly (Nov 1), Downing said he hopes to complete the community mapping plan by this Spring and, "if its successful, he believes it could be transmittable, at least in part, to other major U.S. cities."
ADC Communications Director Laila Al-Qatami said, "ADC supports efforts to keep our country safe and to prevent violence, extremism, and terrorism, but is deeply concerned with the emerging details of this plan. In terms of potential risk factors, Downing’s testimony cites the use of non-mainstream media as a possible indicator of extremist ideology and inclination, ADC raises serious objections to that idea. Additionally the implications of how much data will be collected, and with whom it will be shared, raises obvious privacy concerns, particularly in these times of warrantless wiretapping and illegal surveillance."
ADC Announces National Civil and Human Rights Center in Michigan
ADC Announces First National Civil and Human Rights Center in Michigan
Officials, Community Members and Supporters Gather for Unveiling of ADC’s Future Landmark Civil Rights Center
Approximately 150 guests, including local, national and international officials, gathered on the ADC-owned property on Chase Road in Dearborn on September 12, 2007, to witness the unveiling of what will be the location of the first-ever American-Arab Center for Civil and Human Rights (ACCHR) in the United States- an ADC project.
The press conference, included remarks from ADC Michigan’s special guest Mr. Fahad Mohamad Kafoud, Deputy Chief of Mission of the State of Qatar, along with Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano, Dearborn Mayor Jack O’Reilly, Arab American News Publisher Osama Siblani, ADC National President and Former Congresswoman Mary Rose Oakar and ADC Senior National Advisor and Regional Director Imad Hamad. Speakers praised ADC Michigan for it’s commitment to enhancing the lives of Arabs in the United States and across the world and commended them on this initiative that will forever change the political landscape of America.
Additional officials included Wayne County Clerk Cathy Garret, Dearborn Police Chief Michael Celeski, Director of the Governor’s Office Kimberly Trent, Dearborn Heights Councilman Tom Berry, City of Dearborn Councilman George Derani, representatives from the congressional offices of John Conyers, John Dingell and Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, and representatives from the offices of US Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, along with numerous congressional liaisons and community leaders. In addition, a number of media outlets were also present to document this momentous occasion.
Mr. Kafoud was presented with a special acknowledgement from Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano, Dearborn Mayor Jack O’Reilly and Congressman John Dingell, for Qatar’s efforts to enhance the lives and protect the civil liberties of Arab Americans in Michigan. ADC is expecting to break ground on the Center in the next couple months. For more information on this event and the ACCHR, please read the Detroit Free Press feature at: www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article.
end
Officials, Community Members and Supporters Gather for Unveiling of ADC’s Future Landmark Civil Rights Center
Approximately 150 guests, including local, national and international officials, gathered on the ADC-owned property on Chase Road in Dearborn on September 12, 2007, to witness the unveiling of what will be the location of the first-ever American-Arab Center for Civil and Human Rights (ACCHR) in the United States- an ADC project.
The press conference, included remarks from ADC Michigan’s special guest Mr. Fahad Mohamad Kafoud, Deputy Chief of Mission of the State of Qatar, along with Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano, Dearborn Mayor Jack O’Reilly, Arab American News Publisher Osama Siblani, ADC National President and Former Congresswoman Mary Rose Oakar and ADC Senior National Advisor and Regional Director Imad Hamad. Speakers praised ADC Michigan for it’s commitment to enhancing the lives of Arabs in the United States and across the world and commended them on this initiative that will forever change the political landscape of America.
Additional officials included Wayne County Clerk Cathy Garret, Dearborn Police Chief Michael Celeski, Director of the Governor’s Office Kimberly Trent, Dearborn Heights Councilman Tom Berry, City of Dearborn Councilman George Derani, representatives from the congressional offices of John Conyers, John Dingell and Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, and representatives from the offices of US Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, along with numerous congressional liaisons and community leaders. In addition, a number of media outlets were also present to document this momentous occasion.
Mr. Kafoud was presented with a special acknowledgement from Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano, Dearborn Mayor Jack O’Reilly and Congressman John Dingell, for Qatar’s efforts to enhance the lives and protect the civil liberties of Arab Americans in Michigan. ADC is expecting to break ground on the Center in the next couple months. For more information on this event and the ACCHR, please read the Detroit Free Press feature at: www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article.
end
Sunday, November 11, 2007
3rd Annual National Arab American Book Awards submission deadline Feb. 1, 2008
Dear Publishers and Writers:
The Arab American National Museum (AANM) is proud to announce that submissions are now being accepted for the
2007 Arab American National Museum
Book Award
Books submitted for consideration must be written or illustrated by an Arab American, or address the Arab-American experience. It must be an original work and published in English between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2007. Submissions must be postmarked no later than February 1, 2008. An award will be given to an author or illustrator in each of the following three categories:
Adult Non-Fiction in the areas of the Social Sciences and Humanities
Adult Fiction, including Arts and Literature
Children or Young Adult, Fiction or Non-Fiction
Submission forms are attached to this email and can also be found on the AANM website: http://www.arabamericanmuseum.org/resource/attach/93/AANMSubmissionForm2007.pdf. For additional information regarding the Book Award please contact Dima Kanakri of the AANM Library & Resource Center at 313-624-0223 or dkanakri@accesscommunity.org.
The Arab American National Museum Book Award was established in 2006 to encourage the publication and excellence of books that preserve and advance the understanding, knowledge, and resources of the Arab American community by celebrating the thoughts and lives of Arab Americans. The purpose of the Award is to inspire authors, educate readers and foster a respect and understanding of Arab American culture.
The Arab American National Museum documents, preserves, celebrates, and educates the public on the history, life, culture, and contributions of Arab Americans. We serve as a resource to enhance knowledge and understanding about Arab Americans and their presence in this country. The Arab American National Museum is a project of ACCESS, a Dearborn, Michigan-based nonprofit human services and cultural organization.
Arab American National Museum 13624 Michigan Avenue Dearborn, MI 48126
www.arabamericanmuseum.org
end
The Arab American National Museum (AANM) is proud to announce that submissions are now being accepted for the
2007 Arab American National Museum
Book Award
Books submitted for consideration must be written or illustrated by an Arab American, or address the Arab-American experience. It must be an original work and published in English between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2007. Submissions must be postmarked no later than February 1, 2008. An award will be given to an author or illustrator in each of the following three categories:
Adult Non-Fiction in the areas of the Social Sciences and Humanities
Adult Fiction, including Arts and Literature
Children or Young Adult, Fiction or Non-Fiction
Submission forms are attached to this email and can also be found on the AANM website: http://www.arabamericanmuseum.org/resource/attach/93/AANMSubmissionForm2007.pdf. For additional information regarding the Book Award please contact Dima Kanakri of the AANM Library & Resource Center at 313-624-0223 or dkanakri@accesscommunity.org.
The Arab American National Museum Book Award was established in 2006 to encourage the publication and excellence of books that preserve and advance the understanding, knowledge, and resources of the Arab American community by celebrating the thoughts and lives of Arab Americans. The purpose of the Award is to inspire authors, educate readers and foster a respect and understanding of Arab American culture.
The Arab American National Museum documents, preserves, celebrates, and educates the public on the history, life, culture, and contributions of Arab Americans. We serve as a resource to enhance knowledge and understanding about Arab Americans and their presence in this country. The Arab American National Museum is a project of ACCESS, a Dearborn, Michigan-based nonprofit human services and cultural organization.
Arab American National Museum 13624 Michigan Avenue Dearborn, MI 48126
www.arabamericanmuseum.org
end
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Mehdi to participate in post 9/11 look at Muslims in America
MPAC-NY TO HOLD PANEL ON MEDIA COVERAGE OF MUSLIMS POST-9/11 AT COLUMBIA UNIV. ON NOV. 15
(New York - 11/7/07) -- On Thursday, November 15, the Muslim Public Affairs Council's New York City chapter will host a panel discussion on "Media Coverage of Muslims Post-9/11" at Columbia University in Manhattan.
Moderated by Sheheryar Azhar, host of GEO TV's "The Forum", the panel discussion will feature Columbia University Journalism Professor Ari Goldman, award-winning journalist, filmmaker and Professor Anisa Mehdi, and MPAC Communications Director Edina Lekovic.
Co-sponsored by the Columbia University Muslim Students Association, panelists will draw on their decades of experience in the news media to provide a critical examination of news and entertainment media portrayals of Muslim Americans as a community as well as public discourse on the Islamic faith.
WHAT: The Coverage of Islam & Muslims in the American Mass Media Post-9/11
WHEN: Thursday, November 15, 2007 at 7:00 p.m.
WHERE: Columbia University
James Room on the 4th Floor Bernard Hall
2960 Broadway, New York, NY 10027-6902
WHO: Professor Ari Goldman, Columbia Graduate School of Journalism
Anisa Mehdi, Journalist and Professor at Seton Hall University
Edina Lekovic, MPAC Communications Director
Shaheryar Azhar, host of "The Forum" on ARY
Goldman is the director of the Columbia's Scripps Howard Program in Religion, Journalism and the Spiritual Life. Goldman also co-directs the Universitys Religion-Journalism Dual M.A. Program. Previously, he spent 20 years at The New York Times, most of it as a religion writer. He is the author of three books, including "The Search for God at Harvard".
Mehdi is an Emmy award-winning journalist specializing in religion, the arts, and people. For over 20 years she has reported, written, directed and produced television news and documentary programs for major American media outlets, including National Geographic, PBS, ABC News, and CBS. Her commentaries are heard on NPRs award-winning newscast All Things Considered. She is also Adjunct Professor of Communication at Seton Hall University. She is producer/director of "Inside Mecca," the National Geographic Special that premiered on PBS in 2003. She was also executive producer with Alvin Perlmutter of the two-hour PBS FRONTLINE special "Muslims". Mehdi is a writer for the Arab Writers Group syndicate.
Call 213-383-3443 or email events@mpac.org for more information.
Founded in 1988, the Muslim Public Affairs Council is an American institution which informs and shapes public opinion and policy by serving as a trusted resource to decision makers in government, media and policy institutions. MPAC is also committed to developing leaders with the purpose of enhancing the political and civic participation of Muslim Americans.
end
(New York - 11/7/07) -- On Thursday, November 15, the Muslim Public Affairs Council's New York City chapter will host a panel discussion on "Media Coverage of Muslims Post-9/11" at Columbia University in Manhattan.
Moderated by Sheheryar Azhar, host of GEO TV's "The Forum", the panel discussion will feature Columbia University Journalism Professor Ari Goldman, award-winning journalist, filmmaker and Professor Anisa Mehdi, and MPAC Communications Director Edina Lekovic.
Co-sponsored by the Columbia University Muslim Students Association, panelists will draw on their decades of experience in the news media to provide a critical examination of news and entertainment media portrayals of Muslim Americans as a community as well as public discourse on the Islamic faith.
WHAT: The Coverage of Islam & Muslims in the American Mass Media Post-9/11
WHEN: Thursday, November 15, 2007 at 7:00 p.m.
WHERE: Columbia University
James Room on the 4th Floor Bernard Hall
2960 Broadway, New York, NY 10027-6902
WHO: Professor Ari Goldman, Columbia Graduate School of Journalism
Anisa Mehdi, Journalist and Professor at Seton Hall University
Edina Lekovic, MPAC Communications Director
Shaheryar Azhar, host of "The Forum" on ARY
Goldman is the director of the Columbia's Scripps Howard Program in Religion, Journalism and the Spiritual Life. Goldman also co-directs the Universitys Religion-Journalism Dual M.A. Program. Previously, he spent 20 years at The New York Times, most of it as a religion writer. He is the author of three books, including "The Search for God at Harvard".
Mehdi is an Emmy award-winning journalist specializing in religion, the arts, and people. For over 20 years she has reported, written, directed and produced television news and documentary programs for major American media outlets, including National Geographic, PBS, ABC News, and CBS. Her commentaries are heard on NPRs award-winning newscast All Things Considered. She is also Adjunct Professor of Communication at Seton Hall University. She is producer/director of "Inside Mecca," the National Geographic Special that premiered on PBS in 2003. She was also executive producer with Alvin Perlmutter of the two-hour PBS FRONTLINE special "Muslims". Mehdi is a writer for the Arab Writers Group syndicate.
Call 213-383-3443 or email events@mpac.org for more information.
Founded in 1988, the Muslim Public Affairs Council is an American institution which informs and shapes public opinion and policy by serving as a trusted resource to decision makers in government, media and policy institutions. MPAC is also committed to developing leaders with the purpose of enhancing the political and civic participation of Muslim Americans.
end
IBDAA Student journalism awards deadline approaching
Ibdaa Media Awards 2007 Gathers Momentum As November 15 Deadline Appoaches
Application Forms Available at www.ibdaa-awards.ae
Dubai, UAE - November 6, 2007: With the November 15 submission deadline for the coveted Ibda’a Media Student Awards 2007 fast approaching, the competition is receiving an unprecedented response from international and local media students vying for top honours in the region’s most recognised award for emerging industry talent.
Ibda’a Media Student Awards is organized on an annual basis by Dubai Media City, member of TECOM Investments, in association with the International Advertising Association (IAA). Designed on the concept of ‘Flammable Talent’, the Awards aim to recognize, nurture and promote young media talent.
The competition is open to all undergraduate and fresh graduates of the year 2006-2007. Entry forms are available on the dedicated website www.ibdaa-awards.ae
Over the years, the Ibda'a Media Student Awards has attracted a multitude of entries from the Gulf region and around the globe. Its success is marked by the increasing number of entries, participating countries and the inclusion of additional categories to accommodate the diverse components of new age media. In 2006, the competition received more than 2,200 entries from 20 countries.
Mohamed Al Mulla, Director of Dubai Media City and Coordinator General of the Awards, said: “Ibda'a Media Student Awards 2007 will continue to discover outstanding creative talent from all over the world. Serving as a springboard for students, Ibda'a Awards spotlight young talent on the international media arena, and offer them an opportunity to showcase their work and realize their aspirations.”
Award finalists will be flown to Dubai for a gala celebration that will give away exciting prizes, as well as internship opportunities with leading media organisations including Arabian Radio Network (ARN), Xische, Team Y&R, Motivate Publishing, Nikon, Saatchi & Saatchi, Leo Burnett, CNBC Arabia, CNN and MBC.
Dubai Media City will host the Career Day on 26 December. On the sidelines of the awards, an exhibition of short-listed entries will be held from 25-29 December.
To be presented on 27 December in Dubai, the Ibda’a Media Student Awards cover 10 main categories, including journalism, radio, animation, graphic design, analogue photography, digital photography, print advertising, TV advertising, TV documentary and film/TV feature.
Dubai-based Ziad Galadari Group is the title sponsor of the event this year, while Emirates Bank, Arabian Automobiles, OMD and Carassi are the co-sponsors. Media partners include Motivate Publishing, Zee Arabia, Showtime, Xische, 7 Star Events, Arabian Radio Network, Al Emarat Al Youm and Emirates Today, CNBC Arabia and DMI.
end
Application Forms Available at www.ibdaa-awards.ae
Dubai, UAE - November 6, 2007: With the November 15 submission deadline for the coveted Ibda’a Media Student Awards 2007 fast approaching, the competition is receiving an unprecedented response from international and local media students vying for top honours in the region’s most recognised award for emerging industry talent.
Ibda’a Media Student Awards is organized on an annual basis by Dubai Media City, member of TECOM Investments, in association with the International Advertising Association (IAA). Designed on the concept of ‘Flammable Talent’, the Awards aim to recognize, nurture and promote young media talent.
The competition is open to all undergraduate and fresh graduates of the year 2006-2007. Entry forms are available on the dedicated website www.ibdaa-awards.ae
Over the years, the Ibda'a Media Student Awards has attracted a multitude of entries from the Gulf region and around the globe. Its success is marked by the increasing number of entries, participating countries and the inclusion of additional categories to accommodate the diverse components of new age media. In 2006, the competition received more than 2,200 entries from 20 countries.
Mohamed Al Mulla, Director of Dubai Media City and Coordinator General of the Awards, said: “Ibda'a Media Student Awards 2007 will continue to discover outstanding creative talent from all over the world. Serving as a springboard for students, Ibda'a Awards spotlight young talent on the international media arena, and offer them an opportunity to showcase their work and realize their aspirations.”
Award finalists will be flown to Dubai for a gala celebration that will give away exciting prizes, as well as internship opportunities with leading media organisations including Arabian Radio Network (ARN), Xische, Team Y&R, Motivate Publishing, Nikon, Saatchi & Saatchi, Leo Burnett, CNBC Arabia, CNN and MBC.
Dubai Media City will host the Career Day on 26 December. On the sidelines of the awards, an exhibition of short-listed entries will be held from 25-29 December.
To be presented on 27 December in Dubai, the Ibda’a Media Student Awards cover 10 main categories, including journalism, radio, animation, graphic design, analogue photography, digital photography, print advertising, TV advertising, TV documentary and film/TV feature.
Dubai-based Ziad Galadari Group is the title sponsor of the event this year, while Emirates Bank, Arabian Automobiles, OMD and Carassi are the co-sponsors. Media partners include Motivate Publishing, Zee Arabia, Showtime, Xische, 7 Star Events, Arabian Radio Network, Al Emarat Al Youm and Emirates Today, CNBC Arabia and DMI.
end
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Israeli occupation fueling dwindling Christian Arab population, ATFP report shows
Press Release
Capitol Hill Briefing Attributes Dwindling Palestinian Christian Population To The Effects Of The Israeli Occupation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Rafi Dajani
Phone: 202-669-5888
Washington, D.C., November 1, 2007 – The American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) and The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF) held a Capitol Hill briefing this week featuring four Christian mayors of Palestinian towns in the West Bank. The panel focused on the causes for the population decrease of the Palestinian Christians to below 2 percent of the population, attributing it mainly to the economic stresses resulting from Israeli occupation measures such as checkpoints and the route of the separation barrier, a vast majority of which is built on occupied Palestinian land.
The mayor of Bethlehem, Dr. Victor Hanan Jubrail Batarseh, referred to the wall as ‘a snake’, saying, it has ‘strangled the community; economically, psychologically, and educationally’ causing the Palestinian Christians to emigrate.
The economic strangulation has led to nearly 70% of the West Bank population living under the poverty line, said the mayor of Birzeit, Mr. Yousef Nasser. He continued saying, “Unemployment has risen 200% due to the check points,” which not only inhibit the movement of people but also shipments of produce. Mr. Nasser stressed the need for the removal of the checkpoints in order for the economy to improve. Without an improved economy, the Christian population will continue to decrease. This is why Dr. Batarseh stressed the need for peace , asking for a ‘bridge of love,’ to be built, not a ‘wall of separation.’
“Historically, it has been easier for the Palestinian Christian population to emigrate due mainly to family ties in the West, although Palestinian Muslims are emigrating in significant numbers too if they are able,” said ATFP executive director Rafi Dajani who moderated the panel. “Emigration of either community has nothing to do with religious tensions between the two communities and attempts to portray it as such are meant to deflect blame away from the main reason, the Israeli occupation.”
end
Capitol Hill Briefing Attributes Dwindling Palestinian Christian Population To The Effects Of The Israeli Occupation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Rafi Dajani
Phone: 202-669-5888
Washington, D.C., November 1, 2007 – The American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) and The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF) held a Capitol Hill briefing this week featuring four Christian mayors of Palestinian towns in the West Bank. The panel focused on the causes for the population decrease of the Palestinian Christians to below 2 percent of the population, attributing it mainly to the economic stresses resulting from Israeli occupation measures such as checkpoints and the route of the separation barrier, a vast majority of which is built on occupied Palestinian land.
The mayor of Bethlehem, Dr. Victor Hanan Jubrail Batarseh, referred to the wall as ‘a snake’, saying, it has ‘strangled the community; economically, psychologically, and educationally’ causing the Palestinian Christians to emigrate.
The economic strangulation has led to nearly 70% of the West Bank population living under the poverty line, said the mayor of Birzeit, Mr. Yousef Nasser. He continued saying, “Unemployment has risen 200% due to the check points,” which not only inhibit the movement of people but also shipments of produce. Mr. Nasser stressed the need for the removal of the checkpoints in order for the economy to improve. Without an improved economy, the Christian population will continue to decrease. This is why Dr. Batarseh stressed the need for peace , asking for a ‘bridge of love,’ to be built, not a ‘wall of separation.’
“Historically, it has been easier for the Palestinian Christian population to emigrate due mainly to family ties in the West, although Palestinian Muslims are emigrating in significant numbers too if they are able,” said ATFP executive director Rafi Dajani who moderated the panel. “Emigration of either community has nothing to do with religious tensions between the two communities and attempts to portray it as such are meant to deflect blame away from the main reason, the Israeli occupation.”
end
Society of Professional Journalists National Arab American Journalists Association join forces
Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2007
Contact:
Clint Brewer, President. (615) 301-9229, cbrewer@spj.org
Beth King, Communications Manager, (317) 927-8000, ext. 211, bking@spj.org
For Immediate Release:
Society of Professional Journalists,
National Arab American Journalists Association join forces
INDIANAPOLIS – One of the nation’s oldest journalism-advocacy organizations and the country’s largest professional association for Arab-American journalists have joined to form a special membership group within the Society of Professional Journalists.
By providing tips, resources, training, mentoring and related discussion, SPJ and the National Arab American Journalists Association (NAAJA) will work together to develop a dialogue that is sure to encourage newsroom diversity, crossover memberships and a greater understanding of cultures within the profession.
“This is the first step in a renewed effort by SPJ to reach out to all journalists across different cultures and media,” SPJ National President Clint Brewer said. “SPJ wants to foster and atmosphere in the organization where all journalists are welcomed and find value in being a member.”
The concept of membership sections was introduced in 2006 by the Society’s national Board of Directors as a way of furthering member benefits in SPJ. With these special sections, members would be able to connect and interact regularly at professional levels, regardless of the medium in which they work. In early 2007, Ray Hanania, president of NAAJA, submitted a proposal for consideration to form the first membership section with the Society that would attract Arab Americans who work in journalism or who are journalism students. In May, the board voted to create the Arab American membership section within the Society. The blog "Al-Sahafiyeen," meaning “the journalists” was launched Oct. 15 on SPJ.org.
“Our goal in pursuing this is to provide a professional resource where Arab Americans can find guidance as they pursue careers in journalism,” Hanania said. “And when it comes to professional journalism, no other organization offers more resources and support than the SPJ. We also hope the new SPJ-Arab Journalism Section will serve as a resource for all journalists on issues related to Arab Americans and the Middle East.”
Membership into the Arab-American section is open to any SPJ member who pays an additional $10 per year to their national dues. The money raised will go toward grants for programs related to Arab-American journalism issues.
The NAAJA was launched in 1999 to help professional Arab-Americans journalists network. It has hosted four journalism conferences and has more than 150 members nationally.
Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, the Society of Professional Journalists promotes the free flow of information vital to a well-informed citizenry; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. For further information about SPJ, please visit www.spj.org .
end
Contact:
Clint Brewer, President. (615) 301-9229, cbrewer@spj.org
Beth King, Communications Manager, (317) 927-8000, ext. 211, bking@spj.org
For Immediate Release:
Society of Professional Journalists,
National Arab American Journalists Association join forces
INDIANAPOLIS – One of the nation’s oldest journalism-advocacy organizations and the country’s largest professional association for Arab-American journalists have joined to form a special membership group within the Society of Professional Journalists.
By providing tips, resources, training, mentoring and related discussion, SPJ and the National Arab American Journalists Association (NAAJA) will work together to develop a dialogue that is sure to encourage newsroom diversity, crossover memberships and a greater understanding of cultures within the profession.
“This is the first step in a renewed effort by SPJ to reach out to all journalists across different cultures and media,” SPJ National President Clint Brewer said. “SPJ wants to foster and atmosphere in the organization where all journalists are welcomed and find value in being a member.”
The concept of membership sections was introduced in 2006 by the Society’s national Board of Directors as a way of furthering member benefits in SPJ. With these special sections, members would be able to connect and interact regularly at professional levels, regardless of the medium in which they work. In early 2007, Ray Hanania, president of NAAJA, submitted a proposal for consideration to form the first membership section with the Society that would attract Arab Americans who work in journalism or who are journalism students. In May, the board voted to create the Arab American membership section within the Society. The blog "Al-Sahafiyeen," meaning “the journalists” was launched Oct. 15 on SPJ.org.
“Our goal in pursuing this is to provide a professional resource where Arab Americans can find guidance as they pursue careers in journalism,” Hanania said. “And when it comes to professional journalism, no other organization offers more resources and support than the SPJ. We also hope the new SPJ-Arab Journalism Section will serve as a resource for all journalists on issues related to Arab Americans and the Middle East.”
Membership into the Arab-American section is open to any SPJ member who pays an additional $10 per year to their national dues. The money raised will go toward grants for programs related to Arab-American journalism issues.
The NAAJA was launched in 1999 to help professional Arab-Americans journalists network. It has hosted four journalism conferences and has more than 150 members nationally.
Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, the Society of Professional Journalists promotes the free flow of information vital to a well-informed citizenry; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. For further information about SPJ, please visit www.spj.org .
end
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