Point to Point Arab American Journalism Podcasts
Topic: Israeli-Hezbollah Prisoner exchange
Topic: The war crimes indictment of Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir
Veteran award winning columnists Ray Hanania and Ali Alarabi discuss and debate the most recent news in the Middle East on Point to Point: Interviews without Boundaries. The topics include the recent prisoner swap between the powerful Lebanese Shiite Militia Hezbollah and the Government of Israel, trading the remains of two Israeli solders killed when Hezbollah sought to capture Israeli soldiers to trade for its soldiers held by Israel in the summer of 2006, an assault that provoked Israel to launch a brutal retaliation against Lebanon's civilian population and Hezbollah strongholds. Israel released five prisoners, including the notorious Druse fighter and leader, Samir Kuntar (Kantar, Qantar), of a 1979 mission into Israel that resulted in the killing of an Israeli police officer and the murder of his four year old daughter. Kuntar was captured and served 30 years for the killings.
Hezbollah returned the bodies of two Israelis killed during the July 2006 confrontation that spark the 34-day Israeli-Lebanon war, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. What are the moral issues involved and is there an issue of hypocrisy in criticism of Arabs for killing civilians while there is silence when Israel kills Arab civilians?
And, Alarabi and Hanania discuss the recent war crimes indictment by the International Criminal Court of Sundanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and the hypocrisy of singling out Arabs while excluding Israel and even Americans from I.C.C. prosecutions. The two discuss the issues involved in Sudan and Darfur where al-Bashir has been accused of supporting genocide, while supporters accuse pro-Western groups of inciting a vicious campaign of terrorism. You can read columns on both subjects by Hanania and Alarabi at http://www.arabwritersgroup.com/ web site. 22 Minutes.
Go to http://www.themediaoasis.com/ or visit iTunes and download the podcasts to your iPod.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
PLO Cites Israeli violations of peace accords
Letter from the Palestine Liberation Organization
July 15, 2008
Dear Sir/ Madam; Your Excellency etc…
This letter is to draw your attention to recent escalations in the policies and activities of the government of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory which violate commitments Israel made at the Annapolis conference, and risk destroying the political process and rendering it meaningless.
First, we note the recurring assaults on Palestinian cities, official institutions, and civil society organisations, which have increased in an unprecedented manner (up by 50%). Indeed, if we look back to the six months following the Annapolis conference, the numbers alone paint an alarming picture of Israeli violence against Palestinian citizens: 467 killed and 1706 injured in over 2000 attacks. Needless to say, many of the victims are civilians, including women and children.
Second, Israel has escalated the pace of construction and expansion of existing and new settlements throughout the West Bank, in particular in and around East Jerusalem, in flagrant violation of international law and its commitments under the Road Map as reaffirmed at the Annapolis conference. Furthermore, Israel continues the construction of the Wall four years after the decision of the International Court of Justice that held the Wall and the settlements to be illegal under international law.
Recently, Israel has encouraged the building of new housing units in the heart of East Jerusalem and specifically in Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood where Palestinian houses were seized. Furthermore, in the heart of Nablus, it shut down and confiscated an entire multi-storey shopping centre, notwithstanding the fact that it is a publicly-held company, and in blatant disregard of signed agreements which prohibit the Occupation from shutting down and confiscating property inside PA areas.
These deliberate Israeli policies are primarily aimed at undermining the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and its role, standing, and credibility in the eyes of the citizens. Despite this, however, the PNA has all the while worked hard and at all levels to improve security conditions, to build and develop the economy, and to strengthen public institutions and to support civil society. On security, for instance, these efforts are evident from the security plans implemented by the PNA Ministry of Interior despite recurring Israeli obstacles, in particular in Nablus, Jenin, Tulkarem, Hebron, and Bethlehem. With respect to the economy and institution building, a great deal of effort has gone into the adoption of the Palestinian Development and Reform Plan (PRDP), and the convening of the Paris, Bethlehem, and Berlin conferences. These efforts have led to the approval and adoption of numerous projects aimed at developing infrastructure, capacity and funding much needed for the maintenance and development of Palestinian society and economy.
The problem, however, remains that the prevailing stream within the Israeli government seeks to weaken and undermine the PNA, in a manner that strengthens the radical forces and renders them the dominant Palestinian counterpart.
Given the above, there is a real risk that the current negotiations may fail and collapse before the end of this year, a failure for which the government of Israel would bear full responsibility, be it on the internal or regional fronts. In order to prevent such failure, serious and decisive action is needed from the international community, with the United States and the Quartet at the forefront including all its parties, the UN, EU and Russia, and all peace loving countries, parties and forces.
We hope you expend all possible efforts to help stop Israeli violations which have reached unprecedented levels with regard to destroying Palestinian life and the functioning of Palestinian national and leadership institutions as well as destroying the peace process.
Respectfully,
Palestine Liberation Organization
Executive Committee
General Secretariat
July 15, 2008
Dear Sir/ Madam; Your Excellency etc…
This letter is to draw your attention to recent escalations in the policies and activities of the government of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory which violate commitments Israel made at the Annapolis conference, and risk destroying the political process and rendering it meaningless.
First, we note the recurring assaults on Palestinian cities, official institutions, and civil society organisations, which have increased in an unprecedented manner (up by 50%). Indeed, if we look back to the six months following the Annapolis conference, the numbers alone paint an alarming picture of Israeli violence against Palestinian citizens: 467 killed and 1706 injured in over 2000 attacks. Needless to say, many of the victims are civilians, including women and children.
Second, Israel has escalated the pace of construction and expansion of existing and new settlements throughout the West Bank, in particular in and around East Jerusalem, in flagrant violation of international law and its commitments under the Road Map as reaffirmed at the Annapolis conference. Furthermore, Israel continues the construction of the Wall four years after the decision of the International Court of Justice that held the Wall and the settlements to be illegal under international law.
Recently, Israel has encouraged the building of new housing units in the heart of East Jerusalem and specifically in Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood where Palestinian houses were seized. Furthermore, in the heart of Nablus, it shut down and confiscated an entire multi-storey shopping centre, notwithstanding the fact that it is a publicly-held company, and in blatant disregard of signed agreements which prohibit the Occupation from shutting down and confiscating property inside PA areas.
These deliberate Israeli policies are primarily aimed at undermining the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and its role, standing, and credibility in the eyes of the citizens. Despite this, however, the PNA has all the while worked hard and at all levels to improve security conditions, to build and develop the economy, and to strengthen public institutions and to support civil society. On security, for instance, these efforts are evident from the security plans implemented by the PNA Ministry of Interior despite recurring Israeli obstacles, in particular in Nablus, Jenin, Tulkarem, Hebron, and Bethlehem. With respect to the economy and institution building, a great deal of effort has gone into the adoption of the Palestinian Development and Reform Plan (PRDP), and the convening of the Paris, Bethlehem, and Berlin conferences. These efforts have led to the approval and adoption of numerous projects aimed at developing infrastructure, capacity and funding much needed for the maintenance and development of Palestinian society and economy.
The problem, however, remains that the prevailing stream within the Israeli government seeks to weaken and undermine the PNA, in a manner that strengthens the radical forces and renders them the dominant Palestinian counterpart.
Given the above, there is a real risk that the current negotiations may fail and collapse before the end of this year, a failure for which the government of Israel would bear full responsibility, be it on the internal or regional fronts. In order to prevent such failure, serious and decisive action is needed from the international community, with the United States and the Quartet at the forefront including all its parties, the UN, EU and Russia, and all peace loving countries, parties and forces.
We hope you expend all possible efforts to help stop Israeli violations which have reached unprecedented levels with regard to destroying Palestinian life and the functioning of Palestinian national and leadership institutions as well as destroying the peace process.
Respectfully,
Palestine Liberation Organization
Executive Committee
General Secretariat
Friday, July 18, 2008
Ship sails to break siege of Gaza
Ship sails to break siege of Gaza
The Free Gaza Movement UK
Press Release � Friday 18 July 2008
For Immediate Release
Setting Sail on August 5, 2008 to Break the Siege of Gaza
Around 60 Palestinians, Israelis and Internationals from 15 countries will sail to Gaza during the sixty-year anniversary of the Nakba � the forcible expulsion of more than 700,000 Palestinians from their lands to create Israel �to challenge Israeli control over the open-air prison called Gaza.
Among the crew are a Holocaust survivor and a survivor of the Palestinian Nakba. They sail with the common bond of focusing the world's attention on the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and its collapsing economy which are direct results of Israel's ongoing occupation and continuing control over Gaza's air space and territorial waters.
"The siege of Gaza ends only when Palestinians are accorded the basic fundamental human rights of citizens throughout the free world," says UK passenger, Musheir El-Farra who knows the irreparable human cost of current Israeli government policies. "My family and beloved ones in Gaza have been under siege for over two years now; living without their most basic human rights on their own land.
In the words of Holocaust survivor Hedy Epstein "What an opportunity to make a change for good, both for Palestinians and Israelis. We intend to open the port, fish with the fishermen, help in the clinics, and work in the schools. But we also intend to remind the world that we will not stand by and watch 1.5 million people suffer death by starvation and disease".
A press conference will be held in central London on Monday the 4th August 2008 at 11am. Please contact us for more information about the Gaza boat and the conference.
The Free Gaza Movement UK
Press Release � Friday 18 July 2008
For Immediate Release
Setting Sail on August 5, 2008 to Break the Siege of Gaza
Around 60 Palestinians, Israelis and Internationals from 15 countries will sail to Gaza during the sixty-year anniversary of the Nakba � the forcible expulsion of more than 700,000 Palestinians from their lands to create Israel �to challenge Israeli control over the open-air prison called Gaza.
Among the crew are a Holocaust survivor and a survivor of the Palestinian Nakba. They sail with the common bond of focusing the world's attention on the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and its collapsing economy which are direct results of Israel's ongoing occupation and continuing control over Gaza's air space and territorial waters.
"The siege of Gaza ends only when Palestinians are accorded the basic fundamental human rights of citizens throughout the free world," says UK passenger, Musheir El-Farra who knows the irreparable human cost of current Israeli government policies. "My family and beloved ones in Gaza have been under siege for over two years now; living without their most basic human rights on their own land.
In the words of Holocaust survivor Hedy Epstein "What an opportunity to make a change for good, both for Palestinians and Israelis. We intend to open the port, fish with the fishermen, help in the clinics, and work in the schools. But we also intend to remind the world that we will not stand by and watch 1.5 million people suffer death by starvation and disease".
A press conference will be held in central London on Monday the 4th August 2008 at 11am. Please contact us for more information about the Gaza boat and the conference.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Tunisian freedom issues raised with French President
Paris, 10 July 2008
For immediate release
Press Freedom Groups Raise Tunisian Concerns With French President
A coalition of international press freedom organisations has asked French President Nicolas Sarkozy not to underestimate human rights violations in Tunisia as he seeks to create a Union for the Mediterranean at a summit meeting in Paris on Sunday, 13 July.
The World Association of Newspapers and 17 press freedom organisation wrote to Mr Sarkozy on Thursday to express their “extreme concern” over “the Tunisian authorities' tendency to resort to censorship, intimidation and violence.”
“It seems essential that the French government does not underestimate the seriousness of the human rights violations in Tunisia,” said members of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange’s Tunisia Monitoring Group, in the letter to Mr Sarkozy, who will preside over a meeting in Paris on Sunday to establish the Union for the Mediterranean.
“It is furthermore essential that France adopts and promotes a policy in accordance with the values of the Republic, by inviting the Tunisian authorities to respect their international human rights obligations, specifically those in favour of freedom of expression and the press.”
Members of the Tunisia Monitoring Group include: Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (Egypt); ARTICLE 19 (United Kingdom); Canadian Journalists for Free Expression; Cartoonists Rights Network International (United States); Egyptian Organization for Human Rights; Index on Censorship (United Kingdom); International Federation of Journalists; International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions; International Press Institute; International Publishers' Association; Journaliste en danger (Democratic Republic of Congo); Maharat Foundation (Lebanon); Media Institute of Southern Africa; Norwegian PEN; World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters; World Association of Newspapers; World Press Freedom Committee; and theWriters in Prison Committee of International PEN.
The full letter can be read at http://www.wan-press.org/ article17627.html
For immediate release
Press Freedom Groups Raise Tunisian Concerns With French President
A coalition of international press freedom organisations has asked French President Nicolas Sarkozy not to underestimate human rights violations in Tunisia as he seeks to create a Union for the Mediterranean at a summit meeting in Paris on Sunday, 13 July.
The World Association of Newspapers and 17 press freedom organisation wrote to Mr Sarkozy on Thursday to express their “extreme concern” over “the Tunisian authorities' tendency to resort to censorship, intimidation and violence.”
“It seems essential that the French government does not underestimate the seriousness of the human rights violations in Tunisia,” said members of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange’s Tunisia Monitoring Group, in the letter to Mr Sarkozy, who will preside over a meeting in Paris on Sunday to establish the Union for the Mediterranean.
“It is furthermore essential that France adopts and promotes a policy in accordance with the values of the Republic, by inviting the Tunisian authorities to respect their international human rights obligations, specifically those in favour of freedom of expression and the press.”
Members of the Tunisia Monitoring Group include: Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (Egypt); ARTICLE 19 (United Kingdom); Canadian Journalists for Free Expression; Cartoonists Rights Network International (United States); Egyptian Organization for Human Rights; Index on Censorship (United Kingdom); International Federation of Journalists; International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions; International Press Institute; International Publishers' Association; Journaliste en danger (Democratic Republic of Congo); Maharat Foundation (Lebanon); Media Institute of Southern Africa; Norwegian PEN; World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters; World Association of Newspapers; World Press Freedom Committee; and theWriters in Prison Committee of International PEN.
The full letter can be read at http://www.wan-press.org/ article17627.html
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
New Arab American cartoon added to syndication
Award winning journalist, columnist and standup comedian Ray Hanania has launched "Ray Hanania's World" comic strip, which lampoons topics from the Middle East to suburban Chicago, and also pays particular attention to the hypocrisy in the mainstream American news media.
The comics are located on the Internet for viewing at:
http://professivecomicstrips.blogspot.com/
The cartoon series is archived at http://www.themediaoasis.com/ and is distributed through several online media sources including http://www.orlandparker.com/, which focuses on Southwest suburban Chicago issues specifically in orland Park; the National Arab American Journalists Association at http://www.naaja-us.com/ which focuses on news media hypocrisy and anti-Arab bias; at http://www.radiochicagoland.com/ which focuses on Chicago area political issues; and at the Arab American Writers Syndicate web site at http://www.arabwritersgroup.com/ which focus on Middle East issues.
All of the comic strips will run under one banner name, "Ray Hanania's World," but may vary in their focus. The topics addressed will determine their placement.
"The Internet and the computer revolution have really allowed ethnic groups advance causes of justice and principle breaking right through the front windshields of the mainstream news media's ongoing bias and discrimination," Hanania explains.
"Today, you do not have to become enslaved by the mainstream news media and its bias and bigotry and instead, using the power of the Internet, can create and distribute communications products that range from columsn, news and features, to photographs and comic strips. The most powerful messages are those that are partnered with humor and satire and comic strips, in a few words, can say much."
Visit http://www.themediaoasis.com/ for more information.
The Archive Site for all of Ray Hanania's World Comic Strips is:
http://professivecomicstrips.blogspot.com/
Ray Hanania
http://www.arabwritersgroup.com/
The comics are located on the Internet for viewing at:
http://professivecomicstrips.blogspot.com/
The cartoon series is archived at http://www.themediaoasis.com/ and is distributed through several online media sources including http://www.orlandparker.com/, which focuses on Southwest suburban Chicago issues specifically in orland Park; the National Arab American Journalists Association at http://www.naaja-us.com/ which focuses on news media hypocrisy and anti-Arab bias; at http://www.radiochicagoland.com/ which focuses on Chicago area political issues; and at the Arab American Writers Syndicate web site at http://www.arabwritersgroup.com/ which focus on Middle East issues.
All of the comic strips will run under one banner name, "Ray Hanania's World," but may vary in their focus. The topics addressed will determine their placement.
"The Internet and the computer revolution have really allowed ethnic groups advance causes of justice and principle breaking right through the front windshields of the mainstream news media's ongoing bias and discrimination," Hanania explains.
"Today, you do not have to become enslaved by the mainstream news media and its bias and bigotry and instead, using the power of the Internet, can create and distribute communications products that range from columsn, news and features, to photographs and comic strips. The most powerful messages are those that are partnered with humor and satire and comic strips, in a few words, can say much."
Visit http://www.themediaoasis.com/ for more information.
The Archive Site for all of Ray Hanania's World Comic Strips is:
http://professivecomicstrips.blogspot.com/
Ray Hanania
http://www.arabwritersgroup.com/
Monday, June 30, 2008
Point to Point Podcast Interview with ALO Hayati Magazine Editor Michael Lloyd
Now available on Point to Point Podcasting
June 30, 2008: Interview with Michael Lloyd editor in chief of ALO Hayati Magazine on Arab American and Middle East publishing, magazines, news media, journalism. Background on ALO Hayati, www.ALOMagazine.comits goals, successes, challenges and what the publication looks for in terms of submissions. Listen to the PodCast online now?
Point to Point offers several genres of interviews: Arab American issues and journalism; mainstream American politics.
Ray Hanania
www.TheMediaOasis.com
June 30, 2008: Interview with Michael Lloyd editor in chief of ALO Hayati Magazine on Arab American and Middle East publishing, magazines, news media, journalism. Background on ALO Hayati, www.ALOMagazine.comits goals, successes, challenges and what the publication looks for in terms of submissions. Listen to the PodCast online now?
Point to Point offers several genres of interviews: Arab American issues and journalism; mainstream American politics.
Ray Hanania
www.TheMediaOasis.com
Friday, June 27, 2008
Update on Bonnie Bernstein, ESPN Sports Radio and Palestinian Suicide Bombers
UPDATE: The National Arab American Journalists Association (NAAJA-US.com) has accepted Bonnie Bernstein's apology, and the apology of the producers of the Mike & Mike show and ESPN, who all acknowledged that the reference to the Palestinian suicide bombers was out of context and inappropriate. In fairness to Ms. Bernstein, while she referenced the stereotype, we are satisfied she was not advocating it. Her error was to use the stereotype to make another, unrelated point. We recognize that as an example of "innocent construction" and believe that Ms. Bernstein did not intend to defame all Palestinians. She did not hesitate to acknowledge the inappropriateness of the comparison.
# # #
# # #
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
ESPN guest apologizes for inappropriate remarks
UPDATE:
ESPN and Dr. Bonnie Bernstein acknowledged that a comment made referencing Palestinian suicide bombers (below) was inappropriate and they took immediate action to correct it by apologizing. I think the Arab American community has a right to protest such remarks, but we also have an obligation to acknowledge when someone in the media does the right thing and clearly both ESPN and Dr. Bonnie Bernstein have done the right thing in this instance and they deserve our respect.
Ray Hanania
NAAJA Coordinator
Email to ESPN Producer/Bernstein
Hi Scott
The National Arab American Journalists Association believes your apologya nd Dr. Bernstein's apology are genuine and sincere and we have immediately removed you from the Watch List and because of your prompt attention to incidents like this, we have placed both on our Honor List which reflects journalists or media who make an extra effort to clarify remarks and display sensitivity.
Thank you for your attention.
I know you recognize how painful these things can be but also how important it is to listen to your audience and respond to their concerns. I think your response and Dr. Bernstein's response were very responsive and respectful and complete.
Ray Hanania
on behalf of NAAJA
RESPONSE FROM ESPN MORNING SHOW PRODUCER
From: ESPN Morning Show [mailto:ESPN.MorningShow@espn.com] Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2008 5:31 PM
The comments made this morning by Bonnie Bernstein were inappropriate. We expressed that to Bonnie who has since apologized for her remarks. Please feel free to click on the link below to access Ms. Bernstein's apology.
LINK TO BONNIE BERNSTEIN"S GENUINE EXPRESSION OF REMORSE
http://sports.espn.go.com/espnradio/player?context=audio&id=3460824 Scott Shapiro
Producer, "Mike & Mike in the Morning" ESPN Radio & ESPN 2 ESPN Plaza Bristol, CT 06010 860-884-5355 612-816-3057 (cell) Scott.A.Shapiro@espn.com
PAST COMMENTS AND NOTES
Link to full article:
http://arabjournalists.blogspot.com/2008/06/arab-american-protests-espn-chicago.html
NAAJA has acted on a complaint involving an ESPN radio show syndicated through Chicago called "Mike and Mike" in which a guest slammed Palestinians as raising their children to be suicide bombers.
I guess every Palestinian is in the same boat in the eyes of the guest, which is what racism and stereotyping is all about, generallizing in a derogatory manner against another people, especially if someone has an interest in such racism.
NAAJA issued a letter asking that the host acknowledge the racism. Below is the information including one of many protest emails from NAAJA members in Chicago, information about the show and hosts and guest and also the letter NAAJA sent by email several hours after the incident.
Thanks
Ray Hanania
http://www.naaja-us.com/
=============
Mike & Mike in the Morning
Host(s): Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg
Weekdays 5:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.E-mail: mikeandmike@espnradio.com
One of several email complaints received
This morning at 8:15 a.m. Chicago time, I was shocked to hear an analogy by Dr. Bonnie Bernstein on how NBA hopefuls are programmed to "just make it to the NBA." Her analogy pointed to how Palestinian children are programmed to be suicide bombers was disgusting!!!!
She claims she read it so I guess she expects that your listening audience will buy it. Dr. Bernstein seems to suggest that because people enjoy sports they are ignorant to the happenings in the world they live in. Her assumption does not give her the right to assume sports fans can be "programmed" to think that a people, namely in this case Palestinians, is synonymous with suicide bombing and terrorism. She is out of line. Does she even understand the situation in the Middle East? Mike and Mike's silence when she said it spoke volumes too. People listen and enjoy sports as an escape. That woman is a hatemongerer with a personal agenda. Had she have been talking about any other ethnicity, it would be equally shameful and ESPN should never have her on again and should make a public statement on the radio saying that her comment was inappropriate and apologize if it offended anyone!!!
I am personally offended as an American of Palestinian heritage that works with Jewish Americans and Israeli's to help foster peace and reconciliation between the two people, I am sickened. Mike and Mike should offer a comment immediately. I am not hopeful that Dr. Bernstein will retract her statement but it would be nice.
SS
Chicago
=================== ===========
CONTACT INFO ON ESPN
ESPN Radio Network
545 Middle St
Bristol, CT 06010
Roberts, Jim Affiliate Relations Executive Director (972) 776-4613 (860) 766-2213
mailto:jim.roberts@espnradio.disney.comWalsh, John Executive Vice President (860) 766-2323 (860) 766-2213
mailto:john.walsh@espn.comGoralski, Keith Operations Director (860) 766-2000 (860) 766-2213
mailto:keith.goralski@espn.comGeneric email: radio@espn.com
Background on the GUEST Bonnie Bernstein
BonnieBernstein.com
ABC Sports
c/o Bonnie Bernstein
47 W. 66th Street, 12th Floor
New York, NY 10023
With 15 years in broadcasting, Bonnie Bernstein is one of the most recognizable and highly respected journalists in her field. As a reporter and host for ABC Sports and ESPN, she has a wide range of responsibilities. During the college football season, she serves as the sideline reporter for the Brad Nessler/Bob Griese/Paul McGuire announce team on ABC and hosts "Countdown to the Heisman". She is also part of the hosting rotation for "NFL Live" and "Jim Rome is Burning" and has covered Major League Baseball for the Network. Additionally, Bernstein covers the NFL for CBS/Westwood One Radio.
NAAJA Letter sent Wednesday 10:32 AM by email
Hi Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg:
This morning, Dr. Bonnie Bernstein, a veteran sports reporter and radio reporter, made a very racist comparison between NBA players and Palestinians who raise their children to become suicide bombers. I am writing on behalf of the National Arab American Journalists Association asking that you address the issue.I think it was very inappropriate for Bonnie to use that racial stereotype of Palestinians as an example to back up her comments that NBA hopefuls "are programmed" to make it in the NBA the way Palestinian children are "programmed" to become suicide bombers ...
I don't need to explain that suicide bombers are not a race or ethnicity, or that there are 7 million Palestinians and have been only 50 suicide bombers over the past 15 years, or that suicide bombers come from all walks of life (in the film Pearl Harbor, the character of Jimmy Doolitle said that if his plane ran out of gas while bombing Tokyo and couldn't make it back to the states during World War II, he would simply crash his plane into a Japanese building -- making him, a typical American, a suicide bomber, too) ...
It is not about being politically correct. If you wanted to have a discussion about suicide bombers in the Middle East and Iraq and their ethnicity and the act of terrorism, you could probably fill five hours easily on radio. But that wasn't the point of Bonnie's comments, but rather a gratuitous slam against Palestinians.I know you guys are pros when it comes to sports and I would hope you might make mention that the comparison was inappropriate and in fact is racist.
In this day and age of understanding how easily minorities and ethnic groups are defamed by casual racist comments and especially how easily it happens on radio -- Don Imus is a good example -- we should try our best to be respectful.I think Bonnie should address the issue also.
Thanks and best regards
Ray Hanania
http://www.naaja-us.com/
rayhanania@comcast.net
NAAJA
PO Box 2127
Orland Park, IL., 60462
cc: Jim Roberts, ESPN, Affiliates Relations Exec. Dir
John Walsh, ESPN Exec. VP
Keith Goralski, ESPN, Operations Manager
Ray Hanania
rayhanania@comcast.net
http://www.TheMediaOasis.com
ESPN and Dr. Bonnie Bernstein acknowledged that a comment made referencing Palestinian suicide bombers (below) was inappropriate and they took immediate action to correct it by apologizing. I think the Arab American community has a right to protest such remarks, but we also have an obligation to acknowledge when someone in the media does the right thing and clearly both ESPN and Dr. Bonnie Bernstein have done the right thing in this instance and they deserve our respect.
Ray Hanania
NAAJA Coordinator
Email to ESPN Producer/Bernstein
Hi Scott
The National Arab American Journalists Association believes your apologya nd Dr. Bernstein's apology are genuine and sincere and we have immediately removed you from the Watch List and because of your prompt attention to incidents like this, we have placed both on our Honor List which reflects journalists or media who make an extra effort to clarify remarks and display sensitivity.
Thank you for your attention.
I know you recognize how painful these things can be but also how important it is to listen to your audience and respond to their concerns. I think your response and Dr. Bernstein's response were very responsive and respectful and complete.
Ray Hanania
on behalf of NAAJA
RESPONSE FROM ESPN MORNING SHOW PRODUCER
From: ESPN Morning Show [mailto:ESPN.MorningShow@espn.com] Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2008 5:31 PM
The comments made this morning by Bonnie Bernstein were inappropriate. We expressed that to Bonnie who has since apologized for her remarks. Please feel free to click on the link below to access Ms. Bernstein's apology.
LINK TO BONNIE BERNSTEIN"S GENUINE EXPRESSION OF REMORSE
http://sports.espn.go.com/espnradio/player?context=audio&id=3460824 Scott Shapiro
Producer, "Mike & Mike in the Morning" ESPN Radio & ESPN 2 ESPN Plaza Bristol, CT 06010 860-884-5355 612-816-3057 (cell) Scott.A.Shapiro@espn.com
PAST COMMENTS AND NOTES
Link to full article:
http://arabjournalists.blogspot.com/2008/06/arab-american-protests-espn-chicago.html
NAAJA has acted on a complaint involving an ESPN radio show syndicated through Chicago called "Mike and Mike" in which a guest slammed Palestinians as raising their children to be suicide bombers.
I guess every Palestinian is in the same boat in the eyes of the guest, which is what racism and stereotyping is all about, generallizing in a derogatory manner against another people, especially if someone has an interest in such racism.
NAAJA issued a letter asking that the host acknowledge the racism. Below is the information including one of many protest emails from NAAJA members in Chicago, information about the show and hosts and guest and also the letter NAAJA sent by email several hours after the incident.
Thanks
Ray Hanania
http://www.naaja-us.com/
=============
Mike & Mike in the Morning
Host(s): Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg
Weekdays 5:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.E-mail: mikeandmike@espnradio.com
One of several email complaints received
This morning at 8:15 a.m. Chicago time, I was shocked to hear an analogy by Dr. Bonnie Bernstein on how NBA hopefuls are programmed to "just make it to the NBA." Her analogy pointed to how Palestinian children are programmed to be suicide bombers was disgusting!!!!
She claims she read it so I guess she expects that your listening audience will buy it. Dr. Bernstein seems to suggest that because people enjoy sports they are ignorant to the happenings in the world they live in. Her assumption does not give her the right to assume sports fans can be "programmed" to think that a people, namely in this case Palestinians, is synonymous with suicide bombing and terrorism. She is out of line. Does she even understand the situation in the Middle East? Mike and Mike's silence when she said it spoke volumes too. People listen and enjoy sports as an escape. That woman is a hatemongerer with a personal agenda. Had she have been talking about any other ethnicity, it would be equally shameful and ESPN should never have her on again and should make a public statement on the radio saying that her comment was inappropriate and apologize if it offended anyone!!!
I am personally offended as an American of Palestinian heritage that works with Jewish Americans and Israeli's to help foster peace and reconciliation between the two people, I am sickened. Mike and Mike should offer a comment immediately. I am not hopeful that Dr. Bernstein will retract her statement but it would be nice.
SS
Chicago
=================== ===========
CONTACT INFO ON ESPN
ESPN Radio Network
545 Middle St
Bristol, CT 06010
Roberts, Jim Affiliate Relations Executive Director (972) 776-4613 (860) 766-2213
mailto:jim.roberts@espnradio.disney.comWalsh, John Executive Vice President (860) 766-2323 (860) 766-2213
mailto:john.walsh@espn.comGoralski, Keith Operations Director (860) 766-2000 (860) 766-2213
mailto:keith.goralski@espn.comGeneric email: radio@espn.com
Background on the GUEST Bonnie Bernstein
BonnieBernstein.com
ABC Sports
c/o Bonnie Bernstein
47 W. 66th Street, 12th Floor
New York, NY 10023
With 15 years in broadcasting, Bonnie Bernstein is one of the most recognizable and highly respected journalists in her field. As a reporter and host for ABC Sports and ESPN, she has a wide range of responsibilities. During the college football season, she serves as the sideline reporter for the Brad Nessler/Bob Griese/Paul McGuire announce team on ABC and hosts "Countdown to the Heisman". She is also part of the hosting rotation for "NFL Live" and "Jim Rome is Burning" and has covered Major League Baseball for the Network. Additionally, Bernstein covers the NFL for CBS/Westwood One Radio.
NAAJA Letter sent Wednesday 10:32 AM by email
Hi Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg:
This morning, Dr. Bonnie Bernstein, a veteran sports reporter and radio reporter, made a very racist comparison between NBA players and Palestinians who raise their children to become suicide bombers. I am writing on behalf of the National Arab American Journalists Association asking that you address the issue.I think it was very inappropriate for Bonnie to use that racial stereotype of Palestinians as an example to back up her comments that NBA hopefuls "are programmed" to make it in the NBA the way Palestinian children are "programmed" to become suicide bombers ...
I don't need to explain that suicide bombers are not a race or ethnicity, or that there are 7 million Palestinians and have been only 50 suicide bombers over the past 15 years, or that suicide bombers come from all walks of life (in the film Pearl Harbor, the character of Jimmy Doolitle said that if his plane ran out of gas while bombing Tokyo and couldn't make it back to the states during World War II, he would simply crash his plane into a Japanese building -- making him, a typical American, a suicide bomber, too) ...
It is not about being politically correct. If you wanted to have a discussion about suicide bombers in the Middle East and Iraq and their ethnicity and the act of terrorism, you could probably fill five hours easily on radio. But that wasn't the point of Bonnie's comments, but rather a gratuitous slam against Palestinians.I know you guys are pros when it comes to sports and I would hope you might make mention that the comparison was inappropriate and in fact is racist.
In this day and age of understanding how easily minorities and ethnic groups are defamed by casual racist comments and especially how easily it happens on radio -- Don Imus is a good example -- we should try our best to be respectful.I think Bonnie should address the issue also.
Thanks and best regards
Ray Hanania
http://www.naaja-us.com/
rayhanania@comcast.net
NAAJA
PO Box 2127
Orland Park, IL., 60462
cc: Jim Roberts, ESPN, Affiliates Relations Exec. Dir
John Walsh, ESPN Exec. VP
Keith Goralski, ESPN, Operations Manager
Ray Hanania
rayhanania@comcast.net
http://www.TheMediaOasis.com
Friday, June 20, 2008
Nader/Gonzalez team to file for president in Illinois elections
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Chris Driscoll, 202-360-3273, chris@votenader.org
IL Contact: Christina Tobin: 312-320-4101
THE NADER/GONZALEZ CAMPAIGN MONDAY WILL SUBMIT MORE THAN 50,000 SIGNATURES FOR AN ILLINOIS BALLOT LINE, FAR SURPASSING REQUIREMENT
Joint News Conference with Libertarian And Green Party Representatives Will Focus On Impediments to DemocracyThe Nader/Gonzalez Campaign will submit more than 50,000 signatures to the Illinois Board of Elections Monday, far more than the 25,000 required to secure a line on the state ballot in the November elections.
This is good news for voters who want a choice that matters in the 2008 election and an agenda (see: votenader.org) for numerous new directions for our country that a majority of Illinois voters support.Illinois coordinators of the Nader/Gonzalez presidential campaign will join state Libertarian and Green Party officials in a joint news conference Monday, June 23, at 1 p.m. Central Daylight Time, in the Capital Building Press Room, Mezzanine Level, Springfield IL, 62706.Christina Tobin, Nader/Gonzalez National Ballot Access Coordinator/Illinois Ballot Coordinator, Val Vetter, State Chairman of the Libertarian Party and Rich Whitney, IL Green Party 2006 gubernatorial candidate, and several Nader/Gonzalez Road Trippers--dedicated signature gatherers--will answer questions and comment on the undemocratic barriers imposed by restrictive ballot requirements.
- End -
Contact: Chris Driscoll, 202-360-3273, chris@votenader.org
IL Contact: Christina Tobin: 312-320-4101
THE NADER/GONZALEZ CAMPAIGN MONDAY WILL SUBMIT MORE THAN 50,000 SIGNATURES FOR AN ILLINOIS BALLOT LINE, FAR SURPASSING REQUIREMENT
Joint News Conference with Libertarian And Green Party Representatives Will Focus On Impediments to DemocracyThe Nader/Gonzalez Campaign will submit more than 50,000 signatures to the Illinois Board of Elections Monday, far more than the 25,000 required to secure a line on the state ballot in the November elections.
This is good news for voters who want a choice that matters in the 2008 election and an agenda (see: votenader.org) for numerous new directions for our country that a majority of Illinois voters support.Illinois coordinators of the Nader/Gonzalez presidential campaign will join state Libertarian and Green Party officials in a joint news conference Monday, June 23, at 1 p.m. Central Daylight Time, in the Capital Building Press Room, Mezzanine Level, Springfield IL, 62706.Christina Tobin, Nader/Gonzalez National Ballot Access Coordinator/Illinois Ballot Coordinator, Val Vetter, State Chairman of the Libertarian Party and Rich Whitney, IL Green Party 2006 gubernatorial candidate, and several Nader/Gonzalez Road Trippers--dedicated signature gatherers--will answer questions and comment on the undemocratic barriers imposed by restrictive ballot requirements.
- End -
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Huamn Rights Watch Film Festival in New York June 23
The Human Rights Watch Int'l Film Festival is pleased to be featuring seven excellent films at this year's event (June 13-26 at New York's Film Society of Lincoln Center) that explore subjects of particular Middle Eastern interest: TO SEE IF I'M SMILING, DEADLY PLAYGROUND, USA VS. AL-ARIAN, DEAD LINE, THE RECRUITER, THIS WAY UP, OPEN HEART, and UNDER THE BOMBS
Descriptions of the films, as well as the complete HRWIFF program, follow.
ATTENDING THE FESTIVAL AND AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS:
Director Tamar Yarom - TO SEE IF I'M SMILING (June 12-16)
Director Georgi Lazarevski - THIS WAY UP (June 23-27)
Director Edet Belzberg - THE RECRUITER (based in NY)
For preview DVDs of featured films, to schedule interviews or for further information, please contact Susan Norget or Eric Hynes at (212) 431-0090 or susan@norget.com / eric@norget.com
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
TO SEE IF I'M SMILING New York Premiere
Tamar Yarom, Israel, 2007; 59m. In Hebrew.
SCREENING WITH
DEADLY PLAYGROUND US Premiere
Katia Saleh, UK/Lebanon, 2007; 23m. In Arabic and English.
Fri Jun 13: 9:15pm; Additional Screenings: Fri Jun 13: 1:30pm; Sun Jun 15: 6:00pm
To See If I’m Smiling
Israel is the only country in the world where 18-year-old women are drafted for compulsory military service. To See If I’m Smiling is a disturbing look at the actions and behavior of women soldiers in the Israeli army who, stationed in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, help maintain the 40-year-old occupation of Palestinian territories. The women in the film, veterans who’ve tried to bury the past for years, finally speak openly about their experiences. Deeply personal interviews are dramatically interwoven with both archival footage and details of the women’s daily lives. One woman recounts how she posed for a photo with a Palestinian corpse. She searches for that picture, saying, “I wanted to see if I’m smiling.” At a time when women in the military are increasingly on the frontlines, this powerful film explores the ways that gender, ethics, and moral responsibility intersect during war. A Women Make Movies release.
Deadly Playground
Thirteen-year-old Hussein from the village of Sadikkeen in south Lebanon has been watching the de-mining experts in his area clearing the estimated 3 million cluster munitions that Israeli forces dropped in the war with Hezbollah in 2006. A projected 1 million of these remain unexploded and scattered around the villages and mountains of south Lebanon. Hundreds of children, like Hussein, are still fascinated by them.
USA VS. AL-ARIAN New York Premiere
Line Halvorsen, Norway, 2007; 98m. In English and Arabic.
Thu Jun 26: 9:00pm; Additional Screenings: Tue June 24: 6:15pm; Wed Jun 25: 3:30pm
A passionate, outspoken pro-Palestinian activist, university professor Sami Al-Arian was charged in 2003 with funding and supporting a Palestinian terrorist group and held in prison awaiting a trial for two-and-a-half years. USA vs. Al-Arian is an intimate family portrait that documents the strain brought on by Al-Arian’s trial, a battle waged both in court and in the media. A tight-knit family unravels before our eyes as trial preparations, strategy, and spin consume their lives. This is a nightmare come to life, as a man is prosecuted for his beliefs rather than his actions. Director Line Halvorsen presents democracy in a new light—in a post-9/11 culture of fear, “security measures” trump free speech, and punishment is meted out in the name of protection. Presented in association with the American Civil Liberties Union and the New York Civil Liberties Union.
Spotlight on ARIEL DORFMAN
DEAD LINE US Premiere
Alex Marengo, Director; Ariel Dorfman & Rodrigo Dorfman, Screenplay, UK, 1998; 30m.
PRECEDING
PRISONERS IN TIME US Premiere
Stephen Walker, Director; Ariel Dorfman & Rodrigo Dorfman, Screenplay, UK, 1995; 66m.
Sat Jun 14: 1:30pm
Dead Line
Using Ariel Dorfman’s classic poems of exile and the “disappeared” as read by Bono, Emma Thompson, Juliet Stevenson, Harold Pinter and others, the film follows a desperate Iraqi exile (Art Malik) through the streets of London in search of a magical phone from which he can call home and find out the fate of his brother at the hands of the Saddam Hussein dictatorship.
THE RECRUITER New York Premiere
Edet Belzberg, US, 2008; 86m
Fri Jun 13: 4:00pm; Sat Jun 14: 9:15pm; Sun Jun 15: 1:00pm
Bringing new meaning to the slogan “An Army of One,” The Recruiter follows US Army Sergeant First Class Clay Usie, one of the most successful recruiters in America, as he seeks out the young men and women of Houma, Louisiana. Sergeant Usie’s infectious ‘can do’ spirit draws in the kids, and he begins working with some of them three to four years before they are able to enlist. He becomes their mentors, their role models, and in some cases their surrogate fathers, as he trains beside his recruits and pushes them to their physical limits to prepare for Army basic training boot camp. But the realities of the war hit closer to home as the death count in Iraq for soldiers from the Houma area begins to rise and fewer and fewer civilians are willing to enlist. Four of Sergeant Usie’s recruits, Chris, Bobby, Lauren, and Matt, enter boot camp inflated with Sergeant Usie’s vim and vigor and talk of brotherhood and pride, but are soon confronted by the realities of the day-to-day life of a soldier. Sergeant Usie has prepared them for the physical brutality of boot camp, but can anyone prepare them for the emotional and psychological hardship that separation from their families, boot camp, and actual combat will bring? Official Selection, Sundance Film Festival 2008. Presented in association with Margaret Mead Film & Video Festival. This HBO Documentary Film premieres on HBO on July 28th.
THIS WAY UP New York Premiere
Georgi Lazarevski, France, 2007; 60m. In Arabic.
SCREENING WITH
OPEN HEART New York Premiere
Claire Fowler, UK/Palestine, 2006; 22m. In Arabic and English.
Tue Jun 24: 9:00pm; Wed Jun 25: 1:00pm and 6:15pm
This Way Up
Just east of Jerusalem lies the formerly bucolic Our Lady of Pains, a senior citizens’ home for Palestinians. A few meters from the front door rises the grimly spectacular and unavoidable wall of separation, whose unstoppable progression gradually isolates the seniors from their children’s visits, the outside world, even from the very staff that attends to them. With beautiful imagery, contemplative pacing, moments of laughter, and brilliant use of a quietly humorous ‘guide’—a memorable character with a trademark knitted cap, weathered expressive face, and savoring appreciation for smoking—filmmaker Lazarevski has fashioned a film whose political message grows like an approaching thundercloud.
Open Heart
An emotional journey highlighting the plight of the struggling Palestinian healthcare system under occupation. A Palestinian couple’s son’s life is threatened by congenital heart disease. A charity offers a life-saving surgery in Jerusalem, but to get there the family must make an uncertain trip through Israeli checkpoints.
UNDER THE BOMBS New York Premiere
Philippe Aractingi, France/Lebanon/UK/Belgium, 2007; 98m. In Arabic.
Tue Jun 17: 9:00pm; Thu Jun 19: 6:30pm
There is a fine line between fiction and documentary, and Lebanese filmmaker Philippe Aractingi walks this line stunningly in his new film, Under the Bombs. Aractingi takes us to Lebanon, to the Israeli-Hezbollah war of summer 2006, and combines real footage of the massive destruction with a moving narrative story. The Israelis have just bombed the south. Into the chaos comes Zeina (Nada Abou Farhat), a Shiite woman in her thirties, searching for her sister and her six-year-old son, both of who are reported missing. Zeina pays Tony, a Christian taxi driver, who is the only driver willing to take her to the south. At first they keep their distance, but during the search they grow closer. Aractingi captures remarkable and unscripted scenes, as Zeina and Tony encounter victims of the war and sights of bombed-out buildings, witness a Hezbollah rally, and see peacekeeping forces and international journalists arrive. The only side that Aractingi takes is the side of the civilian victims. Under the Bombs asks us to join Zeina and Tony’s journey and keep our eyes open throughout.
Tickets: Single screening tickets for the 2008 Human Rights Watch International Film Festival are $11 for adults, $7 for Film Society members and students with a valid photo ID, and $8 for seniors. They are available at both the Walter Reade Theater box office and online at www.filmlinc.com. HRWIFF08 Series Pass ($40 public/$30 Film Society member) admits one person to five titles in the festival. Available only at the Walter Reade Theater box office (cash only). Additional information is available online at www.filmlinc.com and http://www.hrw.org/iff/, or by calling (212) 875-5600.
..............................................................................................................................
THE 19TH ANNUAL HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALCo-presented by the Film Society of Lincoln CenterJune 13-26 at the Walter Reade Theater
Program of 32 Films from 20 Countries—including 31 New York Premieres
NEW YORK, May 14, 2008 – Each year countless talented filmmakers work against long odds, short finances and threatening politics to bring to the screen powerful stories of human struggle, sacrifice and triumph. The Human Rights Watch International Film Festival returns to the Walter Reade Theater this June to bring some of the most compelling of these stories to New York audiences. Co-presented by Human Rights Watch and the Film Society of Lincoln Center, the 19th annual festival will run from June 13 to 26, featuring 19 feature-length films and 13 shorts from 20 countries, including 31 New York premieres. The festival is especially proud that this year’s program features an unprecedented 20 films by women.
The festival launches on Friday, June 13 with A Promise to the Dead: The Exile Journey of Ariel Dorfman, with the film's namesake and renowned author of “Death and the Maiden” present to introduce this extraordinary documentary. In 1973, the coup in Chile sent Dorfman into exile and killed many of his friends. Director Peter Raymont follows him on an emotional journey back to Chile as he recalls that tumultuous period and its consequences. Mr. Dorfman receives a special spotlight later in the festival when two films that he wrote with his son Rodrigo, Prisoners in Time (1995) and Dead Line (1998), will be featured. A Promise to the Dead will be followed opening night by To See If I’m Smiling in which six young Israeli women talk with bracing candor about their experiences during their mandatory military service in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Director and former Israel Defense Forces soldier Tamar Yarom will present the film.
Women are also on the frontlines in festival centerpiece The Sari Soldiers, by New York-based filmmaker Julie Bridgham, this year’s recipient of the festival’s Nestor Almendros Award for courage and commitment in filmmaking. The film follows six Nepali women on opposing sides of Nepal's armed conflict as they bravely fight to transform their country's future.
On Thursday, June 26, two closing night films offer sobering tales of the profound personal cost many pay in the fight for justice. Letter to Anna tells the story of the life and tragic death of crusading Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, who was murdered in 2006 by a gunman who some believe was an operative of the government of which she was openly critical. In USA vs. Al-Arian, our own government is implicated in this intimate portrait of Palestinian-American activist Dr. Sami Al-Arian and his family during his federal trial on terrorism-related charges.
One of the most shameful legacies of America’s past is invoked in Traces of the Trade, in which director Katrina Browne and nine relatives trace their roots as the largest slave-trading family in American history. In this bicentennial year of the U.S. abolition of the slave trade, the film offers powerful new perspectives on the black/white divide.
Four more superb documentaries by American women will be showcased at this year’s festival. Acclaimed cinematographer Ellen Kuras’s gorgeously shot The Betrayal (Nerakhoon), co-directed by Thavisouk Phrasavath, movingly chronicles 23 years in the life of a Laotian family who escaped the ravages of the Vietnam War to resettle in New York. From Senain Kheshgi and Geeta V. Patel comes the world premiere of Project Kashmir, in which the directors, two American friends from opposite sides of the divide, investigate the war in Kashmir and find their friendship tested over deeply rooted religious biases they never had to face in the U.S. Edet Belberg’s The Recruiter takes a compelling look at army recruitment in this country through the story of Louisiana Sergeant Clay Usie, one of the most successful recruiters in the history of the Army. In the Sundance award-winning The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo, filmmaker Lisa F. Jackson documents the tragic plight of women and girls in the Democratic Republic of Congo who are raped in the name of war.
Africa is also the focus of The Dictator Hunter which follows tireless Human Rights Watch lawyer Reed Brody and Chadian political refugee Souleymane Guengueng as they pursue former president Hissène Habré of Chad, under whose regime tens of thousands of citizens were tortured and killed. "If you kill one person, you go to jail. If you kill 40 people, they put you in an insane asylum,” says Brody, who will attend the festival screenings. "But if you kill 40,000 people, you get a comfortable exile with a bank account in another country, and that’s what we want to change here."
Films from Latin America and the Middle East have become perennial features of the program and this year is no exception. Like A Promise to the Dead, the Chilean filmCalle Santa Fe returns to the brutal Pinochet regime and post-revolutionary exile through filmmaker Carmen Castillo’s deeply personal journey back to her homeland, which she fled in 1974 after her husband, a leftist leader, was killed. From Brazil comes Maria Ramos's Behave, which follows the process of minors who have fallen into the hands of Rio de Janeiro’s troubled juvenile court system and detention centers. Middle Eastern offerings include the feature drama Under the Bombs, a poignant tale of a Lebanese woman's search for her young son in the aftermath of the Israeli bombardment of Lebanon in 2006, and This Way Up, where a group of elderly Palestinians learn to live with the everyday changes, restrictions and surprises created when the West Bank Wall is erected just yards from their door. Playing in the same program as This Way Up, Open Heart highlights the plight of the Palestinian healthcare system struggling under occupation, while the shortDeadly Playground (preceding the Israeli film To See If I’m Smiling) looks at a young boy’s fascination with cluster bombs dropped by Israeli forces in south Lebanon in 2006.
Other highlights of this year’s program include Roger Weisberg’s Critical Condition, which reveals the impact of being sick and uninsured in this country; American Outrage, a portrait of two elderly Shoshone sisters who’ve been fighting against the U.S. government’s attempts to take over their land in Nevada (showing with the Kenyan land-rights short Rightful Place); and China’s Stolen Children, an investigation into how China’s one-child policy has led to a boom in stolen children, with an estimated 70,000 children kidnapped there every year and traded on the black market. The spotlight is also on China in the annual HRW photography exhibit in the Film Society’s Frieda and Roy Furman Gallery, adjacent to the Walter Reade Theater, in which photographer Kadir van Lohuizen shows the world a side of Beijing that Olympic organizers would prefer to conceal.
In partnership with the Adobe Foundation, the festival is pleased to announce the inaugural edition of Youth Producing Change, a special program of nine short films directed and produced by youth from across the globe. Armed with digital cameras and their own boundless creativity, these young people bravely expose human rights issues faced by themselves and their communities. Many of the teenage filmmakers will be making the trip to New York to present their work.
Each year, Human Rights Watch endorses select First Run Feature films that fit within the Human Rights Watch mission. This year they have added a new dimension to the partnership by screening five of the HRW Selects Film Series as part of the festival proper – Monday, June 16 to Friday, June 20, daily at 4:00 p.m. Please checkwww.filmlinc.com or www.hrw.org/iff for descriptions of the films.
Single screening tickets for the 2008 Human Rights Watch International Film Festival are $11 for adults, $7 for Film Society members and students with a valid photo ID, and $8 for seniors. They are available at both the Walter Reade Theater box office and online at www.filmlinc.com. HRWIFF08 Series Pass ($40 public/$30 Film Society member) admits one person to five titles in the festival. Available only at the Walter Reade Theater box office (cash only). Additional information is available online at www.filmlinc.com andwww.hrw.org/iff, or by calling (212) 875-5600.
Please note: Due to construction work taking place around Lincoln Center, access to the Walter Reade Theater is at 165 West 65th Street close to Amsterdam Avenue. Once there, take the escalator, elevator or stairs to the upper level.
Descriptions of the films, as well as the complete HRWIFF program, follow.
ATTENDING THE FESTIVAL AND AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS:
Director Tamar Yarom - TO SEE IF I'M SMILING (June 12-16)
Director Georgi Lazarevski - THIS WAY UP (June 23-27)
Director Edet Belzberg - THE RECRUITER (based in NY)
For preview DVDs of featured films, to schedule interviews or for further information, please contact Susan Norget or Eric Hynes at (212) 431-0090 or susan@norget.com / eric@norget.com
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
TO SEE IF I'M SMILING New York Premiere
Tamar Yarom, Israel, 2007; 59m. In Hebrew.
SCREENING WITH
DEADLY PLAYGROUND US Premiere
Katia Saleh, UK/Lebanon, 2007; 23m. In Arabic and English.
Fri Jun 13: 9:15pm; Additional Screenings: Fri Jun 13: 1:30pm; Sun Jun 15: 6:00pm
To See If I’m Smiling
Israel is the only country in the world where 18-year-old women are drafted for compulsory military service. To See If I’m Smiling is a disturbing look at the actions and behavior of women soldiers in the Israeli army who, stationed in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, help maintain the 40-year-old occupation of Palestinian territories. The women in the film, veterans who’ve tried to bury the past for years, finally speak openly about their experiences. Deeply personal interviews are dramatically interwoven with both archival footage and details of the women’s daily lives. One woman recounts how she posed for a photo with a Palestinian corpse. She searches for that picture, saying, “I wanted to see if I’m smiling.” At a time when women in the military are increasingly on the frontlines, this powerful film explores the ways that gender, ethics, and moral responsibility intersect during war. A Women Make Movies release.
Deadly Playground
Thirteen-year-old Hussein from the village of Sadikkeen in south Lebanon has been watching the de-mining experts in his area clearing the estimated 3 million cluster munitions that Israeli forces dropped in the war with Hezbollah in 2006. A projected 1 million of these remain unexploded and scattered around the villages and mountains of south Lebanon. Hundreds of children, like Hussein, are still fascinated by them.
USA VS. AL-ARIAN New York Premiere
Line Halvorsen, Norway, 2007; 98m. In English and Arabic.
Thu Jun 26: 9:00pm; Additional Screenings: Tue June 24: 6:15pm; Wed Jun 25: 3:30pm
A passionate, outspoken pro-Palestinian activist, university professor Sami Al-Arian was charged in 2003 with funding and supporting a Palestinian terrorist group and held in prison awaiting a trial for two-and-a-half years. USA vs. Al-Arian is an intimate family portrait that documents the strain brought on by Al-Arian’s trial, a battle waged both in court and in the media. A tight-knit family unravels before our eyes as trial preparations, strategy, and spin consume their lives. This is a nightmare come to life, as a man is prosecuted for his beliefs rather than his actions. Director Line Halvorsen presents democracy in a new light—in a post-9/11 culture of fear, “security measures” trump free speech, and punishment is meted out in the name of protection. Presented in association with the American Civil Liberties Union and the New York Civil Liberties Union.
Spotlight on ARIEL DORFMAN
DEAD LINE US Premiere
Alex Marengo, Director; Ariel Dorfman & Rodrigo Dorfman, Screenplay, UK, 1998; 30m.
PRECEDING
PRISONERS IN TIME US Premiere
Stephen Walker, Director; Ariel Dorfman & Rodrigo Dorfman, Screenplay, UK, 1995; 66m.
Sat Jun 14: 1:30pm
Dead Line
Using Ariel Dorfman’s classic poems of exile and the “disappeared” as read by Bono, Emma Thompson, Juliet Stevenson, Harold Pinter and others, the film follows a desperate Iraqi exile (Art Malik) through the streets of London in search of a magical phone from which he can call home and find out the fate of his brother at the hands of the Saddam Hussein dictatorship.
THE RECRUITER New York Premiere
Edet Belzberg, US, 2008; 86m
Fri Jun 13: 4:00pm; Sat Jun 14: 9:15pm; Sun Jun 15: 1:00pm
Bringing new meaning to the slogan “An Army of One,” The Recruiter follows US Army Sergeant First Class Clay Usie, one of the most successful recruiters in America, as he seeks out the young men and women of Houma, Louisiana. Sergeant Usie’s infectious ‘can do’ spirit draws in the kids, and he begins working with some of them three to four years before they are able to enlist. He becomes their mentors, their role models, and in some cases their surrogate fathers, as he trains beside his recruits and pushes them to their physical limits to prepare for Army basic training boot camp. But the realities of the war hit closer to home as the death count in Iraq for soldiers from the Houma area begins to rise and fewer and fewer civilians are willing to enlist. Four of Sergeant Usie’s recruits, Chris, Bobby, Lauren, and Matt, enter boot camp inflated with Sergeant Usie’s vim and vigor and talk of brotherhood and pride, but are soon confronted by the realities of the day-to-day life of a soldier. Sergeant Usie has prepared them for the physical brutality of boot camp, but can anyone prepare them for the emotional and psychological hardship that separation from their families, boot camp, and actual combat will bring? Official Selection, Sundance Film Festival 2008. Presented in association with Margaret Mead Film & Video Festival. This HBO Documentary Film premieres on HBO on July 28th.
THIS WAY UP New York Premiere
Georgi Lazarevski, France, 2007; 60m. In Arabic.
SCREENING WITH
OPEN HEART New York Premiere
Claire Fowler, UK/Palestine, 2006; 22m. In Arabic and English.
Tue Jun 24: 9:00pm; Wed Jun 25: 1:00pm and 6:15pm
This Way Up
Just east of Jerusalem lies the formerly bucolic Our Lady of Pains, a senior citizens’ home for Palestinians. A few meters from the front door rises the grimly spectacular and unavoidable wall of separation, whose unstoppable progression gradually isolates the seniors from their children’s visits, the outside world, even from the very staff that attends to them. With beautiful imagery, contemplative pacing, moments of laughter, and brilliant use of a quietly humorous ‘guide’—a memorable character with a trademark knitted cap, weathered expressive face, and savoring appreciation for smoking—filmmaker Lazarevski has fashioned a film whose political message grows like an approaching thundercloud.
Open Heart
An emotional journey highlighting the plight of the struggling Palestinian healthcare system under occupation. A Palestinian couple’s son’s life is threatened by congenital heart disease. A charity offers a life-saving surgery in Jerusalem, but to get there the family must make an uncertain trip through Israeli checkpoints.
UNDER THE BOMBS New York Premiere
Philippe Aractingi, France/Lebanon/UK/Belgium, 2007; 98m. In Arabic.
Tue Jun 17: 9:00pm; Thu Jun 19: 6:30pm
There is a fine line between fiction and documentary, and Lebanese filmmaker Philippe Aractingi walks this line stunningly in his new film, Under the Bombs. Aractingi takes us to Lebanon, to the Israeli-Hezbollah war of summer 2006, and combines real footage of the massive destruction with a moving narrative story. The Israelis have just bombed the south. Into the chaos comes Zeina (Nada Abou Farhat), a Shiite woman in her thirties, searching for her sister and her six-year-old son, both of who are reported missing. Zeina pays Tony, a Christian taxi driver, who is the only driver willing to take her to the south. At first they keep their distance, but during the search they grow closer. Aractingi captures remarkable and unscripted scenes, as Zeina and Tony encounter victims of the war and sights of bombed-out buildings, witness a Hezbollah rally, and see peacekeeping forces and international journalists arrive. The only side that Aractingi takes is the side of the civilian victims. Under the Bombs asks us to join Zeina and Tony’s journey and keep our eyes open throughout.
Tickets: Single screening tickets for the 2008 Human Rights Watch International Film Festival are $11 for adults, $7 for Film Society members and students with a valid photo ID, and $8 for seniors. They are available at both the Walter Reade Theater box office and online at www.filmlinc.com. HRWIFF08 Series Pass ($40 public/$30 Film Society member) admits one person to five titles in the festival. Available only at the Walter Reade Theater box office (cash only). Additional information is available online at www.filmlinc.com and http://www.hrw.org/iff/, or by calling (212) 875-5600.
..............................................................................................................................
THE 19TH ANNUAL HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALCo-presented by the Film Society of Lincoln CenterJune 13-26 at the Walter Reade Theater
Program of 32 Films from 20 Countries—including 31 New York Premieres
NEW YORK, May 14, 2008 – Each year countless talented filmmakers work against long odds, short finances and threatening politics to bring to the screen powerful stories of human struggle, sacrifice and triumph. The Human Rights Watch International Film Festival returns to the Walter Reade Theater this June to bring some of the most compelling of these stories to New York audiences. Co-presented by Human Rights Watch and the Film Society of Lincoln Center, the 19th annual festival will run from June 13 to 26, featuring 19 feature-length films and 13 shorts from 20 countries, including 31 New York premieres. The festival is especially proud that this year’s program features an unprecedented 20 films by women.
The festival launches on Friday, June 13 with A Promise to the Dead: The Exile Journey of Ariel Dorfman, with the film's namesake and renowned author of “Death and the Maiden” present to introduce this extraordinary documentary. In 1973, the coup in Chile sent Dorfman into exile and killed many of his friends. Director Peter Raymont follows him on an emotional journey back to Chile as he recalls that tumultuous period and its consequences. Mr. Dorfman receives a special spotlight later in the festival when two films that he wrote with his son Rodrigo, Prisoners in Time (1995) and Dead Line (1998), will be featured. A Promise to the Dead will be followed opening night by To See If I’m Smiling in which six young Israeli women talk with bracing candor about their experiences during their mandatory military service in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Director and former Israel Defense Forces soldier Tamar Yarom will present the film.
Women are also on the frontlines in festival centerpiece The Sari Soldiers, by New York-based filmmaker Julie Bridgham, this year’s recipient of the festival’s Nestor Almendros Award for courage and commitment in filmmaking. The film follows six Nepali women on opposing sides of Nepal's armed conflict as they bravely fight to transform their country's future.
On Thursday, June 26, two closing night films offer sobering tales of the profound personal cost many pay in the fight for justice. Letter to Anna tells the story of the life and tragic death of crusading Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, who was murdered in 2006 by a gunman who some believe was an operative of the government of which she was openly critical. In USA vs. Al-Arian, our own government is implicated in this intimate portrait of Palestinian-American activist Dr. Sami Al-Arian and his family during his federal trial on terrorism-related charges.
One of the most shameful legacies of America’s past is invoked in Traces of the Trade, in which director Katrina Browne and nine relatives trace their roots as the largest slave-trading family in American history. In this bicentennial year of the U.S. abolition of the slave trade, the film offers powerful new perspectives on the black/white divide.
Four more superb documentaries by American women will be showcased at this year’s festival. Acclaimed cinematographer Ellen Kuras’s gorgeously shot The Betrayal (Nerakhoon), co-directed by Thavisouk Phrasavath, movingly chronicles 23 years in the life of a Laotian family who escaped the ravages of the Vietnam War to resettle in New York. From Senain Kheshgi and Geeta V. Patel comes the world premiere of Project Kashmir, in which the directors, two American friends from opposite sides of the divide, investigate the war in Kashmir and find their friendship tested over deeply rooted religious biases they never had to face in the U.S. Edet Belberg’s The Recruiter takes a compelling look at army recruitment in this country through the story of Louisiana Sergeant Clay Usie, one of the most successful recruiters in the history of the Army. In the Sundance award-winning The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo, filmmaker Lisa F. Jackson documents the tragic plight of women and girls in the Democratic Republic of Congo who are raped in the name of war.
Africa is also the focus of The Dictator Hunter which follows tireless Human Rights Watch lawyer Reed Brody and Chadian political refugee Souleymane Guengueng as they pursue former president Hissène Habré of Chad, under whose regime tens of thousands of citizens were tortured and killed. "If you kill one person, you go to jail. If you kill 40 people, they put you in an insane asylum,” says Brody, who will attend the festival screenings. "But if you kill 40,000 people, you get a comfortable exile with a bank account in another country, and that’s what we want to change here."
Films from Latin America and the Middle East have become perennial features of the program and this year is no exception. Like A Promise to the Dead, the Chilean filmCalle Santa Fe returns to the brutal Pinochet regime and post-revolutionary exile through filmmaker Carmen Castillo’s deeply personal journey back to her homeland, which she fled in 1974 after her husband, a leftist leader, was killed. From Brazil comes Maria Ramos's Behave, which follows the process of minors who have fallen into the hands of Rio de Janeiro’s troubled juvenile court system and detention centers. Middle Eastern offerings include the feature drama Under the Bombs, a poignant tale of a Lebanese woman's search for her young son in the aftermath of the Israeli bombardment of Lebanon in 2006, and This Way Up, where a group of elderly Palestinians learn to live with the everyday changes, restrictions and surprises created when the West Bank Wall is erected just yards from their door. Playing in the same program as This Way Up, Open Heart highlights the plight of the Palestinian healthcare system struggling under occupation, while the shortDeadly Playground (preceding the Israeli film To See If I’m Smiling) looks at a young boy’s fascination with cluster bombs dropped by Israeli forces in south Lebanon in 2006.
Other highlights of this year’s program include Roger Weisberg’s Critical Condition, which reveals the impact of being sick and uninsured in this country; American Outrage, a portrait of two elderly Shoshone sisters who’ve been fighting against the U.S. government’s attempts to take over their land in Nevada (showing with the Kenyan land-rights short Rightful Place); and China’s Stolen Children, an investigation into how China’s one-child policy has led to a boom in stolen children, with an estimated 70,000 children kidnapped there every year and traded on the black market. The spotlight is also on China in the annual HRW photography exhibit in the Film Society’s Frieda and Roy Furman Gallery, adjacent to the Walter Reade Theater, in which photographer Kadir van Lohuizen shows the world a side of Beijing that Olympic organizers would prefer to conceal.
In partnership with the Adobe Foundation, the festival is pleased to announce the inaugural edition of Youth Producing Change, a special program of nine short films directed and produced by youth from across the globe. Armed with digital cameras and their own boundless creativity, these young people bravely expose human rights issues faced by themselves and their communities. Many of the teenage filmmakers will be making the trip to New York to present their work.
Each year, Human Rights Watch endorses select First Run Feature films that fit within the Human Rights Watch mission. This year they have added a new dimension to the partnership by screening five of the HRW Selects Film Series as part of the festival proper – Monday, June 16 to Friday, June 20, daily at 4:00 p.m. Please checkwww.filmlinc.com or www.hrw.org/iff for descriptions of the films.
Single screening tickets for the 2008 Human Rights Watch International Film Festival are $11 for adults, $7 for Film Society members and students with a valid photo ID, and $8 for seniors. They are available at both the Walter Reade Theater box office and online at www.filmlinc.com. HRWIFF08 Series Pass ($40 public/$30 Film Society member) admits one person to five titles in the festival. Available only at the Walter Reade Theater box office (cash only). Additional information is available online at www.filmlinc.com andwww.hrw.org/iff, or by calling (212) 875-5600.
Please note: Due to construction work taking place around Lincoln Center, access to the Walter Reade Theater is at 165 West 65th Street close to Amsterdam Avenue. Once there, take the escalator, elevator or stairs to the upper level.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Zogby: Arab Americans must engage the system and vote
A message from AAI President James Zogby
There is no doubt that this is the most exciting election in recent history. And it's a time when the Arab American community cannot afford to be silent.
Like all Americans, we're concerned about the economy and education, about health care and home prices. But there are a host of other issues that are impacting our community more deeply and more personally than any others: issues like civil liberties, immigration, and our country's foreign policies.
We're concerned about having become targets because of our surname. We're concerned about what the U.S. is doing --or not doing-- to help our families in the Arab world. And we're concerned that our home -- the United States -- has lost standing, credibility, and respect not just in the Middle East but throughout the world.
That's why AAI launched Our Voice. Our Future. Yalla Vote '08. It's our biggest election year program ever. It's using new technologies, new resources, and new coalitions to get the Arab American agenda at the forefront of the national debate in this election year.
We're putting staff on the ground in key states to mobilize the Arab American vote.We're tracking what the campaigns are saying and doing in local, state, and federal races. We're making sure that our community's agenda is part of the candidates' agendas.
We're getting our agenda into the debates and getting into the media. More than 50 Arab American organizations from around the country have signed on to Yalla Vote '08, and our Yalla Vote Coalition includes hundreds more individuals who are lending their voice to ensure our future.
Now it's up to you. We need every Arab American to join us in this effort. There are many ways to help:
Make a contribution to Yalla Vote '08 (your donation will include membership in AAI)
Sign our National Petition Contact your elected officials about our agenda
Attend a Yalla Vote training workshop in your community
Urge your friends and family to do the same!
Thank you for making a difference!
This email was sent to: rayhanania@comcast.netTo unsubscribe, go to: http://www.aaiusa.org/unsubscribe/members
Arab American Institute1600 K Street, NW Suite 601Washington, DC 20006www.aaiusa.org
There is no doubt that this is the most exciting election in recent history. And it's a time when the Arab American community cannot afford to be silent.
Like all Americans, we're concerned about the economy and education, about health care and home prices. But there are a host of other issues that are impacting our community more deeply and more personally than any others: issues like civil liberties, immigration, and our country's foreign policies.
We're concerned about having become targets because of our surname. We're concerned about what the U.S. is doing --or not doing-- to help our families in the Arab world. And we're concerned that our home -- the United States -- has lost standing, credibility, and respect not just in the Middle East but throughout the world.
That's why AAI launched Our Voice. Our Future. Yalla Vote '08. It's our biggest election year program ever. It's using new technologies, new resources, and new coalitions to get the Arab American agenda at the forefront of the national debate in this election year.
We're putting staff on the ground in key states to mobilize the Arab American vote.We're tracking what the campaigns are saying and doing in local, state, and federal races. We're making sure that our community's agenda is part of the candidates' agendas.
We're getting our agenda into the debates and getting into the media. More than 50 Arab American organizations from around the country have signed on to Yalla Vote '08, and our Yalla Vote Coalition includes hundreds more individuals who are lending their voice to ensure our future.
Now it's up to you. We need every Arab American to join us in this effort. There are many ways to help:
Make a contribution to Yalla Vote '08 (your donation will include membership in AAI)
Sign our National Petition Contact your elected officials about our agenda
Attend a Yalla Vote training workshop in your community
Urge your friends and family to do the same!
Thank you for making a difference!
This email was sent to: rayhanania@comcast.netTo unsubscribe, go to: http://www.aaiusa.org/unsubscribe/members
Arab American Institute1600 K Street, NW Suite 601Washington, DC 20006www.aaiusa.org
Friday, May 30, 2008
Protest hate mongering by Michelle Malkin against Dunkin Donuts and Rachael Ray
URGENT ALERT FROM THE ARAB AMERICAN INSTITUTE
This is not the work we normally do, but we were so upset by these two stories that we felt we had to act.
This week added insult to injury:
1) Insult
Dunkin Donuts ran an ad with Rachael Ray (America's favorite 30-minute cook)...Yes, that's a kaffiyeh!
We take delight in the way the kaffiyeh, a traditional peasant head covering, has become a fashionable part of U.S. pop culture. And here it was in a Dunkin Donuts ad!
But not so fast, said Michelle Malkin - a far right buffoon who often utters anti-Arab and anti-Muslim sentiments. Malkin accused Dunkin Donuts of failing to recognize that the kaffiyeh "symbolizes murderous Palestinian jihad" and is "a regular adornment of Muslim terrorists appearing in beheading and hostage-taking videos."
Instead of weathering the silly dust-up, Dunkin Donuts folded and pulled the ad.
We cannot tolerate a situation where Michelle Malkin defines what is culturally acceptable, in effect becoming the P.C. Czarina of the far right.
Tell Dunkin Donuts to reinstate the online ad, and let them know that they should not be bullied by petty bloggers. Make your voice heard.
The head of marketing at Dunkin Donuts is Frances Allen; her e-mail address is frances.allen@dunkinbrands.com
The Dunkin Donuts Customer Care service line: (800) 859-5339. Be patient calling this number, it takes some time to get through. You can e-mail your concerns to customerservice@dunkinbrands.com or send a letter to:
Dunkin' Donuts Public Relations Department130 Royall StreetCanton, MA 02021Tel: 781.737.5200
2) Injury
Much more seriously, and even less explicably, as The New York Times and AP reported today, eight Palestinians in Gaza have lost their Fulbright scholarships.
Why?
Because the Israeli government would not let them out of Gaza, and the U.S. government never lifted a finger to help resolve the situation - and that is the most shameful aspect of the whole affair. U.S. silence.
Born of the same type of anti-Arab bias that fuels attacks on kaffiyehs in ads, this time it frustrated the purpose of one of the most prestigious U.S. public diplomacy programs, U.S. efforts to promote peace and build Palestinian civil institutions, and shattered the dreams of eight promising young people - people who are exactly what U.S. policy depends on. "I was building my hope on this scholarship," says one disappointed young woman who, according to the article in the New York Times, voluntarily remained in Gaza even as her family fled.
This outrage should not be allowed to stand.
The Fulbright program provides life-changing opportunities for young men and women all over the world. Palestinians should not be denied the right to participate in this because of Israeli obstructionism, and the U.S. should not be silent in the face of this Israeli behavior.
Let the responsible parties know that you insist that the Fulbright scholarships be reinstated, and that Israel be pressed to allow the awardees to travel:
Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board ChairMs. Shirley Moore Green202.453.8189greenm@state.gov
Office of Israel and Palestinian AffairsPolitical Affairs OfficeMatthew Rosenstock(202) 647-1481rosentstockms@state.gov
Deputy Secretary of State for Visa ServicesStephen A. "Tony" Edson(202) 647-9584tonye@state.gov
This email was sent to: rayhanania@comcast.netTo unsubscribe, go to: http://www.aaiusa.org/unsubscribe/members
Arab American Institute1600 K Street, NW Suite 601Washington, DC 20006www.aaiusa.org
This is not the work we normally do, but we were so upset by these two stories that we felt we had to act.
This week added insult to injury:
1) Insult
Dunkin Donuts ran an ad with Rachael Ray (America's favorite 30-minute cook)...Yes, that's a kaffiyeh!
We take delight in the way the kaffiyeh, a traditional peasant head covering, has become a fashionable part of U.S. pop culture. And here it was in a Dunkin Donuts ad!
But not so fast, said Michelle Malkin - a far right buffoon who often utters anti-Arab and anti-Muslim sentiments. Malkin accused Dunkin Donuts of failing to recognize that the kaffiyeh "symbolizes murderous Palestinian jihad" and is "a regular adornment of Muslim terrorists appearing in beheading and hostage-taking videos."
Instead of weathering the silly dust-up, Dunkin Donuts folded and pulled the ad.
We cannot tolerate a situation where Michelle Malkin defines what is culturally acceptable, in effect becoming the P.C. Czarina of the far right.
Tell Dunkin Donuts to reinstate the online ad, and let them know that they should not be bullied by petty bloggers. Make your voice heard.
The head of marketing at Dunkin Donuts is Frances Allen; her e-mail address is frances.allen@dunkinbrands.com
The Dunkin Donuts Customer Care service line: (800) 859-5339. Be patient calling this number, it takes some time to get through. You can e-mail your concerns to customerservice@dunkinbrands.com or send a letter to:
Dunkin' Donuts Public Relations Department130 Royall StreetCanton, MA 02021Tel: 781.737.5200
2) Injury
Much more seriously, and even less explicably, as The New York Times and AP reported today, eight Palestinians in Gaza have lost their Fulbright scholarships.
Why?
Because the Israeli government would not let them out of Gaza, and the U.S. government never lifted a finger to help resolve the situation - and that is the most shameful aspect of the whole affair. U.S. silence.
Born of the same type of anti-Arab bias that fuels attacks on kaffiyehs in ads, this time it frustrated the purpose of one of the most prestigious U.S. public diplomacy programs, U.S. efforts to promote peace and build Palestinian civil institutions, and shattered the dreams of eight promising young people - people who are exactly what U.S. policy depends on. "I was building my hope on this scholarship," says one disappointed young woman who, according to the article in the New York Times, voluntarily remained in Gaza even as her family fled.
This outrage should not be allowed to stand.
The Fulbright program provides life-changing opportunities for young men and women all over the world. Palestinians should not be denied the right to participate in this because of Israeli obstructionism, and the U.S. should not be silent in the face of this Israeli behavior.
Let the responsible parties know that you insist that the Fulbright scholarships be reinstated, and that Israel be pressed to allow the awardees to travel:
Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board ChairMs. Shirley Moore Green202.453.8189greenm@state.gov
Office of Israel and Palestinian AffairsPolitical Affairs OfficeMatthew Rosenstock(202) 647-1481rosentstockms@state.gov
Deputy Secretary of State for Visa ServicesStephen A. "Tony" Edson(202) 647-9584tonye@state.gov
This email was sent to: rayhanania@comcast.netTo unsubscribe, go to: http://www.aaiusa.org/unsubscribe/members
Arab American Institute1600 K Street, NW Suite 601Washington, DC 20006www.aaiusa.org
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Middle East podcasts: Ray Hanania interviews Suzanne Manneh ont he rise of Palestinian/Arab Hip-Hop
PODCAST INTERVIEWS
with Ray Hanania
Go to podcast? Interview with Suzanne Manneh on the phenomena of Palestinian and Arab Hip-Hop artists. May 28, 2008. Manneh discusses the rise of hip-hop as a form of creative social protest and expression for Palestinian and Arab youth not just in the United States but also in the Middle East. Go to Podcast Blog?
Ray Hanania's Middle East focused Interview Podcasts: Suzanne Manneh, a feature writer and reporter with the New American Media discusses a recent feature story she wrote on Palestinian and Arab hip-hop and its growing popularity as a form of expression on social and political issues for Middle Easterner youth in the Arab World and in the United States. The interview hosted by Ray Hanania was conducted May 28, 2008. Here is the link to Suzanne's feature at New America Media. This podcast is sponsored by the National Arab American Times newspaper at www.AATimesNews.com and by the National Arab American Journalists Association at www.NAAJA-US.com. Ray Hanania can be reached at www.hanania.com. Hanania also does podcast interviews on Mainstream American topics which are hosted by RadioChicagoland at www.RadioChicagoland.com.
with Ray Hanania
Go to podcast? Interview with Suzanne Manneh on the phenomena of Palestinian and Arab Hip-Hop artists. May 28, 2008. Manneh discusses the rise of hip-hop as a form of creative social protest and expression for Palestinian and Arab youth not just in the United States but also in the Middle East. Go to Podcast Blog?
Ray Hanania's Middle East focused Interview Podcasts: Suzanne Manneh, a feature writer and reporter with the New American Media discusses a recent feature story she wrote on Palestinian and Arab hip-hop and its growing popularity as a form of expression on social and political issues for Middle Easterner youth in the Arab World and in the United States. The interview hosted by Ray Hanania was conducted May 28, 2008. Here is the link to Suzanne's feature at New America Media. This podcast is sponsored by the National Arab American Times newspaper at www.AATimesNews.com and by the National Arab American Journalists Association at www.NAAJA-US.com. Ray Hanania can be reached at www.hanania.com. Hanania also does podcast interviews on Mainstream American topics which are hosted by RadioChicagoland at www.RadioChicagoland.com.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
New book challenges Arabs and Muslims to defeat extremism to win a Palestinian State
New book challenges Arabs and Muslims to defeat extremism to win a Palestinian State
Chicago -- Palestinians need to overcome the growing movement of secular and religious extremists in their own community before they can be strong enough to overcome the challenges from Israel and create their own independent Palestinian State, says award winning journalist Ray Hanania in a new book "The Catastrophe: The One-State Solution is the No-State Solution. How Palestinians can stand up to the extremistsand create a Palestinian State."
Hanania, whose writings "define the moderate Arab voice," is an outspoken critic of extremism in the Arab and Muslim community.
Consistently denouncing violence on both sides, Hanania argues in his book that Israelis and Palestinians each face an uncertain future as the extremist secular left partners with the fanatic religious right to use violence prevent peace based on compromise, to advance the so-called "One-State Solution," and to exploit Palestinian suffering as a means of preventing them from the only viable option for statehood, the creation of a Palestinian State in the context of a Two-State Solution.
"We are watching as Palestine is being erased not just from the maps but from reality as Israel's government exploits the failures of our leadership and the uncontrolled emotions of our people," Hanania argues.
"Palestinians are being held hostage by these extremists and fanatics on the left and the right who reject any compromise and who live in a dream of the past that has become our nightmare. To save our people, we must reject the rejectionists, embrace compromise and recognize the reality of our situation in the hopes of someday rebuilding a dream that is the cornerstone of justice."
In the book, Hanania also argues that Palestinians must regain the principled moral stand and cannot succumb to the emotions of their failures over the past 60 years of Israel's existence, writing:
"Being honest about one's mistakes -- and failures -- and acknowledging the reality of history, rather than its myths, is a crucial step towards lifting oneself out of defeat. You cannot make something "better" if you do not honestly acknowledge that things are "bad" or you attempt to do so from a "bad" position. Only those who are "better" can make a situation better. Improve it. Correct it. Bring it back to the moral center.
"But just being 'better,' as a relative statement, is not good enough. You are either pregnant or you are not pregnant. There is no in-between. The road to pregnancy is pregnancy. The road to peace is peace. Either Palestinians have a state or they don't have a state. You either support peace or you don't support peace. Those who use violence to achieve 'peace' are not seeking peace at all. The use of violence is in and of itself a rejection of peace. Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims must answer this important issue correctly. We must clean our own house first before we can insist on cleaning out the houses of others, our 'enemies.' We cannot demand justice from others when we deny justice to others in our actions, in our arguments in our beliefs. Doing so is to deny justice to ourselves."
The book is available directly from the author through his web site at http://www.hanania.com/.
"The Catastrophe"
238 Pages, softcover 7 x 9 trade
$24.95
Ray Hanania Enterprises
PO Box 2127
Orland Park, IL., 60462
end
Chicago -- Palestinians need to overcome the growing movement of secular and religious extremists in their own community before they can be strong enough to overcome the challenges from Israel and create their own independent Palestinian State, says award winning journalist Ray Hanania in a new book "The Catastrophe: The One-State Solution is the No-State Solution. How Palestinians can stand up to the extremistsand create a Palestinian State."
Hanania, whose writings "define the moderate Arab voice," is an outspoken critic of extremism in the Arab and Muslim community.
Consistently denouncing violence on both sides, Hanania argues in his book that Israelis and Palestinians each face an uncertain future as the extremist secular left partners with the fanatic religious right to use violence prevent peace based on compromise, to advance the so-called "One-State Solution," and to exploit Palestinian suffering as a means of preventing them from the only viable option for statehood, the creation of a Palestinian State in the context of a Two-State Solution.
"We are watching as Palestine is being erased not just from the maps but from reality as Israel's government exploits the failures of our leadership and the uncontrolled emotions of our people," Hanania argues.
"Palestinians are being held hostage by these extremists and fanatics on the left and the right who reject any compromise and who live in a dream of the past that has become our nightmare. To save our people, we must reject the rejectionists, embrace compromise and recognize the reality of our situation in the hopes of someday rebuilding a dream that is the cornerstone of justice."
In the book, Hanania also argues that Palestinians must regain the principled moral stand and cannot succumb to the emotions of their failures over the past 60 years of Israel's existence, writing:
"Being honest about one's mistakes -- and failures -- and acknowledging the reality of history, rather than its myths, is a crucial step towards lifting oneself out of defeat. You cannot make something "better" if you do not honestly acknowledge that things are "bad" or you attempt to do so from a "bad" position. Only those who are "better" can make a situation better. Improve it. Correct it. Bring it back to the moral center.
"But just being 'better,' as a relative statement, is not good enough. You are either pregnant or you are not pregnant. There is no in-between. The road to pregnancy is pregnancy. The road to peace is peace. Either Palestinians have a state or they don't have a state. You either support peace or you don't support peace. Those who use violence to achieve 'peace' are not seeking peace at all. The use of violence is in and of itself a rejection of peace. Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims must answer this important issue correctly. We must clean our own house first before we can insist on cleaning out the houses of others, our 'enemies.' We cannot demand justice from others when we deny justice to others in our actions, in our arguments in our beliefs. Doing so is to deny justice to ourselves."
The book is available directly from the author through his web site at http://www.hanania.com/.
"The Catastrophe"
238 Pages, softcover 7 x 9 trade
$24.95
Ray Hanania Enterprises
PO Box 2127
Orland Park, IL., 60462
end
Saturday, May 17, 2008
EEOC settles lawsuit on behalf of 7 Middle Eastern victims of discrimination by Hawaiian cruise line
EEOC SETTLES CASE INVOLVING DISCHARGE OF SEVEN MIDDLE EASTERN CREW MEMBERS FROM THE CRUISE SHIP PRIDE OF ALOHA
HONOLULU – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today announced the settlement of a federal lawsuit against NCL America, Inc. for $485,000 to seven former employees and remedial relief.
In its lawsuit, filed in 2006 under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the EEOC alleged that NCL America discharged seven Middle Eastern crew members from various positions on the cruise ship “Pride of Aloha.” NCL America denied that it had acted improperly against these crew members in agreeing to resolve the lawsuit.
“We are very pleased with this outcome, and NCL America should be applauded for its commitment to prevent discrimination by agreeing to the comprehensive injunctive relief in this case,” said Anna Y. Park, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Los Angeles District Office, which includes Hawaii.
Los Angeles District Director Olophius Perry added, “We encourage all employers to utilize EEOC’s resources to ensure proper EEO training and compliance.”
As part of the two year consent decree resolving the case, NCL America agrees to pay the crew members $485,000. With respect to the injunctive relief, NCL America further agrees, among other things, to revise its policies to ensure a workplace that promotes equal employment opportunity, to hire an EEO consultant, and to provide training to its managers and employees on the company’s equal employment policy and complaint procedure.
The litigation and consent decree were filed by the EEOC in the U.S. Court for the District of Hawaii (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Almraisi, et. al., v. NCL America Inc., et. al., cv 06-00451 SOM BMK, cv 07-00372 SOM BMK).
The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on the agency’s web site at www.eeoc.gov.
HONOLULU – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today announced the settlement of a federal lawsuit against NCL America, Inc. for $485,000 to seven former employees and remedial relief.
In its lawsuit, filed in 2006 under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the EEOC alleged that NCL America discharged seven Middle Eastern crew members from various positions on the cruise ship “Pride of Aloha.” NCL America denied that it had acted improperly against these crew members in agreeing to resolve the lawsuit.
“We are very pleased with this outcome, and NCL America should be applauded for its commitment to prevent discrimination by agreeing to the comprehensive injunctive relief in this case,” said Anna Y. Park, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Los Angeles District Office, which includes Hawaii.
Los Angeles District Director Olophius Perry added, “We encourage all employers to utilize EEOC’s resources to ensure proper EEO training and compliance.”
As part of the two year consent decree resolving the case, NCL America agrees to pay the crew members $485,000. With respect to the injunctive relief, NCL America further agrees, among other things, to revise its policies to ensure a workplace that promotes equal employment opportunity, to hire an EEO consultant, and to provide training to its managers and employees on the company’s equal employment policy and complaint procedure.
The litigation and consent decree were filed by the EEOC in the U.S. Court for the District of Hawaii (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Almraisi, et. al., v. NCL America Inc., et. al., cv 06-00451 SOM BMK, cv 07-00372 SOM BMK).
The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on the agency’s web site at www.eeoc.gov.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Churches for Middle East Peace applauds Price-LaHood resolution urging peace between Israel and Palestinians
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Warren Clark, 202-543-1222; warren@cmep.org
[Washington, DC- May 15, 2008] Churches for Middle East Peace commends Representatives David Price (D-NC) and Ray Lahood (R-IL), and the 50 other Members of the House who joined them, for sending a letter to President Bush yesterday urging efforts to end the crisis in southern Israel and Gaza and enable progress on Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts.
The Price-Lahood letter comes amidst a new outbreak of Gaza-Israel violence and as the President begins a Middle East trip that provides an opportunity to move forward on the Annapolis process launched last November. The letter asserts that for "the peace process to be viable, solutions must be found to stabilize the Gaza situation, preserve the achievements made in peace talks, and maintain forward momentum." It suggests that such solutions must include international condemnation of the rocket attacks on southern Israel, an exploration of a potential ceasefire to stop the violence and an end to the border blockade that addresses Israel's security needs and provides humanitarian relief to the people of Gaza.
Praising the Congressional letter, CMEP Executive Director, Warren Clark said: "The situation on the ground in the Holy Land needs to improve now if Israelis and Palestinians are going to have sufficient trust and confidence to do the hard work of peacemaking. We commend Reps. Price and Lahood and their 50 colleagues for offering bipartisan support for constructive solutions that can help provide a climate conducive to negotiations. We join them in urging the President to use his trip to re-energize the Annapolis process."
A May 9th CMEP letter to President Bush also highlights current obstacles to moving forward on the peace process, including the "death and suffering in Gaza and in southern Israel" and raises concerns regarding movement and access in the West Bank, which "undermines Palestinian leadership that seeks peace with Israel."
Churches for Middle East Peace, a coalition of 22 Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant national church bodies, has strongly supported the Price-Lahood letter together with a range of Jewish and Arab- American organizations, including Americans for Peace Now, the Arab American Institute, Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, Israel Policy Forum and J Street.
For the full text of the Price-Lahood letter and a final list of signers or for the CMEP May 9th letter, please contact CMEP's Executive Director, Warren Clark, at 202-543-1222 or warren@cmep.org.
###
Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is a coalition of 22 Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant church bodies and organizations that work together in pursuit of a peaceful resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict where two viable states, Israel and Palestine, live side-by-side within secure and recognized borders.
email: info@cmep.org
phone: 202-543-1222 web: http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001ZM9vypu1SIiI15Nwnh2RH-ku6SZzOkMfZKJBm9Z1cHpchP7x7__i7FSt9MPp9HY6P8sIW2pC8Qw7MCWVVlaE_kYOv0DCXpUYvZifGcEddo8=
CONTACT: Warren Clark, 202-543-1222; warren@cmep.org
[Washington, DC- May 15, 2008] Churches for Middle East Peace commends Representatives David Price (D-NC) and Ray Lahood (R-IL), and the 50 other Members of the House who joined them, for sending a letter to President Bush yesterday urging efforts to end the crisis in southern Israel and Gaza and enable progress on Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts.
The Price-Lahood letter comes amidst a new outbreak of Gaza-Israel violence and as the President begins a Middle East trip that provides an opportunity to move forward on the Annapolis process launched last November. The letter asserts that for "the peace process to be viable, solutions must be found to stabilize the Gaza situation, preserve the achievements made in peace talks, and maintain forward momentum." It suggests that such solutions must include international condemnation of the rocket attacks on southern Israel, an exploration of a potential ceasefire to stop the violence and an end to the border blockade that addresses Israel's security needs and provides humanitarian relief to the people of Gaza.
Praising the Congressional letter, CMEP Executive Director, Warren Clark said: "The situation on the ground in the Holy Land needs to improve now if Israelis and Palestinians are going to have sufficient trust and confidence to do the hard work of peacemaking. We commend Reps. Price and Lahood and their 50 colleagues for offering bipartisan support for constructive solutions that can help provide a climate conducive to negotiations. We join them in urging the President to use his trip to re-energize the Annapolis process."
A May 9th CMEP letter to President Bush also highlights current obstacles to moving forward on the peace process, including the "death and suffering in Gaza and in southern Israel" and raises concerns regarding movement and access in the West Bank, which "undermines Palestinian leadership that seeks peace with Israel."
Churches for Middle East Peace, a coalition of 22 Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant national church bodies, has strongly supported the Price-Lahood letter together with a range of Jewish and Arab- American organizations, including Americans for Peace Now, the Arab American Institute, Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, Israel Policy Forum and J Street.
For the full text of the Price-Lahood letter and a final list of signers or for the CMEP May 9th letter, please contact CMEP's Executive Director, Warren Clark, at 202-543-1222 or warren@cmep.org.
###
Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is a coalition of 22 Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant church bodies and organizations that work together in pursuit of a peaceful resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict where two viable states, Israel and Palestine, live side-by-side within secure and recognized borders.
email: info@cmep.org
phone: 202-543-1222 web: http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001ZM9vypu1SIiI15Nwnh2RH-ku6SZzOkMfZKJBm9Z1cHpchP7x7__i7FSt9MPp9HY6P8sIW2pC8Qw7MCWVVlaE_kYOv0DCXpUYvZifGcEddo8=
Friday, April 25, 2008
Kucinich -- one of few reasoned voices on 60th Anniversay of 1948 war
Please write Congressman Dennis KUCINICH a message of support at http://kucinich.house.gov/Contact/
Congressional Record, April 22, 2008, Page: H2522
Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, today I join my colleagues in Congress in celebrating Israel's accomplishments over the past 60 years. I am happy to be co-sponsor of this congratulatory resolution. However, like many Israelis and Palestinians, I have concerns about Israel's future, its stability, its security and the prospect for peaceful coexistence for both Palestinians and Israelis. One of those concerns relates to the ongoing lack of resolution on the dispossession of Palestinian property and the dislocation of Palestinians after Independence. It must be remembered that about 700,000 Palestinians became exiled. Much Arab property was appropriated. And about 500 Arab villages were destroyed. On December 11, 1948, the United Nations passed Resolution 194, affording Palestinian refugees the right to return to their homes in Israel, or to compensation for their property should they choose not to return. To this day, the mandate of U.N. Resolution 194 has not been fulfilled. Unfortunately, this failure remains as one of the most significant barriers to the realization of a two-state negotiated solution.
I am also concerned for those Palestinians who did not flee and who became Israeli citizens after Independence. According to the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, today there exist 20 Israeli laws which explicitly discriminate against the Palestinian minority in Israel, who constitute 20 percent of its population. In its 2005 Annual Report, the U.S. State Department said that ``[There is] institutionalized legal and societal discrimination against Israel's [Arab] Christian, Muslim and Druze citizens. The government does not provide Israeli Arabs with the same quality of education, housing, employment and social services as Jews.''
Finally, Israel has a right to security and a right to defend itself. Accordingly, I am concerned that the 40 year military occupation of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem has been and continues to be brutal and unjust and undermines the security of Israel. It is a fact that the government of Israel continues to support the construction of settlements on Palestinian land, perpetuating the consequences of dispossession and exile. Additionally, I am concerned that the government of Israel has increased the number of checkpoints which destroy a viable Palestinian economy and a vibrant civil society. I am concerned that the Israeli government has erected a wall, often on Palestinian land, that divides Palestinians from Palestinians, rather than divide Israel from the West Bank. As stated by Judge Elaraby of the International Court of Justice in his 2004 Advisory Opinion on the legality of Israel's separation barrier, ``The fact that occupation is met by armed resistance cannot be used as a pretext to disregard fundamental human rights in the occupied territory.'' This conundrum of a dialectic of conflict further separates Israelis and Palestinians alike from hopes for peace.
H. Con. Res. 322 eloquently states the many reasons why I celebrate Israel's accomplishments and I sincerely wish it a bright future. I only wish to add that, in my opinion, and in the opinion of many Israelis and Palestinians as well, Israel's future will be bright only if it includes an open dialogue with Palestinians, a respect for human rights and international law, and a society built on coexistence and tolerance. Israelis and Palestinians deserve to live in peace with justice and I encourage the United States government to help Israel achieve that so the joy of future anniversaries will be unalloyed.
I support the resolution in the spirit of reconciliation to which we must all inevitably turn, to achieve peace and justice with our brothers and sisters from whom we may be estranged.
end
Congressional Record, April 22, 2008, Page: H2522
Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, today I join my colleagues in Congress in celebrating Israel's accomplishments over the past 60 years. I am happy to be co-sponsor of this congratulatory resolution. However, like many Israelis and Palestinians, I have concerns about Israel's future, its stability, its security and the prospect for peaceful coexistence for both Palestinians and Israelis. One of those concerns relates to the ongoing lack of resolution on the dispossession of Palestinian property and the dislocation of Palestinians after Independence. It must be remembered that about 700,000 Palestinians became exiled. Much Arab property was appropriated. And about 500 Arab villages were destroyed. On December 11, 1948, the United Nations passed Resolution 194, affording Palestinian refugees the right to return to their homes in Israel, or to compensation for their property should they choose not to return. To this day, the mandate of U.N. Resolution 194 has not been fulfilled. Unfortunately, this failure remains as one of the most significant barriers to the realization of a two-state negotiated solution.
I am also concerned for those Palestinians who did not flee and who became Israeli citizens after Independence. According to the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, today there exist 20 Israeli laws which explicitly discriminate against the Palestinian minority in Israel, who constitute 20 percent of its population. In its 2005 Annual Report, the U.S. State Department said that ``[There is] institutionalized legal and societal discrimination against Israel's [Arab] Christian, Muslim and Druze citizens. The government does not provide Israeli Arabs with the same quality of education, housing, employment and social services as Jews.''
Finally, Israel has a right to security and a right to defend itself. Accordingly, I am concerned that the 40 year military occupation of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem has been and continues to be brutal and unjust and undermines the security of Israel. It is a fact that the government of Israel continues to support the construction of settlements on Palestinian land, perpetuating the consequences of dispossession and exile. Additionally, I am concerned that the government of Israel has increased the number of checkpoints which destroy a viable Palestinian economy and a vibrant civil society. I am concerned that the Israeli government has erected a wall, often on Palestinian land, that divides Palestinians from Palestinians, rather than divide Israel from the West Bank. As stated by Judge Elaraby of the International Court of Justice in his 2004 Advisory Opinion on the legality of Israel's separation barrier, ``The fact that occupation is met by armed resistance cannot be used as a pretext to disregard fundamental human rights in the occupied territory.'' This conundrum of a dialectic of conflict further separates Israelis and Palestinians alike from hopes for peace.
H. Con. Res. 322 eloquently states the many reasons why I celebrate Israel's accomplishments and I sincerely wish it a bright future. I only wish to add that, in my opinion, and in the opinion of many Israelis and Palestinians as well, Israel's future will be bright only if it includes an open dialogue with Palestinians, a respect for human rights and international law, and a society built on coexistence and tolerance. Israelis and Palestinians deserve to live in peace with justice and I encourage the United States government to help Israel achieve that so the joy of future anniversaries will be unalloyed.
I support the resolution in the spirit of reconciliation to which we must all inevitably turn, to achieve peace and justice with our brothers and sisters from whom we may be estranged.
end
Monday, April 21, 2008
Arab American journalists criticize mainstream American media for selective coverage
Arab American journalists criticize mainstream American media for selective coverage
Group launches new Resource Web Site helps media reporting
PRESS RELEASE/FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 21, 2008
Ray Hanania, rayhanania@comcast.net
Chicago – The National Arab American Journalists Association (NAAJA) has launched "Arab American Resource Web Page" to help mainstream journalists improve coverage of Arab American related issues.
Saying mainstream American news media have failed to adequately cover the Arab American community – contributing to American public confusion on important issues such as Arabs, Islam and terrorism –NAAJA identified the top five (5) topics Arab American journalists believe need more detailed attention.
"The mainstream American news media is selective about what it covers in the Arab American community, feeding confusion about facts and events that directly impact this country," said NAAJA coordinator and syndicated columnist Ray Hanania.
Hanania said topics will change periodically as the media improves its coverage.
The NAAJA web site is www.NAAJA-US.com. There is a link to the Resource Page on the upper left-hand corner of the web site.
Among the top issues, according to the web site, are:
1 - Celebrations on Israel’s 60th Anniversary miss or exclude Palestinian commemorations.
2 - Bigotry, racism and discrimination against Arab Americans. Every day, Arab Americans face discrimination but very few instances receive detailed media coverage.
3 – Inadequate coverage on Middle East Christians, especially since this week is celebrated by Orthodox Christians throughout the world and the Middle East as Easter.
4 – TBA (Still being decided)
5 - TBA (Still being decided)
"We are not asking the mainstream media to be pro-Arab. We are demanding that they be objective and fair in coverage of issues where we, as professional journalists, are more knowledgeable," Hanania said.
"We are asking mainstream newspapers, radio and TV news operations to be more professional by covering topics more comprehensively. We believe the media must give Arab Americans a voice and in doing so, help make American journalism more professional."
NAAJA is a partner of the Society of Professional Journalists and abides by the SPJ’s Code of Conduct. There are more than 250 Arab Americans working in mainstream journalism jobs or for the Arab ethnic media. There are 82 Arab American newspapers and magazines, 12 Arab American radio programs, and a dozen Arab American cable TV shows.
End
Group launches new Resource Web Site helps media reporting
PRESS RELEASE/FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 21, 2008
Ray Hanania, rayhanania@comcast.net
Chicago – The National Arab American Journalists Association (NAAJA) has launched "Arab American Resource Web Page" to help mainstream journalists improve coverage of Arab American related issues.
Saying mainstream American news media have failed to adequately cover the Arab American community – contributing to American public confusion on important issues such as Arabs, Islam and terrorism –NAAJA identified the top five (5) topics Arab American journalists believe need more detailed attention.
"The mainstream American news media is selective about what it covers in the Arab American community, feeding confusion about facts and events that directly impact this country," said NAAJA coordinator and syndicated columnist Ray Hanania.
Hanania said topics will change periodically as the media improves its coverage.
The NAAJA web site is www.NAAJA-US.com. There is a link to the Resource Page on the upper left-hand corner of the web site.
Among the top issues, according to the web site, are:
1 - Celebrations on Israel’s 60th Anniversary miss or exclude Palestinian commemorations.
2 - Bigotry, racism and discrimination against Arab Americans. Every day, Arab Americans face discrimination but very few instances receive detailed media coverage.
3 – Inadequate coverage on Middle East Christians, especially since this week is celebrated by Orthodox Christians throughout the world and the Middle East as Easter.
4 – TBA (Still being decided)
5 - TBA (Still being decided)
"We are not asking the mainstream media to be pro-Arab. We are demanding that they be objective and fair in coverage of issues where we, as professional journalists, are more knowledgeable," Hanania said.
"We are asking mainstream newspapers, radio and TV news operations to be more professional by covering topics more comprehensively. We believe the media must give Arab Americans a voice and in doing so, help make American journalism more professional."
NAAJA is a partner of the Society of Professional Journalists and abides by the SPJ’s Code of Conduct. There are more than 250 Arab Americans working in mainstream journalism jobs or for the Arab ethnic media. There are 82 Arab American newspapers and magazines, 12 Arab American radio programs, and a dozen Arab American cable TV shows.
End
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Churches for Middle East peace meets today on Palm Sunday April 20
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Warren Clark202-256-2537warren@cmep.org
[Washington, DC - April 18, 2008.] "The Annapolis peace process now underway deserves robust support from the U.S. Congress. The achievement of a two-state peace agreement will be an important step towards durable peace with security for Israel and will help build a positive future for all the people of the Holy Land, including the now rapidly declining Palestinian Christian community," said Warren Clark, Executive Director of Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP).
That will be the message next week in Washington, DC at CMEP's annual advocacy conference with the theme, "Calming the Storm: Middle East Peacemaking in a Turbulent Time." CMEP represents a coalition of 22 U.S. national church and church- related organizations including Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant denominations. Church members and clergy from around the country will hear from high level Christian leaders, policy experts and government officials during two days of meetings, culminating in a Congressional Prayer Breakfast for Peace in the Holy Land at the start of a day of advocacy visits with Congressional Representatives, Senators and their staffs.
"We are pleased to host this important gathering," Clark said. "This is a crucial time for peacemaking in the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Next week CMEP advocates will let their elected officials know that American Christians want them to work vigorously towards the peaceful solution that is supported by both Israeli and Palestinian governments and a majority of people on both sides of the conflict."
Major speakers at the conference will include: Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Shibley Telhami, University of Maryland; Gary Sick, Gulf 2000/Project; Ziad Asali, American Task Force on Palestine; Ori Nir, Americans for Peace Now; B. Todd Deatherage, U.S. State Department Office of Policy Planning; and Aaron David Miller of the Woodrow Wilson Center. Workshops will cover a range of topics such as Evangelical Peacemakers, with Chris Seiple from the Institute for Global Engagement; Palestinian Christians, with Dr. Bernard Sabella ; and Iran-Israel-US relations, with Trita Parsi of the National Iranian American Council.
The Congressional Prayer Breakfast will feature greetings from Representatives David Price (NC-4), Jeff Fortenberry (NE-1) and Chris Van Hollen (MD-8), a message from Cardinal Theodore McCarrick and prayers and reflections from Rev. Daniel Coughlin, U.S. House of Representatives Chaplain, Bishop John Chane, Episcopal Diocese of Washington and Archbishop Vicken Aykayzian, Armenian Orthodox Church of America.
The full conference schedule is included below and available online. Some presentations are off the record. For questions or to pre-register, please contact Warren Clark at warren@cmep.org or call 202-543-1222.
Conference Agenda
Sunday, April 20
Location: Kellogg Conference Hotel at Gallaudet University, 800 Florida Ave, NE
3:00pm Registration opens
6:45-8:15pm Gathering and Opening Plenary Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson, Evangelical Lutheran Church in AmericaWarren Clark, CMEP Executive Director and Maureen Shea, Chair of the Board
8:15pm-9:15pm Reception
Monday, April 21
Location: Kellogg Conference Hotel at Gallaudet University, 800 Florida Ave, NE
9:00am-10:30am Plenary: Calming the Storm: Regional Conflicts, Challenges, Solutions Shibley Telhami, University of Maryland and The Brookings InstitutionGary Sick, Gulf/2000 Project
10:45am-11:45am Workshops - Session I
12:00-1:00pm Luncheon with Keynote - B. Todd Deatherage, US Department of State
1:00-2:00pm Plenary: Middle East Peacemaking in a Turbulent Time Ori NIr, Americans for Peace Now Ziad Asali, American Task Force on Palestine Philip Wilcox, Foundation for Middle East Peace
2:15-3:15pm Workshops - Session II
Special Event5:15pm Book Talk with Aaron David Miller, Woodrow Wilson Center "The Much Too Promised Land: America's Elusive Search for Arab-Israeli Peace"
Tuesday, April 22: Lobby Day
8:30-9:30am Congressional Prayer Breakfast for Peace in the Holy Land
Greetings from Members of Congress: Rerp. David Price (NC-4)Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (NE-1) Rep. Chris Van Hollen (MD-8)
Prayers and Reflections: A message from Cardinal Theodore McCarrick Rev. Daniel Coughlin, U.S. House of Representatives ChaplainBishop John Chane, Episcopal Diocese of WashingtonArchbishop Vicken Aykayzian, Armenian Orthodox Church of America
Location: US Capitol Building: House Capitol Room HC-5
Monday's Workshop Topics and Presenters
Evangelical PeacemakersChris Seiple, President of the Institute for Global EngagementPalestinian ChristiansDr. Bernard Sabella, Middle East Council of Churches and Member, Palestinian Legislative Council Sharing Jerusalem - Lara Friedman, Americans for Peace Now and Ir AmimIsraeli Political DynamicsMJ Rosenberg, Israel Policy ForumHumanitarian Update Thomas Neu, ANERAGrassroots OrganizingCMEP GAP Coordinators and Anna Rhee, CMEP Grassroots Program CoordinatorCongress and Israeli-Palestinian IssuesBill Harper, Chief of Staff - Rep. Betty McCollum (MN-4) and Julie Schumacher Cohen, CMEP Legislative CoordinatorSyria-Israel Relations and US Role - Ambassador (ret) Theodore H. Kattouf, AMIDEASTIranTrita Parsi, President of the National Iranian American CouncilInterreligious InitiativesRon Young, Consultant for the National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East (NILI)
Formed in 1984, Churches for Middle East Peace is a Washington-based program of the Alliance of Baptists, American Friends Service Committee, Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Armenian Orthodox Church, Catholic Conference of Major Superiors of Men's Institutes, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Church of the Brethren, Church World Service, Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Franciscan Friars OFM (English Speaking Conference, JPIC Council), Friends Committee on National Legislation, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Maryknoll Missioners, Mennonite Central Committee, Moravian Church in America, National Council of Churches, Presbyterian Church (USA), Reformed Church in America, Unitarian Universalist Association, United Church of Christ, and the United Methodist Church (GBCS & GBGM).
Contributions to CMEP are tax deductible and can be made by check or online by secure, on-line credit card service.
Churches for Middle East Peace
Email: info@cmep.org
Phone: 202-543-1222
Web: http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001ovzlbyKdIy7Bp5XDJMHMQ-70GYyaJ0ZNqfcNb2NQWGdgS_suRZzt0b0oliFGiNNibbuRv6TdIGuec3dcYCUBe5nTvZzSJGDVTg_gVERHT8Q=
Contact: Warren Clark202-256-2537warren@cmep.org
[Washington, DC - April 18, 2008.] "The Annapolis peace process now underway deserves robust support from the U.S. Congress. The achievement of a two-state peace agreement will be an important step towards durable peace with security for Israel and will help build a positive future for all the people of the Holy Land, including the now rapidly declining Palestinian Christian community," said Warren Clark, Executive Director of Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP).
That will be the message next week in Washington, DC at CMEP's annual advocacy conference with the theme, "Calming the Storm: Middle East Peacemaking in a Turbulent Time." CMEP represents a coalition of 22 U.S. national church and church- related organizations including Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant denominations. Church members and clergy from around the country will hear from high level Christian leaders, policy experts and government officials during two days of meetings, culminating in a Congressional Prayer Breakfast for Peace in the Holy Land at the start of a day of advocacy visits with Congressional Representatives, Senators and their staffs.
"We are pleased to host this important gathering," Clark said. "This is a crucial time for peacemaking in the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Next week CMEP advocates will let their elected officials know that American Christians want them to work vigorously towards the peaceful solution that is supported by both Israeli and Palestinian governments and a majority of people on both sides of the conflict."
Major speakers at the conference will include: Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Shibley Telhami, University of Maryland; Gary Sick, Gulf 2000/Project; Ziad Asali, American Task Force on Palestine; Ori Nir, Americans for Peace Now; B. Todd Deatherage, U.S. State Department Office of Policy Planning; and Aaron David Miller of the Woodrow Wilson Center. Workshops will cover a range of topics such as Evangelical Peacemakers, with Chris Seiple from the Institute for Global Engagement; Palestinian Christians, with Dr. Bernard Sabella ; and Iran-Israel-US relations, with Trita Parsi of the National Iranian American Council.
The Congressional Prayer Breakfast will feature greetings from Representatives David Price (NC-4), Jeff Fortenberry (NE-1) and Chris Van Hollen (MD-8), a message from Cardinal Theodore McCarrick and prayers and reflections from Rev. Daniel Coughlin, U.S. House of Representatives Chaplain, Bishop John Chane, Episcopal Diocese of Washington and Archbishop Vicken Aykayzian, Armenian Orthodox Church of America.
The full conference schedule is included below and available online. Some presentations are off the record. For questions or to pre-register, please contact Warren Clark at warren@cmep.org or call 202-543-1222.
Conference Agenda
Sunday, April 20
Location: Kellogg Conference Hotel at Gallaudet University, 800 Florida Ave, NE
3:00pm Registration opens
6:45-8:15pm Gathering and Opening Plenary Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson, Evangelical Lutheran Church in AmericaWarren Clark, CMEP Executive Director and Maureen Shea, Chair of the Board
8:15pm-9:15pm Reception
Monday, April 21
Location: Kellogg Conference Hotel at Gallaudet University, 800 Florida Ave, NE
9:00am-10:30am Plenary: Calming the Storm: Regional Conflicts, Challenges, Solutions Shibley Telhami, University of Maryland and The Brookings InstitutionGary Sick, Gulf/2000 Project
10:45am-11:45am Workshops - Session I
12:00-1:00pm Luncheon with Keynote - B. Todd Deatherage, US Department of State
1:00-2:00pm Plenary: Middle East Peacemaking in a Turbulent Time Ori NIr, Americans for Peace Now Ziad Asali, American Task Force on Palestine Philip Wilcox, Foundation for Middle East Peace
2:15-3:15pm Workshops - Session II
Special Event5:15pm Book Talk with Aaron David Miller, Woodrow Wilson Center "The Much Too Promised Land: America's Elusive Search for Arab-Israeli Peace"
Tuesday, April 22: Lobby Day
8:30-9:30am Congressional Prayer Breakfast for Peace in the Holy Land
Greetings from Members of Congress: Rerp. David Price (NC-4)Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (NE-1) Rep. Chris Van Hollen (MD-8)
Prayers and Reflections: A message from Cardinal Theodore McCarrick Rev. Daniel Coughlin, U.S. House of Representatives ChaplainBishop John Chane, Episcopal Diocese of WashingtonArchbishop Vicken Aykayzian, Armenian Orthodox Church of America
Location: US Capitol Building: House Capitol Room HC-5
Monday's Workshop Topics and Presenters
Evangelical PeacemakersChris Seiple, President of the Institute for Global EngagementPalestinian ChristiansDr. Bernard Sabella, Middle East Council of Churches and Member, Palestinian Legislative Council Sharing Jerusalem - Lara Friedman, Americans for Peace Now and Ir AmimIsraeli Political DynamicsMJ Rosenberg, Israel Policy ForumHumanitarian Update Thomas Neu, ANERAGrassroots OrganizingCMEP GAP Coordinators and Anna Rhee, CMEP Grassroots Program CoordinatorCongress and Israeli-Palestinian IssuesBill Harper, Chief of Staff - Rep. Betty McCollum (MN-4) and Julie Schumacher Cohen, CMEP Legislative CoordinatorSyria-Israel Relations and US Role - Ambassador (ret) Theodore H. Kattouf, AMIDEASTIranTrita Parsi, President of the National Iranian American CouncilInterreligious InitiativesRon Young, Consultant for the National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East (NILI)
Formed in 1984, Churches for Middle East Peace is a Washington-based program of the Alliance of Baptists, American Friends Service Committee, Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Armenian Orthodox Church, Catholic Conference of Major Superiors of Men's Institutes, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Church of the Brethren, Church World Service, Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Franciscan Friars OFM (English Speaking Conference, JPIC Council), Friends Committee on National Legislation, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Maryknoll Missioners, Mennonite Central Committee, Moravian Church in America, National Council of Churches, Presbyterian Church (USA), Reformed Church in America, Unitarian Universalist Association, United Church of Christ, and the United Methodist Church (GBCS & GBGM).
Contributions to CMEP are tax deductible and can be made by check or online by secure, on-line credit card service.
Churches for Middle East Peace
Email: info@cmep.org
Phone: 202-543-1222
Web: http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001ovzlbyKdIy7Bp5XDJMHMQ-70GYyaJ0ZNqfcNb2NQWGdgS_suRZzt0b0oliFGiNNibbuRv6TdIGuec3dcYCUBe5nTvZzSJGDVTg_gVERHT8Q=
Saturday, April 19, 2008
MidEast Youth launches new online TV network
After months of hard work, Mideast Youth, with the enormous help of ByteSense, finally launched Global Village TV (GVTV). I would especially like to thank Umar for making this opportunity for us much easier than it would've been without his help and guidance.
GVTV is a dynamic, educational platform, co-created by Baha'is and Muslims working hand in hand to cultivate an interfaith community.
For the past few months, we have been working diligently on this initiative, in hopes that it would contribute to improving and advancing serious interfaith.
We realized that in many forums, in the process of interfaith, the Baha'i Faith, Yezidi faith, and many other religions are left out. This community aims to change that.
Our Muslim Network for Baha'i Rights (bahairights.org) also recently translated the 1983 documentary of Baha'is being persecuted in Iran into Arabic, in order to make more people in the region aware of what many Baha'is have to go through. You can view it here.Please help us spread the word about GVTV, and view a brief video demonstration of this network here. The growth and success of this project relies on your support and participation!
GVTV is a dynamic, educational platform, co-created by Baha'is and Muslims working hand in hand to cultivate an interfaith community.
For the past few months, we have been working diligently on this initiative, in hopes that it would contribute to improving and advancing serious interfaith.
We realized that in many forums, in the process of interfaith, the Baha'i Faith, Yezidi faith, and many other religions are left out. This community aims to change that.
Our Muslim Network for Baha'i Rights (bahairights.org) also recently translated the 1983 documentary of Baha'is being persecuted in Iran into Arabic, in order to make more people in the region aware of what many Baha'is have to go through. You can view it here.Please help us spread the word about GVTV, and view a brief video demonstration of this network here. The growth and success of this project relies on your support and participation!
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Arab League Rep to address 3rd US-Arab Economic Forum
Secretary General of the Arab League Amr MoussaPraises the launch of the 3rd U.S.-Arab Economic Forum
His Excellency Amr Moussa, Secretary General of the Arab League announced his support for the launch of the 3rd biennial U.S.-Arab Economic Forum, to be held on May 7-9, in Washington D.C., U.S.A.
“As an active supporter of diplomacy in the Arab world, I am proud that the U.S.-Arab Economic Forum will provide the required platform for leaders from both the Arab world and the U.S. to interact, and build long-lasting relationships to foster peace, through economic partnerships,” said Mr. Moussa.
The Forum will be an opportunity for leaders in politics, business and the civil society from the Arab world and the U.S. to lay the foundation of appreciation for mutual collaboration in areas of shared interest.
“This is an excellent opportunity for leaders from both parts of the world to work together, to establish a common understanding that issues of a collective concern can be addressed and that shared economic prosperity can exist between different heritages, cultures, and peoples,” said Mr. Ahmad Chebbani, the Chairperson and CEO of the U.S.-Arab Economic Forum.
Certain key issues of the upcoming Forum will include promoting the role of women in business, enhancing cultural understandings of the Arab world with the West, bridging the gap in innovation: strengthening partnerships in science between the U.S. and the Arab World, increasing free trade and investment, and addressing the vacillating bias’ of media and media responsibility.
Mr. Moussa went on to say, “My hope is to see the building of relationships, to see that pluralism and expanding tolerance from one culture to another will allow two uniquely distinguished worlds to convene together, as one. The Arab League gives its support to the U.S.-Arab Economic Forum, and I congratulate Mr. Chebbani for his vision to build such unity.”
Mr. Chebbani stated, “I thank Excellency Moussa for his continued support of the U.S.-Arab Economic Forum, and I look forward to working with him, the Arab world and leaders in the U.S., to help foster dynamic economic relationships.”
In the past the U.S.-Arab Economic Forum has addressed issues regarding cultural sensitivities, developing economic partnerships beyond energy, building on technological innovation, and youth development and education.
The first U.S.-Arab Economic Forum held in Detroit, Michigan in 2003, brought together prominent leaders such as former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, and Commander in Chief of the Bahrain Defense Force, Crown Prince Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa.
In 2006, the second U.S.-Arab Economic Forum in Houston, Texas, drew distinguished guests such as U.S. Undersecretary of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Ms. Karen Hughes, Chairwoman of the Arab Women Council H.H. Sheikha Hissah Al Sabbah and Chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil Corporation Rex Tillerson.
This year's attendees include: Foreign Minister the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia H.R.H. Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Chairman and President Export-Import Bank of the United States James Lambright and President and Kingdom of Bahrain Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa. For a more comprehensive list of attendees, please visit our web site at: http://usaef.ameeac.org.
For more information please contact:Michelle BonamyMedia DirectorU.S.-Arab Economic ForumMobile: 313-415-0500Office: 313-457-0291Fax: 313-457-0292Email: michelleb@usaef.ameeac.orgWebsite: http://usaef.ameeac.org
His Excellency Amr Moussa, Secretary General of the Arab League announced his support for the launch of the 3rd biennial U.S.-Arab Economic Forum, to be held on May 7-9, in Washington D.C., U.S.A.
“As an active supporter of diplomacy in the Arab world, I am proud that the U.S.-Arab Economic Forum will provide the required platform for leaders from both the Arab world and the U.S. to interact, and build long-lasting relationships to foster peace, through economic partnerships,” said Mr. Moussa.
The Forum will be an opportunity for leaders in politics, business and the civil society from the Arab world and the U.S. to lay the foundation of appreciation for mutual collaboration in areas of shared interest.
“This is an excellent opportunity for leaders from both parts of the world to work together, to establish a common understanding that issues of a collective concern can be addressed and that shared economic prosperity can exist between different heritages, cultures, and peoples,” said Mr. Ahmad Chebbani, the Chairperson and CEO of the U.S.-Arab Economic Forum.
Certain key issues of the upcoming Forum will include promoting the role of women in business, enhancing cultural understandings of the Arab world with the West, bridging the gap in innovation: strengthening partnerships in science between the U.S. and the Arab World, increasing free trade and investment, and addressing the vacillating bias’ of media and media responsibility.
Mr. Moussa went on to say, “My hope is to see the building of relationships, to see that pluralism and expanding tolerance from one culture to another will allow two uniquely distinguished worlds to convene together, as one. The Arab League gives its support to the U.S.-Arab Economic Forum, and I congratulate Mr. Chebbani for his vision to build such unity.”
Mr. Chebbani stated, “I thank Excellency Moussa for his continued support of the U.S.-Arab Economic Forum, and I look forward to working with him, the Arab world and leaders in the U.S., to help foster dynamic economic relationships.”
In the past the U.S.-Arab Economic Forum has addressed issues regarding cultural sensitivities, developing economic partnerships beyond energy, building on technological innovation, and youth development and education.
The first U.S.-Arab Economic Forum held in Detroit, Michigan in 2003, brought together prominent leaders such as former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, and Commander in Chief of the Bahrain Defense Force, Crown Prince Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa.
In 2006, the second U.S.-Arab Economic Forum in Houston, Texas, drew distinguished guests such as U.S. Undersecretary of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Ms. Karen Hughes, Chairwoman of the Arab Women Council H.H. Sheikha Hissah Al Sabbah and Chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil Corporation Rex Tillerson.
This year's attendees include: Foreign Minister the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia H.R.H. Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Chairman and President Export-Import Bank of the United States James Lambright and President and Kingdom of Bahrain Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa. For a more comprehensive list of attendees, please visit our web site at: http://usaef.ameeac.org.
For more information please contact:Michelle BonamyMedia DirectorU.S.-Arab Economic ForumMobile: 313-415-0500Office: 313-457-0291Fax: 313-457-0292Email: michelleb@usaef.ameeac.orgWebsite: http://usaef.ameeac.org
Saturday, April 05, 2008
Iraqi Shi'ite militia slaughter Palestinians there
For immediate release
Media contacts: Ali Alarabi
Phone: 312-593-0575
Shia death squads murder Palestinians in Iraq.
Palestinians in Iraq are facing gradual extermination by Shias militants who are supported by Iran.Chicago
Palestinian Doctor Layla Ali Taha and her young daughter were brutally killed yesterday by Shia death squads in their apartment in the area of Zayounah, in Baghdad
Dr. Layla and her daughter were attacked and stabbed with knives until death , then their attackers burned their bodies and the entire apartment.This heinous crime comes as part of systematic extermination campaign of Palestinians by Shia death squads, who are supported by Iran, according to reports from Iraq.
Dr. Layla's and her young daughter charred remains will be brought to mosque for prayer and burial in the Baladiyat area tomorrow.
Palestinians in Iraq are facing more hardship and extreme danger because they are Palestinian Arabs and non Shia Iraqis. Palestinians who have been living in Iraq for over 60 years, since 1948,have never been allowed to own property, or have IDS, and have no Iraqi citizenship, or any other citizenship.
In the past 5 years, Palestinians were targeted by Shia militants and death squads for extermination and murder campaign designed to drive them off out of the country.
Thousands of Palestinians have fled Iraq thus far, many were taking by Latin American countries, as far as Chile and Brazil, and some European countries. Arab countries have refused to admit those refugees in their countries, thus, perhaps inadvertently,helping Israel in keeping the Palestinian refugees as far as possible from the Middle East.Palestinian in Iraq are living in mortal fear of being identified as Palestinians , and those who live outside the Palestinian ghetto, are being murdered when their neighbors identify them as Palestinians thus bringing Shia death squads to brutally kill them as in the case of Dr. Layla Taha.
Most of the remaining 14000 Palestinians who are trapped in Iraq are living in the Ghetto in the Baladiyat area in Baghdad , in addition to another 1000 Palestinian live in the city of Mousel.
-30-
Media contacts: Ali Alarabi
Phone: 312-593-0575
Shia death squads murder Palestinians in Iraq.
Palestinians in Iraq are facing gradual extermination by Shias militants who are supported by Iran.Chicago
Palestinian Doctor Layla Ali Taha and her young daughter were brutally killed yesterday by Shia death squads in their apartment in the area of Zayounah, in Baghdad
Dr. Layla and her daughter were attacked and stabbed with knives until death , then their attackers burned their bodies and the entire apartment.This heinous crime comes as part of systematic extermination campaign of Palestinians by Shia death squads, who are supported by Iran, according to reports from Iraq.
Dr. Layla's and her young daughter charred remains will be brought to mosque for prayer and burial in the Baladiyat area tomorrow.
Palestinians in Iraq are facing more hardship and extreme danger because they are Palestinian Arabs and non Shia Iraqis. Palestinians who have been living in Iraq for over 60 years, since 1948,have never been allowed to own property, or have IDS, and have no Iraqi citizenship, or any other citizenship.
In the past 5 years, Palestinians were targeted by Shia militants and death squads for extermination and murder campaign designed to drive them off out of the country.
Thousands of Palestinians have fled Iraq thus far, many were taking by Latin American countries, as far as Chile and Brazil, and some European countries. Arab countries have refused to admit those refugees in their countries, thus, perhaps inadvertently,helping Israel in keeping the Palestinian refugees as far as possible from the Middle East.Palestinian in Iraq are living in mortal fear of being identified as Palestinians , and those who live outside the Palestinian ghetto, are being murdered when their neighbors identify them as Palestinians thus bringing Shia death squads to brutally kill them as in the case of Dr. Layla Taha.
Most of the remaining 14000 Palestinians who are trapped in Iraq are living in the Ghetto in the Baladiyat area in Baghdad , in addition to another 1000 Palestinian live in the city of Mousel.
-30-
Friday, April 04, 2008
H.R.H. Prince Saud Al-Faisal to Address 2008 U.S.-Arab Economic Forum
For Immediate Release:2 April 2008
H.R.H. Prince Saud Al-Faisal to Address 2008 U.S.-Arab Economic Forum
H.R.H. Prince Saud Al-Faisal Bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud, Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, will address the 3rd annual U.S. Arab-Economic Forum, May 7-9, 2008 in Washington, D.C.
Appointed in 1975, Prince Saud is among the longest serving foreign ministers in the world and has been a prominent figure in the international community. Prince Saud has been a tireless advocate of stability and peace in the region, acting as a key mediator in recent talks between Palestinians and Israelis playing a leading role in negotiating regional disputes. Currently, he is also the Managing Director of the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development.
Prior to becoming Foreign Minister, Prince Saud served as Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources and Member of the High Council of Petroleum. He received a B.Sc. in Economics from Princeton University in 1964.
H.R.H. Prince Saud Al-Faisal said in 2003 at the USAEF, “It is our hope that the turmoil our region has undergone in the past few years will be replaced by stability, prosperity, and peace. For this to happen, we must focus on finding solutions to the regions problems and improving the lives of its inhabitants. The United States can play a constructive role by providing leadership, talent and resources. And the U.S.-Arab Economic Forum can help shed light on the importance of trade and economic development not only in the region, but to American businesses as well.”
The U.S.-Arab Economic Forum, hosted by the American Middle East Economic Affairs Committee (AMEEAC) in cooperation with the League of Arab States, strives to enhance bilateral relations between the U.S. and Middle East. By bringing together top business, government, academic, and cultural leaders, the Forum acts as a catalyst for change and facilitates economic collaboration, cultural dialogue and innovation.
Past Forums have given U.S. and Arab leaders the opportunity to highlight their commitment to a shared civil society vision wherein diversity, tolerance, and the spirit of collaboration serve to create a better future for us all. This year’s forum will continue to promote this message with the theme “Open Markets and Open Societies”.
H.R.H. Prince Saud Al-Faisal to Address 2008 U.S.-Arab Economic Forum
H.R.H. Prince Saud Al-Faisal Bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud, Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, will address the 3rd annual U.S. Arab-Economic Forum, May 7-9, 2008 in Washington, D.C.
Appointed in 1975, Prince Saud is among the longest serving foreign ministers in the world and has been a prominent figure in the international community. Prince Saud has been a tireless advocate of stability and peace in the region, acting as a key mediator in recent talks between Palestinians and Israelis playing a leading role in negotiating regional disputes. Currently, he is also the Managing Director of the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development.
Prior to becoming Foreign Minister, Prince Saud served as Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources and Member of the High Council of Petroleum. He received a B.Sc. in Economics from Princeton University in 1964.
H.R.H. Prince Saud Al-Faisal said in 2003 at the USAEF, “It is our hope that the turmoil our region has undergone in the past few years will be replaced by stability, prosperity, and peace. For this to happen, we must focus on finding solutions to the regions problems and improving the lives of its inhabitants. The United States can play a constructive role by providing leadership, talent and resources. And the U.S.-Arab Economic Forum can help shed light on the importance of trade and economic development not only in the region, but to American businesses as well.”
The U.S.-Arab Economic Forum, hosted by the American Middle East Economic Affairs Committee (AMEEAC) in cooperation with the League of Arab States, strives to enhance bilateral relations between the U.S. and Middle East. By bringing together top business, government, academic, and cultural leaders, the Forum acts as a catalyst for change and facilitates economic collaboration, cultural dialogue and innovation.
Past Forums have given U.S. and Arab leaders the opportunity to highlight their commitment to a shared civil society vision wherein diversity, tolerance, and the spirit of collaboration serve to create a better future for us all. This year’s forum will continue to promote this message with the theme “Open Markets and Open Societies”.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Playing politics with alleged abuses in war-linked contracts
Playing politics with alleged abuses in war-linked contracts
By Ray Hanania
As the public demands answers to why billions of dollars in war related contracts have been abused and mismanaged, the response from the Bush administration has been to target individual employees and ignore the clout heavy corporations themselves.
Several individual employees mostly tied to Halliburton and a sub-contractor, Kellogg Brown & Root Inc., (KBR), have been indicted, charged and convicted of corruption.
Halliburton and KBR, on the other hand, remain the Bush administrations most favored contractors, even though they have admitted to under-balling cost estimates and despite the unending circus of alleged corruption in their rank and file management. Why?
Halliburton was run by Dick Cheney before he became vice president. Many believe Cheney will benefit from the war profiteering from Halliburton’s success when Cheney retires from in January.
All of the corruption cases bristle with questions of political hypocrisy involving American foreign policy, double standards in selective prosecutions, and the apparently intentional snubbing of Federal Laws by the prosecutor.
Some of those charged appear to be political targets and scapegoats targeted to take pressure off Halliburton and KBR. If these cases are so important, why are they being handled out of the low-visibility courtrooms of Springfield, Illinois rather than on a high profile stage in Washington D.C.?
Later this month, one of the indictees will be brought to trial, not in Washington DC, but in Springfield. Jeff Mazon, a former KBR employee, is accused of defrauding the U.S. Government of $3.5 million.
The second indictee is Ali Hijazi, who legally is out of reach of American prosecution.
The Mazon and Hijazi indictments were politically timed, announced two days before the two year anniversary of the start of the Iraq war. The indictments were announced March 17, 2005 by then U.S. Attorney Jan Paul Miller of the Central Illinois District. A Bush appointee, Miller joined a prestigious law firm a few months later and was replaced by Rodger Heaton.
Hijazi is a Lebanese citizen living in Kuwait. Although American law does not allow prosecutors even in downstate markets to prosecute foreign citizens living in foreign countries, Miller has refused to drop the indictment, as is common practice. The prosecution is a violation of Federal Law. There is no extradition agreement.
Three years later, Hijazi lives in a virtual imprisonment, according to filings by his Washington DC attorneys. Hijazi’s life and reputation have been nearly destroyed and his travel rights have been restricted.
There have been numerous examples of wasteful spending by employees of Halliburton, yet Halliburton continues to enjoy billions more in American military contracts. Headlines, like those generated by the case against Mazon and Hijazi, give the public the false impression that war related corruption is aggressively being pursued.
And there is so much more.
In other Halliburton/KBR related cases, many people have pled guilty and pointed fingers at others, including, allegedly, at individuals at First Kuwaiti General Trading & Contracting. But there hasn’t been followup.
First Kuwaiti has clout and was awarded the contract to build the new U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. The embassy promises to be one of the most expensive ($592 million) and most fortified American embassy in the world.
In September 2007, the Associated Press reported the director of First Kuwaiti, Wadih al-Absi, also a manager for KBR, was named in grand jury testimony by another former KBR manager, Anthony J. Martin. Martin pled guilty in July to taking kickbacks in 2003 and is a witness against Mazon. Al-Absi has not been charged with any crimes and First Kuwaiti is continuing with the embassy contract.
Luck, not justice, spared First Kuwaiti.
According to the AP story, "Although the government has tried to keep First Kuwaiti's name out of public records related to Martin's case, details from his grand jury testimony were found by a defense lawyer, J. Scott Arthur of Orland Park, Ill., who included a summary in a six-page document filed last Friday in an unrelated federal court case in Rock Island, Ill. The AP downloaded a copy of the document from the court's Web site shortly before a judge ordered the document sealed and removed from the public record."
AP reported Martin told the grand jury he engaged in the kickback scheme with al-Absi. First Kuwaiti is not accused of any crimes and details of individuals involved in corruption remain under seal. Although several congressmen have already challenged millions of dollars in cost overruns in the project, First Kuwaiti officials told AP "Martin's allegations are ‘without merit’."
Some observers believe that politics is behind the embassy contract. Is the Bush Administration concerned about what Hijazi may or may not know about cost overruns and other criticism involving the new embassy?
We’ll never know these answers even if Mazon’s trial proceeds.
But what we will have are headlines that give the public the false impression that there is a serious focused effort by the Bush administration to reign in corruption and wasteful spending on war related contracts.
What we won’t have, though, is an end to the corruption. That may have to wait until Bush and Cheney finally leave office and a new prosecutor takes over.
But, can the American taxpayers afford it?
(Ray Hanania is an award winning columnist, author and Chicago radio talk show host. He can be reached at http://www.radiochicagoland.com/.)
By Ray Hanania
As the public demands answers to why billions of dollars in war related contracts have been abused and mismanaged, the response from the Bush administration has been to target individual employees and ignore the clout heavy corporations themselves.
Several individual employees mostly tied to Halliburton and a sub-contractor, Kellogg Brown & Root Inc., (KBR), have been indicted, charged and convicted of corruption.
Halliburton and KBR, on the other hand, remain the Bush administrations most favored contractors, even though they have admitted to under-balling cost estimates and despite the unending circus of alleged corruption in their rank and file management. Why?
Halliburton was run by Dick Cheney before he became vice president. Many believe Cheney will benefit from the war profiteering from Halliburton’s success when Cheney retires from in January.
All of the corruption cases bristle with questions of political hypocrisy involving American foreign policy, double standards in selective prosecutions, and the apparently intentional snubbing of Federal Laws by the prosecutor.
Some of those charged appear to be political targets and scapegoats targeted to take pressure off Halliburton and KBR. If these cases are so important, why are they being handled out of the low-visibility courtrooms of Springfield, Illinois rather than on a high profile stage in Washington D.C.?
Later this month, one of the indictees will be brought to trial, not in Washington DC, but in Springfield. Jeff Mazon, a former KBR employee, is accused of defrauding the U.S. Government of $3.5 million.
The second indictee is Ali Hijazi, who legally is out of reach of American prosecution.
The Mazon and Hijazi indictments were politically timed, announced two days before the two year anniversary of the start of the Iraq war. The indictments were announced March 17, 2005 by then U.S. Attorney Jan Paul Miller of the Central Illinois District. A Bush appointee, Miller joined a prestigious law firm a few months later and was replaced by Rodger Heaton.
Hijazi is a Lebanese citizen living in Kuwait. Although American law does not allow prosecutors even in downstate markets to prosecute foreign citizens living in foreign countries, Miller has refused to drop the indictment, as is common practice. The prosecution is a violation of Federal Law. There is no extradition agreement.
Three years later, Hijazi lives in a virtual imprisonment, according to filings by his Washington DC attorneys. Hijazi’s life and reputation have been nearly destroyed and his travel rights have been restricted.
There have been numerous examples of wasteful spending by employees of Halliburton, yet Halliburton continues to enjoy billions more in American military contracts. Headlines, like those generated by the case against Mazon and Hijazi, give the public the false impression that war related corruption is aggressively being pursued.
And there is so much more.
In other Halliburton/KBR related cases, many people have pled guilty and pointed fingers at others, including, allegedly, at individuals at First Kuwaiti General Trading & Contracting. But there hasn’t been followup.
First Kuwaiti has clout and was awarded the contract to build the new U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. The embassy promises to be one of the most expensive ($592 million) and most fortified American embassy in the world.
In September 2007, the Associated Press reported the director of First Kuwaiti, Wadih al-Absi, also a manager for KBR, was named in grand jury testimony by another former KBR manager, Anthony J. Martin. Martin pled guilty in July to taking kickbacks in 2003 and is a witness against Mazon. Al-Absi has not been charged with any crimes and First Kuwaiti is continuing with the embassy contract.
Luck, not justice, spared First Kuwaiti.
According to the AP story, "Although the government has tried to keep First Kuwaiti's name out of public records related to Martin's case, details from his grand jury testimony were found by a defense lawyer, J. Scott Arthur of Orland Park, Ill., who included a summary in a six-page document filed last Friday in an unrelated federal court case in Rock Island, Ill. The AP downloaded a copy of the document from the court's Web site shortly before a judge ordered the document sealed and removed from the public record."
AP reported Martin told the grand jury he engaged in the kickback scheme with al-Absi. First Kuwaiti is not accused of any crimes and details of individuals involved in corruption remain under seal. Although several congressmen have already challenged millions of dollars in cost overruns in the project, First Kuwaiti officials told AP "Martin's allegations are ‘without merit’."
Some observers believe that politics is behind the embassy contract. Is the Bush Administration concerned about what Hijazi may or may not know about cost overruns and other criticism involving the new embassy?
We’ll never know these answers even if Mazon’s trial proceeds.
But what we will have are headlines that give the public the false impression that there is a serious focused effort by the Bush administration to reign in corruption and wasteful spending on war related contracts.
What we won’t have, though, is an end to the corruption. That may have to wait until Bush and Cheney finally leave office and a new prosecutor takes over.
But, can the American taxpayers afford it?
(Ray Hanania is an award winning columnist, author and Chicago radio talk show host. He can be reached at http://www.radiochicagoland.com/.)
Thursday, March 20, 2008
AAI Khalil Gibran Awards
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Director of Communications: Christina Zola <mailto:czola@aaiusa.org> , 202-429-9210, ext. 21 or 202-494-9859 ________________________________
Tenth Annual Kahlil Gibran "Spirit of Humanity" Awards Gala to Honor Refugees International, Reporters Without Borders for Commitment to Advocacy
U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood of Illinois, Barenboim-Said Foundation Also to Receive Recognition at April 23 Event; "Law and Order" Star Sam Waterston to Present Award to Refugees International
WASHINGTON - March 20, 2008 - The Arab American Institute Foundation (AAIF) will host the tenth annual Kahlil Gibran "Spirit of Humanity" Awards <http://www.aaiusa.org/page/m/693b759d3148665f/5SZ9n1/VEsE/> gala on Wednesday, April 23 at the JW Marriott Hotel in Washington, D.C. This year's gala will honor Refugees International for its advocacy on behalf of the world's displaced people and its recent work on behalf of Iraqi refugees, and Reporters Without Borders for its courageous mission to promote press freedom worldwide.
"Law and Order" star Sam Waterston, a board member of Refugees International, will present the organization with the Award for International Commitment. Rami Khouri, editor of the Beirut-based Daily Star, will present the Award for Institutional Achievement to Reporters Without Borders. The organization's founder, Robert Menard, will travel from Paris to accept the honor.
U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood of Illinois will receive the fifth annual Najeeb Halaby Award for Public Service in recognition of his seven distinguished terms in Congress and his career long commitment to serving the public. The Barenboim-Said Foundation will receive special recognition for its programs to bring together young musicians from across the Middle East, a project begun by Daniel Barenboim and the late Edward W. Said. Said's widow, Miriam Said, will accept the recognition on behalf of the foundation.
Launched in 1999 by the Arab American Institute (AAI) and AAIF, the leading organizations in the promotion of the policy and community interests of Arab Americans, the awards gala focuses attention on acts of leadership that promote the common good and features prominent leaders from the diplomatic, business, philanthropic, and government sectors. The Kahlil Gibran "Spirit of Humanity" Awards are named for the renowned Arab American poet and author of The Prophet, whose message of human endurance and triumph was so evident in his life and work. This year's honorees epitomize that message:
* Refugees International has worked tirelessly for more than 25 years to focus attention on and advocate solutions for the world's more than 35 million displaced people and 11 million without a nationality. It is being recognized for its inspiring and life-saving work. Acting as a witness to the suffering of the displaced, Refugees International is able to translate its field interviews with war-affected populations, non-governmental organizations, and aid agencies into advocacy with decision makers that produces results.
* Reporters Without Borders is being honored for its advocacy on behalf of the rights and welfare of journalists, its support for freedom of the press, and its efforts to support the families of imprisoned journalists. Founded in 1985, Reporters Without Borders is now represented on all five continents. The organization is a founding member of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange, a virtual network of non-governmental organizations that monitors free expression violations worldwide and defends journalists, writers, and others who are persecuted for exercising their right to freedom of expression.
* Rep. Ray LaHood is serving his seventh and final term representing the 18th District of Illinois. First elected in 1994, Mr. LaHood has carried on a rich tradition of leadership from a U.S. House district which has been represented by American leaders such as Robert Michel, Everett Dirksen, and Abraham Lincoln. Early in his Congressional career, Mr. LaHood successfully worked with other Arab American members of Congress to persuade President Clinton to lift the travel ban to Lebanon. He has also been a champion for the increase in ASHA funding to universities in Lebanon.
* The Barenboim-Said Foundation grew out of the friendship between Daniel Barenboim, currently music director of the Staatsoper Berlin, and the late Edward W. Said, University Professor at Columbia University. Begun as a 1999 workshop in Weimar for young musicians from Israel and various Arab countries, the West Eastern Divan Orchestra was formed to combine musical study and performance with the sharing of knowledge and awareness between people from different cultures and backgrounds. The Foundation is grounded by the principle that music cannot be isolated from society. Its projects span across the Middle East with special attention to new programs for music education infrastructures in Palestine. These include the creation of a Palestinian Youth Orchestra, the Edward W. Said Music Kindergarten in Ramallah, and the Barenboim-Said Conservatory in Nazareth.
Past participants in the awards gala include former President Bill Clinton, Her Majesty Queen Noor al-Hussein, former President of Poland Lech Walesa, former Sen. George Mitchell, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, former Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala, former Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham, former professional boxer Muhammad Ali, and recording star Sting.
The Kahlil Gibran "Spirit of Humanity" Awards gala is the only annual event that supports the advocacy, research, and policy development that AAI and AAIF conduct throughout the year on behalf of Arab Americans nationwide.
The JW Marriot Hotel is located at 1331 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. in Washington, D.C. The reception begins at 5:30 p.m.; the gala dinner starts at 6:30 p.m. Click here <http://www.aaiusa.org/page/m/693b759d3148665f/5SZ9n1/VEsF/> for additional background and details on the gala on AAI's website.
Media RSVP: If you are interested in covering this year's gala, please contact AAI Public Affairs Coordinator Andy Sabino <mailto:asabino@aaiusa.org> at 202-429-9210, ext. 26.
Director of Communications: Christina Zola <mailto:czola@aaiusa.org> , 202-429-9210, ext. 21 or 202-494-9859 ________________________________
Tenth Annual Kahlil Gibran "Spirit of Humanity" Awards Gala to Honor Refugees International, Reporters Without Borders for Commitment to Advocacy
U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood of Illinois, Barenboim-Said Foundation Also to Receive Recognition at April 23 Event; "Law and Order" Star Sam Waterston to Present Award to Refugees International
WASHINGTON - March 20, 2008 - The Arab American Institute Foundation (AAIF) will host the tenth annual Kahlil Gibran "Spirit of Humanity" Awards <http://www.aaiusa.org/page/m/693b759d3148665f/5SZ9n1/VEsE/> gala on Wednesday, April 23 at the JW Marriott Hotel in Washington, D.C. This year's gala will honor Refugees International for its advocacy on behalf of the world's displaced people and its recent work on behalf of Iraqi refugees, and Reporters Without Borders for its courageous mission to promote press freedom worldwide.
"Law and Order" star Sam Waterston, a board member of Refugees International, will present the organization with the Award for International Commitment. Rami Khouri, editor of the Beirut-based Daily Star, will present the Award for Institutional Achievement to Reporters Without Borders. The organization's founder, Robert Menard, will travel from Paris to accept the honor.
U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood of Illinois will receive the fifth annual Najeeb Halaby Award for Public Service in recognition of his seven distinguished terms in Congress and his career long commitment to serving the public. The Barenboim-Said Foundation will receive special recognition for its programs to bring together young musicians from across the Middle East, a project begun by Daniel Barenboim and the late Edward W. Said. Said's widow, Miriam Said, will accept the recognition on behalf of the foundation.
Launched in 1999 by the Arab American Institute (AAI) and AAIF, the leading organizations in the promotion of the policy and community interests of Arab Americans, the awards gala focuses attention on acts of leadership that promote the common good and features prominent leaders from the diplomatic, business, philanthropic, and government sectors. The Kahlil Gibran "Spirit of Humanity" Awards are named for the renowned Arab American poet and author of The Prophet, whose message of human endurance and triumph was so evident in his life and work. This year's honorees epitomize that message:
* Refugees International has worked tirelessly for more than 25 years to focus attention on and advocate solutions for the world's more than 35 million displaced people and 11 million without a nationality. It is being recognized for its inspiring and life-saving work. Acting as a witness to the suffering of the displaced, Refugees International is able to translate its field interviews with war-affected populations, non-governmental organizations, and aid agencies into advocacy with decision makers that produces results.
* Reporters Without Borders is being honored for its advocacy on behalf of the rights and welfare of journalists, its support for freedom of the press, and its efforts to support the families of imprisoned journalists. Founded in 1985, Reporters Without Borders is now represented on all five continents. The organization is a founding member of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange, a virtual network of non-governmental organizations that monitors free expression violations worldwide and defends journalists, writers, and others who are persecuted for exercising their right to freedom of expression.
* Rep. Ray LaHood is serving his seventh and final term representing the 18th District of Illinois. First elected in 1994, Mr. LaHood has carried on a rich tradition of leadership from a U.S. House district which has been represented by American leaders such as Robert Michel, Everett Dirksen, and Abraham Lincoln. Early in his Congressional career, Mr. LaHood successfully worked with other Arab American members of Congress to persuade President Clinton to lift the travel ban to Lebanon. He has also been a champion for the increase in ASHA funding to universities in Lebanon.
* The Barenboim-Said Foundation grew out of the friendship between Daniel Barenboim, currently music director of the Staatsoper Berlin, and the late Edward W. Said, University Professor at Columbia University. Begun as a 1999 workshop in Weimar for young musicians from Israel and various Arab countries, the West Eastern Divan Orchestra was formed to combine musical study and performance with the sharing of knowledge and awareness between people from different cultures and backgrounds. The Foundation is grounded by the principle that music cannot be isolated from society. Its projects span across the Middle East with special attention to new programs for music education infrastructures in Palestine. These include the creation of a Palestinian Youth Orchestra, the Edward W. Said Music Kindergarten in Ramallah, and the Barenboim-Said Conservatory in Nazareth.
Past participants in the awards gala include former President Bill Clinton, Her Majesty Queen Noor al-Hussein, former President of Poland Lech Walesa, former Sen. George Mitchell, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, former Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala, former Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham, former professional boxer Muhammad Ali, and recording star Sting.
The Kahlil Gibran "Spirit of Humanity" Awards gala is the only annual event that supports the advocacy, research, and policy development that AAI and AAIF conduct throughout the year on behalf of Arab Americans nationwide.
The JW Marriot Hotel is located at 1331 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. in Washington, D.C. The reception begins at 5:30 p.m.; the gala dinner starts at 6:30 p.m. Click here <http://www.aaiusa.org/page/m/693b759d3148665f/5SZ9n1/VEsF/> for additional background and details on the gala on AAI's website.
Media RSVP: If you are interested in covering this year's gala, please contact AAI Public Affairs Coordinator Andy Sabino <mailto:asabino@aaiusa.org> at 202-429-9210, ext. 26.
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