Stupid headline of the day:
Could Helmand be the Dubai of Afghanistan?
Latest Updates: media RSS
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thabet
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thabet
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thabet
British newspapers ‘racially profile’ terror suspects too:
It’s strange then that almost no coverage whatsoever has been given to the case of Ian Davison, although perhaps that name itself somewhat gives the game away.
I noticed that the Jihad Jane story was on the front of major British news outlets. Yet the arrest of Crusader Christopher wasn’t on the front page (and still isn’t) despite: a. the regional nature of the threat compared to someone tapping from their computer in the US; and b. the fact that ricin and handbooks on making bombs (i.e. ‘terrorist materials’) were actually found in his possession (unlike in the case of a number of high-profile, non-white, terrorists).
If this doesn’t highlight the racism of the British press, nothing short of headlines screaming “Kill All Pakis” ever will.
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thabet
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown yet again reminds us that ‘middle class liberals can be Muslims too’.
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thabet
Yesterday, BBC World aired a debate entitled “Europe is failing its Muslims”. Although the teams on either side of the motion were made up of two people, this debate was basically Tariq Ramadan (arguing for the motion) versus Douglas Murray (arguing against the motion). The debate seems to be available on YouTube.
At one point Murray (whose tag team partner was Flemming Rose) suggested that being European and Muslim wasn’t possible at the same time, and made some blather about European values. It’s a shame no one asked Murray to explain whether these ‘values’ included the use, and covering up of, torture and the fascination with mindless warfare on others to spread your own ‘values’. And perhaps it would have been interested if Rose, who declared himself a believer in ‘universal human rights’, how he felt sitting alongside someone who has spent a lot of time attacking the Human Rights Act.
There were also the usual, and mindless, arguments about how great it was to be a Muslim in Britain compared to, say, Saudi Arabia. Who cares what they do in Saudi?
In the end the audience voted against the motion, although I don’t think this meant people supported Murray. For example, one of the audience members — a former British diplomat to an Arab country who also used to work for the Muslim West Facts Project — also objected to the motion, but noted that his reasons for doing so would probably differ to those being promoted by Murray. I felt that even Rose, who would usually be cast as an anti-Muslim bigot (Zeinab Badawi certainly did her best to constantly remind the audience of his claim to fame), came off better than Murray.
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thabet
Omid Djalili says he is often cast as “the Arab scumbag” on the big screen, or asked to do Muslim stereotypes.
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thabet
Reason #4,593 why Rupert Murdoch is a cancer on society.
As usual, there is some brilliant commentary by Septic Isle on this.
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thabet
It’s ‘bad’ when public figures say they can ‘understand why people may become suicide bombers’
But it seems perfectly ok for boorish bigots like Bruce Anderson to openly fantasise about torturing someone’s wife and children; or perfectly ok for warmongering bastards like Nick Cohen to pretend to debate the ethics of torture.
Enlightenment, anyone?
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johnpi
Tennessee mosque vandalized after local tv station airs irresponsible report on ‘homegrown jihad.’
The local news report prominently referenced a ‘documentary’ by the Christian Action Network about Jamaat ul-Fuqra communities, including one in central Tennessee called Islamville. I blogged about both the alarmist irresponsible CAN film and the Fuqra last year (also here and here).
Amanda Terkel writes about what happened in Tennessee:
…the Nashville CBS affiliate (Channel 5) decided to give the film legitimacy by conducting an “EXCLUSIVE” investigation into a Muslim community in rural Tennessee called Islamville, which is featured in the movie. “Some believe it is a secret Islamic terrorist training camp,” reads the Channel 5 article. “Others have said that’s simply not true.
The two-part ’special’ report found nothing of concern, but the two days of hype leading up to the report may have precipitated this:
There was also a note taped to a youth facility nearby with a bunch of comments about Islam being the enemy, satanic, etc, etc. A spokesman for the mostly Somali mosque said:
“It’s unexpected,” he adds. “The only thing I can think of is the sensationalized reporting [by Channel 5] over Sunday and Monday. That’s the only thing I can think of. Even after 9/11 we have never had any vandalism.“
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plimfix
Muslim fundamentalists should ‘drink wine to learn tolerance’, says the intellectual visage of the British right, philosopher Roger Scrutton. And what does he recommend as a tipple for fundamentalist Christians? Perhaps his remarks were inspired by Conservative MP Philip Hollobone’s equally hilarious quip comparing life inside a Burka to “going round with a paper bag over your head”. No doubt, both Scrutton and Holobone would deny any link between their inflamatory language and hate crimes against Muslims, as a report recently claimed. Here’s a funnier joke: how do you stop a right wing philosopher from drowning?
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arif
Two separate but related stories.
Shah Rukh Khan sees no reason to apologise
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8498039.stm
Nevada politicians slam Obama’s Vegas comment
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2010/0203/Nevada-politicians-slam-Obama-s-Vegas-comment
I find Obama’s story interesting from a Muslim’s perspective. As a president he called for a personal responsibility with gambling and ended up affecting the economy of the citizens he governs. This would be as same as asking citizens to not spend money on drinking while you bankrupt the liquor industry, and so on and so forth.
Media ultimately is turning out to be the biggest destroying (terrorizing) element of all. Add social-networking activism of bloggers/twitters/facebookers, you are looking at a dangerous world ahead as things mature.
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thabet
The British Social Attitudes survey shows how ‘perceptions’ are just as important as ‘reality’:
A large proportion of the country believes that the multicultural experiment has failed, with 52 per cent considering that Britain is deeply divided along religious lines and 45 per cent saying that religious diversity has had a negative impact.
Around 3% of the population in England and Wales, less than 1% of the population in Scotland, and barely 0.1% of the population in Northern Ireland, would be call themselves Muslim (and all these people must be considered ‘nominally’ Muslim for the purposes of statistics, unless the census is accompanied with a detailed checklist on what these individuals believe). How then can Britain be even remotely ‘divided’ along ‘religious’ lines? Where are these ‘divisions’? There is nothing even close to genuine religious divides that are part of Britain’s history. There are other, far more pressing divisions, which threaten the country; it is a shame these are not fully debated (especially not by politicians who want to have ‘debates’ on cheap political scoring points).
The attitudes identified by the BSA are not new though, and that might be most alarming aspect. How much of these attitudes are related to the drip-feed of stories about ‘cultural backwardness’ of Muslims, or magnifying problems their context, or even just outright lies?
As Andrew Brown notes, while ‘freedom of speech’ is trumpeted as a ‘core value’ by numerous liberal pundits, especially an act of faith which distinguishes ‘us’ from ‘them’, the survey shows many Britons don’t buy into that argument:
This makes odd reading in the face of continuing propaganda about how freedom of speech is one of the core values we defend against Islamists.
This might seem odd given the BSA also show Britons are also becoming socially liberal on issues such as homosexuality and cohabitation.
Or it may just be that liberals, like their ‘enemies’, are forced into adopting cultural protectionism when they feel under threat?
(The two newspapers I link to above also highlight their editorial biases. The Daily Telegraph concentrates on the suspicion towards religious groups, especially Muslims. The Guardian meanwhile sticks with reporting the views on social liberalism.)
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johnpi
Conflict of interest: New York Times Jerusalem bureau chief’s son may have enlisted in the Israeli army.
The New York Times has all but confirmed to The Electronic Intifada (EI) that the son of its Jerusalem bureau chief Ethan Bronner was recently inducted into the Israeli army.
Since the Times has no full correspondent in Gaza or the West Bank, Bronner is in effect the editor covering all those theaters. As such he MUST be able to report dispassionately from the Palestinian as well as Israeli perspective.
Many of my readers have followed my ongoing critique of Bronner’s reporting, which shows decided, though perhaps not fully conscious bias towards Israel’s narrative. Given this, the possibility that his son serves in the army that maintains the Occupation and is the locus of injustice raises glaring questions of conflict of interest.
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johnpi
McClatchy News, which was the only news service in the US whose reporters comported themselves like journalists rather than cheerleaders during the run-up to the Iraq War, has decided to close its Africa bureau.
McClatchy had decided to shut its bureau in Nairobi, our only outpost in sub-Saharan Africa, to divert resources to a new bureau in Afghanistan, and I was coming back to the United States. With newspaper revenues declining and the war in South Asia escalating, the calculation was regrettable, but I understood it.
Yet as I packed up the office and said my farewells, I couldn’t help but think that we were turning our backs on a continent that’s always needed more media attention, not less.
When I started my Africa tour in 2005, as a 25-year-old reporter on his first foreign assignment, I hoped to offer a different view of the continent: neither a dreamlike safari park nor a bleak otherworld of disease and disaster, but a place that Americans could recognize.
….McClatchy, however, isn’t the only news organization that’s been forced to withdraw from the continent. Tribune Co., the parent of the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune, has gone from three reporters in sub-Saharan Africa down to one. The Washington Post recently closed its bureau in South Africa, leaving only a correspondent in Kenya.
This doesn’t mean the end of news from Africa; far from it. There are legions of freelance journalists, bloggers, relief workers and experts — African and expatriate alike — who continue to report, post and Tweet from the continent. They form a vibrant community, even if their insights don’t often trickle into the mainstream.
Yet for now, at least, American newspapers have decided that there will be less independent, professional journalism coming out of Africa. Economics don’t support it, and perhaps only some readers will really miss it.
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thabet
The Daily Telegraph carries an article by Ruth Dudley Edwards, with the following subheadline:
I consider myself well enough informed to know the various media pundits who are promoted as “Islamic specialists”, and whether you like them or not, at least they tend to carry paper qualifications related to “Islam”. So, I was a little surprised to see the name Ruth Dudley Edwards in the context of an informed voice on “Islamic” news story.
But after a quick search of the internet, I was unsurprised to find out the Daily Telegraph is lying (again).
Here’s her Wikipedia profile:
Ruth Dudley Edwards … is an Irish historian, crime novelist, journalist and broadcaster.
No “Islamic” specialism there.
A look at her website shows she has no books or publications of note to do with “Islam”, not even popular, non-academic, works. Her CV (pdf) shows zero research, personal or academic, into any “Islam” related subjects.
Instead, her “Islamic specialism” seems to consist solely of repeating tiresome right-wing guff at places such as the Daily Wail or the Irish Independent. (There’s loads more of her “Islamic specialism” (garbage) at her website.)
I get the impression Edwards is someone who runs her name into Google on a regular basis. So, I expect her to pop in here or leave a remark on her own website.
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thabet
Fight! Fight! Fight!
versus
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johnpi
I would appreciate some of our UK readers and contributors stepping up to help us sort bulls*** from substance in what’s being spit out in the UK press right now.
For example, is The Times considered mainstream media? Left-wing, right-wing? Reliably objective or not? How should I know. I’m in America.
But anyway, here’s a little something from the Times today about Abdulmutallab’s participation in organizing a ‘War on Terror’ week protest:
His role in organising War on Terror Week is the first indication that during his years in London he was heavily involved in radical political activity. Experts believe that this would have put him at risk of being groomed by al-Qaeda recruiters who routinely prey on such radical religious and political gatherings. “Before someone goes off for explosives training they have to be converted to the cause of al-Qaeda,” said Professor Anthony Glees, of the University of Buckingham.
“I think that happened in London in the case of Abdulmutallab, as has happened to many others. He is one of a considerable number of people who have turned to al-Qaeda after being recruited in the UK. This recruitment often goes on where political events take place. Those who speak at such events are not terrorists, but they are being irresponsible if they do not realise that what they say could contribute to the radicalisation of people who could then be recruited into terror.”
Anthony Glees, you may recall, was the guy who advocated for internment camps in the UK ‘to be on the table as an option’ for dealing with the ‘Muslim problem.’
Is the fact that a degenerate like Glees is being quoted in the Times ‘normal’ for that paper, or is this an alarming sign that thinkers from way out in the right-wing universe are being ‘mainstreamed’?
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johnpi
Al Qaeda airline attack, sectarian hirabah against Shiites, provide media diversion while Israel announces its plans to build 700 new homes in East Jerusalem.
Israel said Monday that it will build nearly 700 new apartments in east Jerusalem, drawing tough criticism from both the Palestinians and the United States, which denounced the plan as an obstacle to peacemaking.
“We make a distinction between the West Bank and Jerusalem. Jerusalem is our capital and remains such,” said government spokesman Mark Regev.
Also, here’s a report from the AP about the Institute of Hope, the only orphanage in Gaza. It is home to many of the 1,720 new orphans that were created by last year’s Gaza masssacre.
No wonder Hamas has kicked Al Qaeda and the caliphate utopians out the Gaza Strip. No doubt they would make short work of sacrificing the Palestinians on the caliphate altar.
Of course, there are other huge differences between Hamas and Hezbollah and Al Qaeda and the militant groups of South Asia that it colonized.
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johnpi
Australian braodcaster hit with $10,000 fine for ‘racial villification of Muslims and engaging in “reckless hyperbole calculated to agitate and excite his audience .”
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johnpi
Top American film critic Roger Ebert has published a letter from a fellow critic in Egypt who tells how he and a small group of writers and film editors advanced on the censorship office, protested to fix the changes that had been made by the censors and eventually did fix them.
This article will also probably get some interest for the colorful Egyptian insult that was leveled at the critic: ‘Sushi eating testicle.’ And of course the other great Egyptian cuss word: ‘liberal,’ as in
…before we knew it a line of security guards and some police officers were between us and the two censorship guys. One of the guys told the security guards “Don’t let them in…they’re liberals.”
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johnpi
The Sikh Coalition, an advocacy group for Sikhs in the US, is publicizing an attack in West Texas on a Sikh student who was delivering pizzas.
The local police department failed to designate the attack as a hate crime, failed to take the attack seriously by designating it a misdemeanor assault, and so far have failed even to file the misdemeanor charge against the attackers.
Here’s a description of the attack. Note that it appears from the language that the attackers had mistaken him for a Muslim. See if you think this sounds like a misdemeanor:
He brought pizzas into a home on a delivery and four men took the pizza. Without paying, they began eating, while at the same time hurling racial epithets at the Sikh man and threatening him.
“I’m going to **** you up in Iraq, I’m going to **** you up in Afghanistan, I’m going to **** you up over here.”
The men then grabbed the Sikh student and threw him into a swimming pool. The four attackers surrounded the pool, kicking him in the head and body. Every time he tried to escape, they would stomp or hit at him. For 20 minutes, he swam for his life trying to escape. He eventually seized an opportunity to flee and barely made it to his car with two men in pursuit.
I found this story over at The American Muslim, but it’s also been published in newspapers in India, Pakistan and New Zealand, so it certainly is getting widespread attention.
I have several criticisms of the Sikh Coalition’s advocacy. Nowhere in the press release do they name the town where this happened, or what specific police department failed to do its job. Consequently, the effect of this advocacy is greatly diminished as the opportunity to hold the town and police department up for public opprobrium and shame (powerful behavior changers) has mostly been lost.
In the press release it says, “Due to the sensitive nature of the case we have been asked not to release personal information at this time.” Why? If this has been reported to the police it is a public matter, likely published in the town paper’s police log.
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johnpi
Time magazine decides what the story is and then makes the facts fit.
Time has an article titled, “Defying stereotypes, most domestic ‘jihadists’ are educated, well-off” prominently illustrated with a courtroom sketch of David Coleman Headley.
Headley, according to Time, fits the definition of an educated, well-off ‘jihadi’ because – as the reporter describes him – he is a “Chicago businessman.” Actually, according to his Wikipedia bio, he was an employee of his friend’s immigration agency, hardly a “businessman.” It doesn’t appear that he ever went to college, and he’s a convicted heroin smuggler.
According to media reports, he was able to front himself off as a successful businessman in India, with a personal trainer and smoozing at the gym with Bollywood types, but it’s a huge inaccuracy to imply this con-man loser was some kind of successful person who inexplicably turned on his life of accomplishment and became a ‘jihadi.’
There are also problems with saying Ramy Zamzam comes from the ‘educated, well-off’ class. Zamzam may have been a student at the dental college, but his family lived in a basement apartment (we of the ‘educated, well-off’ class tend to like natural sunlight). The building shown in the media looks like typical public housing project construction. The local imam said he was carrying the hopes of his family on his shoulders for a better life.
I understand why educated, socially and economically accomplished terrorists are so fascinating, and some certainly do exist, but misrepresenting these people as something other than what they are is just shoddy.
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johnpi
‘Sinister Muslim’ stereotype fades.
Muslim voices are finally being heard by and from Hollywood, and it’s in Tinseltown’s best interest to listen.
Negative stereotypes of Muslim characters date to at least the black-and-white era, but by the 1990s and the end of the Cold War, one-dimensional Muslim terrorist characters were the generic “bad guy” in countless movies and television shows, including True Lies (‘94) and Executive Decision (‘96). Even the cartoon Aladdin (‘92) portrayed villains with Middle Eastern accents while the hero and heroine had standard American voices.Such repeated portrayals have colored public perceptions of Muslims and Middle Easterners. The events of 9/11 crystallized and, for some, affirmed the stereotype. But nearly a decade later, Hollywood seems to be changing its tune toward Muslims and Arabs.
It’s about time.
Recently, especially on television shows, Muslim characters are being treated differently. On 24, federal agent Jack Bauer protects the U.S. against terrorist attacks, but those attacks aren’t all coming from stereotypical Muslim characters anymore.
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plimfix
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johnpi
Pakistani police lend hype to the media frenzy, engage in wild speculation about a “big attack” and “ultra radicals.”
“One of the possibilities (is the air force base [in Sargodha, where they were arrested]) but I really don’t think so. The attack was something more acute and bigger,” Anwar said.
If there was a Walmart in Sargodha, we’d be speculating about whether they were planning to attack it.
Also, way at the bottom of the story: The police chief said that the men claimed they came to Pakistan because “they were about to look for a girl, to get married.” That’s fair and balanced.
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johnpi
Headlines going sensational on the Pakistan 5 arrest.
USA Today: “Pakistan police: Five Americans have al-Qaeda link.”
Reuters: “Americans held in Pakistan ‘wanted to join holy war.’”
There’s no new information here. Just more alarmist quotes and headlines.
I’m sure the evening news will be quite a spectacle tonight with spinning graphics, bombastic music, moving photos and file film of training militants to go along with the breathless glower.
I wonder which ‘experts on American Muslims’ will be on the shows….
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thabet
What do you make of this?
The concession follows claims from some media companies that the search engine is profiting from online news pages.
Under the First Click Free programme, publishers can now prevent unrestricted access to subscription website.
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aziz
they misreport, you decide:
Fox News host Gregg Jarrett told viewers that Sarah Palin is “continuing to draw huge crowds while she’s promoting her brand new book.” He then showed old file footage of Palin rallies from the 2008 presidential campaign. Mark Silva hears this will result in “serious disciplinary action.”
If Jarrett isn’t fired outright then FOX has lost whatever scraps of credibility it ever had as a genuine journalism organization. This was rather pathetic, as well.
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thabet
Britain’s Israel Lobby:
Watch it on YouTube.
As an aside, it’s funny how some British Muslims seem to like Dispatches all of a sudden…
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willow
Asra Nomani was recently interviewed on NPR’s Talk of the Nation about Fort Hood. Her suggestion to prevent further violence? Monitor guys who wear their pants above the ankle. This police-state tactic has been en vogue in places like Egypt, Tunisia and Syria for many years. I’m sure the Mubaraks, the Ben Alis and the Assads could give her some great tips.
