That 'bastion' of democracy in the middle east, Israel, is at it again. Spreading ideas of freedom of press, by expelling more foriegn news agencies. This follows their arrest and detention of Iranian journalists during the Gaza invasion.

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Israeli officials say they are taking measures to restrict the work of the Arabic television network, al-Jazeera, inside Israel.

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45440000/jpg/_45440032_003292545-1.jpg

It follows a decision last month by al-Jazeera's owners, the state of Qatar, to cut trade ties with Israel.

The work visas of some al-Jazeera employees based in Israel will not be renewed, according to reports.

Al-Jazeera's journalists will have limited access to Israeli news conferences and briefings.

Qatar was the only Gulf state to have trade ties with Israel, but they were cut in January in protest at the Israeli offensive in Gaza.

Israeli officials were fiercely critical of al-Jazeera's coverage of the conflict in Gaza, accusing it of being a mouthpiece for the militant Islamist movement, Hamas.

An Israeli official in Jerusalem was quoted as saying that it was Qatar's own actions which had now created a problem for al-Jazeera.

Trade ties with Israel  were cut by Qatar not by Israel. Journalism is a trade.

Media presence has nothing to do with trade.

Besides al-Jazeera is not state owned as is claimed in the article. It was originally funded by the Emir of Qatar, but is largely self sufficent now.

This is nothing but another aspect of Israel's propaganda war. Shutting out media outlets that don't report as she dictates.

Al-Jazeera was from its inception the mouth piece for radical islam and terrorist organisations...  that is a FACT.

These days it seeks legitimacy through "better" reporting...  however, that core still exists and it tarnishes both its reputation and credibility.

You really are an extremist Grendel. al-Jazeera has ALWAYS been anti-terrrorism. Never have they supported, promoted or been a 'mouthpiece' for terrorism. However, they've been a little more honest and open in their reporting, by airing both sides of issues. And because they aren't controlled by the Zionist media hierarchy in the U.S they are a bit more autonomous in the way they report on the Middle East, this is what truly sets them apart from most other world media.

If al-Jazeera is a mouthpiece for terrorism, then I'd hate to think what CNN, NBC etc. are for their respective governments.

abu_rashid wrote on Feb 4^th, 2009 at 8:05am:

Media presence has nothing to do with trade. Besides al-Jazeera is not state owned as is claimed in the article. It was originally funded by the Emir of Qatar, but is largely self sufficent now. This is nothing but another aspect of Israel's propaganda war. Shutting out media outlets that don't report as she dictates.

Where are the Israel Broadcasting Authority offices in Quatar? Damascus? Teheran? Mecca or Riyadh?

I'm sorry that's just total bullshit Abu.
Lie to someone else who doesn't know.

Yeh great comeback Grendel.

Aren't you at all concerned how impotent you appear in arguments when responding in such a manner?

soren,

Those countries don't claim to be democracies, they're all dictatorships. Would've though you'd know that.

Concerned?  No.
I know what the truth was.

I've already posted proof of what they said in the past.
Etc, etc, etc...

you on the other hand just make rubbish statements.

You say one thing then try to rope in another argument to disguise the original and go off on a tangent.

Al Jazeera were the mouthpiece for Terrorists.
Never once  did they do anything to help authorities find or capture these people all they did was broadcast their message.

yep...  seems pretty cut and dried to me Abu ben Booby.  there is little doubt that you fail to see anything in regards to this in a balanced and unbiased way as you are a supporter of terrorism and anti-western thought..

Quote:

Never once  did they do anything to help authorities find or capture these people all they did was broadcast their message.

Firstly we don't know how they received the media. It could simply have been emailed/posted to them.

Secondly, the code of ethics of journalists would prevent them from doing such a thing:


Quote:

Ethics Divulging the identity of a confidential source is frowned upon by groups representing journalists in many democracies. In some jurisdictions journalists can be compelled by law to identify their sources, and journalists can and have been jailed for upholding this principle.

News Sources & Ethics

ETHICS

ROTFLMAO

Keep diggin that hole Abu.

An Al-Jazeera broadcast shows a man calling for attacks on the US. -- REUTERS

John R. Bradley, managing editor of Arab News, writes in Straits Times about the notorious Qatari news network Al-Jazeera's recent troubles: "Even for a news organisation which frequently makes world headlines, the past two months have been a roller-coaster ride for Al-Jazeera, the Qatar-based, Arabic-language satellite station famous for airing exclusive video and audio messages from Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden.

"Its best-known Arab reporter, Tayssir Allouni, was arrested in Spain in September for his alleged membership of a Syrian-dominated Al-Qaeda group suspected of close links to the cell responsible for the Sept 11 attacks. He has since been charged.

"The US-backed Iraqi National Congress, meanwhile, slapped a two-week ban on Al-Jazeera's Baghdad reporters in the same month, following accusations that they had encouraged 'anti-coalition attacks' within Iraq by airing calls for suicide attacks by what the station invariably calls 'resistance groups'.

"Then, in October, US forces detained two Al-Jazeera employees covering a suicide bombing at a police station in Baghdad suspected of having had prior knowledge of the attack. They had arrived at the scene and started to film before the bomb went off.

"Last week, Al-Jazeera was in the headlines again, this time for dumping its star Western journalist, Yvonne Ridley, as the senior editor of the recently launched English-language website, english.aljazeera.net. . . .

"Ridley, for decades a Fleet Street hack, shot to fame in 2001, shortly before the US bombing campaign against Afghanistan, when she sneaked into the country disguised as an Afghan woman riding a donkey. The Taleban jailed her for 10 days.

"In a book, Ridley claimed the CIA leaked false documents to the Taleban saying she was a spy for Mossad, the Israeli secret service.

"The CIA had hoped, she argued, that her captors would be persuaded to execute her, and thus give the pro-war lobby in the West a powerful boost on the eve of the planned bombing campaign.

"Ridley became not the martyr to radical Islam she claims the West had planned for, but a convert to Islam - and then, as a journalist with Al-Jazeera, a thorn in the West's side in the build-up and aftermath of the US-led invasion of Iraq, most notably with a series of powerful articles attacking the war's assumed justification.

"Yvonne Ridley was sacked last week, a sign that Al-Jazeera is generally toning down its anti-US rhetoric. . . . an article had appeared in a respected Kuwaiti newspaper which quoted an American Gulf-based diplomat as saying Congress had secretly proposed to US President George W. Bush that he should 'put all possible pressure' on the Qatari government to close Al-Jazeera.

"The article, published in the Arabic-language daily Al-Siyasa, sent shockwaves through Al-Jazeera, according to insiders, despite the fact that its journalists were not able to verify its accuracy. . . .

"If Al-Jazeera failed to relook its news content, the committee was said to have concluded, the US would in turn have to reconsider its relations with Qatar - from where the US-led war on Iraq had been supervised.

"Al-Siyasa said committee members had accused Al-Jazeera of being against both US foreign and domestic political interests and its armed forces, particularly those in Iraq and Afghanistan; of having become a platform for Al-Qaeda and the ousted Iraqi regime; and of promoting other 'fundamentalist and terrorist' Islamist groups.

"There is no doubt that, under all this pressure, Al-Jazeera is toning down its anti-US rhetoric. There is evidently little room for the likes of Ridley, eager to promote anti-US and pro-Arab agendas."

AIM Report: Al-Jazeera Promotes Global Terrorism - August A


AIM Report  |  August 1, 2006

As the AIM “Terror Television” DVD demonstrates, the channel’s first managing director acted in effect as an agent of the Saddam Hussein regime.

AL-JAZEERA PROMOTES GLOBAL TERRORISM

In the same way that Al-Jazeera television has complicated the prospect of a U.S. victory in Iraq, the channel has dramatically increased the Islamic terrorist threat to Israel, helping to produce the war with the Hezbollah terrorist group.

The U.S. and Israel will not be able to win this global war on terrorism unless the role of Al-Jazeera in radicalizing Arabs and Muslims throughout the world is recognized and addressed.

As a result, Accuracy in Media is redoubling its effort to keep the English-language Al-Jazeera out of U.S. media markets. If Al-Jazeera International is allowed to reach English-speaking Arabs and Muslims in the U.S. with its incendiary messages, we could see suicide bombings on the streets of America and the development of more al-Qaeda cells plotting 9/11-type terrorist attacks.

Recon Operations

But Al-Jazeera's threat has taken another form, as Israeli authorities during the war with Hezbollah arrested several Al-Jazeera employees on suspicions of aiding the enemy. One charge was that Al-Jazeera employees in Israel were airing live footage from the scene of Hezbollah strikes in Israel, helping Hezbollah adjust the aim of the rockets it was firing. Another charge was that Al-Jazeera was filming sensitive locations which could be targeted in missile strikes.

Here, Al-Jazeera journalists have been caught visiting the U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico border areas.

Al-Jazeera International made a visit in May to Crosby, North Dakota, prompting inquiries from the local Sheriff and U.S. Border Patrol. The local paper, the Crosby Journal, quoted a Border Patrol official as asking, "What is the interest of an Arab news organization in Crosby, North Dakota?" It reported that Sheriff Lauren Throntvei "said the hairs on the back of his neck stood up when he heard they were in town." The paper said that a U.S. Border Patrol agent asked for the names of the Al-Jazeera journalists, whether they had been near the border, and their stated motivations. The agent "said there were potential international implications to the journalists' visit, on which he could not elaborate."

The Al-Jazeera International delegation claimed to be doing a positive story about the people of northwestern North Dakota. However, Al-Jazeera International is not yet on the air and may not be up and running until the fall.

The Minutemen group previously denounced an attempt by Al-Jazeera to visit the U.S.-Mexico border area as a "recon" operation to benefit those who want to illegally enter the U.S. A Minuteman spokesman called Al-Jazeera a "terrorist TV station."

As the AIM "Terror Television" DVD demonstrates, the channel's first managing director acted in effect as an agent of the Saddam Hussein regime. Al-Jazeera's Baghdad bureau has been closed since August 2004 because of its sympathetic coverage of terrorist acts. The channel, however, is operating in the Kurdish-ruled area of the north and still broadcasts into Iraq. Indeed, it was reported recently that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, during a visit to Kurdistan, refused to entertain questions from the Al-Jazeera correspondent, saying, "I told him that I will not reply because we have position against Al-Jazeera." Al-Maliki added, "I blame my brothers in Kurdistan to allow Al-Jazeera to work although it is banned from that because it incites sectarianism day and night in Iraqi circles." This statement reflects recognition that Al-Jazeera, like al Qaeda, has been trying to spark a civil war in Iraq.

pt 1

pt 2

In the broader Middle East, Al-Jazeera has been doing whatever it can to thwart a reasonable approach to a peace settlement. Despite a series of unilateral Israeli concessions, Al-Jazeera has provided what sympathetic observers call "intensive coverage" of the Palestinian cause. That means that its coverage has encouraged violence against Israel. Its "reporters" openly refer to Palestinian suicide bombers as "martyrs." Honest Reporting, a media watchdog group, has documented how Al-Jazeera has run inflammatory articles on its website referring to President Bush giving the government of Israel a "license to kill" and suicide bombers as "self-sacrifice operations."

Al-Jazeera has played a clear role in the rise of Hamas (the Islamic Resistance Movement) and its Palestinian election victory in January. From the start, Al-Jazeera has been accused of undermining Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement in order to build up Hamas. Arafat even temporarily closed down the Al-Jazeera bureau in Ramallah after it aired an "unflattering image" of him. Fatah supporters in May burned three cars belonging to Al-Jazeera because the channel did not cover an anti-Hamas demonstration in the city.

As part of its pro-Hamas bias, Al-Jazeera in March broadcast a conference in Yemen where a supporter of al Qaeda praised Palestinian suicide bombers and called on the crowd to financially support Hamas. Coverage of this event is available at the website of the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), which monitors the media in that part of the world. Al-Jazeera in May aired a Hamas fundraising event in Gaza, where a jacket worn by the "martyred" former Hamas Chief Sheikh Salah Shehada was auctioned off. Shehada, who was responsible for hundreds of attacks on Israeli citizens and security forces, was killed by Israel in 2002.

Hate-America TV

Stories bashing Israel have to compete with the channel's well-documented bias against America. In our DVD on "Terror Television," we show some film footage of Al-Jazeera television staff in Ramallah in an anti-American demonstration chanting "Down with fascist America."

Here, Al-Jazeera continues to promote conspiracy theories that Muslim terrorists were not really behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Al-Jazeera recently ran an article about a Los Angeles conference that viewed the 9/11 terrorist attacks as "an orchestrated U.S. attempt to incite world war." One of the participants was identified as Webster Tarpley, who wrote a book, 9/11 Synthetic Terror: Made in USA. As the title implies, Tarpley insists that the terrorist attacks on New York City and the Pentagon were an example of "state-sponsored, false-flag terrorism," undertaken by a faction of the U.S. Government in order to "start the war of civilizations." Tarpley is a long-time associate of "anti-Zionist" and former Marxist activist Lyndon LaRouche, who himself has appeared on Al-Jazeera.

pt 3

The Al-Qaeda Connection

Al-Jazeera knows this is a bunch of bunk because its own reporter Yosri Fouda interviewed the al-Qaeda architects of 9/11, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and Ramzi bin al-Shibh, and co-authored a book about it entitled Masterminds of Terror. Peter Maass wrote a fascinating story about Fouda's contacts with al Qaeda in an article in the New York Times Magazine entitled "When Al Qaeda Calls." Ron Suskind's new book, The One Percent Doctrine, takes the story one step further, alleging that Fouda's information about the possible locations of both al-Qaeda operatives led to their ultimate capture. Suskind claims the Emir of Qatar provided the information to then-CIA director George Tenet.

Insisting that it "never communicated any information that it has obtained to any political, security or any other party whatsoever," Al-Jazeera has rejected Suskind's claims as ridiculous and baseless. The channel said it was "well known for its editorial independence" and its "commitment to protect the rights of sources." The implication, of course, is that some of Al-Jazeera's "sources" are terrorists or their agents.

This is part of the problem we face as Al-Jazeera International, which is financed by the same Arab government which brought the world Al-Jazeera, prepares its launch. Even if the Suskind story is true, the capture of these al-Qaeda operatives cannot make up for the murder of almost 3,000 Americans on 9/11, especially because Qatar had links to al Qaeda and Khalid Shaikh Mohammed before 9/11. Today, however, the Wahhabi Muslim regime postures as a friend of the U.S. and hosts American forces.

Al-Jazeera International is busy constructing its new Washington, D.C. bureau on K Street in the nation's capital. Employees say salaries and benefits are good, but former ABC Nightline anchor Ted Koppel, who interviewed for a job there, said he would have nothing to do with it. The new channel has put tremendous resources, including the public-relations muscle of the British-based firm Brown Lloyd James (BLJ), into a campaign to secure carriage on American cable and satellite systems. So far, AIM has stopped them.

Subscribers to the AIM Report received copies of postcards they could send to Michael Holtzman, BLJ executive vice president. The cards noted a report that $1 billion is being spent on Al-Jazeera International and asked, "How much of that is your firm getting?"

BLJ should not be underestimated. The company boasts that Holtzman, who is handling the Al-Jazeera International account in the U.S., "managed the successful global campaign on behalf of China's bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games." The company website says this "extraordinarily successful engagement" was named "Campaign of the Year" by PR Week in 2001.

If the entry of Al-Jazeera International into U.S. media markets becomes another "Campaign of the Year," it is predictable and inevitable that Americans will suffer and die because of it.

Partners In Crime

But stopping Al-Jazeera Inter-national won't be enough. As reported by Hugh Miles, Al-Jazeera has "sharing agreements" with CNN, ABC, NBC, Fox, Japan's NHK, and Germany's ZDF, "all of which regularly use Al-Jazeera's footage and reports." Miles, the author of a fascinating but sympathetic book about Al-Jazeera, makes this point in the context of insisting that "Journalists around the world treat Al-Jazeera with the same respect they treat news from any other major international news network." What they "respect" is the ability of Al-Jazeera to get terrorist "news" from bin Laden and al Qaeda.

CNN was the first U.S.-based network to sign a "resource-sharing agreement" with Al-Jazeera. This relationship was on display when CNN aired part of an interview that Al-Jazeera's then-Kabul-based reporter Tayseer Allouni had conducted with Osama bin Laden. This was described at the time as the only television interview bin Laden had granted since before 9/11. Allouni was later convicted of being an agent of al Qaeda and is now serving seven years in prison in Spain.

Al-Jazeera also has a sharing agreement with the Telesur channel of Venezuelan lunatic ruler Hugo Chavez.  

Rep. Connie Mack had criticized the venture, saying, "When Hugo Chavez launched Telesur…to spread his anti-freedom rhetoric throughout Latin America I raised numerous concerns that he was creating a TV network patterned after Al-Jazeera. Today, Hugo Chavez has gone even further. It wasn't enough for him to spread his socialist propaganda throughout Latin America. Now he's in cahoots with the original terrorist TV." Mack said the alliance "has the effect of creating a global television network for terrorists and other enemies of freedom."

end

The Media Jihad: Aljazeera and Islamic Terrorism
by Mumin Salih

14 May, 2006

Aljazeera started broadcasting in 1996 in the Gulf state of Qatar. In spite of its popularity it was almost unknown outside the Arab world until the terrorist attack of 9/11. Nowadays, Aljazeera has a rating that competes with the BBC and CNN. It is expanding fast and recently it started an English language service.  This Television Station was established on the order of Sheikh Hamad Al Thani soon after he seized power in 1995. It is interesting to know that this Emir came to power by ousting his own father Sheikh Khalifa Al Thani while the latter was on a trip abroad. As a result, Sheikh Khalifa was prevented from returning to his country, and since then he lived in exile, while his son appointed himself as the ruler of the country.  

Until the introduction of this satellite television broadcasting, the Arabs relied on the state owned media for information. The government controlled local radio stations were used extensively to indoctrinate the gullible listeners. Ordinary Arabs were aware that the information they receive from their local radios may not be accurate, but their options were very limited. The alternative was to listen to the Israeli radio or the BBC, which although more accurate, were seen as enemy propaganda that should be treated with caution. Television broadcasting slowly replaced the radio broadcasting as the most influential media tool, but again it was owned by the state. Because of high illiteracy, coupled with the lack of reading habit among the Arabs, the newspapers, subjected to government censorship have far less influence on ordinary Arabs. They would rather prefer the passive and doleful way to watch the news by spending the evenings in front of their television sets.  

Satellite television broadcasting in the Arabic countries started in the early 1990s, again by state-owned and state-controlled television channels. Not surprisingly, such channels followed the usual style adopted by the terrestrial ones. To the viewers, that only meant more variety of boring channels. Few privately owned channels such as the MBC and ART, both London based Saudi owned channels, dominated the market but they focused more on drama and music.

Aljazeera came on air in 1996 as all-news Arabic language channel. Many of its staff came from the BBC with which it has a strong tie. From the outset, Aljazeera aimed, by portraying itself as different from the others, to draw the attention of the Arab audience. This meant presenting controversial views and hosting controversial personalities. They discussed internal Arab politics that were seen to be too sensitive to many Arab states. Such broadcasting style was more than welcome by the Arab audience who are not used to seeing on television internal and intra-Arab politics being discussed in the open. This frequently led to condemnation by various Arab states and strained their diplomatic ties with the government of Qatar, which added even more to the joy of the audience who thought that at last the age of free and professional journalism has arrived in the Arab world.

However, it was not always good news for Aljazeera. The audience soon realized that while the Qatari government defends Aljazeera in the name of freedom of speech and professional journalism, the fact remains that Al jazeera has never been critical of anything to do with Qatar itself. And it just happened that this tiny Gulf state is filled with controversies and intersting news stories. Examples are: the way Sheikh Hamad came to power by turning against his own father; the total absence of democratic life and the fact that Qatar hosts the largest American military base ouside America are all interesting stories to the Arab audience but were never mentioned.

However, Qatar was not the only state that was beyond the reach of Al jazeera's critical discussions. There was an even more controversial regime that was not allowed to be touched. It was the erstwhile Iraqi regime.

The truth is: Aljazeera was infiltrated by the Iraqi faction of the Baath party who controlled the channel. The issue of sanctions on Iraq became the most important and the most frequently discussed subject in Aljazeera broadcasting, displacing even the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The death of Iraqi children was an exaggerated non-stop talk. The fact that from the outset the sanctions on Iraq excluded food and medicines was completely ignored as well as the fact that under the sanctions Saddam was busy building the most lavish palaces Iraq has known.

During the mid 1990s, Saddam's regime was suffering from many significant humiliations. The regime lost the support it enjoyed earlier from King Hussein of Jordan who distanced himself from the Iraqi dictator. Soon Saddam's two sons-in -law, accompanied by their wives, defected to Jordan and were briefed by the Americans as they both held key positions in the army. Saddam later killed the two men but that did not help the image of his regime. That incident was preceded and followed by many other defections of Iraqi officials. In the midst of these events the introduction of Aljazeera couldn't be at a better time.  

pt 1

pt 2

Aljazeera and anti-Americanism

Since its launch in 1995, Aljazeera followed a consistent anti-American policy. Its clever editing and broadcasting made the un-informed and gullible audience think of Aljazeera as an impartial news channel. At the same time it was directing the minds of that simple audience to its mindset of thinking. This mindset is normally an anti American one. Even when America sided with the Muslims of former Yougoslavia and intervened for their protection, the channel could not hide its position vis--vis Milosevic, the Serbian leader who was seen as a friend and ally by the Iraqi dictator. The Iraqi leader awarded Milosevic with the highest Iraqi Medal!

Aljazeera came to be known to the west after the terrorists' attacks on 9/11 and the subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. By then, its alliances with Taliban, Alqaeda and Saddam were difficult to hide. Their reporters were given previliges by those terrorist organizations not given to any one else. Aljazeera's news footages were broadcast everywhere by western channels providing Aljazeera with free worldwide publicity. After the fall of these terror groups, who all went underground, they communicated with the outside world through audio or videotapes sent to Aljazeera, which has become their unofficial mouthpiece. Western Television channels stupidly started a race to sign contracts with Aljazeera, even American and British politicians also joined the race with their desire to appear on this channel to address the Arab people. By doing so they gave Aljazeera a stamp of credibility that added even more to their claim of professionalism and authority. When such response comes from the west, nobody could blame the simple Arab audience to tune to this channel with confidence and believe whatever it says.  

After all the hundreds of terrorists operations, costing thousands of innocent victims, Aljazeera still refuses to describe the Islamic terrorists as what they are-terrorists. Aljazeera prefersto call them 'whom some describe as terrorists'. On the other hand, suicide bombers are automatically called martyrs. Aljazeera introduced to the world some previously unknown personalities and made them celebrities. The best known is Sheikh Yusef Al Qardawi who is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood and a leading hate preacher. Most Islamist leaders found Aljazeera a suitable platform for their fascistic cause. By broadcasting special programs and inviting such Islamists guests Aljazeera also plays a major role in propagating Islamic myths such as: the myth of scientific miracles in the Quran. This Islamist propaganda goes unabated as Aljazeera never allows such Quranic claims to be challenged. Many of Aljazeera reporters were members of terrorist organizations and were involved in terrorist activities. For example, Tayseer Alloni was its reporter in Afghanistan and is now serving a jail sentence in Spain for complicity with Islamist terrorist organizations.  

Aljazeera built its career by making itself a platform of Islamic extremists and a mouthpiece for Islamist terrorist organizations.  If it was left on its own, it would probably shrink to become just another Arabic television channel. But thanks to the west, this channel is now the most influential in shaping the Arab opinion and soon may influence other nation's opinions with its recently introduced English language service.

Terrorists themselves are the victims of a major brainwashing process; they are the products of factories of terror that exist everywhere, inside and outside the Islamic world. Such factories may take the form of television stations, newspapers, magazine publications or Islamic web sites. They all aim to manipulate the minds of their simple audience. Kill a terrorist and these hard working factories will produce a thousand more.  

Currently Aljazeera is not on its own. All other Arabic television stations and newspapers have joined the chorus. They all had to face the reality that they must speak the language of Aljazeera to be heard. Nowadays, it is nearly impossible for somebody to appear on an Arabic television or write in a newspaper defending the American policy and be listened to. Even those writers who oppose terrorism do so carefully in order not to offend their audience by questioning those 'basic facts' about the American imperialism.  

I am afraid the current wave of Islamic terrorism is the result of a major ongoing media campaign. To combat Islamist terrorism the world must take into consideration this media factor, otherwise we will be hiting the wrong target.    

Aljazeera's mission is to continuously charge the Arab masses against America and the west. This is their jihad, which is a well-recognized form of Islamic jihad using word as a weapon.  Their best ally in this media jihad is the western media itself who are engaged in a mission of self-flagellation and self-blaming for all the faults in the world including the terror crimes. Muslims who are supportive to terrorist activities do so because they think it is working well and is bringing the west to its knees. Aljazeera proves this to them everyday by presenting to them the eccentric west's response. Aljazeera appeals to its audience by claiming that it is at war to balance the biased and anti-Islamic western media. In

The3 Al Jazeera effect...


Quote:

Terrorist organizations increasingly rely on new media -- primarily the Internet and satellite television -- to organize, proselytize, recruit, train, and otherwise manage their operations. This paper examines how the increasing pervasiveness and influence of new media -- the “Al Jazeera effect� -- can reshape terrorism and efforts to combat terrorism.The Internet provides a home for everything from easily accessible online terrorist magazines to covert message forums. Groups such as al Qaeda have their own production units that create videos disseminated through the rapidly growing array of satellite television channels. Recent reports indicate that al Qaeda quadrupled its production of videos between 2005 and 2006, and relies on more than 4,500 Web sites to spread its message. Those conducting and reporting about a “war on terror� must understand how new media are being used and how they enhance terrorist organizations’ capabilities. Because governments and the news media usually focus on specific terrorist acts, the new media foundation of modern terrorism does not receive the attention it deserves.

abu_rashid wrote on Feb 5^th, 2009 at 6:30am:

soren, Those countries don't claim to be democracies, they're all dictatorships. Would've though you'd know that.

Oh, I see. Of course. Different standards apply to the Zionist entity. Higher ones.
How could I forget. We can't expect Mohammedans to hold themselves to the same standards. That would be racist or islamophobic. Or something.
I am sure there is an excuse. There always is.

Quote:

Because of high illiteracy, coupled with the lack of reading habit among the Arabs, the newspapers, subjected to government censorship have far less influence on ordinary Arabs. They would rather prefer the passive and doleful way to watch the news by spending the evenings in front of their television sets.

If they knew anyhting about the Arabic language, they'd know it's diglossic. This means that pretty much anyone who can understand al-Jazeera should be able to read/write also. That point displays a clear ignorance of the writer of this article. He appears to be just making it up as he goes along.


Quote:

The truth is: Aljazeera was infiltrated by the Iraqi faction of the Baath party who controlled the channel[/quote] And the evidence for this??? Because it covered the Iraqi war fairly?  ;D [quote]The issue of sanctions on Iraq became the most important and the most frequently discussed subject in Aljazeera broadcasting, displacing even the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The death of Iraqi children was an exaggerated non-stop talk

If we compare the number of people who died as a result of the sanctions with the amount of air time it received on al-Jazeera, then compare the number of people who died in 9/11 with the amount of airtime it got on every single Western media station, you'll see al-Jazeera is far more balanced than any Western media.

Do you think they should just report Western tragedies, as Western media does?  ;D

It always amazes me how earthquakes that kill hundreds or thousands of people, often don't even make the front page of Western newspaper, often because they happen in countries like Kazakhstan or Iran. After all what's a few hundred dead Iranians compared to Kylie Minogues latest raunchy stage show in London??


Quote:

This mindset is normally an anti American one. Even when America sided with the Muslims of former Yougoslavia and intervened for their protection, the channel could not hide its position vis--vis Milosevic, the Serbian leader who was seen as a friend and ally by the Iraqi dictator. The Iraqi leader awarded Milosevic with the highest Iraqi Medal!

This just proves it's NOT a mouthpiece of Islamists. Since Islamists would never take the side of such a mass murderer.

This article is riddled with such inconsistencies.


Quote:

By then, its alliances with Taliban, Alqaeda and Saddam were difficult to hide

Why not throw Iran in there for good measure... worked for Bush  ;D


Quote:

The best known is Sheikh Yusef Al Qardawi who is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood and a leading hate preacher. Most Islamist leaders found Aljazeera a suitable platform for their fascistic cause

Yeh and they pit him against Wafa Sultan (isn't she a favourite of yours??), so how does that make them a mouthpiece for Islamists?? Qaradawi is one of the most influential Muslim scholars alive today, why wouldn't he be part of media in the Arabic world?? Kinda goes without saying doesn't it?

All this article really does establish is that al-Jazeera is a media outlet that deals with issues primarily effecting the Arab world... Hello!!


Quote:

For example, Tayseer Alloni was its reporter in Afghanistan and is now serving a jail sentence in Spain for complicity with Islamist terrorist organizations.

He also worked for the Spanish media outlet EFE, does that mean they're a mouthpiece for terrorism as well?

The guy was wrongly charged, simply because he interviewed OBL. And he's now in home detention, which indicates he can't be too dangerous. He's more likely the victim of a witchhunt after the Madrid bombings.

Serves him right for interviewing OBL right??


Quote:

Aljazeera built its career by making itself a platform of Islamic extremists and a mouthpiece for Islamist terrorist organizations.

All conjecture. As I already pointed out, they give plenty of airtime to people like Wafa Sultan (who really does not deserve it), as well as Israelis and other Zionist academics.

You should try watching it sometime, it's actually fairly balanced... unlike most Western media.


Quote:

Aljazeera's mission is to continuously charge the Arab masses against America and the west.

When half your family has been killed by Americans, I doubt you need a TV channel to charge you up against them...

Think about that a little.

As Michael Scheuer, former head of the CIA's Bin Laden unit wrote about Islamic media, most likely referring to al-Jazeera:

"On balance, the Islamic media's taste for what the West terms sensationalizing and conspiracy mongering is less than meets the eye. Based on my research, it is apparent that the Islamic media's correspondents and editors work harder, dig deeper, and think more than most of their Western counterparts. This is not to say that the Islamic media do not suffer from sensationalized conspiracy theories, but they probably are no more prone to those faults than their Western colleagues." (Through Our Enemies' Eyes, p. 280)

Quote:

Oh, I see. Of course. Different standards apply to the Zionist entity. Higher ones.

Why not? If they want to be praised as being "the only Democracy in the Middle East", then surely they should be held to those same standards when they fall below them, should they not?


Quote:

How could I forget. We can't expect Mohammedans to hold themselves to the same standards

As I said, I agree, all Arab countries without exception are ruled by ruthless dictators.

They get none of the condemnation because they get none of the praise to begin with. They can't fall below the standard, because they exist below it all the time.

I'm completely in agreeance with you on that one.

Well Abu, those who think of Islam as negative, need only read that post from you, it could have been written by LeStupid, and yet you are not a stupid man, yet your obsession leads you to make such illogical statements, in your frustrated attempt to portray everything Islamic as perfect.

Sorry mozza, not sure i follow.

Can you put a bit more context to what you just said? Perhaps quote the specific statements you're addressing?

abu_rashid wrote on Feb 6^th, 2009 at 4:24am:

Quote: Oh, I see. Of course. Different standards apply to the Zionist entity. Higher ones. Why not? If they want to be praised as being "the only Democracy in the Middle East", then surely they should be held to those same standards when they fall below them, should they not? [quote]How could I forget. We can't expect Mohammedans to hold themselves to the same standards

As I said, I agree, all Arab countries without exception are ruled by ruthless dictators.

They get none of the condemnation because they get none of the praise to begin with. They can't fall below the standard, because they exist below it all the time.

I'm completely in agreeance with you on that one.[/quote]


I agree too. Islam is substandard ideology. It needs to be reformed or disappear.

mozzaok wrote on Feb 6^th, 2009 at 5:42am:

Well Abu, those who think of Islam as negative, need only read that post from you, it could have been written by LeStupid, and yet you are not a stupid man, yet your obsession leads you to make such illogical statements, in your frustrated attempt to portray everything Islamic as perfect.

Yet when it comes to 'responding' to 'le-stupid' you fall miserably short every time.

Makes you wonder...just who is the stupid one Mozz?

So are you going to respond to Abu's post, or is your usual pathetic shallow ramblings the best you can do.

:D:D

Lestat wrote on Feb 6^th, 2009 at 8:46am:

... Yet when it comes to 'responding' to 'le-stupid' you fall miserably short every time. ...

Actually mozzaok responded to you and abu many times so it is incorrect to say that he fall miserably short  ;)

abu_rashid wrote on Feb 6^th, 2009 at 4:24am:

Quote: Oh, I see. Of course. Different standards apply to the Zionist entity. Higher ones. Why not? If they want to be praised as being "the only Democracy in the Middle East", then surely they should be held to those same standards when they fall below them, should they not? [quote]How could I forget. We can't expect Mohammedans to hold themselves to the same standards

As I said, I agree, all Arab countries without exception are ruled by ruthless dictators.

They get none of the condemnation because they get none of the praise to begin with. They can't fall below the standard, because they exist below it all the time.

I'm completely in agreeance with you on that one.[/quote]

Cheers.

ROTFLMAO

you should have just admitted you were wrong Abu...  

Oh and BTW I have seen reports from Al J and yes they were biased and wrong and yes they were just the mouth piece for terrorists of the Islamic persuasion.  A fact you have failed miserably to refute.

Grendel wrote on Feb 6^th, 2009 at 10:01am:

Oh and BTW I have seen reports from Al J and yes they were biased and wrong and yes they were just the mouth piece for terrorists of the Islamic persuasion.  A fact you have failed miserably to refute.

Have you got any examples or are you just making it up as you go along.

Let me guess, we're supposed to 'take your word for it' hey.

:D:D

the only fact here is that the numerous zionist propganda sites you have posted have been found to be wrong, and when this is highlighted to you, you can only respond with your starndard "ROTLMAO', which is boofy newspeak for 'I have no response so I will laugh like the dopey dimwit I am'.

tallowood wrote on Feb 6^th, 2009 at 8:57am:

Lestat wrote on Feb 6th, 2009 at 8:46am: ... Yet when it comes to 'responding' to 'le-stupid' you fall miserably short every time. ... Actually mozzaok responded to you and abu many times so it is incorrect to say that he fall miserably short  ;)

Its no surprise that you find is pathetic ramblings so impressive. Simple minds are impressed by simple posts. :)

gday troll..

better pull your head back in your shell Les before someone treads on it.


Quote:

The Arab world ranks NO.1 (in illiteratcy) EDUCATION ALARM IN ARAB WORLD, 95 MILLION ILLITERATE PEOPLE ROME, SEPTEMBER 8 - With 95 million illiterate people, of whom 75 million aged between 15 and 45, the Arab world confirms itself on the first place in the global ranking of the countries whose citizens do not know either to read or write. These are the merciless data presented in Rome this morning during the conference titled "Literacy More..in the Mediterranean", organised at the Chamber of Deputies as part of the celebrations for the International Literacy Day, called by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. "One out of three citizens is illiterate", Arab League Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ALESCO) director Mongi Bousnia reminded. This is double the world average (16%). Women are the most affected by the phenomenon, actually 46.5% do not know either to read or write. And also most of those who live in the villages and in the most depressed areas of the Arab world have never had a chance to sit at the school desks. The main causes for that phenomenon," Bousnia pointed out, "are surely the excessive birth rate", as the close correlation between exponential demographic growth and the rise of illiteracy rate (71%) shows in the five most populated states which are part of the 28 countries part of ALESCO. It is not only the demographic boom but also the abject poverty which afflicts these people, as well as the disinterest of the Arab governments which have ignored the literacy issue too long. "In the past thirty years we made many efforts to reduce the rate of the people without education, but the road to go is still very long," Bousnia said. In relative terms, the data speak of a constant drop. In 1970 the rate of illiterate adults in the Arab states was 75%, in 1990 it was 48.7%, in 2000 it was 39.9%, while in 2007 the average of illiterate people in this area of the world is around 30%. "Nevertheless, in absolute terms, the number of illiterate Arab citizens is growing at a skyrocketing speed," Bousnia said. From 50 million illiterate in 1970, there were 60 million in 1990s, to the current 95.5 million out of the 335 million citizens of those states. There have been many common efforts - also of the economic type . taken since the 1960s by the Arab governments, but the road is yet to be climbed. "Eradicate illiteracy is a way to increase security in the Mediterranean area," the ALESCO director said. Here, he believes, the role of the woman is fundamental for fighting against the mentality of hatred and violence which lies on the basis of terrorism. However, investment in literacy programmes is needed. "Tunisian President Ben Ali has launched an appeal to the rich oil-producing countries so that their governments allocate one dollar per each barrel of crude in projects to fight illiteracy in the Arab states," Bousnia said. Not only the institutions, but also the Arab civil society, with its non-governmental associations and organisations, can give its contribution. It is thanks to the NGOs that the poor people in Egypt come close to education, Raafat Abdel Baki, delegate of the Egyptian Education Ministry, explained during the day of study organised by the National Union to Fight Illiteracy, by the Observatory of the Mediterranean and the University of Castel Sant'Angelo. With 17 million illiterates, Egypt is the Arab state with the highest number of illiterate people.

Quote:

Literacy in the Arab world remains below the developed nations' minimum average of 95 per cent Literacy rates in the Arab world remain below the minimum average of 95 per cent in the developed nations, despite several countries notching up increasingly high literacy statistics.

WHICH MEANS THAT A FEW COUNTRIES HAVE HIGH STATS AND LOTS DON’T.

     

Quote:

alJazeera 070208 Beyond literacy in the Arab World A new World Bank report said the quality of education in the Arab world is falling behind other regions By James H. Roth Chicago, Illinois - Education in the Arab world is a mixture of good and bad news. On one hand, literacy continues to improve across the region, with some countries progressing more than others. On the other hand, the Arab world continues to lag behind most of the world and is producing citizens ill-equipped to participate in the rapidly evolving global market. As a result, structural unemployment is a major dilemma. Educational reform is urgently needed.

OH DEAR LOOK BACKED UP BY YOUR FAVOURITE NEWS SOURCE.

FROM THE SAME ARTICLE…


Quote:

Eradicating illiteracy was an important mission of the post-colonial Arab world. The Arabs have made a serious dent on that front. Although about 70 million Arabs remain illiterate, that number is quickly decreasing. Yet, there is a difference between educating to achieve literacy and providing quality education. By and large, the Arab world has not yet transformed their educational systems from focusing on literacy into a system with the institutions necessary to integrate their young people into their own labour markets and to push their countries into the competitive global arena.

OH DEAR…

FROM UNESCO


Quote:

Present weaknesses This short reminder of history shows how ironic it is that Arabs themselves now identify a knowledge deficit as one of their major weaknesses at the beginning of the 21st century. A thousand years ago the Arabs did not simply lead in making discoveries and codifing knowledge, they also drove the development of the scientific method that became the basis of civilisation all over the world. According to the UNDP’s Arab Human Development Report 2002, which has been a wake-up call for all of us, The great weaknesses of the Arab world are the lack of freedom, the lack of knowledge and the lack of women’s empowerment. First, there is poverty and its corollary of unemployment. About one in five Arabs live on less than two dollars a day and economic growth at an annual 0.5% is dismal. Unless growth can be accelerated, the current figure of 12 million unemployed could rise to 25 million by 2010. Second, the global trend of democratisation has had little impact in the Arab region, making for frustrated populations. Third, freedom of expression and freedom of association are very limited, exacerbating the frustrations. Fourth, more than half the Arab women are illiterate with the result that much that goes on in contemporary life passes them by. Fifth and related to this, women’s political and economic participation remains the lowest in the world (with only 3.5% of all seats in parliaments). Sixth, and a symbol of this lack of engagement with the modern world, only 1.2% of the population uses a PC and 0.6% of the population uses the Internet. Finally, telephone line access in the countries is barely one-fifth that of the developed world, which must hinder attempts by Arabs to work together. Looking now at literacy, the Arab region has some of the world’s lowest adult literacy rates, with only 60% of the region’s population of 15 and over able to read and to write in 2000, well below the world average of 80% and the developing country average of 73.6%. Gender disparity in literacy is severe. Women account for nearly two-thirds of the region’s illiterates, a figure not expected to change much by 2015. Gender gaps are particularly large in Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen.

WHAT WAS THAT?  THE ARAB REGION HAS SOME OF THE WORLD’S LOWEST LITERACY RATES.

ONLY 60% OVER 15 ABLE TO READ AND WRITE.

Well well well...  look at that Abu....  just another Ben Booby on your behalf.

Illiteracy seems rife in the Arab world after all.  tsk tsk tsk....  good thing you are not a Christian.  As a Muslim you're allowed to lie to us infidels.  Good Muslim.

Things just keep getting tack-ier eh.   ;D

Grendel wrote on Feb 6^th, 2009 at 11:06am:

gday troll.. better pull your head back in your shell Les before someone treads on it.

Whats wrong boofy...can't back up your claims. Just in case you forgot....


Lestat wrote on Feb 6^th, 2009 at 10:24am:

Grendel wrote on Feb 6th, 2009 at 10:01am: Oh and BTW I have seen reports from Al J and yes they were biased and wrong and yes they were just the mouth piece for terrorists of the Islamic persuasion.  A fact you have failed miserably to refute. Have you got any examples or are you just making it up as you go along. Let me guess, we're supposed to 'take your word for it' hey. :D:D

Grendel wrote on Feb 6^th, 2009 at 11:19am:

Well well well...  look at that Abu....  just another Ben Booby on your behalf. Illiteracy seems rife in the Arab world after all.  tsk tsk tsk....  good thing you are not a Christian.  As a Muslim you're allowed to lie to us infidels.  Good Muslim. Things just keep getting tack-ier eh.   ;D

abu_rashid wrote on Feb 6^th, 2009 at 4:17am:

If they knew anyhting about the Arabic language, they'd know it's diglossic. This means that pretty much anyone who can understand al-Jazeera should be able to read/write also. That point displays a clear ignorance of the writer of this article. He appears to be just making it up as he goes along.

You see boofy, this is another clear example of how dumb you really are. Abu made no mention of illiteracy rates. Once again you a clearly way out of your depth.

You clearly do not understand what he is saying, so you go and do all this research to discredit Abu...on a point he never actually made.

Abu hasn't lied about anything...your just to simple to make sense of what he is telling you. The fault lies with you.

Gee do you suppose all those people... Arabs included, don't understand either?   :D :D :D

back in your shell Les...  its safer in there.

Grendel wrote on Feb 6^th, 2009 at 11:44am:

Gee do you suppose all those people... Arabs included, don't understand either?   :D :D :D back in your shell Les...  its safer in there.

huh..what are you on about? I showed you Abu post that you were respoinding to...and clearly he does not mention illiteracy rates. Hence your response..is, once again, irrelevant.

How bout you address what Abu actually did say instead of rambling on about an irrelevant point that no one argued.

Oh thats right...you can't. :D:D

Lestat wrote on Feb 6^th, 2009 at 10:29am:

tallowood wrote on Feb 6th, 2009 at 8:57am: Lestat wrote on Feb 6th, 2009 at 8:46am: ... Yet when it comes to 'responding' to 'le-stupid' you fall miserably short every time. ... Actually mozzaok responded to you and abu many times so it is incorrect to say that he fall miserably short  ;) Its no surprise that you find is pathetic ramblings so impressive. Simple minds are impressed by simple posts. :)

lestat, you know already that mohamed the pro was simpler then me and the conclusion reached by the use of your own logic.  ;)

Actually my Muslim Turtle, Abu picked a quote on illiteracy... then tried to smokescreen and avoid the quote.  how unusual.

BTW formal and informal versions of a language do not mean people are more literate or have habits other than those related in the article.

Arab and international figures on illiteracy in the Arab world speak bundles about their ignorance and willingness to believe conspiracy theories and propaganda rather than reality.  Oh I'm sorry.. that includes you.

Lestat wrote on Feb 6^th, 2009 at 11:37am:

Grendel wrote on Feb 6th, 2009 at 11:06am: gday troll.. better pull your head back in your shell Les before someone treads on it. Whats wrong boofy...can't back up your claims. Just in case you forgot.... Lestat wrote on Feb 6th, 2009 at 10:24am: Grendel wrote on Feb 6th, 2009 at 10:01am: Oh and BTW I have seen reports from Al J and yes they were biased and wrong and yes they were just the mouth piece for terrorists of the Islamic persuasion.  A fact you have failed miserably to refute. Have you got any examples or are you just making it up as you go along. Let me guess, we're supposed to 'take your word for it' hey. :D:D

Lizzie, hamas called Al jazeera balanced and objective. Nuf said. Sit down, girl.


March 14, 2008

Palestinian Authority officials said last week that oil-rich Qatar has been such a staunch supporter and promoter of Hamas both financially and politically that it is in a unique position to influence the Hamas leadership.

"Qatar gives Hamas millions of dollars a month [on average]," a senior aide to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told The Washington Times during Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's visit to the West Bank.

Israel is only the latest government annoyed by what it perceives as slanted reporting by Al Jazeera. The Arabic satellite news channel's coverage of the war in Iraq won it protests from the U.S. and Britain.

Al Jazeera has also run into difficulties in the Middle East, with criticism from Saudi Arabia and reporters banned or harassed in Egypt, Jordan and Kuwait. Recently, the Palestinian Authority echoed Israeli charges of Al Jazeera's coverage as pro-Hamas.