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Feature Articles and Commentary
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Oslo and the end of Palestinian independence
The Oslo agreement aimed to end
the Palestinian quest for liberation and justice and
continues to pose the most significant challenge to
both, writes
Joseph Massad*
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The United States, Israel And The Retreat Of Freedom
The world is suffering from a "freedom recession"
according to a new report from the American think
tank Freedom House. Freedom House's approach to
Israel provides the starkest example of the abyss
into which liberal thinking has fallen on the
relationship between colonialism and freedom.
Israel, we are told, "remains the only country in
the [Middle East] region to hold a Freedom in the
World designation of Free."
Ali Abunmah writes. |
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America must rid itself of the curse of Islamophobia |
Islamophobia is a curse that must be confronted
While Islam-bashers in the U.S. Congress,
media, academic and other circles are sometimes
careful to claim that their hostility to Muslims or
Arabs or Islam is limited to the “extremists,” the
goal and the impact of these campaigns is,
nonetheless, in fact to demonize entire countries
and communities. Aref Assaf writes
More |
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The UN Goldstone Report and Moral Equivalency
The 2008 UN’s Goldstone Report was
commissioned to investigate the extent and
consequences of targeting civilians when Israel
invaded the Gaza Strip in late 2007. Critics of the
report conveniently ignored several salient facts
not only regarding the Report's mission and
findings, but about the supposed moral
and practical analogy between the US and Israel on
one side, and Taliban/Al-Qaida and Hamas on the
other. Aref Assaf opines.
More
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"Every Deed Begins with a Word"
Dalia Mogahed is a member of US President Obama's
Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood
Partnerships. The devout Muslim counters criticism
of Obama's Cairo speech by pointing out that it
represents only the first stage in what will be a
long dialogue process.
By Amira El Ahl |
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The
Iceberg facing Public Diplomacy: A triangle of
arrogance, ignorance, and obnoxious management
It is very important to assess how audiences in
the region perceive the Arabic TV services of
International Satellite Broadcasters such as
Deutsche Welle, France 24 and Russia Today. Most of
the time, foreign Arabic-speaking channels fail "to
win the hearts and minds" of the Arab public.
More
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Dunkin
Donuts says Halal is not kosher
A story of bias when Dunkin Donuts does not
require the sale of pork in Kosher certified
establishments but holds firm against Muslims-owned
establishments. For over 20 years, Arab-American
businessman Walid Elkhatib has run a Dunkin' Donuts
franchise in a suburb of Chicago. Now, however, the
Dunkin Donuts corporation has decided to single him
out for his faith, revoking his franchise.
More
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How
and what to teach about 9/11? |
Teaching about
9/11
Aref Assaf
While we laud the State’s effort to develop
a supplemental curriculum to be offered in public
schools about the significance of the horrific
attacks, we however believe the effort would be
incomplete without active participation of and
consultation with our community. We have qualified
Arab and Muslim organizations, educators and
academics whose expertise and views of the world is
pivotal to a more compressive, accurate
interpretation of the "ultimate teachable moment" in
American history.
More |
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Why do they Love us? |
Misreading the
Arab Media
Rather
than being the enemy, most Arab journalists are potential allies whose agenda
broadly tracks the stated goals of United States Middle East policy and who can
be a valuable conduit for explaining American policy to their audiences. Many
see themselves as agents of political and social change who believe it is their
mission to reform the antidemocratic regimes they live under. More from the
NYT |
Israel has received more than 50% of total
US foregin aid!
What did the US get in return? |
Should the U.S. End Aid to Israel? Funding Our
Decline
April
1st I participated in a debate in San Francisco that
raised the question of US aid to Israel.
It was highly appropriate that this debate was held
two weeks before tax day, since in Israel’s sixty
years of existence, it has received more US tax
money than any other nation on earth.
During periods of recession, when Americans are
thrown out of work, homes are repossessed, school
budgets cut and businesses fail, Congress continues
to give Israel massive amounts of our tax money;
currently, about 7 million dollars per day.
More
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Tracking Transience is all
about taking the intrusive "counter-terror" measures
introduced after 9/11 one step further, to the point
of absurdity.
Tracking Transience can be seen
here.
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The eye
of the beholder
"Art is
in the eye of the beholder," as the saying goes.
What is deep and profound to one is just a
meaningless mess of images to another; or in
some cases, smut. The same goes for terrorism —
one man's terrorist is another man's freedom
fighter, and the distinction is based as much on
perception and personal bias as it is on facts.
Unfortunately, for many Americans, a
dark-skinned Muslim with a name like Mohammed,
Ali or Hasan warrants suspicion for being a
terrorist, to be detained and questioned at
places like airports and be sent on their way,
sans dignity. In some cases, people have been
jailed and harassed because their name resembled
someone else's on a watch list.
More
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Online Arab Journalism and views of US |
The Image of the United
States Portrayed in Arab World Online
Journalism
This study is trying to examine to
what extent the online journalism in the Arab World
has adopted biased coverage of the United States.
The study hopes to provide a current assessment of
how the U.S. is portrayed in Arab World online
journalism. This valid, updated information will
enable researchers and communicators alike to better
understand not only what is being done, but may lead
to ways of providing a solid basis for better
dealing with American issues and images in the
future More
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The Racial Divide
Turning a Blind Eye to Injustice
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Race & Ethnicity in America
The American Civil Liberties Union today released a
comprehensive analysis of the pervasive systemic and
structural racism in America. The report,
Race & Ethnicity in America: Turning a Blind Eye to
Injustice, is a response to the U.S. report
to the United Nations’ Committee on the Elimination
of Racial Discrimination (CERD) released earlier
this year. The U.S. report, which the ACLU called a
“whitewash,” swept under the rug the dramatic
effects of widespread racial and ethnic
discrimination in this country.
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Overview of Arab American Media
in the United States
There are a total of 81 newspapers
and national magazines or newsletters that currently
produce news in the United States, the majority
serving Arab American populations in 5 regions and
in 22 states. Several distribute editions through
mailed subscriptions across the country. Yet, 28
states do not have official home based Arab American
newspapers. (This list is compiled by members of
NAAJA, the National Arab American Journalism
Association.
Click here for a study report
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Privacy Statement from American Arab Forum |
The autumn/winter edition of
Banipal Magazine is dedicated to the
memory of Palestinian poet Mahmoud
Darwish.
Click here for more...