Committee to Protect Journalists condemns arrest of blogger critical of Egypt

CPJ Condemns Blogger’s Conviction for Insulting Islam
Committee to Protect Journalists
330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001 USA
Phone: (212) 465­1004
Fax: (212) 465­9568 Web: www.cpj.org
E-Mail: media@cpj.org
http://www.cpj.org
Contact: Abi Wright
e-mail: info@cpj.org
Telephone: (212) 465-1004 x-105

EGYPT: CPJ Condemns Blogger’s Conviction for Insulting Islam, President Mubarak

New York, February 22, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists released the following statement in response to today’s conviction of Internet writer Abdel Karim Suleiman, who was found guilty of insulting Islam and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and sentenced to four years in prison by a court in Alexandria.

“With this verdict, Egypt has opened up a new front in its efforts to stifle media freedoms,” said CPJ Middle East Program Coordinator Joel Campagna. “It sets an alarming precedent for the criminalization of online expression and will surely have a debilitating effect on an all independent media in Egypt. Abdel Karim Suleiman should be released immediately.”

According to CPJ research, Internet writers and editors are the fastest growing segment of imprisoned journalists worldwide, with 49 behind bars as of December 2006. CPJ is a New York–based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit www.cpj.org.

Egypt blogger jailed for "insult"

Egypt blogger jailed for 'insult'
BBC News Feb. 22, 2007

An Egyptian court has sentenced a blogger to four years' prison for insulting Islam and the president.

Abdel Kareem Soliman's trial was the first time that a blogger had been prosecuted in Egypt.

He had used his web log to criticise the country's top Islamic institution, al-Azhar university and President Hosni Mubarak, whom he called a dictator.

A human rights group called the verdict "very tough" and a "strong message" to Egypt's thousands of bloggers.

Soliman, 22, was tried in his native city of Alexandria. He blogs under the name Kareem Amer.

A former student at al-Azhar, he called the institution "the university of terrorism" and accused it of suppressing free thought.

The university expelled him in 2006 and pressed prosecutors to put him on trial.
'Slap in the face'

During the five-minute court session the judge said Soliman was guilty and would serve three years for insulting Islam and inciting sedition, and one year for insulting Mr Mubarak.

Egypt arrested a number of bloggers who had been critical of the government during 2006, but they were all subsequently freed.

Hafiz Abou Saada of the Egyptian Human Rights Organisation called the sentence "a strong message to all bloggers who are put under strong surveillance".

The UK-based organisation Amnesty International said the ruling was "yet another slap in the face of freedom for expression in Egypt".

Fellow blogger Amr Gharbeia told the BBC it would not stop Egyptian bloggers from expressing opinions as "it is very difficult to control the blogosphere".

There have been no reported comments on the sentence from the Egyptian authorities.

CAIR Video contest to promote understanding: deadline April 15, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CAIR ANNOUNCES $10K VIDEO CONTEST TO PROMOTE MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING

Two $5,000 prizes to be awarded for 'Let the Conversation Begin' digital videos(WASHINGTON, D.C., 2/22/2007) - A prominent national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group today announced an online digital video contest designed to help promote mutual understanding between Muslims and people of other faiths in America and worldwide.

The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said it will offer two $5,000 prizes for videos up to one minute long that are the most effective in promoting interfaith understanding and communicating the contest theme of "Let the Conversation Begin." (The videos are limited to one minute in length because they may be used as television public service announcements.)"Our video contest theme is a reflection both of CAIR's mission and of our belief that people of all faiths in America and around the world must begin talking to each other to help build trust and respect for differences," said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad. He added that the contest is also designed to identify and recognize talented video producers in the American Muslim community.

Awad said one prize will be awarded to a member of America's Islamic community whose video is deemed most effective at promoting mutual understanding between American Muslims and people of other faiths. The other prize will be awarded to a person of any faith, anywhere in the world, whose video is most effective at promoting mutual understanding between the Islamic World and America.

Video submissions will be accepted between February 23 and April 15, 2007. Audio (if any) must be in English or with English sub-titles, and the videos must be submitted in .avi, .mov, or .mpg using .zip format.All CAIR video contest submissions will be evaluated for originality and creativity, production quality and effectiveness in promoting mutual understanding. Winners will also have their videos posted on www.YouTube.com and on www.cair.com.

SEE: CAIR 'Let the Conversation Begin' Video Contest RulesCAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 32 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

- END -

CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Rabiah Ahmed, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441, E-Mail: rahmed@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com

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CAIRCouncil on American-Islamic Relations453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.Washington, D.C. 20003Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726Fax: 202-488-0833E-mail: info@cair.comURL: http://www.cair.com

ADC 2007 Shaheen Mass Communications Scholarship applications open

2007 Jack G. Shaheen Mass Communications Scholarship

Purpose: To recognize Arab-American students who excel in Media Studies. Amount: $1000 Eligibility: Juniors, Seniors, or Graduate Students. Must be attending college in the 2007-08 academic year. Must be majoring in Mass Communications, Journalism, Radio, Television, and/or Film. Must have at least a 3.0 GPA and be a U.S. citizen of Arab heritage Applicants should send the following to the ADC Research Institute: A one-page statement stating that you are a US citizen, explaining your goals and why you merit the scholarship. Copies of articles, videos, films, etc. Official academic transcripts including your GPA. Two letters of recommendation from Mass Communications professors. Permanent home address, phone number, email address; also address, phone number, and email address during the school year. Deadline: April 12, 2007 Awards will be announced and presented during ADC's Annual Convention in Washington, DC. Send materials to: Attn: Nawar Shora ADC Research Institute (ADCRI) 1732 Wisconsin Ave, NW Washington, DC 20007 Tel: 202-244-2990 Fax: 202-244-7968

To donate or become a member of ADC click here:
https://www.adc.org/membership/

American-Arab Anti-Discrimination CommitteeOrganizing Department1732 Wisconsin Ave NW.Washington, DC. 20007, U.S.A.Tel: (202) 244-2990

E-mail: organizing@adc.org

Web : http://www.adc.org

CPJ: Journalists in Iraq still missing one year later

Iraq: Journalists still missing one year on

New York, February 2, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned that more than a year after Iraqi journalists Marwan Ghazal and Reem Zaeed were abducted by gunmen in Baghdad they remain missing.

“The plight of Marwan Ghazal and Reem Zaeed underscores the enormous dangers faced by all journalists covering this conflict, but especially those largely anonymous, local reporters who are most at risk,” CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon said. “Alive or dead they must not be forgotten. If they are still being held, Iraqi authorities should do everything to find them.”

Ghazal and Zaeed, who worked for the Iraqi satellite channel Al-Sumaria, were seized by several gunmen driving a blue Opel car outside the offices of the Iraqi Islamic Party in Baghdad’s Yarmouk district at midday on February 1, 2006, according to a family member of one of the journalists and a news editor at Al-Sumaria.

The abduction occurred when Zaeed went to pick up Ghazal from a press conference at which the Iraqi Islamic Party had accused Iraqi police and security forces of human rights abuses, according to a source at Al-Sumaria. Zaeed had been coming from her own assignment, reporting on a meeting at the Baghdad offices of the Red Crescent. CPJ sources said that the gunmen ordered Zaeed and Ghazal to get out of the car, assaulted one of Zaeed’s cameramen who resisted, and drove off with the two journalists.

Journalists from Al-Sumaria say there has been no news of Ghazal and Zaeed’s whereabouts and that their captors have made no effort to contact Al-Sumaria or the journalists’ families. They also expressed the concern of journalists that the authorities had failed to take action, noting that a description of the kidnappers and their vehicle was provided to the interior ministry.

Ghazal and Zaeed, both in their early 20s, had started out at Al-Sumaria less than five months before their abduction. Al-Sumaria is a privately-owned Iraqi Satellite TV Network established in 2004.

According to CPJ research, at least 43 journalists have been abducted since 2004. CPJ is investigating the circumstances behind the abductions of five other journalists seized in the last year to determine if their abduction was related to their work.

CPJ is a New York–based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit www.cpj.org.

JOB, UNIVERSITY:Dept Creative Writing Uni of California, Riverside

UC-RIVERSIDE - OPEN POSITION IN NONFICTION/FICTION

The department of Creative Writing at the University of California, Riverside, invites nominations and applications for a faculty member (rank open) in writing of the Middle East and/or the Islamic world and their diasporas. The succesful candidate will have published nonfiction, with additional expertise in fiction, screenwriting, or poetry desirable.

Additional expertise in new media, new media technologies and nontraditional ways of disseminating writing would be an advantage, as would prior professional experience in journalism. Successf ul applicants will demonstrate a commitment to continuing their professional writing and publishing activities and have a broad knowledge of applicable literatures. Teaching duties will include undergraduate and graduate courses and the mentoring of MFA students and supervision of their theses.

The candidate will be appointed to the faculty at the Riverside campus but will teach up to two courses per year in the MFA program at the Palm Desert Graduate Center. Starting date for the position is July 1, 2007. Review of applications will begin March 1, 2007 and position will remain open until filled. Prerequisites are prior academic teaching experience, and a record of scholarly and/or professional publication. Ph.D., MFA, MA in the relevant field or professional equivalent.


For more information, contact the department 1607 HMNSS Building Department of Creative Writing University of California, Riverside 900 University Avenue Riverside, CA 92521 Phone: (951) 827-3615 Fax: (951) 827-3619 Charles Whitney, Chair & Professor Office: 2612 HMNSS Building Phone: (951) 827-6076
E-mail: chuck.whitney at ucr.edu

http://www.creativewriting.ucr.edu/index.html

NAAJA urges release of Bilal Hussein, AP Photographer from US detention in Iraq

THE DETENTION OF AP PHOTOGRAPHER BILAL HUSSEIN

The U.S. military in Iraq has imprisoned Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein since April 12, 2006, accusing him of being a security threat but never filing charges or permitting a public hearing.

"We want the rule of law to prevail," says AP President and CEO Tom Curley. "He either needs to be charged or released. Indefinite detention is not acceptable." Military officials say that Hussein was being held for "imperative reasons of security" under United Nations resolutions. A Pentagon spokesman reiterated that stance Sept. 18.

Hussein is a 35-year-old Iraqi citizen and a native of Fallujah. AP executives said an internal review of his work did not find anything to indicate inappropriate contact with insurgents, and any evidence against him should be brought to the Iraqi criminal justice system. Hussein began working for the AP in September 2004. He photographed events in Fallujah and Ramadi until he was detained.Bilal Hussein is one of an estimated 14,000 people detained by the U.S. military worldwide -- 13,000 of them in Iraq. They are held in limbo where few are ever charged with a specific crime or given a chance before any court or tribunal to argue for their freedom.

In Hussein's case, Curley and other AP executives say, the military has not provided any concrete evidence to back up the vague allegations they have raised about him. More information is contained in the news stories and press materials at:

http://www.ap.org/response/response_092006a.html

NAAJA Statement Jan. 26, 2007

The National Arab American Journalists Association members have unanimously agreed to support a call for the release of Bilal Hussein. We support the position taken by the Associated Press in calling for Hussein's release and urge other journalism associations to join in this callf or his release.

On behalf of NAAJA by Ray Hanania
END

CPJ: Turkish Armenian Journalist Murdered

Committee to Protect Journalists
330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001 USA Phone: (212) 465­1004 Fax: (212) 465­9568 Web: www.cpj.org E-Mail: media@cpj.org
http://www.cpj.org Contact: Abi Wright e-mail: info@cpj.org Telephone: (212) 465-1004 x-105

Turkish-Armenian editor murdered in Istanbul

New York, January 19, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the murder today of a prominent Turkish-Armenian editor outside his newspaper’s offices in Istanbul. Hrant Dink, 52, managing editor of the bilingual Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos, was shot three times in the neck, according to the Turkish television channel NTV.

Dink had received numerous death threats from nationalist Turks who viewed his iconoclastic journalism, particularly on the mass killings of Armenians in the early 20th century, as an act of treachery. In a January 10 article in Agos, Dink said he had passed along a particularly threatening letter to Istanbul's Sisli district prosecutor, but no action had been taken.

“Through his journalism Hrant Dink sought to shed light on Turkey’s troubled past and create a better future for Turks and Armenians. This earned him many enemies, but he vowed to continue writing despite receiving many threats,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. “An assassin has now silenced one of Turkey’s most courageous voices. We are profoundly shocked and saddened by this crime, and send our deepest condolences to Hrant Dink's family, colleagues, and friends.”

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned Dink's death as an attack against Turkey's unity and promised to catch those responsible, according to international news reports. Police identified the assailant as a young man dressed in a white hat and a denim jacket, and they detained two people as part of their investigation, NTV reported.

“This murder must not go unpunished as have previous slayings of journalists,” said CPJ’s Simon. “We call on the Turkish authorities to do all in their power to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice swiftly.”

In the last 15 years, 18 other Turkish journalists have been killed for their work, many of them murdered, making it the eighth deadliest country in the world for journalists, CPJ research shows. The last killing was in 1999. More recently, journalists, academics, and others have been subjected to pervasive legal harassment for statements that allegedly insult the Turkish identity, CPJ research shows.

Dink, a Turkish citizen of Armenian descent, had been prosecuted several times in recent years—for writing about the mass killings of Armenians by Turks at the beginning of the 20th century, for criticizing lines in the Turkish national anthem that he considered discriminatory, and even for commenting publicly on the cases against him. His office had also been the target of protests.

In July 2006, Turkey’s High Court of Appeals upheld a six-month suspended prison sentence against Dink for violating Article 301 of the penal code in a case sparked by complaints from nationalist activists. His prosecution stemmed from a series of articles in early 2004 dealing with the collective memory of the Armenian massacres of 1915-17 under the Ottoman Empire.

Armenians call the killings the first genocide of the 20th century, a term that Turkey rejects.
Ironically, the pieces for which Dink was convicted had appealed to diaspora Armenians to let go of their anger against the Turks. The prosecution was sharply criticized by the European Union, which Turkey is seeking to join. Dink said he would take the case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, to clear his name.

Dink was one of dozens of writers who have been prosecuted in the past two years under controversial penal code provisions that criminalize statements deemed as insulting to the Turkish identity, particularly in regard to the Armenian killings, CPJ research shows. The local press freedom group Bia said at least 65 cases have been launched against journalists, writers and academics. The EU has urged Turkey to reform its laws to eliminate such prosecutions.
Dink edited Agos for all of the newspaper’s 11-year existence. Agos, the only Armenian newspaper in Turkey, had a circulation of just 6,000 but its political influence was vast. Dink regularly appeared on television to express his views.

In a February 2006 interview with CPJ, Dink said Turkish nationalists had targeted him for legal harassment. “The prosecutions are not a surprise for me. They want to teach me a lesson because I am Armenian. They try to keep me quiet.” Asked who “they” are, Dink replied, “the deep state in Turkey”.

He was referring not to the Islamist-based government of Prime Minister Erdogan, but to the secular nationalist forces supported by sections of the army, security forces, and parts of the justice and interior ministries. The nationalists, political heirs of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, still exert considerable influence in Turkey.
Dink said in the CPJ interview that he hoped his critical reporting would pave the way for peace between the two peoples. “I want to write and ask how we can change this historical conflict into peace,” he said.

In the interview, Dink said he did not think the tide had yet turned in favor of critical writers—“the situation in Turkey is tense”—but he believed that it ultimately would. “I believe in democracy and press freedom. I am determined to pursue the struggle.”

CPJ is a New York–based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit www.cpj.org.

Muslim Writers Competition information Jan. 17, 2007

AN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION FOR MUSLIM WRITERS

The headquarter of celebration of esfahan (IRAN) is going to launch an international competition for Muslim writers with cooperation of child and teenage council and by participation of activists in child and teenage literature In the year of prophet by internet due to the attribution of thiscity as the capital city of culture in Islamic world by ISESCO.

Hence, we hereby invite all writers who are professional in child literature to present their works entitled by" MOHAMMAD PROPHET".

The purpose of this international competition is to encourage writers to create written works with great quality and to set up a basis to present their works in the realm of child and teenage literature.COPMPETITION CONDITIONS:

1-Title of competition: Holy prophet life (MOHAMMAD P.B.U.H), his characteristics and features, prophet and children and prophet's miracles

2-Each writer is allowed to send three stories.

3-Published and unpublished stories are acceptable.

4-Published works should have be written after January1st 2006

5-Story text should be presented and typed in the size of A4 paper.

6-Stories should be written for child and teenage interlocutors (between 6 to 15 years old).7-

Stories can be written in Persian, Arabic or English.8-There is no geographical and age limitation for participants.9-It is necessary to write: name of the writer, title of the story, complete postal address and telephone number at the beginning of each story.10-Volunteers must fill an application form carefully.11-The application form is available in www.icow-esfahan.comThe last legal time to send works is 04/02/2007Result proclaim date: 05/04/2007

COMPETITION GIFTS:Great gift: inscription, inlayed badge and $3000 for the best storySecond gift: inscription, inlayed badge and $1000Third gift: inscription, inlayed badge and $1000Persuasive gift: inscription, inlayed badge for 10 peopleFor more information call :( +98)9131082054

Reporters without Borders issues new report on risks facing Palestinian journalists

Palestinian journalists caught in the Gaza crossfire
Report of fact-finding visit
View article:
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=20262

Reporters Without Borders today released the report of a visit it made to Gaza and Israel from 4 to 7 December to investigate the disturbing situation of journalists working in the Gaza Strip, to meet with the authorities and to propose ways of improving the security of the media.


Palestinian and foreign journalists working in the Palestinian territories are exposed to two different kinds of threats, one from the Israeli army, which has been responsible for many acts of violence against the press since 2000, and more recently from the various Palestinian factions that do not hesitate to target media that criticise them.


The Gaza Strip has become the scene of especially violent inter-Palestinian clashes this year. The tension between Hamas, the ruling Islamic party that won the elections at the start of the year, and Fatah, President Mahmoud Abbas’ party, has led to a political stalemate that has paralysed Palestinian institutions. The split within the government has inevitably had repercussions on the street, and journalists are no longer safe.


Representatives of all the Palestinian factions and the Israeli army profess a desire to respect press freedom and the work of journalists, but the statistics belie their claims. This year alone, the Israeli army attacked or threatened 16 journalists and wrecked the premises of three news media, while Palestinian militants caused damage to seven news media by setting them on fire or smashing equipment, and attacked at least four journalists. Six foreign journalists have also been kidnapped by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.


Reporters Without Borders believes that the safety of journalists will never be taken seriously until the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli army decide to apply the law by bringing those responsible for crimes against journalists to justice. Systematic investigations must be carried out, the findings must be published and those found guilty must be punished.


Reporters Without Borders also proposes the creation of a distinctive sign so that journalists can be more easily identified. The organisation is normally opposed to the use of signs that could mark journalists out as targets. Identifying oneself as a journalist in Iraq or Afghanistan significantly increases the risks to which one is exposed. But in some cases it could provide additional protection in the Palestinian Territories, where journalists face a regular and professional army.


Reporters Without Borders therefore proposes to rapidly bring together Palestinian and Israeli journalists, politicians from both camps and Israeli military officials to discuss this question and find a solution that would reduce the risks to which journalists working in the Palestinian territories are exposed.


It is also vital that all Palestinian factions should quickly agree on a joint statement calling for both local and foreign journalists to be respected. The opening-up of the state-owned media - the news agency WAFA and the radio and TV broadcaster PBC - to all Palestinians regardless of their political affiliation are also essential conditions for improving press freedom.


Lastly, the creation of a regulatory body would help control the excesses of media used as propaganda outlets by certain factions. Professionalising the media and giving them a universally-recognised status would also help to combat the stigmatisation of journalists, who are often branded as “traitors to the nation” as soon as they try to stand back and put some distance between themselves and the political parties.


Entitled “Palestinian journalists caught in the Gaza crossfire,” the report is available on the Reporters Without Borders website (www.rsf.org).

CPJ: Sudanese journalists convicted for column on government perks

Committee to Protect Journalists
330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001 USA Phone: (212) 465­1004 Fax: (212) 465­9568 Web: www.cpj.org E-Mail: media@cpj.org
http://www.cpj.org
Contact: Joel Campagna e-mail: mideast@cpj.org Telephone: (212) 465-1004 x104


Sudanese journalists convicted for column on government perks


New York, December 27, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned by the criminal convictions on Tuesday of two Sudanese journalists in connection with a column critical of government perks.


A criminal court in the capital, Khartoum, ordered Zuhayr al-Sarraj, former columnist for the private daily Al-Sahafa, to pay a fine of 5 million Sudanese pounds (US$2,500) or spend one year in jail, according to the newspaper’s former editor, Noureddin Madani. Madani was also convicted in the case and ordered to pay a fine of 2 million Sudanese pounds (US$950) or spend six months in prison.


The two journalists were charged two years ago in connection with an al-Sarraj column criticizing perks that parliament and President Omar Bashir had approved for high-level government officials. The journalists were charged under the Sudanese criminal code and press law with slander and inaccurate editing, according to Sudanese journalists.


“It’s alarming that the Sudanese government treats journalists as criminals for scrutinizing official actions,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon said. “This spurious case speaks volumes about the government’s stance on press freedom.”


The Sudanese Council of Ministers initiated the charges, claiming that al-Sarraj had exaggerated in the column, “Dividing the Spoils.” Madani told CPJ that the government had never contacted the journalists to point out any errors.


“This verdict is meant to silence journalists,” Madani told CPJ. “Why does the government take a journalist to court? Does the government need money? Two million [Sudanese] pounds does not benefit the government; it is about pressuring journalists.”


Madani, is now deputy editor-in-chief of the Arabic language daily Al-Sudani, and al-Sarraj is a columnist for that paper. Both plan to appeal Tuesday’s verdict, Madani told CPJ.


Al-Sarraj still faces trial for a January 2006 column in Al-Sahafa, which criticized Bashir for failing to address the many problems facing the Sudanese people. He was arrested by Sudanese security forces and held for 60 hours at Kober jail in Khartoum on January 3 and later charged by the national security prosecutor with “insulting the president.” If convicted, al-Sarraj risks losing his license to practice journalism in Sudan.


Press freedom has been heavily curtailed in Sudan in recent months. On October 15, Abu Obeida Abdallah, a reporter for the pro-government daily Al-Rai al-Aam, was released after being held incommunicado without charge for more than two weeks by security forces. In September, several opposition and independent newspapers were seized or heavily censored, among them Rai al-Shaab, an opposition Arabic-language daily for the Popular National Congress party, and Al-Sudani.


CPJ is a New York–based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit www.cpj.org.

Morocco Magazine banned for publishing religious jokes

Committee to Protect Journalists
330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001 USA
Phone: (212) 465­1004
Fax: (212) 465­9568
Web: http://www.cpj.org
http://www.cpj.org/
Contact: Abi Wright
e-mail: info@cpj.org
Telephone: (212) 465-1004 x-105

MOROCCO: Magazine banned over religious jokes


New York, December 22, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the banning in Morocco of an independent magazine and the charges brought against its director and a reporter for publishing an article analyzing popular jokes about religion, sex, and politics.
Driss Ksikes, the publisher and director of the weekly magazine Nichane, and reporter Sanaa al-Aji, were charged with denigrating Islam under Article 41 of the Press and Publication Law 2002. The charges stem from a 10-page article examining how popular humor reflects issues in society.


“We tried to understand society through jokes,” Ksikes told CPJ. “What we did just reflects what is there in society.”


Ksikes and al-Aji face three to five years in prison and fines ranging from 10,000 to 100,000 dirhams (US$1,100 to 11,000) under the press law. Their trial has been set for January 8.


“We understand that Nichane may have offended people by publishing these jokes,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. “But that cannot be a justification for banning a magazine and threatening its journalists with jail. We call on the Prime Minister to rescind the ban and on the legal authorities to halt the prosecution at once.”


Nichane was banned by Prime Minister Driss Jettou late on December 20. Authorities informed the publication of the order early the following morning. Its Web site has also been closed. Nabil Benabdellah, minister of communication, said at a press conference that Nichane would remain shuttered until the outcome of the trial, the state news agency Maghreb Arabe Presse reported.


The news agency quoted Benabdellah saying the article “harm[s] the fundamental values of the Moroccan society, all the more reason that these values constitute the basis of cohesion between the various components of the Moroccan people.”


The Arabic-language magazine is a sister publication of the independent French-language weekly TelQuel. Both magazines are owned by the TelQuel Group headed by Ahmed Reda Benchemsi.


Benchemsi told CPJ that staff at Nichane had received death threats via phone and e-mail since the government made the charges against the publication. He said that the religious jokes involved God, angels and prophets as characters, but did not make fun of them. He added that Nichane staff did not write any of the jokes.


The magazine apologized on public television for any offense caused. “We were not trying to offend any of our Muslim readers, and if anyone thought so then we strongly apologize, especially because we have a respectful relationship with our readers,” the magazine said in a statement.


In February, another weekly came under fire for offending religious beliefs. Le Journal Hebdomadaire accused the authorities of orchestrating protests against it for publishing a photograph of a French newspaper showing one of the controversial Danish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad that triggered widespread anger in the Muslim world.


CPJ is a New York–based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.cpj.org/.

ICJ Book on Arab and American Journalists can fight media bias

Press ReleaseDecember 8, 2006
ICFJ Publishes Arabic Version of “Fighting Words”

Our practical handbook on how to fight stereotypes, loaded language, and other biases in media coverage now available free for journalists

Contact:
Dawn Arteaga, ICFJ Communications Manager
202.349.7624
darteaga@icfj.org

(Washington, D.C.) – “Fighting Words: How Arab and American Journalists Can Break Through to Better Coverage,” published by the International Center for Journalists in Washington, D.C., is now available in Arabic. The manual, the offshoot of a no-holds-barred conference between American and Arab journalists, identifies sources of bias in media coverage and ways to prevent it.

Coauthored by an American, Lisa Schnellinger, a media consultant in the Middle East, and an Arab, Mohannad Khatib, general manager of Jordan’s ATV, Fighting Words examines misperceptions on both sides and suggests how journalists can avoid stereotypes and other pitfalls.

“With the U.S. engaged in wars in two Muslim nations, it’s more essential than ever that the Arab and American public get the depth and nuance they need from the news media to make good judgments—rather than flip the page or turn the channel,” said ICFJ President Joyce Barnathan. “Superficial, biased and wildly provocative coverage, from both regions, only fans the flames.”

The manual, first published in English in September, was primarily sponsored by the Carnegie Corporation of New York. To order a copy in either language, contact publications@icfj.org, or visit www.icfj.org.

####

The International Center for Journalists , a non-profit, professional organization, promotes quality journalism worldwide in the belief that independent, vigorous media are crucial in improving the human condition.

In the past 22 years, ICFJ has worked directly with more than 20,000 journalists from more than 176 countries. Aiming to raise the standards of journalism everywhere, particularly in areas with little or no tradition of a free press, ICFJ offers hands-on training workshops, seminars, fellowships and international exchanges to reporters and media managers around the globe. For further information, visit www.icfj.org.

Interview with publisher/editor of Chicago's Arab Horizon Arab Newspaper

Amani Ghouleh, the publisher and editor of al-Offok al-Arabi (The Arab Horizon) and her husband, Abder Ghouleh, English section editor of the newspaper, are the guests on the most recent edition of 30 Minutes broadcast live on the Internet and also every Friday evening in January on Comcast Cable TV Channel 19 (8:30 PM).

30 Minutes is hosted by journalist Ray Hanania, who is also managing editor of Arab American TV Online (www.ArabAmericanTVOnline.com) which offers a wide variety of online TV programs and programming featured exclusively on Comcast Cable TV in 140 Chicagoland suburban communities.

END

Arab Journalism Scholarship launched

AAIF Launches Scholarship for Arab American Journalism Students

The Arab American Institute Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of the Al Muammar Scholarships for Journalism, the most generous scholarship program of its kind offered to Arab American students.


Beginning in 2006, up to four scholarship grants, valued at $5,000 each, will be awarded to eligible Arab American college students who are majoring in journalism, as well as college seniors who have been accepted to a graduate journalism school. Awardees will be selected by a panel of judges drawn from the print and broadcast media in the United States. The initial scholarships will be for the 2006-2007 academic year with funds paid directly to the schools designated by the awardees.


The Al Muammar Scholarships were established this year by AAIF supporter Mashael Moamar in honor of her parents, Zakia and late Abdulaziz Al Muammar, who have always been strong advocates of educating women. Also noteworthy, is that Ms. Moamar’s late grandfather, Ibrahim Al Muammar, was a journalist in Egypt.


The scholarships are consistent with the goals of the AAI Foundation which include aiding Arab American youth with leadership and service programs, including awards for public and community service and Washington, D.C. internships. Therefore, the Foundation is proud to administer the Al Muammar Scholarships and thanks Mashael Moamar for her generosity.


“We are honored to have this opportunity to help channel financial aid to deserving Arab American journalism students,” AAIF Executive Director Helen Samhan said. “Our young generation has so much talent, energy and cultural perspective to offer,” Samhan continued, “that the country at large will benefit from more Arab Americans entering careers in journalism and public affairs. Mashael Moamar’s generosity could not have come at a better time.”


To be eligible, applicants of Arab descent must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents enrolled full-time in an accredited college or university in the United States. They must have a current grade point average of 3.3 or higher, and a demonstrated commitment to the field of print or broadcast journalism. An applicant’s sensitivity to Arab American issues and record of social advocacy and community involvement will also be important considerations. Applications must be postmarked by Wednesday, February 15, 2006. Awardees will be announced in May 2006.


Visit our student’s page for additional information and applications or contact AAI Program Coordinator Sabeen Altaf at (202) 429-9210. To learn more about the programs of the AAI Foundation, visit AAIF’s homepage.

Chicago Headline Club/SPJ Journalism Awards announced

Greetings from the Chicago Headline Club chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

We are now accepting nominations for our 30th annual Peter Lisagor Awards for Exemplary Journalism, the Chicago area's premier local journalism honors.

You should soon receive a nomination packet in the mail. You may also download an entry form that can be saved, filled in and printed from a computer by visiting

http://data.memberclicks.com/site/chc/lisagors07.pdf

This year, in-depth reporting prizes for daily newspapers will be issued in pairs, for circulation more and less than 300,000. Review the contest rules and categories, along with lists of past winners at

http://www.headlineclub.org/mc/page.do?sitePageId=22756

The deadline for entries is January 19, 2007. Chicago Headline Club members may submit their own work for half-price. Questions can be directed to Pat Kosar, (630) 681-9212 or

lisagor@mail.headlineclub.org.

Nominations are also open for our Ethics in Journalism Award. We encourage you to let us know if you've seen a reporter, editor or news organization performing in an ethical manner: taking personal risks by taking a stand or refusing to follow the pack. Download the nomination form at

http://data.memberclicks.com/site/chc/ethicsform.pdf

and return it to us care of our partners, Business & Professional People for the Public Interest, by February 10, 2007.Winners of the Lisagor Award and Ethics in Journalism Award will be honored at an April 27th banquet, along with the receipient of our second annual Watchdog Award for Excellence in Public Interest Reporting.

This honor, which comes with a $3,500 cash prize funded by the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, replaces our traditional "public service" Lisagor award.

More details are coming soon.

Baghdad Radio editor murdered

Committee to Protect Journalists
330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001 USA Phone: (212) 465­1004 Fax: (212) 465­9568 Web: www.cpj.org E-Mail: media@cpj.org
http://www.cpj.org Contact: Abi Wright e-mail: info@cpj.org Telephone: (212) 465-1004 x-105 IRAQ: Radio station editor killed in Baghdad


New York, December 4, 2006—Unidentified gunmen killed Nabil Ibrahim al-Dulaimi, 36, a news editor for the privately-owned station Radio Dijla, shortly after he left his home in Baghdad’s al-Washash neighborhood for work today, sources at the station told the Committee to Protect Journalists.



“We offer our condolences to the family of Nabil Ibrahim al-Dulaimi,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. “He was a member of what has become one of the deadliest professions in Iraq. Iraqi journalists and media staff are constantly being targeted with impunity,” he said.


Murder accounts for 69 percent of work-related deaths among journalists and media support workers in Iraq, with crossfire accounting for the rest. In all, 89 journalists, including al-Dulaimi, and 37 media support workers have been killed for their work since the the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, making it the deadliest conflict in CPJ’s 25-year history.


Radio Dijla has been targeted previously. On September 13, unidentified gunmen kidnapped Muhammad Abdul Rahman, 55, a former broadcaster for the station. He is still missing and the identity of the kidnappers is not known, according to CPJ sources.


CPJ is a New York–based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit www.cpj.org.

CPJ: Yemeni Reporter jailed in Cartoon flap

YEMEN: Editor jailed for one year over Prophet cartoons
Committee to Protect Journalists

New York, November 28, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the one-year jail sentence handed down to a Yemeni editor for reprinting Danish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. A court in the capital Sana’a sentenced Kamal al-Aalafi, editor-in-chief of the Arabic-language weekly Al-Rai Al-Aam, on November 26. It also banned him from practicing journalism for six months after he leaves prison, and it suspended his newspaper for six months.


Three other Yemeni journalists are on trial for reprinting the cartoons in February.


Al-Aalafi was taken to prison after the hearing but released eight hours later on bail pending
appeal.


“We are deeply troubled by this harsh sentence,” CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon said.

“Journalists should never be imprisoned for what they publish. While we recognize these cartoons may have caused offense, there can be no justification for jailing a journalist because of what he published. We trust that the court of appeals with dismiss this conviction of Kamal al-Aalafi.”


According to CPJ research and local news reports, al-Aalafi published the cartoons to accompany articles saying how offensive the caricatures were to Muslims.


The cartoon controversy began in September 2005 when the Danish daily Jyllands-Posten published 12 caricatures of Muhammad, one of them depicting the Prophet wearing a bomb-shaped turban with a lit fuse. The publication caused anger in the Muslim world, where many consider depictions of Muhammad to be blasphemous. The cartoons gained increased attention after they were reprinted in the January 10 edition of Magazinet, a small Christian evangelical weekly based in Norway.


Yemeni authorities filed criminal charges against three other journalists in February for republishing the drawings: Abdulkarim Sabra, managing editor and publisher of Al-Hurriya Ahliya; Yehiya al-Abed, a journalist for Al-Hurriya Ahliya; and Mohammed al-Asaadi, editor-in-chief of the English-language Yemen Observer. A Sana’a court is expected to issue its verdict in the Yemen Observer case on December 6 and a decision in the Al-Hurriya case is expected mid-December, according to local news reports.


CPJ is a New York–based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit www.cpj.org.

Committee to Protect Journalists330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001 USA Phone: (212) 465­1004 Fax: (212) 465­9568 Web: www.cpj.org E-Mail: media@cpj.orghttp://www.cpj.org Contact: Abi Wright e-mail: info@cpj.org Telephone: (212) 465-1004 x-105

CPJ Criticizes Yemen Daily

YEMEN: Official daily smears award-winning editor
Committee to Protect Journalists

New York, November 28, 2006—Yemen’s leading state-run newspaper Al-Thawra attacked independent editor Jamal Amer upon his return from the United States where he received the Committee to Protect Journalists 2006 International Press Freedom Award.


The daily ran a front-page article on November 26 suggesting that he was a U.S. agent and warning of possible legal action in response to his critical coverage of neighboring Saudi Arabia.


The article accused Amer and his independent weekly Al-Wasat of harming Yemen’s ties with Saudi Arabia and accused him of collaborating with U.S. intelligence. The attack appeared to be in response to Al-Wasat’s republication earlier this month of an article by former CIA case officer Robert Baer in Atlantic Monthly. Baer wrote that the ruling House of Saud was in danger of collapse.


The Al-Thawra article, titled “In whose interest the targeting of Yemeni-Saudi relations?” said that “The bad intention behind the publication of such an article and who is likely to benefit from it are no secret to anybody; particularly when we know that the editor of Al Wasat is currently visiting the USA and enjoying the care of …some Americans known for their closeness to the intelligence services.”


Al-Thawra accused Amer of working on behalf of unnamed individuals to undermine Saudi-Yemeni relations. The paper also appeared to threaten legal reprisals against Al-Wasat. “What you are doing is being denounced and disapproved by the Yemeni people because it stems from frivolous, extremist, and irresponsible behavior. This kind of behavior would lead you to be accountable before the law because you are breaking the law and hurting the interests of the nation,” the paper stated.


“We are concerned by this verbal assault in a state-run newspaper on our colleague Jamal Amer,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. “Given the political reality in Yemen publishing these unsubstantiated allegations and innuendo is tantamount to a threat.”

Established by Amer in 2004, Al-Wasat has aggressively reported on corruption, religious militancy, and other sensitive political issues in Yemen. In August 2005, Amer was seized by four men believed to be security agents and held for six hours. The assailants beat him, accused him of being paid by the U.S. and Kuwaiti governments, and warned him about defaming "officials." The men drove a blindfolded Amer to the top of a mountain, where they threatened to kill him. The attack followed an explosive Al-Wasat’s expose which fingered a number of government officials who had misused state scholarships to send their children to study abroad.


Amer has previously run afoul of Yemeni officials because of his criticism of Saudi Arabia. Before establishing Al-Wasat in 2004, Amer worked as a journalist for the opposition weekly Al-Wahdawi and was convicted of harming the public interest, offending King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, and damaging relations between Saudi Arabia and Yemen. A court once banned Amer from working as a journalist altogether.


CPJ is a New York–based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit www.cpj.org.

Committee to Protect Journalists330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001 USA Phone: (212) 465­1004 Fax: (212) 465­9568 Web: www.cpj.org E-Mail: media@cpj.orghttp://www.cpj.org Contact: Abi Wright e-mail: info@cpj.org Telephone: (212) 465-1004 x-105

TIKKUN Magazine seeks Managing Editor

Managing Editor Job at Tikkun


Job: Managing Editor at Tikkun MagazineThe Managing Editor is a major player in shaping Tikkun magazine and the Network of Spiritual Progressives/Tikkun Community, working closely with the editor in chief and C.E.O. of the magazine, Rabbi Michael Lerner.


Tikkun began as a “progressive alternative Commentary magazine and the voices of Jewish conservatism,” but it has evolved toward a culturally inclusive interfaith expression of spiritual politics, and we are seeking to strengthen that interfaith aspect. Our readers and our writers are not only Jewish. We are looking for someone whose interests include the Christian world and Christianity, as well as Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and various other worldviews (e.g. Marxism, psychoanalysis, feminism, etc.).


We need someone who is extremely educated, motivated, interested in the study and practice of religions, progressive social theory, and culture, talented both as an editor and in working with others, and someone committed to the vision of Tikkun articulated in Rabbi Lerner’s book The Left Hand of God. You should also read the Core Vision at www.tikkun.org/core_vision and Rabbi Lerner’s editorial about Tikkun in the current issue (Nov/Dec, 2006).


Prior experience in magazine publishing would be very useful, though we’ve also over the twenty years of existence found excellent editors who were formerly college professors, lawyers, writers, psychologists, and even once we hired someone very good who had only been a graduate student previously. Our ideal candidate should be well-versed in both the editorial and business management of an independent periodical, and can seamlessly multitask between these responsibilities. But someone absolutely brilliant, well versed in contemporary social theory/politics/religion/spirituality/and contemoporary intellectual debates and significant writers, someone talented, and with unlimited energy, charm and sense of humor and commitment to the vision of The Left Hand of God could do this work very well—even if that person had not previously done this specific kind of work—might be able to convince us that s/he was the best candidate.


The Managing Editor’s position requires a full energy commitment that includes activist work, specifically, building Tikkun as a major intellectual force and building the Network of Spiritual Progressives as a force for social change and healing. You will be required to represent and promote the magazine and to widen our impact in the intellectual, political, academic and religious worlds. A person seeking to become known as a public intellectual would be fine, as long as s/he is fully aware that this work involves also tedious line editing and outreach, work in developing each issue with a part-time designer, work in coordination with our printer and distributor, an ability to see the big picture and come up with innovative and smart ways to advance our ideas, the magazine, and our organization. Working with Tikkun is not just a job—it is a life commitment, a cause, a movement, a way of actualizing one’s highest values, so people who want a normal job or who have strong commitments outside of work that would make it hard to attend evening meetings, weekend conferences, or travel for the magazine should not bother to apply.This job is an amazing opportunity to serve God and advance the cause of building a world of love and kindness, generosity aand love, ecological sanity and ethical vision--and to develop your capacity for compassion (because none of us at Tikkun fully lives up to our own highest values, and all of us are flawed in various ways that are at once both exciting and heart-breakingly disappointing because wouldn't it be great if people were able to be as wonderful as their own ideals? So compassion is the key to surviving in this kind of work.)


The Managing Editor must live in the San Francisco Bay Area and appear each day at our office in Berkeley. The pay is good for the sphere of non-profit publishing (though you could make a lot more in the private sector), and includes benefits. Salary depends on years of relevant experience.


Please send a self-revealing letter talking about your own intellectual and spiritual development, your strengths and weaknesses, your professional experience and your educational background, why this job would be perfect for you and what about it might be difficult as well. Please also include a page about your own relationship to the ideas and approach of the Network of Spiritual Progressives (www.spiritualprogressives.org ) including the Q&A about our organization, the Spiritual Covenant with America, and your reaction to the vision in The Left Hand of God.


Also send a normal curriculum vita and a list of people (and phone numbers/email addresses) to whom you invite us to turn for recommendations.


If you wish to send a dvd or video tape of yourself, do it by addressing the questions raised above, and also give five-ten minutes of a talk in which you are speaking to a room full of people who have never heard of Tikkun or the Network of Spiritual Progressives and your task is to convince them that there is something exciting here that they should check out, or even consider joining or subscribing. But this video or dvd is not necessary at this stage in the process, and in any event cannot be a substitute for writing a self-revealing letter, since we need to know how you write and see that aspect of your competence.

Applications To: Adina@tikkun.org or to Adina c/o Tikkun, 951 Cragmont Ave, Berkeley, Ca. 94708.

Broadcast job announcement Oakland, CA

Institute for Middle East Understanding
Broadcast Media Specialist Job Announcement

BackgroundThe Institute for Middle East Understanding (www.imeu.net) is anindependent, Oakland, CA-based, non-profit organization formed to address asignificant gap in Americans' understanding of Palestine, the Palestiniansand related events. The IMEU works closely with journalists to supplyarticulate sources, reliable information and compelling experts.

The IMEU was formed by a team of business, communications and mediaprofessionals who are using the skills they honed in the corporate world tomake the IMEU as professional, efficient and effective as any for-profitcompany.IMEU Seeks Broadcast Media Specialist

The IMEU seeks a bright, articulate, and dedicated Broadcast MediaSpecialist to help the Institute become the most respected resource forjournalists covering Palestine, the Palestinians and related events. This position will work closely with IMEU's Communications and Development Director. Approximately 25 percent of this person's time will be devoted to fundraising support.The responsibilities of the Broadcast Media Specialist include:Broadcast Media Efforts:* Coordinate media requests* Proactively suggest stories* Monitor broadcast media coverage* Maintain an accurate media list* Assist in cultivating sources* Maintain IMEU media results portfolio* Assist with the development of media and communications plansFundraising Activities:* Assist in ongoing fundraising work, including newsletter productionand dissemination, mail appeals, events planning and organization, thank youletters and donor recognition* Coordinate the submission of foundation proposals* Maintain an error-free donor database* Assist with the development of fundraising plansRequired Qualifications* Bachelor's degree or above* Knowledge of Palestinian history, politics and culture* Excellent written and oral communication skills* Keen attention to detail* Ability to juggle multiple projects* Effective at both team and self-directed work* Proficient in Microsoft Office* Positive attitude and a sense of humor

How to Apply
Please send resume and writing sample to:
IMEU436 14th Street, #1312Oakland,
CA 94612
or by email to: info@imeu.

CPJ awards Media honors

Committee to Protect Journalists
330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001 USA Phone: (212) 465­1004 Fax: (212) 465­9568 Web: www.cpj.org E-Mail: media@cpj.org
Web: www.cpj.org Contact: Abi Wright E-mail: awright@cpj.org Telephone: (212) 465-1004 x105
CPJ INTRODUCES 2006 PRESS FREEDOM AWARD WINNERS IN WASHINGTON

Washington, November 17, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists introduced its 2006 International Press Freedom Award winners at a press conference at the National Press Club today. The journalists, from Colombia, Yemen, and the Gambia, will be honored along with a slain colleague from Iraq at an awards ceremony on Tuesday in New York. The event also marks CPJ’s 25th anniversary.
Jesús Abad Colorado of Colombia, Jamal Amer of Yemen, and Madi Ceesay of the Gambia have risked their lives to report the news, withstanding attacks, harassment, and imprisonment. CPJ will posthumously honor Atwar Bahjat, correspondent for Al-Arabiya satellite television and former reporter for Al-Jazeera, who was gunned down while covering a bombing near Samarra in February.
Ceesay, Amer, and Colorado spoke today about the difficulties they face in their home countries. The media in the tiny West African country of the Gambia have endured a spate of arson attacks, detentions, and intimidation, Ceesay said. “We have gone through what I would call hell,” he added.
Colorado, the first photographer to receive CPJ’s award, said “photography can be a way of speaking in a country where the word can be dangerous.” Even so, Colorado has been abducted twice by guerrillas.
“These reporters are an inspiration to all who practice journalism,” CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon said. “In an era when foreign correspondents face terrible risks, local journalists like our award winners face an even higher level of danger. They are driven by a powerful and innate desire to know, to understand, and to tell. In that sense, they are serving not only their countries but all of us who care about the world.”
Jesús Abad Colorado, is a freelance photographer who has witnessed some of the most violent clashes in Colombia’s civil war, capturing powerful images of human rights abuses perpetrated by all sides in the conflict. As a provincial journalist, Colorado knows the adversity faced by colleagues in strife-ridden areas outside the capital, where journalists routinely face threats of reprisal from guerrillas, paramilitaries, and local authorities. Colorado, whose work is widely published in Colombia, has displayed great bravery and determination in reporting from the front line. He was kidnapped twice by leftist guerrillas; in one case, in October 2000, guerrillas of the National Liberation Army (ELN) abducted Colorado at a roadblock and held him for two days.
Colorado won acclaim for his work in the aftermath of a massacre in the town of San José de Apartadó in February 2005. His news account and photographs, published in the national daily El Tiempo, pointed to military involvement in the massacre and a pattern of close military-paramilitary cooperation in the region. Colorado says his photographs tell a story of despair and serve as witness to people’s resilience.
Jamal Amer is the courageous editor of one of Yemen’s most independent weeklies, Al-Wasat. His reporting on corruption, religious militancy, and sensitive political issues has triggered a number of frightening threats and attacks. In August 2005, he was seized by four men believed to be security agents and held for six hours. The assailants beat him, accused him of being paid by the U.S. and Kuwaiti governments, and warned him about defaming "officials." The men drove a blindfolded Amer to the top of a mountain, where they threatened to shoot him. His abduction shocked Yemeni journalists, who took it as an explicit warning against the sort of enterprising journalism that had been a mark of Al-Wasat. Just days before Amer’s kidnapping, the paper ran a daring story alleging that several government officials were exploiting state scholarships to send their own children to study abroad. This year, pro-government newspapers have accused Amer of being an agent of the West, and his family has been subjected to government surveillance.
Madi Ceesay is a veteran independent journalist from the Gambia who has suffered attacks and imprisonment for his work. He is also a leading press freedom activist, serving as president of the Gambia Press Union, which has headed efforts to fight impunity in attacks on the press, including the unsolved December 2004 murder of prominent newspaper editor Deyda Hydara.
In 2006, Ceesay took over as general manager of The Independent, a leading private paper that has suffered frequent official harassment and two unsolved arson attacks. In March, security forces sealed off The Independent’s offices and detained staff after the paper published critical articles about a purported coup attempt. Ceesay and Editor Musa Saidykhan were held for three weeks without charge by the National Intelligence Agency. Before joining The Independent, Ceesay worked for 10 years for the respected independent weekly Gambia News and Report, first as a reporter and then as its deputy editor.
Atwar Bahjat, correspondent for Al-Arabiya and one of the best known war reporters in the Arab world, was murdered in Iraq in February along with her freelance cameraman, Khaled Mahmoud al-Falahi, and engineer, Adnan Khairallah. Her bullet-riddled body was found near Samarra a day after the station lost contact with the crew. At the time of her death, Bahjat was on the outskirts of Samarra covering the bombing of the Shiite shrine Askariya, known as the Golden Mosque. A witness said her murderers drove up suddenly and sought out the television “presenter” to be killed.

Bahjat, a 30-year-old Iraqi, had just joined Al-Arabiya after working as a correspondent for Al-Jazeera since 2003. She had previously worked for Iraqi TV under Saddam Hussein. She was known as a dogged street reporter who knew well the hardships endured by Iraqi reporters. In the course of her work, Bahjat received several death threats and survived a roadside bomb that destroyed her car, none of which deterred her from reporting. “She always liked to be a reporter in the field,” recalled Al-Jazeera news anchor M’hamed Krichene who worked with her in Baghdad.
The awards will be presented at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York on Tuesday, November 21. Robert A. Iger, president and chief executive officer of the Walt Disney Company, and John S. Carroll, Knight visiting lecturer at the Shorenstein Center at Harvard University, are co-chairmen of the black-tie event. CNN Chief International Correspondent and CPJ board member Christiane Amanpour will be the host.
For more information about the award winners, and for information about CPJ’s work or CPJ, visit our Web site at www.cpj.org or call 212-465-1004 x105.

Background on al-Jazeera TV's Listening Post segment

Al Jazeera International launches its English language news program Nov. 15. A major component will be "Listening Post" which features video blogs from independent journalists around the world.

Here's some background on it and its director, former ABC TV reporter Richard Gizbert:

(Qatar: Tuesday, April 04 - 2006 at 10:32 ) Al Jazeera International unveils media strand and announces Richard Gizbert as presenter

Al Jazeera International, the 24-hour English-language news and current affairs channel, today announced plans for their reporting world media review programme Listening Post and confirmed former ABC news journalist, Richard Gizbert as presenter.

Listening Post will bring viewers around the world a weekly insight into how the news is handled by the world's media. It will monitor and examine all forms of media, all over the world. From the biggest network to the most obscure web bloggers Listening Post will report critically on what they cover - and what they don't.

It will examine the big stories - and explain how and why coverage of them differs in different parts of the world. As with the channel's news reporting, Listening Post will look at all sides of the story from all parts of the world and assess how news reporting changes depending on where it is coming from. Gizbert joins Al Jazeera International's line-up of on-screen talent from ABC News where he worked since 1993. Starting as a correspondent in their London bureau Gizbert has reported abroad on many of the major international stories such as the conflicts in Iraq and the continuing unrest in the Middle East. Director of Programmes at Al Jazeera International, Paul Gibbs said, 'Listening Post is Al Jazeera International's eyes and ears on the world's electronic media. It's a fantastic addition to our line-up of extensive programmes.'

Speaking on the announcement Richard Gizbert said, 'I am thrilled to be part of Al Jazeera International and to be bringing Listening Post to the English speaking world. We will challenge the norm - Listening Post will analyse state-run television and question where news stops and propaganda begins.''We're also looking for new voices, and we're willing to give our viewers a try. We don't care if they are from the West Bank or Washington. Global Village Voices will be the platform to be seen and heard via webcams or camera-phones on any and all stories that we do, from anywhere and everywhere, ' Gizbert continued.

Listening Post is a fully commissioned jointly owned programme with Moonbeam Films Ltd. As a commissioning house Al Jazeera International's programmes will include material gathered from freelancers and independent companies all across the globe through a unique commissioning site: www.ajicommissioning.net Previously Gizbert worked as a correspondent-producer for CJOH-TV in Ottawa, where he produced in-depth features for Sunday Edition, the national current affairs programme. Prior

to that, Gizbert was CJOH's parliamentary correspondent for five years, responsible for national political coverage. For his reporting of a bus hostage situation on Parliament Hill, Gizbert received the National Award for Breaking News Coverage. From 1983 to 1985, Gizbert was a correspondent and political editor for CFTO-TV in Toronto, covering federal politics and co-anchoring special events coverage.

Gizbert is a graduate of Algonquin College in Ontario.

END

American Occupation Forces close Iraqi stations that criticize kangaroo court system

Two Iraqi channels ordered closed in aftermath of Saddam verdict

Committee to Protect Journalists
330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001 USA
Phone: (212) 465­1004 Fax: (212) 465­9568
Web: http://www.cpj.org
Contact: Abi Wright e-mail: info@cpj.org Telephone: (212) 465-1004 x-105

Two Iraqi channels ordered closed in aftermath of Saddam verdict

New York, November 6, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned by the Iraq Interior Ministry’s decision on Sunday to close two Sunni-owned satellite channels indefinitely. Security forces raided Al-Zawraa TV in Baghdad and Saleheddin TV in Tikrit on grounds they were inciting violence in the hours after former leader Saddam Hussein was sentenced to death, according to news reports and CPJ sources.

The privately-owned Saleheddin TV aired live broadcasts of pro-Saddam demonstrations and then opened its phone lines for callers to express their opinions, according to CPJ sources. Police were seeking the station’s owners, Sunni businessmen Hassan Khatab and Abdelrahman Dahash for questioning, a CPJ source said.

Al-Zawraa, which is owned by Mishaan al-Jubouri, a Sunni legislator from the Liberation and Reconciliation Party, had received several warnings from the government to change its political coverage or face closure, according CPJ sources. Those sources said the channel had sought to avoid a confrontation on Sunday by ignoring demonstrations that erupted after Saddam’s sentence.

Many broadcasters in Iraq have ties to political parties or organizations. Iraqi officials told The Associated Press that security forces closed the stations on broad grounds of undermining national stability and violating a government curfew by interviewing people on the street after the sentence. Al-Jubouri told the AP that Iraqi police raided his station in retaliation for its criticism of the verdict against Hussein.

The U.S.-backed government in Iraq has a record of banning news outlets. In July, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki threatened to shut down any television station deemed to incite sectarianism. On September 7, the government closed the Baghdad bureau of the Dubai-based satellite channel Al-Arabiya for one month. Al-Arabiya Executive Editor Nabil Khatib said the government accused the station of fomenting “sectarian violence and war in Iraq” but did not provide evidence.Al-Arabiya was targeted before. In November 2003, the Iraqi Governing Council, the provisional government appointed by the United States, banned the station from broadcasting in Iraq. Authorities accused the station of incitement after it aired an audiotape in which Saddam purportedly urged Iraqis to resist the U.S.-led occupation. The station was allowed to resume broadcasting in late January 2004.The government continues to enforce the closure of the Baghdad bureau of Qatar-based satellite channel Al-Jazeera. It was closed in July 2004 after former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi accused the station of incitement to violence and hatred. Iraqi officials alleged that Al-Jazeera’s reporting on kidnappings had encouraged Iraqi militants; a government statement also accused the station of being a mouthpiece for terrorist groups. Al-Jazeera now operates in the Kurdish-ruled area in northern Iraq.

In an unrelated development, Ahmad al-Rashid, a 28-year-old correspondent for the privately-owned Al-Sharqiya TV, was shot and killed Friday in north Baghdad’s Al-Aathamiya neighborhood, according to CPJ sources. Al-Rashid, who began working for Al-Sharqiya three months ago, was visiting family when he was stopped by gunmen, asked to exit his car, and shot in front of witnesses, CPJ sources said. CPJ is investigating the circumstances behind his murder.

CPJ is a New York–based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.cpj.org/.

CWA Urges US Military to release AP Photo-journalist from illegal custody

Guild-CWA Calls for Justice for AP Photographer Held by US Military in Iraq

The Newspaper Guild-CWA is calling on the US military to take action in the case of Bilal Hussein, an Associated Press (AP) photographer who has been held for more than six months by US forces in Iraq on accusations that he is a security threat.

We need you to take action, and tell the military to either provide evidence that Bilal is a security threat or release him.

In a report, the AP said it was told by military officials that Hussein, an Iraqi citizen, was being held for "imperative reasons of security" under United Nations resolutions. AP executives said the news cooperative's review of Hussein's work did not find anything to indicate inappropriate contact with insurgents, and any evidence against him should be brought to the Iraqi criminal justice system.

Send a letter to the following decision maker(s): Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld

Sample letter:



We want justice for Bilal Hussein

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld
E-mail: public@defenselink.mil
Fax: (703) 697-9080
November 3, 2006

Dear Secretary Rumsfeld,

The Newspaper Guild-CWA is deeply concerned by the more than six month detention of Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein, who has been held by US forces in Iraq on accusations that he is a security threat.

We urge you to either quickly produce evidence that Mr. Hussein is a security threat and send him to trial or to end his detention immediately. Holding him in limbo is unfair to him personally and sends a threatening message to Iraqi journalists that they may be subject to incarceration simply for doing their jobs.The lack of security in Iraq has led to extremely dangerous conditions for Iraqi media.

Four media workers were murdered in September, targeted by their killers because of their jobs. Since the start of the war in Iraq 139 media workers have been killed.The Iraqi government and the US and coalition forces must show that they are committed to a free press in Iraq by ensuring that journalists are no longer killed with impunity and by also ensuring that journalists are not being held by forces due to opposition to their work.

The Newspaper Guild-CWA supports the Associated Press' review of Mr. Hussein's work, which did not find anything to indicate inappropriate contact with insurgents. We also support their assertion that any evidence against him should be brought to the Iraqi criminal justice system. Mr. Hussein has also asserted his innocence.Iraqi journalists face extreme pressures as the try to provide an accurate picture ofevents in the country and they must be allowed to their jobs. We hope the Iraqigovernment and coalition forces focus on protecting their safety and legal rights, notdetaining them indefinitely.

We look forward to your immediate action on this matter.

New America Media names its National Award Finalists -- Includes Arab American journalist

New America Media Award Winners Spotlight Expanding Ethnic Media Lens

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- New America Media, the country's first and largest association of ethnic media, announces the winners of its First National Ethnic Media Awards, honoring the sector's contributions to American journalism.

Close to 600 ethnic media practitioners competed in 14 categories for recognition in 19 categories, ranging from Investigative Journalism to Best Community Talk Show. More than 50 judges nationwide, from universities, mainstream media and community based organizations, came together via teleconference to judge the entries over one week.

"Hurricane Katrina and immigration rights dominated news in ethnic media over the last year," says awards coordinator Sandip Roy. "Each of these complex stories reflects ethnic media' s unique role as an advocacy voice, as well as a vital source of news and information for their audiences."

Winners confound the conventional view of ethnic media as operating in a cultural silo. This year's winners demonstrate ethnic media's role in building understanding between America's ethnic communities while serving their communities' information needs.

• Roy Lu, of Mandarin-language KSCI-TV in Los Angeles, traveled to the U.S. Mexican border to bring the issue of undocumented immigrants to Chinese audiences.
  
• Euy Hun Yi of The Korea Times became the first Korean-American journalist to report from Afghanistan, where he found many parallels with his home country after the Korean War.
  As important as ethnic media are as community spokespersons, this year's awards also honors those unafraid to turn a critical eye on their own communities.
  
• Dennis Romero of Tu Ciudad magazine won the Best In Depth Award for his vivid profiles of Latinos who staunchly oppose illegal immigration, and even volunteer with the Minutemen.
  
• Ray Hanania, an Arab-American columnist for a Jewish publication and website, won Best Commentary for his humorous take on some of the thorniest political issues of our time.
  

"Over the years that NAM has held awards, we have seen more and more efforts by ethnic media outlets to help their audiences understand each other," says Sandy Close, executive director of NAM.

This year NAM honors Pilar Marrero of La Opinion and ReShonda Billingsley of Houston Defender for reporting on black-brown relations and for their exceptional coverage of the immigration debate from the perspectives of both communities.

The New America Media awards will be presented at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, November 14 at 7:00 p.m.

New America Media

http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_custom.html?custom_page_id=323

Commentary /Editorial Writing (English) Winner: Ray Hanania, Ynet News / Yedioth Ahronoth (Orland Park, IL), Three-Part Series: “Shedding Moonlight on Conflict,” “A new Language of Peace” and “Things Palestinians and Israelis share”

Runner-up: Ronault Catalani, The Asian Reporter (Portland OR), "Haditha"
Honorable Mention: Jerry Sullivan, Los Angeles Garment and Citizen (Los Angeles, CA), “Illegals Offer Lesson to Ill-advised Among Us”

al-Jazeera International launches Nov. 15

AL JAZEERA INTERNATIONAL ANNOUNCES LAUNCH DATE

Doha, Tuesday 31st October 2006

The Al Jazeera Network today announced that it will launch Al Jazeera International, the new English-language news and current affairs channel on Wednesday 15th November 2006, with the inaugural broadcast starting from its Doha headquarters at 12 GMT.

As the world’s first international English-language news and current affairs channel headquartered in the Middle East, Al Jazeera International is uniquely positioned to reverse the information flow from South to North and to provide a voice to under-reported regions around the world. With broadcast centres strategically placed in Doha, Kuala Lumpur, London and Washington DC, and supporting bureaux worldwide, Al Jazeera International is a new force in the global English speaking media with the ability to seek out and cover different perspectives of news through on-the-ground reporting wherever news is made.

On 15th November Al Jazeera International will provide a fresh approach to news and current affairs to a worldwide audience with a combination of 12 hours of live news plus interview programmes and in-depth features and analysis from the world’s hot spots over a 24 hour day. Please click on the link below for a behind-the-scenes look at Al Jazeera International: http://www.beam.tv/beamreels/reel_player.php?jcgHfCnkhm

Wadah Khanfar, Director General of the Al Jazeera Network said: “We are extremely proud of what Al Jazeera has achieved over the past ten years. Al Jazeera today is an international media organisation. Al Jazeera International will build on the pioneering spirit of Al Jazeera and will carry our media model, based in the South, to the entire world. The launching of the English Channel offers the chance to reach out to a new audience that is used to hearing the name of "Al Jazeera" without being able to watch it or to understand its language. The new channel will provide the same ground-breaking news and impartial and balanced journalism to the English speaking world.”

“It has been a fantastic endeavour to build this TV channel over the last two years with the support of the Al Jazeera network. Everyone involved in the project deserves credit,” said Nigel Parsons, Managing Director, Al Jazeera International, “We will extend the Al Jazeera spirit into the English-speaking world.”

Al Jazeera International is part of the Al Jazeera Network and the sister channel to Al Jazeera. The announcement of the channel’s forthcoming launch on November 15th coincides with the 10-year anniversary of Al Jazeera Arabic language channel.

Al Jazeera’s English language website, aljazeera.net/english is being re-launched with the launch of the English language channel to reflect the channel’s look and feel and editorial content. It will showcase Al Jazeera International’s agenda setting editorial mission and will provide constantly updated coverage of news events from around the world, along with in-depth analysis and background. It will provide RSS feeds, live streams and downloadable clips from the channel, as well as interactive discussions and polling. Programme and presenter information as well as weather reports, live business data and sport will also be available via the website.


-Ends-


Notes to Editors

About Al Jazeera International

Al Jazeera International is the world’s first English language news channel to be headquartered in the Middle East. Broadcasting from within the Middle East, looking outwards, Al Jazeera International will set the news agenda and act as a bridge between cultures. With unique access as the channel of reference for Middle East events, and broadcast centres strategically placed around the world in Doha, Kuala Lumpur, London and Washington DC, Al Jazeera International will balance the information flow from South to North, providing accurate, impartial and objective news for a global audience from a grass roots level, giving voice to different perspectives from under-reported regions around the world.

Al Jazeera International is building on the ground-breaking heritage of its sister Arab-language channel – Al Jazeera, which was responsible for changing the face of news within the Middle East, now extending that fresh perspective from regional to global.

*A full list of our global bureaux & correspondents is available upon request.

*An electronic press kit (b-roll) will be made available prior to launch.


***

For further information please contact:

Doha: Charlotte Dent or Lana Khachan: +974 489 2320/1
Email: javascript:parent.ComposeTo('press.int@aljazeera.net', '');

UK: Katie Bergius or Deborah Coleman: +44 207 201 2819
Email: javascript:parent.ComposeTo('press.int@aljazeera.net', '');

US: Marc Smrikarov: +1 212 486 7070
Email : javascript:parent.ComposeTo('aljazeera_intl@brownlloydjames.com', '');


For information relating to the Al Jazeera Network or the 10th Anniversary please contact:Email: javascript:parent.ComposeTo('imr@aljazeera.net', '');
Tel: +974 489 6045Fax: +974-487-3577

NEWS: ITN Journalist murdered by "trigger happy" US Marines 3 years ago -- coroner

US forces killed ITN man in Iraq

Terry Lloyd was not "embedded" with the military

A coroner has recorded a verdict of unlawful killing on ITN reporter Terry Lloyd, who was shot dead by US forces in southern Iraq in March 2003.

An inquest heard Mr Lloyd was killed by a US bullet near Basra. His interpreter died and his cameraman is missing.

The inquest heard Mr Lloyd, 50 and originally from Derby, was hit while in a makeshift ambulance, having already been hurt in American-Iraqi crossfire.

The Pentagon denied ever targeting non-combatants, including journalists.

The coroner is to ask the attorney general to consider pressing charges.

Oxfordshire Assistant Deputy Coroner Andrew Walker said he would also be writing to the director of public prosecutions asking for him to investigate the possibility of bringing charges.
'War crime'

Mr Lloyd's Lebanese interpreter, Hussein Osman, was also killed and French cameraman Fred Nerac is still officially classed as missing, presumed dead. Belgian cameraman Daniel Demoustier was the ITN crew's only survivor.

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) said Mr Lloyd's killing was a "war crime" and this was echoed by Mr Lloyd's widow, Lyn.

The ITN crew


Terry Lloyd, reporter - killed
Hussein Osman, interpreter - killed
Fred Nerac, cameraman - missing, presumed killed
Daniel Demoustier, cameraman - survived

In a statement she said: "This was a very serious war crime, how else can firing on a vehicle in these circumstances be interpreted?

"This was not a friendly fire incident or a crossfire incident, it was a despicable, deliberate, vengeful act, particularly as it came many minutes after the initial exchange.

"US forces appear to have allowed their soldiers to behave like trigger happy cowboys in an area where civilians were moving around."

A spokesman for the US Department of Defense said: "An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident was completed in May 2003.

"The investigation was limited to the engagement of the vehicle Mr Lloyd was traveling in. The investigation determined that US forces followed the applicable Rules of Engagement

'We do not target non-combatants'

"The Department of Defense has never deliberately targeted non-combatants, including journalists. We have always gone to extreme measures to avoid civilian casualties and collateral damage.

"It has been an unfortunate reality that journalists have died in Iraq. Combat operations are inherently dangerous and we do not take lightly our responsibilities in the conduct of these operations. We do not, nor would we ever, deliberately target a non-combatant civilian or journalist."

His daughter Chelsey said: "The killing of my father would seem to amount to murder, which is deeply shocking."

ITN praised

Mr Lloyd was covering the British and American invasion of Iraq as a "unilateral" journalist, rather than those "embedded" with UK or US forces, who were subject to military censorship.

The ITN crew's vehicle was completely destroyed

He and his three colleagues were caught up in a firefight between US and Iraqi forces near the Shatt Al Basra Bridge on 22 March 2003.

After an eight-day inquest Mr Walker cleared ITN of any blame for Mr Lloyd's death and praised him and his team for their "professionalism and dedication".

He said it was his view the American tanks had been first to open fire on the ITN crew's two vehicles.

He added Mr Lloyd would probably have survived the first bullet wound he received, but was killed as he travelled away in a makeshift ambulance.

Mr Walker said it "presented no threat to American forces" since it was a civilian minibus and was facing away from the US tanks.

The killing of my father would seem to amount to murder, which is deeply shocking
Chelsey Lloyd

"I have no doubt it was the fact that the vehicle stopped to pick up survivors that prompted the Americans to fire on that vehicle," he said.

ITN's editor in chief David Mannion said: "I would also like to say something that I know Terry would have wished me to say.

"Independent, unilateral reporting, free from official strictures, is crucial; not simply to us as journalists but to the role we play in a free and democratic society."

Mr Nerac's widow Fabienne said she would continue her "lonely vigil" to find out what happened to her husband.

end

Houston Chronicle Editorial: Release uncharged al-Jazeera reporter who has been held 5 years

Oct. 6, 2006, 8:02 PM
EDITORIAL: In legal limbo
An Al-Jazeera cameraman in U.S. detention for five years on suspicion of terrorist activities should be brought to trial or else released

Sudanese national Sami al-Haj was 32 when he was arrested at the Pakistan border in 2001 as he and another journalist for the Middle Eastern news agency Al-Jazeera were attempting to enter Afghanistan to cover the fall of the Taliban regime. In a two-year career as a television cameraman and correspondent, al-Haj made numerous trips into the war zone and sent dramatic images of the fighting to his employer.

What he initially took for a simple passport misunderstanding turned into a five-year, continuing legal nightmare for al-Haj, who currently resides in an eight-by-seven-foot cell at the U.S. terrorist detention facility at Guantanamo Bay. He was arrested by Pakistani intelligence officers and turned over to U.S. soldiers, held in Afghanistan and later transported bound and gagged with dozens of other prisoners to the U.S. facility in Cuba. Until last year, the U.S. would not acknowledge it was holding al-Haj, who has a wife and 6-year-old son.

Al-Haj has been accused by military authorities of assisting Chechen and al-Qaida terrorists as a money courier. But al-Haj says that most of his interrogation sessions have focused on the operations of Al-Jazeera, which has frequently obtained and run terrorist videos and tapes and has been criticized by U.S. officials for biased and incendiary reporting. One of the accusations against him is that he interviewed Taliban and al-Qaida leaders, but those are legitimate journalistic endeavors. Al-Haj claims U.S. military officers offered him his freedom in exchange for becoming an informant on Al-Jazeera's activities. He refused.

After five years, al-Haj has yet to be charged or tried, and he continues to maintain his innocence. "With all due respect," he told a Guantanamo administrative review board, "a mistake has been made because I have never been a member of any terrorist group, and I never took part in any terrorist or violent act."

Before his stint with Al-Jazeera, he worked as the administrative assistant for a beverage company owned by a United Arab Emirates national, Muhammad Abdullah al-Umran. In that capacity, he says he legally transported cash for his boss to an Islamic charity in Azerbaijan that was later placed on a terrorist watch list. Al-Haj claims he was simply following instructions and thought the transactions were innocent. He also served as a driver for a visiting friend of al-Umran who later was arrested for involvement in the terrorist bombings of U.S embassies in East Africa. Al-Haj maintains he knew nothing of the man's background.

"There is absolutely zero evidence that he has any history in terrorism at all," says al-Haj's lawyer. Clive Stafford Smith, the legal director of Reprieve, a British human rights group. A report by Joel Campagna of the Committee to Protect Journalists concludes that only a fair and transparent legal process can determine whether al-Haj was a knowing or unwitting conspirator with terrorists or an innocent journalist "plucked from the field while covering the world's biggest story."

According to CPJ, in 2005 U.S. forces held five journalists without charges, including al-Haj and four others in Iraq who were eventually released. That's the same number as Burma, a nation whose military rulers have been criticized repeatedly for violating press freedoms.

Rather than remain in the same category with such unsavory human rights violators, American authorities should swiftly produce any evidence they have against al-Haj and conduct a fair and open legal proceeding consistent with the principles of American jurisprudence. Otherwise, U.S. State Department pronouncements calling for protections for international journalists will continue to have a distinctly hollow ring.

British Official: Wanted to bomb al-Jazeera during Iraq invasion

BRITISH CABINET MEMBER ADMITS HE URGED AL-JAZEERA BOMBING

Former British Home Secretary David Blunkett has acknowledged that he urged Prime Minister Tony Blair to bomb the Baghdad facilities of the Arab news channel al-Jazeera shortly after the invasion of Iraq. As reported by today's (Thursday) London Daily Mirror, Blunkett was asked on the Channel 4 program Dispatches whether he was worried that such an attack would be considered "outside the rules of engagement." He replied: "There wasn't a worry from me because I believed that this was a war and in a war you wouldn't allow the broadcast to continue taking place." The Mirror observed that two weeks later, the station's Baghdad studios were bombed by the U.S., killing journalist Tareq Ayoub. Asked about the attack, Blunkett replied, "I think there's a big difference between taking out the transmission and taking out journalists - even if you don't agree with them."

end

AP Photographer detained since April 12, 2006 by US Military in Iraq

THE DETENTION OF AP PHOTOGRAPHER BILAL HUSSEIN

The U.S. military in Iraq has imprisoned Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein since April 12, 2006, accusing him of being a security threat but never filing charges or permitting a public hearing. "We want the rule of law to prevail," says AP President and CEO Tom Curley. "He either needs to be charged or released. Indefinite detention is not acceptable." Military officials say that Hussein was being held for "imperative reasons of security" under United Nations resolutions. A Pentagon spokesman reiterated that stance Sept. 18. Hussein is a 35-year-old Iraqi citizen and a native of Fallujah. AP executives said an internal review of his work did not find anything to indicate inappropriate contact with insurgents, and any evidence against him should be brought to the Iraqi criminal justice system. Hussein began working for the AP in September 2004. He photographed events in Fallujah and Ramadi until he was detained.Bilal Hussein is one of an estimated 14,000 people detained by the U.S. military worldwide -- 13,000 of them in Iraq. They are held in limbo where few are ever charged with a specific crime or given a chance before any court or tribunal to argue for their freedom. In Hussein's case, Curley and other AP executives say, the military has not provided any concrete evidence to back up the vague allegations they have raised about him. More information is contained in the news stories and press materials below.