Journalists face many hazards in Middle East

The day after Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalist Anthony Shadid was buried by family in Beirut, Lebanon, two journalists were killed in fighting in the besieged city of Homs in Syria.
Shadid was leaving Syria where he had entered unofficially on horseback with a guide to avoid the restrictions imposed by the Syrian dictatorship of President Bashar al-Assad when he had an asthma attack that turned critical. He died. Shadid knew that his assignment was dangerous and yet he continued to pursue the truth in coverage of the Syrian civil war.
War is hell. But before anyone could even pause to honor Shadid's commitment to the dangerous profession of pursuing truth in the Middle East and among the region's Arab World dictatorships, news came that two more journalists had died, this time as a result of Syrian military shelling of civilian homes in Homs.
American freelance journalist Marie Colvin and freelance French photographer Remi Ochlik were killed in the Syrian military bombardment of the homes. They were accompanied by a dozen other journalists who all had sneaked into Syria to cover the growing civil war by civilians to oust their dictator Bashar al-Assad. And it is even believed the killings may have been intentional as everyone knew the home that was hit by the shelling was being used by journalists.
Syria's dictatorship has prohibited journalists from entering Syria and covering the conflict as a part of an official campaign to silence the pro-Democracy protesters. Some were being allowed in but only accompanied by official Syrian government minders. But those journalists who have risked their lives to bring the accurate story out of the oppressive Syrian country would not be silenced.
The National American Arab Journalists Association, which represents more than 250 American Arab journalists throughout the United States, issued condemnations of the killings of Colvin and Ochlik. NAAJA issued a statement of condolences on the news of the death of Shadid. NAAJA has condemned the Syrian assault against civilians and the targeting of journalists which is intended by the Assad dictatorship to prevent accurate news reporting. 
Some American Arab media are working for the Syrian Government. These media having been working overtime to spin the news insisting that it is the protesters themselves who are murdering the many women and children who have been killed. More than 7,000 civilians have been murdered so far in the intentional assault that is targeting civilians to "punish" the public for daring to challenge the tyranny of the minority-run Syrian dictatorship.
Journalists in the Middle East are threatened all the time. It doesn't just happen in the Arab countries. It happens in Israel where many Palestinian journalists are forbidden and denied entry to cover events in Israel. Much of the coverage of Israel is handled by Israelis and journalists with a clear personal bias towards events and the news.
The only real tribute to Colvin and Ochlik and to Shadid who risked his life, too, though he died of a health-driven illness, is to recognize that journalism is a fundamental component of freedom. Without journalists and the ability of professional writers to witness and record events, freedom of human beings is jeopardized and threatened.
We salute the journalists who have made the ultimate sacrifice to defend truth. Truth is Democracy and Democracy is freedom. One day soon, no doubt, the people of Syria will experience true freedom with the ouster of the Assad dictatorship.
One day soon Palestinians living under Israel's brutal occupation will also experience freedom.
Journalism has its faults, biases and traitors to the cause of accuracy and truth. But Freedom relies on the clarity of a human being's eye to witness and record events without prejudice and with accuracy regardless of personal feelings or partisan political beliefs.
-- Ray Hananiawww.NAAJA-US.com

NAAJA Mourns the loss of Anthony Shadid, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and author

Anthony Shadid was unlike many others. He loved the American Arab community and he also loved professional journalism. He began his journalism career at the Associated Press and though he was born in Oklahoma, he quickly learned Arabic as an adult. His heritage as an American Lebanese and his love for Arab culture drove him to journalism and to great heights.
Shadid went on to the Washington Post where he won two Pulitzer Prizes for his writing and then was hired by the New York Times where he covered Iraq and later worked as the bureau chief in Beirut.
He died Thursday in the Middle East reportedly of an asthma attack.
NAAJA expresses its deep condolences to his family. Anthony Shadid was a strong supporter of NAAJA and said he was proud to have his name among so many other great journalists who continue to strive to bring the voice of American Arabs to the world.
American Arab journalists suffer greatly in America.
They are ostracized by mainstream American journalism if they express their opinions too strongly. They are targeted by other American Arab media for their demand for true professionalism and honesty in reporting and for seeing the bias that exists against American Arabs in this country.
The Society of Professional Journalists has led this discrimination against American Arabs and many American Arab journalists have avoided association with the bigoted SPJ.
UNITY: Journalists of Color which supposedly advocates for the rights of minorities in journalism have also ostracized and excluded American Arab journalists because they do not want to share their power which is now divided among Black Journalists, Hispanic Journalists, Asian Journalists and Native American Journalists. They don't want more minority groups sharing in what little they have as a group.
And the American Arab community is divided, as we see in how the community is responding to the brutality of the Syrian Government of Bashar al-Assad against the people of Syria and the murder of more than 7,000 Syrian Civilians. American Arabs come from a region of the world where free speech is challenged and suppressed. They are taught to avoid controversy and not "air the dirty laundry" so discussions about the need for change in the community evoke anger, animosity and even threats.
In this difficult environment, no wonder there are so few American Arabs in journalism as noted in the recent Columbia Journalism Review column by Justin Martin. (Click to read.)
Many American Arabs have avoided the profession of journalism to avoid all of these pitfalls, from the bias in the mainstream American media to the anger that often is evoked from the American Arab community when journalists address issues they do not like or they disagree with.
Anthony Shadid managed to navigate all of that. He was only 43 when he died. So young and so talented. He managed to rise above the community and return to the Middle East where he provided professional insight as a role model not only for young American Arabs seeking to enter the difficult field of American journalism, but also to Arab World journalists, many of whom work to represent the politics of their sponsor nation rather than strive for the purity of objectiveness that journalism is dedicated and that many great journalists seek.
Anthony Shadid was a great journalist and the American Arab community is greatly distressed by this loss to the American Arab community and to professional journalism.
-- Ray Hanania
On behalf of NAAJA and its members

Justin Martin asks the question: Why not more Arab Journalists in American media?

This important question is ignored by the bigotry and bias of the majority of the news media ... it deserves more attention and I wonder why the mainstream media doesn't address it more often. One reason is the bigotry that exists in the mainstream news media that reflects the discrimination that is "policy, practice and reality" in American society and politics.
http://www.cjr.org/behind_the_news/why_arent_more_arab_americans.php
Please read and comment. The Columbia Journalism Review should give more space to this topic because it cuts right to the heart of the problem of how this country addresses the Middle East.
Recently, when a leader of NAAJA in Washingtn DC spoke with aides to President Barack Obama, asking if he would address one of our next conventions, the response was "Absolutely not." Why? Because of the bigotry in this country, Because Obama is playing politics with the Middle East, Arabs and Muslims and only cares about how it applies in the Middle East not in a Diverse America. And, because Obama knows that the mainstream American media -- and organizations like the Society of Professional Journalists and UNITY" Journalists of Color, are driven by racist and discriminatory views and leadership. 
(The SPJ is the worst, most discriminatory organization in American journalism today. It's leadership is racist and driven by anti-Arab and anti-Muslim policies as demonstrated by the series of events from the closing of the Arab SPJ Section to the slander against Helen Thomas to the interference run by its leaders to keep American Arabs from running for SPJ leadership positions.)
Read the Martin piece and please comment.
ThanksRay HananiaNAAJA National

NAAJA urges community to help InFocus Newspaper

The Anaheim-based mainstream American Arab-Muslim newspaper InFocus is facing severe financial challenges and is on the verge of shutting down. We urge community members to do what they can to help support this newspaper which reflects the highest journalism values and professional journalism.

Here is the open appeal that was published by InFocus to explain their difficulties. Although the newspaper is in California, American Arabs and Muslims throughout the country should be concerned.

Ray Hanania
National coordinator NAAJA
www.NAAJA-US.com

Their web site is (CLICK HERE)  ... and their Facebook Page is (CLICK HERE)

Assalaamu Alaikum!

We, as community leaders, are proud to write to you about the role InFocus News plays in our community.

Recent news – such as learning the FBI used paid informants to monitor activity at mosques – made it clear to us that our most important challenge as Muslim Americans is informing the public and shaping public opinion to counter the heavy load of misinformation being spread about Islam and Muslims. Those who have access to a more balanced perspective through IFN are more supportive of our community and more vocal in advocating for justice and tolerance.

IFN is distributed free of charge to more than 70 mosques, 350 Muslim businesses, and 35 public libraries, and at major Muslim events across California, Nevada, Arizona and Oklahoma. Making a profit is not the objective of IFN. In fact, IFN is a non-profit organization. With your support, IFN plans to soon become a national newspaper; a newspaper that will also reach elected officials, interfaith leaders, media professionals, and other fellow Americans.

We are contacting you to join us in supporting IFN's work. We have been big fans of their success and professionalism and have volunteered our help to build on their efforts.

We invite you to support the unique educational efforts of the newspaper. About 70% of IFN’s operating costs are supported by advertisers. The rest comes from those in our community who value having an American Muslim outlet telling our story to the general public. There are a number of ways to get involved in supporting this project.

• Sponsor subscriptions to at least five (5) people of influence or to public libraries or prisons
• Become a Friend of IFN by automatically giving $100, $50, $20 or even $10 every month
• Make a one-time generous donation to help IFN’s operating expenses.

We finally have a great opportunity to establish our own strong media outlet that will reach the public at large. We hope we can count on your generous support to realize this goal. Please use the attached envelope to make your donation today. Every amount will help.

Wasalaam,

NAAJA Condemns Atlanta Jewish Times for calling for "hit" on President Obama

The National American Arab Journalists Association today denounced the Atlanta Jewish Times which published a column by its publisher, David Adler, calling for the Mossad to "hit" President Barack Obama. Click here to read London Guardian Story on the controversy which many American media are trying to ignore.

Anyone who speaks English knows the meaning of that phrase, that to place a "hit" on someone is to call for their murder.

Mr. Adler's newspaper has promoted all kinds of anti-Arab and racist propaganda over the years. But because he is American Jewish, his ignorance is tolerated. In fact, many of the mainstream American news media have ignored the story and are trying to play it down.

Adler quickly took the column down when foreign media began to criticize the hypocrisy and the call to violence. But thanks to Gawker, it was been preserved, Click here to read the column (PDF) that Adler later removed.

Here's a section from the column that has been preserved:

Three, give the go-ahead for U.S.-based Mossad agents to take out a president deemed unfriendly to Israel in order for the current vice president to take his place, and forcefully dictate that the United States' policy includes its helping the Jewish state obliterate its enemies.

Yes, you read "three" correctly. 

Order a hit on a president in order to preserve Israel's existence. Think about it. If I have thought of this Tom Clancy-type scenario, don't you think that this almost unfathomable idea has been discussed in Israel's most inner circles?

Another way of putting "three" in perspective goes something like this: How far would you go to save a nation comprised of seven million lives...Jews, Christians and Arabs alike?

You have got to believe, like I do, that all options are on the table.

Adler even speculates that Israeli leaders have thought about killing the president, in a manner that suggests he is okay with it. (He doesn't even protest the idea after writing it.)

Ironically, in the same newspaper, there was a story published about an Atlanta woman who sent an anti-Semitic package who was then killed by police in Atlanta.

Wow. The hypocrisy is outrageous here.

David Adler of the Atlanta Jewish Times writes that the Israeli Mossad should take out a "hit" against President Obama, and no one screams at all, except maybe some members of the foreign press. That's okay. But it's just routine news when an American expresses anti-Semitism, an act of ugliness and hatred, and then is killed by Police.

Mr. Adler, shame on you. But worse, shame on the American mainstream news media for ignoring Adler's venom. He should be fired from the newspaper or the newspaper should be shut down. That we tolerate some forms of vicious hatred only exposes the hypocrisy of American journalism.

Mr. Adler took down the column, as he should. But that is not enough. He should be punished and the Society of "Professional" Journalists should stop playing politics with Middle East and Arab-Jewish issues, and stand up for what's right. Of course, when was the last time the biased SPJ did that?

NAAJA Urges the SPJ and all Journalism groups to condemn Adler's call to violence and we urge officials in Atlanta to shut down the Atlanta Jewish Times for promoting violence against the President of the United States.

-- Ray Hanania

Ikhras loves the Syrian Dictatorship: Just read their "Twits"

Ikhras haters Thabit al-Arabi and Qassem Lufti, who have a life-long difficulty with the English language, moderation and accuracy, have laid out (or lied out) a long list of reasons why they think Syrian Dictator Bashar al-Assad shouldn't be attacked and that the pro-Democracy protesters should be blamed and criticized.

But they know that their support for the Syrian government, which has murdered more than 4,000 innocent civilians including hundreds of children, is not an easy one to argue. It makes them look like hypocrites as they assault and slander an array of people including. Their targets include star comedians Dean Obeidallah and Maysoon Zayid (who host the annual New York Arab Comedy Festival), and writers Hussein Ibish, Ray Hanania and Mona eltahawy. These are but a few of the scores of people that Ikhras brutalizes in their online verbal assaults as if they were the Syrian military police attacking civilians seeking freedom in Homs. (I can just see the Ikhras goofs cheering as new statistics surface about innocent Syrian civilians being killed by the Syrian Government that they consistently defend.)

All you have to do is read their Twitter posts, posts that Qassem and Thabet recently referred to as "Twits" in an email. Maybe that's because they are the "twits."

Hussein Ibish has penned a scathing expose of who these sad refugees from truth really are.


(Click here to read that priceless unveiling of the rotten core of Ikhas.)

Here's a direct link to Ibish's article: Click here.

But here are some of their most recent Tweets (Yes Thabet and Qassem, they're called Tweets, not Twits!) that demonstrate and prove their loyalty to the Syrian Dictatorship and why they pick and chose their words carefully to pretend as if they care about, say, the Palestinian refugees (they don't) or the people of Egypt (they don't) or ADC (which upsets them the most because ADC fights for the rights of victims of discrimination including those bullied by cowards like Qassem and Thabet and the Ikhras gaggle of online bullies).

Read how they carefully tiptoe and pretend they do not support the brutality of the Syrian regime, and then use that argument as a means of attacking others. The way they exploit the suffering of the Palestinians as a means of saying, hey, what's happening in Syria isn't that important because Bush is a liar and a murderer, too.

Their theme here is right out of the Little Red Book published by Bashar al-Assad and the Syrian Baath Party dictators.

ikhras Ikhras اخرس 

The show is sponsored by Royal Jordanian Airlines. Unlikely RJ would sponsor these clowns w/o involvement of Gov agencyascf.jo/index.html

2 hours ago Favorite Retweet Reply

ikhras Ikhras اخرس 

Can anyone provide info on this show in Amman, Jordan?ascf.jo/index.html Interested in role of US Embassy in this event.@Deanofcomedy.

2 hours ago 

ikhras Ikhras اخرس 

Interesting to contrast Western officials descriptions of Eric Honeker/Gustav Husak/Nicolae Ceaușescu w/descriptions of Qadhafi/Saddam/Assad

4 hours ago 

ikhras Ikhras اخرس 

Why do some ignore mass murder of 1.5 Million people by Bush & Blair in Iraq & feign humanity over crimes by Arab rulers US Gov opposes?

4 hours ago 

ikhras Ikhras اخرس 

Arabs must oppose Arab tyranny w/o adopting racist double standards which dehumanize an entire culture and not just a regime or ruler.

4 hours ago 

ikhras Ikhras اخرس 

Arabs who oppose Arab dictators shouldnt accept the West's dehumanization of Arab rulers because it includes dehumanization of Arab culture

4 hours ago 

ikhras Ikhras اخرس 

Those who call #Syria n President a "liar" (and lets all assume he is): Would you dare call US officials liars? Dont accept double standards

4 hours ago 

ikhras Ikhras اخرس 

For those who oppose the #Syria n regime: Its in your interest to not lie. Youre better off trying to preserve your credibility.

4 hours ago 

ikhras Ikhras اخرس 

It appears some people paid more attention to State Dept's characterization of the Bashar Al-Assad interview than to the interview. #Syria

4 hours ago 

ikhras Ikhras اخرس 

Arabs deserve better than to have to choose between dictatorship and imperialism.

18 hours ago 

ikhras Ikhras اخرس 

If you must collaborate with a foreign force, at least collaborate with Sweden or Vietnam or someone without Arab blood on their hands. #snc

18 hours ago 

ikhras Ikhras اخرس 

just coined a new term. Housism (n): collaboration with the oppressors as a "strategy" to end their subjugation of the oppressed.