Opinion Editorials, November 2003, www.aljazeerah.info
Human Price of the Israeli Occupation of Palestine
Israeli daily aggression on the Palestinian people
Mission and meaning of Al-Jazeerah
Cities, localities, and tourist attractions
Christian fundamentalists employed by the US government to produce news in Arabic to Iraqis
William Hardiker
Al-Jazeerah, 11/15/03
Introduction:
Christian fundamentalists have been employed by the US government to produce the American news in Arabic to Iraqis
In May this year the US government launched it’s Arabic language satellite TV news station supposedly to deliver the news to Iraq. I say ‘supposedly’ because how often is it that anything to do with the national interest is as it appears? Here is no exception. The US agency producing the televised news for “The Broadcasting Board Of Governors” or BBG, is “Grace Digital Media” – controlled by professed fundamentalist Christians who are reportedly zealously pro-Israeli. Grace Digital Media is owned and controlled by Christian fundamentalist millionaire, Cheryl Regan. In defense of her mandate BBG’s Ms. Joan Mower claimed, “Our mission is clear. We don’t do propaganda or leafleting - we are like the BBC in that respect”.
Clearly the news service was implemented by the US in an effort to quash the overwhelming anti-American sentiment amongst Iraqi’s whilst enabling fervent fundamentalists the opportunity to propagate their desire to make converts of the indigenous population. Sound a little familiar? Something like nineteenth century European colonialism and the efforts of Christian missionaries spreading the “word of God” to “spiritually” misinformed and misguided natives? Unfortunately for the Bush administration, early signs would indicate that no miracles are thus far forthcoming. Obviously what “Grace Digital Media” does, or attempt to do, is propaganda for the US government, for there is no other reasonable explanation for their presence on Arab airwaves. GNN claims that the Network will be “reporting the current secular news, as well as aggressive proclamations that will change the news to reflect the Kingdom of God and its purposes”. “Grace Digital Media” and “Federal News Service” are based in Washington D.C as well as “Grace News Network”. The GNN web site proclaims that the Network is “dedicated to transmitting the evidence of Gods presence in the world today”.
How unfortunate that after thousands of years of Islam and centuries of Spiritual life, Arabs have had to wait for the Americans to arrive before they could be enlightened and instructed not to worship false prophets. That which President George Bush’s spiritual guidance councilor, Franklin Graham (son of the revivalist Rev. Billy Graham) slandered as “a very evil and wicked religion”. Western leaders are at pains to point out that the “war on terrorism” is not a war on Islam, but actions speak louder than words and if it looks like it, smells like it and tastes like it - then chances are, it is it.
That there are strong and expanding relations between right wing Christian fundamentalists and the right wing Sharon Lukud party “expansionists”, is common knowledge and has been widely reported .The Bush Administration, and President Bush in particular, have strong ties to Christian fundamentalists. Christian Zionists have traditionally pointed to the Book of Genesis and words such as; “ I will bless those who bless you. And the one who curses you, I will curse”. Zionists take this to mean that God will bless nations who support the state of Israel. In other words, while the George W Bush administration is in the White House, political, economic and moral support to Israel will be forthcoming unequivocally. Though it is commonly reported that Israel receives officially about three billion dollars every year in aid from the US in the form of economic aid, this is but the tip of the proverbial iceberg. A recently published economic analysis conducted by Thomas R. Stauffer, a Washington based engineer and economist who teaches about the economics of energy and The Middle East and who has taught at Harvard University and Georgetown Universities school of foreign service, concluded that US support for Israel has cost the US taxpayers around three trillion dollars (three million million dollars). Stauffers analysis is an estimate of the total cost to the US alone of instability and conflict in the region – which emanates from the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.
It is unclear how much “news” Grace News has thus far produced. A documentary has however been produced titled “Israel: Divine Destiny”, which is concerned with Israel’s and America’s entwined “destiny”. It is said (by Ms. Mower) that BBG is producing and transmitting six hours of news into Iraq, including dubbed versions of the daily evening news from ABC, CBC, NBC, FOX and PBS.
The conclusion, that we are witnessing a “clash of cultures” or “civilizations”, proclaimed by many and which has sold millions of books for western publishers is perhaps true on one level, (though basically flawed) due to America’s refusal to appreciate the perilous consequences of it’s actions.
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| Earth, a planet hungry for peace |
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| The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03). |
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| The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers in the West Bank, like a Python. (Alquds,10/25/03). |
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