Date: Fri, 14 Sep 2001 11:17:39 -0400
From: Mark LeVine <mark.levine-AT-iue.it>
Subject: Re: new attack


i would suggest that as many scholars of islam and the middle east as possible
draft a joint letter to be sent to the major media outlets asking them, in the
midst of all their coverage, to take this opportunity to take an unbiased and
critical look at fifty years of us policy in the middle east, so the american
public can begin to better understand what's behind the intense hatred that has
produced this and other terrorist acts.

peter jennings, to his credit, actually convened a panel yesterday afternoon
with hanan ashrawi, a lebanese journalist, some one from the wash. instistute
for NE policy and abs news judith kipper.  at least he tried, but he got many
facts wrong, didn't identify that winep was an arm of aipac, and only ashrawi
had anything good to say.  perhaps we should send a letter to him personally
too thanking him for this (he's always attacked by jewish groups for trying to
be even-handed).

who could draft such a letter? the mesa board? islamaar? i think every day a
public stand isn't taken by the nation's scholars--perhaps a letter to the
times, etc--the censorship and plattitudes about democracy and freedom will
more powerfully shut out any chance at honest discourse.

mark levine
--
Mark LeVine, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Dept. of History
University of California, Irvine

Contact information, Summer-Fall 2001:

32-22 204th Street
Bayside, NY 11361, USA
718 423 7357
718 423 2229 - fax
<mark.levine-AT-iue.it>






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