NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #18/NN_1992_18.iso/spool/misc/activism/progress/5856

Internet Message Format | 1992-08-17 | 7.0 KB

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From: [e-mail] (Chris Metcalfe)
Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive
Subject: Bad Logic in AAADC Letter
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Date: 17 Aug 92 21:11:55 GMT
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The June 3rd Jerusalem Foundation dinner is raising a lot of dust.  A media
watchdog group, FAIR, recently published an Op-Ed piece about it,
"The Media tolerate anti-Arab bigotry" in the San Francisco Examiner
(Wed, Aug. 5).  I wrote a "Letter To The Editor" that was published a few
days later describing the problematic logic being used in this argument.

Appearently, a tape was made of the speeches at the dinner.  One of the
FAIR analysts, Sam Husseini, discovered the Kissinger remark during a
close listening.

The problem with the argument made in the AAADC letter, and in the
article by Jeff Cohen and Norman Soloman is that they argue their
case through guilt-by-association and innuendo.  The fact that Cohen
is the founder of FAIR, a media watchdog group, that Soloman is
billed as a media critic, and that the AAADC is dedicated to truthful
representation, makes their abuse of free speech extremely ironic.

The Op-Ed piece, and the AAADC letter, slice the merest slivers of remarks
out of the "10,000 words of unmitigated praise for Israel" that Cohen
and Soloman report are found in the tape.  We have no idea of the paragraph
in which Kissinger made his remark, nor of the paragraph in which
Dan Rather used the term "Mohammedanism," the usage of which does not
constitute an act of racism.

The Op-Ed piece tries to prove that, by his lack of protest, Dan Rather
does, in fact, hold the same anti-Arab sentiments that Henry Kissinger
does.  I would like any of the authors to define what the anti-Arab views
of Henry Kissinger are.  Can they derive an understanding of this from
the single quote produced?  If not, how do they expect the reader to
form a "fair" opinion?  The Op-Ed piece goes on to say that Dan Rather's
(now demonstrated) racist bias explains the anti-Arab bias at CBS Eveneing
News, because he is the managing editor.  The AAADC letter, to CBS News,
also makes this connection.

Cohen amd Soloman get so carried away that they smear Fouad Ajami as a
Lebanese Uncle Tom.  Then they serve up that old Jewish-controlled-media
canard, "To watch the CBS Evening News is to see the Middle East through
the eyes of Israel."  They have slipped into anti-Semitism in their rush
to accuse.  It's sad.  The AAADC letter accuses Ajami of "overtly racist
remarks" without quoting him at all.  Who is defaming who here?

The most laughable flaw in Cohen and Soloman's argument is their presentation
of Dan Rather's "cheerleading" for the Afghani mujehadeen in the 1980's as an
example of his over-enthusiastic advocacy of causes.  Excuse me, was this not
an Islamic cause?  So how is Dan Rather anti-Arab?

If Dan Rather makes anti-Arab remarks during a news broadcast, then I will
expect to hear from you, and if the case is true, I will support your
effort to extract an apology, a retraction, or a litigation for libel.

But I cannot condone any group that, using the cover of a media watchdog
acronym or an anti-defamation acronym, publishes base smear tactics to put the
status of East Jerusalem back in the headlines with an anti-US media
spin.

Get a real case, guys.

-- Chris Metcalfe


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Subject:      Letter protesting CBS anti-Arab remarks

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee is seeking
endorsers of the following letter to CBS News protesting anti-
Arab remarks.  To sign on, contact Larry Ekin, ADC director of
outreach, at 202-244-2990 (or 202-244-3196 fax).

Posted by Seth Grimes, Jewish Committee for Israeli-Palestinian
Peace, [e-mail]

-------------------------------------------------------------

Eric Ober
President, CBS News
524 West 57th Street
New York, NY 10019

August 11, 1992

Dear Mr. Ober,

We are deeply disturbed by recent public remarks made by your
anchor, Dan Rather, and two senior analysts closely identified
with CBS News, Dr. Henry Kissinger and Dr. Fuad Ajami.  At a June
3 fundraising banquet for the Jerusalem Foundation, Mr. Rather
presided over a panel generally expressing contempt for Arabs,
support for Israel's annexation of East Jerusalem and also
referred to "fundamental Mohammedanism."

While we all acknowledge Jerusalem's religious and historic
significance for Judaism, East Jerusalem's political status
remains unresolved, subject to international negotiations, and
cannot be determined by unilateral declarations from Israel.  Mr.
Rather's partisanship was ill-informed.  We can only understand
his participation in an event celebrating Israeli "reunification"
of Jerusalem as a partisan act in support of a particular
political position.  His tolerance of anti-Arab racism and his
reference to "Mohammedanism" betray either shameful ignorance or
a deep and disturbing contempt.

Mr. Rather stood by while Dr. Henry Kissinger remarked that "you
can't really believe anything an Arab says."  Surely CBS News
would demand an apology from one of its senior personnel who
publicly tolerated such a remark had it been made in reference to
any other ethnic or national group.

Dr. Ajami furthered the general Arab-bashing tone of the evening
with remarks denying the possibility of "Arab democracy as well
as contemptuous comment regarding bedouin.  Again, Mr. Rather
failed to challenge Ajami's overtly racist remarks.

Certainly these persons are entitled to their own opinions.
Journalists are entitled to opinions as are any other private
citizens; they should be free to express them.  However, when
opinions expressed from a CBS anchor display such strong
partisanship and ignorance, it calls into question his ability to
offer balanced reporting on Middle Eastern affairs.

As CBS analysts, Dr. Kissinger and Dr. Ajami are presumably paid
for their opinions.  However, when two senior CBS analysts
express such remarks, we must wonder at CBS News' apparent
tolerance of anti-Arab racism and also at the lack of diversity
among its Middle East commentators.  We wonder whether CBS News
is serving itself and the public well when they restrict
themselves to commentators with such a narrow perspective.  CBS
News becomes ill-informed when its main Middle East advisor is
someone who displays such unbridled hostility towards and
alienation from the Arab world as shown by Dr. Ajami.

We join the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and
numerous other organizations in calling for a public apology from
Mr. Rather, Dr. Kissinger, and Dr. Ajami.  We request that CBS
publicly clarify both its understanding of the status of East
Jerusalem, and the guidelines it issues its correspondents for
coverage of the occupied territories, Jerusalem in particular.


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