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CENSORSHIP & DISINFORMATION - The War of Minds
127/Ibrahim Nawar - Head of Arab Press Freedom Watch
A dangerous world has resulted from 9.11. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Eastern bloc, western military forces have been looking for an “ENEMY” to fight against and justify corruption, military spending and social injustice. Right after the fall of the Berlin wall they created the war against Saddam Hussein. Then came the war in the Balkans, which kept western military forces busy for sometime. By enforcing a political solution to the Balkan crisis, the world took a deep breath and stretched itself, anticipating a period of relaxation. It was a dream that never came true.9. 11 came as the day some have been dreaming of, and perhaps planned for! Now there is an ideal “ENEMY” that can strike anywhere and at anytime. The enemy can be a passer-by in the street looking innocently at you, a passenger on a plane occupying the seat next to you, or someone who may one day send you a letter full of anthrax powder! The new “ENEMY” is not a state, and the war against it is neither traditional nor conventional. The name of new enemy is “TERRORISM”. This is what right-wing politicians in the US and the EU and military generals everywhere want us to believe. The war against so-called “terrorism” has to be won first in the minds of the people.
There are plenty of weapons that can be used in the war of minds. The most important ones are: restrictions to freedom of expression, enforcement of emergency laws and manipulation of public opinion by using “black arts”. In the USA and in Europe political institutions were under pressure to accommodate policies to legalise the use of weapons for the war of minds. Legislation was swiftly passed to impose the state of emergency. Newsroom editors came under fire when they handled news in a professional and liberal way, on the basis that such a way would endanger national security! False stories started to be flown around deliberately to manipulate public opinion. Stories linking anthrax letters to American scientists who came from Arab origin or claiming that Al-Qaeda members had acquired small nuclear weapons and would strike at US major cities have created fear and hatred, fear of the “OTHERS” and hatred towards them.
Creating a culture of fear was the main goal of the controversial Office of Strategic Influence, set up by the Pentagon to support the war against terrorism. Although the US administration had announced it was going to scrap the OSI, it appears from time to time that the “lie-making machine” is still alive. A story about Iraq using trucks as missile launchers would make anyone laugh, but such a story would benefit blood thirsty military generals who want to invade Iraq tomorrow. Iraq has once again become a target for war, although the ruined country is not at war with anyone. Instead of drawing the world’s attention to the genocide against Palestinians, and the daily killings and atrocities by the Israeli occupations forces in the West Bank and Gaza strip, US military generals and right wing politicians are trying to divert international attention to Iraq.
Keeping public opinion from the real danger in the Middle East, the Israeli military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza strip, is a deliberate policy that can be seen through media reports coming out of Palestine. The fact that Palestinians are fighting a liberation war against occupying forces is widely ignored. Reports of Palestinians killed by Israelis are mostly put in the context that “a number have died in an exchange of fire between the two sides” or, and this is a preferable phrase to some journalists “The Israeli army opened fire in retaliation”. When an Israeli is killed the story become headlines and in most cases is personalized.
Personalization of a story is usually the way to gain sympathy and to win the hearts of the people and their minds. The way the Palestinian Intifada news is handled, does not only reflect ignorance and double standards, but also feeds into the policy of creating a culture of fear and hatred. It plays into the hands of the Israelis and feeds into a dangerous perception and belief identifying Europeans and Americans with Israel as fighting the same enemy (terrorism). A layperson would see Israel through media reports as a state at war against “Palestinian terrorists”.
Globalisation assumes we live in one big village. For some who believe they are the victorious power, this means they have the right to impose their culture on the minds of others, open markets for their goods, open skies for their planes and missiles, open seas for their destroyers and fighter carriers, and have the flow of news moving one way only. Globalisation cannot be that, as embarking on a road to achieving these goals can spread tensions, conflicts and perhaps wars everywhere.
The world can prosper through healthy and fair competition, and people can love each other on the basis of respect of culture, race and ethnic diversity. September 11 can be the everlasting tragic day if it is left to military generals and right-wing politicians to decide the fate of the world. Campaigning for freedom of expression is the best way to fight disinformation, black arts and the manipulation of public opinion. 9. 11 should become the end of an unjust world, a world of deprivation and suffering for some and exploitation and tyranny for others. It should be the beginning of an era of peace, not war, a culture of inclusion not exclusion, and freedom for all.
ibrahim@apfwatch.org
Last modified: Tuesday, April 2, 2002
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Notices
Events & Announcements
World Press Freedom Day
More reporters are currently imprisoned in Turkey than in any other country in the world. Only a matter of weeks ago lawyers failed to persuade a Turkish court to release a 76-year-old journalist from a Turkish internet news station.
World Press Freedom Day on Friday May 3, 2013 is being marked in Britain by a rally to highlight the dangers facing journalists in Turkey and in this podcast, Nicholas Jones speaks to Barry White, Organiser at the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom, and Sam Bamford, the TUC's policy officer for Eastern Europe and Africa about the importance of a campaign to highlight international press freedom.
The World Press Freedom Day rally is being staged by the National Union of Journalists at the NUJ head office, Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1 on Thursday May 2, 6pm-8pm.
DATELINE: 27/4/13
UK launch of EU media campaign
DATELINE: 13/3/13
The UK launch of a 'European Citizens' Initiative' calling for EU rules against concentration of media power will take place on Thursday March 21 from 11:00am – 12:30pm in Committee Room 4A at the House of Lords, London. Guest speakers will include actor and activist Hugh Grant (pictured), media consultant Claire Enders, Professor Steven Barnett, Barry McCall (President of the NUJ) and Marc Gruber (Director of the European Federation of Journalists).
A European Citizens' Initiative is an official petition, like a Downing Street petition. If it succeeds in gathering a million signatures across the EU, the Commission is obliged to respond.
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DATELINE: 1/3/13
Make a note in your diary
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Download Freepress in PDF, ePub or mobi format. Issue 194 now available.
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Previous stories
War Reporting
New Video Documentary: "NOT IN MY NAME"
WITHOUT COMMENT
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THE GAPS IN THE REPORTS
SUSPICIOUS INCIDENTS
NATIONAL ANTI-WAR ANTI-SANCTIONS CONFERENCE: RESIST!
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Alice Mahon MP with Peter Gowan, New Left Review.
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28 November: Open meeting - Coverage of the (War) Crisis
War in Afghanistan - BBC Editorial Policy Guidelines
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1 November - NUJ meeting
4th November - Caryl Churchill's 'Far Away', plus Kika Markham reading from Tony Kushner's 'Homebody/Kabul'.
October 23 - MWAW rally at the BBC
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