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Alert #139
MUSLIMS DEMAND RETRACTION FROM AP FOR "JIHAD USA"
Associated Press series smears Muslims with faulty reporting
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 6/9/97) Beginning on May 24, The Associated Press (AP),
one of the world's largest news wire services, began distributing a series
of articles by reporter Richard Cole called "Jihad USA." The articles,
apparently inspired by Steven Emerson, the controversial producer of the PBS
program "Jihad in America," described "possible" scenarios in which Middle
Eastern groups could commit acts of violence in the United States. No
mention was made of Emerson's demonstrated lack of credibility.
CAIR has received a number of complaints from the American Muslim community
concerning the series' journalistic integrity and the possible negative
impact the articles could have on Muslim individuals and institutions. A
CAIR 9-page point-by-point analysis of the articles sent to the series
editor contained the following items:
No mention was made of the strong stand mainstream American Muslim
organizations and individuals have taken against acts of violence, including
the World Trade Center Bombing, targeting civilians.
The series was called "Jihad USA." Jihad is an Islamic term and the articles
referred to "Islamic militants," etc. Yet many of the individuals and
organizations referred to in the articles are NOT Islamic groups (Abu Nidal
and the Kurdish PKK) and in one case is not even Muslim (George Habash).
Without these references, the premise of the series fell apart.
Non-Muslim Middle East groups that commit acts of violence and receive
support from American citizens, such as Kach and Kahane Hai, were not
included in the reports.
Links between "possible" violent scenarios and Muslim groups were made by
the reporter, not supplied by government officials. These same scenarios
could be manufactured for any religious or ethnic group.
Many, if not all, of the American Muslim organizations listed in the
articles were never contacted by the reporter for comment on the
allegations. Even a rookie reporter knows those accused of wrong-doing must
be contacted.
The reporter apparently did not contact any mainstream national Islamic
organizations for comment on the series and the possible anti-Muslim
backlash it could cause. The reporter did quote a Muslim who has worked with
Steven Emerson.
The series used the term "Islamic terrorists," while AP does not use terms
such as "Christian terrorists" to describe Bosnian Serb atrocities or
anti-abortion violence, or "Jewish terrorists" to describe attacks on
Christian and Muslim Palestinians.
An article in the series referred to conferences of the Muslim Arab Youth
Association (MAYA) as "terrorist summit conferences." Are the thousands of
ordinary Muslim who attend such conferences "terrorists?"
To quote from CAIR's letter to AP:
"Taken as a whole, the series misused the Islamic concept of 'Jihad,' seemed
to manufacture spurious juxtapositions of unrelated information, was
inaccurate in statements of fact and association, was one-sided in its
presentation of information, offered nothing fresh in terms of news value,
and played on a number of existing stereotypes of and prejudices against
Muslims and Islam. The series was a journalistic failure that could spur
increased discrimination against law-abiding American Muslims."
ACTIONS REQUESTED: (As always, comments must be FIRM, but POLITE. Hostile
comments can and WILL be used against the Muslim community.)
1) Contact CAIR to receive the full point-by-point analysis of "Jihad USA."
2) Contact the editor of the series to ask for a retraction:
Mr. J. Robert Port
Special Assignment Editor Associated Press
50 Rockefeller Plaza, 5th Floor New York, NY 10020
FAX: 212-621-7046
TEL: 212-621-1500 E-MAIL: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
3) If the series appeared in local newspapers, contact the editors to print
a Muslim response.
4) Send copies of correspondence to CAIR.
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