TV Reporting: Al Jazeera Is on the Scene

Thanks to Hussein Ibish and Ali Abunimah for their Oct. 22 commentary, “The CNN of the Arab World Deserves our Respect.” It’s about time two experts from the Arab American community set the record straight about Al Jazeera’s credibility as a news organization. As America engages in its war against terrorism, it is our responsibility as Americans to educate ourselves about Arab culture and Middle Eastern politics. We can only be truly educated if this includes the Arab American community’s perspective.

We may not like the coverage Al Jazeera is transmitting to the Arab world, but we also can’t ignore that it has something our news organizations don’t, and that’s access to the war zone.

Brenda Mendoza

Pasadena

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Ibish and Abunimah feel that Al Jazeera deserves our respect? They liken the station to CNN. Haven’t they ever heard that respect is earned? When the station starts debunking the “Jewish and Mossad conspiracy” theory making the rounds in the Arab world among so-called responsible people then maybe it will have earned the respect it so clearly desires.

Ethel Berger

Los Angeles

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Al Jazeera is a breath of fresh air in the otherwise suffocated atmosphere of Arab dictatorships and kingdoms. Let us support all signs of democracy and freedom in those societies, and let us be on the side of the people. When the dust settles, just as we found Russians as our friends, we will find new and lasting friends in the Arab and Muslim world.

Zafar Kazmi

La Jolla

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I found Ibish and Abunimah’s commentary despicable. They praise Al Jazeera coverage of the military action taken by the U.S. in Afghanistan and say we finally have a news organization that is not under the control of the Pentagon press pool system and not beholden to U.S. officials for “access.” Give me a break!

Nowhere in their “honest” reporting do the writers of the article express any remorse or contempt for the actions of the cowards who perpetrated this war. All they complain about is the killing of innocent civilians by stray U.S. bombs. Well, so what! What were the victims in New York, Pennsylvania and the Pentagon? We didn’t start this mess but we will damn sure finish it, one way or another.

We are fighting a pack of cowards who hide in the towns and cities among the civilian population. If they want a war they should fight in the open, away from the towns and cities. Maybe then Al Jazeera will be reporting honestly.

Greg Jones

Hawthorne

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Note to Ibish and Abunimah: Don’t let the door hit you on the butt as you leave for your dream job at that paragon of journalism, Al Jazeera. I’d like to say we’ll miss you, but. . . .

Jon Roe

Los Angeles

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I am an American living in Cyprus. It has become increasingly clear to me that the news we get here in Cyprus about the war is much more extensive than the news my friends are getting in the U.S.

Cyprus news shows us a great deal of Al Jazeera footage that can simply not be written off as propaganda. The images of dead babies and wounded kids speak for themselves. Americans should be able to see for themselves the costs of this war. Many may decide the cost is worth it. But it is a denigration of our basic values of freedom to deny American viewers information.

Al Jazeera should be celebrated as the independent network it is--beholden to no one and uninterested in placating either Arab or Western governments. Its footage should be made readily available to Americans. Only if Americans are given full access to information can we make up our minds for ourselves. And only with free access to information can we call our press “free.”

Lisa Majaj

Nicosia, Cyprus