Al Jazeera reflecting radical Islam and conspiracies, Pearl says

"In its 'straight' news coverage on its Arabic TV broadcasts and Web sites, Al Jazeera’s reports consistently amplify radical Islamist sentiments (although without endorsing violence explicitly).
For example, the phrase 'war on terror' is invariably preceded by the contemptuous prefix 'so-called.' The words 'terror' and 'insurgency' are rarely uttered with a straight face, usually replaced with 'resistance' or 'struggle.' The phrase 'war in Iraq' is often replaced by 'war on Iraq' or 'war against Iraq.' A suicide bombing is called a 'commando attack' or, occasionally, a 'paradise operation.'
. . . In short, Al Jazeera’s editors choreograph a worldview in which an irreconcilable struggle rages between an evil-meaning Western oppressor and its helpless, righteous Arab victims. Most worrisome, perhaps, it often reports on supposed Western conspiracies behind most Arab hardships or failings, thus fueling the sense of helplessness, humiliation and anger among Muslim youths and helping turn them into potential recruits for terrorist organizations.
The question is, to what extent will this pathological worldview infiltrate Al Jazeera’s English channel, which is still trying to find its voice?" [1]

By Judea Pearl, computer scientist and father of Daniel Pearl, a journalist decapitated by a militant group while investigating links between Pakistan and 9/11. [2]

sources
[1]The New York Times. Another Perspective, or Jihad TV? January 17, 2007.
[2] Wikipedia. Daniel Pearl. Accessed January 20, 2007.

posted: saturday, january 20, 2007, 5:03 PM ET
update: saturday, january 20, 2007, 5:38 PM ET

tags: al jazeera judea pearl daniel pearl