Faiza al-Arji, co-author of Iraqi blog A Family in Baghdad, reflects on a recent trip to America:
I started asking people in my interviews: In the past three years, do you remember seeing one Iraqi opposing the war in the mainstream media? They shook their heads and say no. I would then tell them that the US media is in partnership with the government in this war. You Americans don’t know anything about Iraq, about Islam, about our culture, our civilization, our religion, I said. All that reaches you is through the lens of a distorted, biased and deceitful media that sows disdain and discrimination and justifies wars and hatred between us.
Let us take a small example of a report broadcast by Fox News about the women of the Middle East. They showed a picture of a woman completely veiled, with only her eyes showing. The commentator said, this is the image of the traditional woman in the Middle East, but we are interviewing extraordinary women today. An interview with two Egyptian women working as jewellery designers then followed. I laughed and was shocked. Women in the Middle East are for the most part educated and cultured.
The Australian media is no better. Iraqi voices and bloggers are rarely heard. But then, embedded, Western journalists surely know far more about Iraq than the citizens of the country.
I agree. Journalists in Iraq who are “embedded” in the military are ultimately beholden to the military. So they file pro Western and West-centric stories.
An additional reason is journalists give the public what they want. The public usually want to see the exotic, different and “bizarre”. Coverage of Muslim countries meets this need.
Pete
Well since the war against Iraq started I have been stunned at how many people seem to have such confidence that THEY know ALL about Iraq and that I only tell lies about Iraq. A country I lived in for many years, seem to mean nothing. What I had to say was only seen as either pro-Saddam or anti US or as most of the time a combination of both. Many times it’s so strange because I feel embarrassed on their behalf when it’s clear they have no idea what they are talking about.
Amen to that Nadia,
All the time in the media, we are told that the Iraqi’s are better off, that this is form them so to speak. I cannot believe that people would want to learn from someone like you. It just goes to show how narrow minded and biggoted the few remining peopel who support this was really are.
I have seen doco’s and listnened to interveiw of Faiza al-Arji, and she is without doubt one of the most gracious and captivating people I have listened to. She is such a woman of substance, who while obviously harboring a lot fo anger from what has happend to Iraq, still mainatain a lot fo grace and digniity when speaking about the subject.
It is the peopel in Iraq and Iran who we shoudl be speaking to if tehre is any truth to the idea that we are there to liberate them. I caught a taxi recently and the driver was Iranian. He was emebarassed to admit it and I assured him that he should never appologise to anyone for that fact, and that he has every righ tto feel proud of being an Iranian.
It struck me as so tragic that Iranian and Iraqi people should ever be made to feel ashamed of their country.
A very charming chap indeed. We spoke non stop for the whole trip.
The insurgency’s biggest strategic error was targeting journalists with the result that most never leave the security of the Green Zone or only do so accompanied by CoW troops.
Image how low Mad King George I’s rating would be if journalist had been able to report on what really happened in Fallujah for example. Or if they could just show the impact the occupation was having on average Iraqis.
Ian,
I half agree with you. Yes the targeting of journalists seems counterproductive, but seeing as even that story is impossible to cover properly, who knows who or what is behind these kidnappings?
For example, the Death Squads operating out of the Ministry of the Interior in Iraq are painted by the media as being under control of the Badr army (ie. Iran) and made up of vigilantes settling old scores with Sunnis. The facts are quite different.
Firstly, the reports of the death squads in action describe them as driving Toyota Land cruisers. Secondly, the Interior Ministry commandos are under the leadership of a Sunni General who was responsible for suppressing the 1991 Shiite uprising. Finally, the death squads operate at ngiht, but no explanation is given for how these guy manage to get past military check points driving the Land cruisers.
For all we know, the kidnapping of journalists could be another similar operation. After all, who is best served by the block of information coming out of Iraq?
“Women in the Middle East are for the most part educated and cultured. ”
I have to wonder about this statement . Delusions all around I guess.