Both sides
- 22 Mar 07, 02:22 PM
Professor Frank Stewart attacked ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Arabic in the . He says ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Arabic is βas anti-western as anything that comes out of the Gulf if not more so.β
I wonder in which direction Mr Stewartβs receiver is pointing. Possibly his agenda interferes with reception. Professor Stewart has written to the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ at great length about his views. Recently he wrote a nine page critique of the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Arabic Serviceβs coverage of the conflict in Lebanon, claiming among other things that we were anti-Israeli. We were able to respond in great detail showing that his highly selective and misleading account of our coverage was unfair and showed no knowledge of the brave and comprehensive coverage that had in fact been broadcast and which included clear and impartial accounts of Israeli views and experiences during the war. Having failed to substantiate his detailed criticism he now resorts to a generalised attack in the New York Times.
Itβs clear from his original letter to the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ, that what really upsets him is that the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ does not overtly push an American or British government line to the exclusion of other views. He seems to find it hard to understand that an institution can be committed to impartiality and mean it.
In the New York Times he says a ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ programme in Arabic only focused on views critical of the treatment of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay, whereas in fact the presenter consistently put the American view and the programme had a contributor who put the US governmentβs argument for imprisoning combatants in this way. ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Arabic has also interviewed the commander of the prison complex. So the American view has consistently been represented in our output.
Professor Stewart asserts that ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Arabic is sympathetic with dictators and poor governance in the Middle East. However, ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Arabic covered Saddam Husseinβs atrocities when others ignored them and holds leaders to account in a way rarely seen in Arab media. This week we reported the opposition arrests in Egypt and before that we were getting the Egyptian transport minister to answer criticisms of the way he handled the ferry disaster.
Recently we interviewed the deputy president of Sudan about his governmentβs behaviour in Darfur. Again, ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Arabic covered Darfur long before other media houses picked up the current tragic story. So what is Professor Stewart listening to? I would suggest it is his own desire to see and hear only one side of the story and one view asserted: the one he agrees with.
Jerry Timmins is head of Africa and Middle East, World Service
