U.S. Hires Christian Extremists to Produce Arabic News

Although the headline is slightly misleading, this article is quite alarming. Even if the TV company in question only provides technical facilities for the new Iraqi news broadcasts, it represents at bare minimum a pretty shocking misjudgement on the part of the Bush administration. I mean honestly, how seriously are Arabs going to take this service when they learn a "rabidly pro-Israel" outfit are helping produce it?

http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=15801

Hahaha, so the US administration is refusing to discriminate by religion. How evil of them…

How dare people of all religions have equal opportunities, next thing you know they will have women in management positions! What is this world coming to?

I'd like to see the jews employ an arab in their news.

Trapper, if I was a n00b I’d think you were a troll. Honestly mate, sometimes you come out with the most ridiculous nonsense as if deliberately seeking to wind people up. This quite clearly has nothing whatsoever to do with ‘equal opportunities’ or ‘discrimination’. If it’s not a deliberate act (pretty unlikely) it’s a pretty embarrassing oversight. I mean come ON – handing a job like that to a company ‘controlled by fundamentalist Christians who are rabidly pro-Israel’ will enrage ‘the Arab street’. It’s plain DUMB! They’re shooting themselves in the foot – big time.

"Grace will have nothing to do with the editorial side of the news broadcast," she said. "They are renting us equipment, space, studio. The Grace personnel we use include technicians, production people but no editorial people."

Kind of funny your critisising a media company given your use of sensationalism in the title

bob you clown, i prefaced my thread with "Although the headline is slightly misleading". and it is. however my main point is that giving them the business is a PR disaster waiting to happen.

jakeboy's right its just a very dumb thing to do. Out of all the production companies in the US they chose one that is fundamentalist christian...why? Its just bizarre and strange, yeah go freedom of religion, and even if they are only providing technical assistance seing a majority white christian nation has just invaded a muslim country wouldnt it be a bit more logical to let a muslim produce the news. Bush is the one who made crusader references if he doesnt want people to think its a religious crusade then why do this? Litle things like this create the impression in people that the US has alterior motives, why antagonise situations even further?

zacktly mummet.

If the radio free europe people are happy i dont think theres going to be a problem, do they need to make sure they broadcast it over secular network aswell?

jakyboy, what does a at the end of a sentence indicate to you?

right you are. sorry 'bout that bob.

Exactly, that is my whole fricken point! What I can’t understand is why you and those and gimps at alternet are trying to paint it as one.

Religion or religious affiliations should not even be considered (and were not in this case) when hiring or firing staff or contractors.

Now if they were denied the job because of their religious followings then you would have a story. But they weren’t! shesh

Sorry trapper, I wasn’t clear earlier. What I meant was that this issue (handing a production contract for Muslim TV to a fundy Christian outfit) has nothing to do with equal opportunites or discrimination. While I agree that religious affiliations and the like should not be considered when giving out government contracts, this case deserved special attention, or at least a modicum of tact. Whether your views are conservative or progressive on any matter, you must surely agree that it was a lapse in judgement to involve an organisation that (the article alledges) strongly supports the sworn enemy of much of the region, let alone Iraq. If the Americans are trying to make friends or win the trust of the Iraqi people, this is not the way to go about it.

'this case deserved special attention' - Sorry but I can't agree with you here. This company should not have to be unfairly disadvantaged just because they happen to go to church on Sunday! I mean for gods sake all they are doing is renting out equipment, space and studios.

So it might offend some Iraqi's, well sorry but that’s just tough shit. Part of living in a free country is living with some stuff that you don’t necessarily like. As I said right at the start; should the US be banning woman from certain positions simply because it might offend some of the locals? Of course not.

Btw: as a side note, if the gimps at alternet weren’t trying to make such a big deal of this then very few people would even know or care anyway. If anyone is responsible for stirring up religious tensions then it is these guys.

I don't understand how fundamentalist Christians would be so pro-Israel? Looks like the article is in fact stirring up tensions. The article makes it sound like they might as well be orthodox Jews in respect to their religion.

I'm sure the Iraqi people will get a more balanced view of world events minus Saddam and comical Ali who perobably still thinks the US are about to lose any minute.

Personally I don't like any fundamentalist groups as I think they tend to have extereme views but I'm not making the appointment.

Have you considered you may have extreme views styln?

Yes Bob I am aware that I may have some extreme views but unlike a lot of fundamentalist groups they are views only and I would not be inclined to ever act on them. In your opinion and definitely Trappers I would defintely hold extreme views on most things relating to the middle east but I am simply passionate about my beliefs.

Bob I even wrote in a post recently that I don't support the targeting of any civilians with respect to Israel/ Palestine and that includes either by way of suicide bombing or conventional means.

I will listen to reason though, unlike your David Koreshs etc.

fundamentaist christians agree with many points about israel because the new testament predicts (as well the old testament) that the isralites will one day claim back their land. In fact it has to happen before judgement day will come, (and then god will kill everyone else who has been a naughty boy)

have you ever watched those news programmes? i mean, pbs is okay, but fark - the rest of it is so amerocentric i can't see a single iraqi wanting to watch it anyway!