Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| Action Alert 01 |
|---|
| Saleema |
| 06/14/01 at 15:24:51 |
| AMA Action Advisory ISSUE: On June 7, 2001, one of New Jersey major newspapers, STAR-LEDGER, had carried a story, “Schundler defends addressing Muslim group”, written by its staff member Jeff Whelan. The fact that Bret Schunler, a Republican candidate for the governor’s office, had plainly refused to “shun” AMA because it “would be caving in to anti-Muslim bigotry”, amounts to good news for the Muslim community. See: http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/elections/ledger/137a647.html But the same news item also carried the following allegation made by “Shai Goldstein, director of the New Jersey chapter of the Anti-Defamation League, one of the main Jewish organization. He alleged that "This group [AMA] has had its leadership make incredibly inflammatory, bigoted, anti-Semitic statements with regard to Israel," said Goldstein "We would hope that the mayor would attack those statements and views expressed by the leaders of those organizations. He has a clear responsibility to respond to those statements." So far the Star-Ledger has not given us a chance to refute these outrageous and false accusations. We must get our response published by no later then this weekend. ACTION REQUESTED: Call editor of Star-Ledger Mr. Jim Willse, at 973-877-4127 or email him at: jwillse@starledger.com and urge him to print AMA’s op-ed piece. (An op-ed piece is a short essay that allows a person or a group to argue its own case). Talking Points: Be firm but polite: 1. Publishing both sides of the story is the first principle of fair journalism. So far he has not published our side of the story and that’s not fair. 2. News – and he should better than us – is a highly perishable commodity. If delayed too long our response will lose all relevance. As Dr. Martin Luther King had said: Justice delayed is justice denied. 3. Implicit exclusion of AMA gives legitimacy to ADL’s false charges. It makes general public think: ‘These charges must be accurate otherwise the AMA would refuted them.” 4. Refusal to publish AMA’s response effectively allows the pro-Israeli groups to monopolize the Middle. That is ETHNIC CENSORSHIP. A sample letter that can be emailed or faxed is given below. You can get the fax number by calling the Star-Ledger switchboard at 973-392-4040. Sample Letter Mr. Jim Willse Editor, Star-Ledger 1 Star-Ledger Plaza, Newark, N.J., 07102-1200 Phone: 973-877-4127 E-mail: jwillse@starledger.com Dear Mr. Willse, On June 7, 2001, Star-Ledger had carried a story, “Schundler defends addressing Muslim group”, written by your staff member Jeff Whelan. This story contained a number of defamatory accusations by Shai Coldstein, director of the New Jersey chapter of the Anti-Defamation League, against the American Muslim Alliance (AMA) and its leadership. You have published these accusations, which as a journalist, you should. But as a journalist you should also let the other side respond. So far you have not and that’s unfair. Refusal to publish AMA’s response effectively allows the pro-Israeli groups to monopolize the debate about the Middle East. That is ETHNIC CENSORSHIP. If delayed too long AMA’s response will lose all relevance: Justice delayed will be justice denied. Finally, the American people have a right to know what is actually stated in the UN General Assembly Resolution 31/34 and how this legal document legitimates the Palestinian struggle for independence and statehood. I strongly urge to be fair and publish AMA’s response by way of an op-ed piece. I thank you in anticipation of your favorable response. Name Address: Phone: E-Mail: |
| NS |
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