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Race bias in time of war
• MEDIA Workers Against the War is hosting a conference in London, titled Under Siege: Islam, War and the Media, on Saturday.
The conference is open to all and advance booking for tickets has been brisk, which is hardly surprising given the impressive list of speakers, including Peter Oborne from the Daily Mail, Nick Davies from the Guardian, ex-Guantanamo prisoner Moazzam Begg, Inayat Bunglawala from the Muslim Council of Britain, campaigning civil rights lawyer Louise Christian and journalist Eamonn McCann.
This conference comes at a crucial time. The election of the first black US president has raised expectations of change, but the “war on terror”, now in its eighth year, continues.
The war in Iraq is often spun as a “good news story”, ignoring the desperate conditions suffered by most of its people. The war in Afghanistan is being escalated, despite the commander of the British troops stating recently: “We’re not going to win this war.”
These wars have been extended into Pakistan by illegal US airstrikes, carried out with increasing frequency. A largely unreported proxy war rages in Somalia. The Caucasus remains a cauldron of instability. At home, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have led to vilification of Islam and the scapegoating of Muslims.
A proper debate about reporting Islam is long overdue. Many leading journalists acknowledge that too often the media have resorted to crude stereotypes of Muslims that fuel racism and extremism.
The conference will be held at The Old Lecture Theatre, London School of Economics, Houghton Street WC2A, from 2pm to 6.30pm. Tickets will be available on the day of the conference but, given the high interest already generated, pre-booking is advisable, by emailing info@mwaw.net or calling 07801 789297.
LARRY HERMAN
Co-ordinator, Media Workers Against the War
Britannia Street, WC1
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