Hello

Hello everyone, I trust all of you are doing well, just wanted to wish you a very happy new year. It has been almost a year since the Alexandria conference. First of all, congratulations to the winners of the joint-reporting project. I would like to know what you guys are doing at the moment. It would be good to catch up with all of you.

Take care

Regards

Beena

WILL UN CIVILISATION THINK ABOUT IT?

This is a different blog. An official of the AL Foundation, which supported the conference in Alexandria was repeatedly saying in his concluding remarks that he was not expecting about the colour of his tie or something like that but something remarkable from the journalists participating there. Most of the journalists specially three teams did well- should say- fulfilled that expectations writing high quality journalistic reports (joint reports). Others attempted.

But here is a different story. A story of the UN. How does UN Civilisation work?
One friend wrote dozens of emails to get 152 dollars from the UN. Only a few participants got the money but majority did not. Some friends asked me if I got money from the UN then I remembered what we were told before the conference.

We were told to fill Vendors Form just a few days before the conference in Alexandria. I got some emails and 3 telephone calls from the UNOPS to send my bank details as soon as possible as if they are going to put money in my account immediately. I did quickly. We all thought that the UN is going to provide some amount immediately- at least before the conference. But they provided some amount to some of the friends and most of us even did not know. I was the one who spent highest amount of money for the Alexandria conference because of the expensive visa fee in the UK, travel to London and Heathrow airport. But We (I) did not expect anything from the UN.

When some of the friends repeatedly asked me if I had got any money from the UN then I too send emails asking to reimburse my expenses. Some said it will be paid soon. One official of the UNOPS wrote ” you need to prove that you attended the conference and present boarding pass, receipt and all evidence to claim the expenses.” I replied. They needed evidence of our participation in Alexandria conference. How to prove that I attended the conference? I told them that Daanish and Emanuel are the witness. Do I need to tell more?

Then again there was the same email. ” We need Vendor’s form.” I sent it again. The reply was: ” We have got your form and payment will be made shortly.”

Then what happened? Can you guess? Then a long form attached in the email was sent to me which was not necessary for us, definitely it was meant for the UN officials to claim for their huge expenses.

I sent email requesting I am not claiming anything but I want to know whether it is meant only for some or for all. It is a matter of ” transparency” and “justice.”

I closed the chapter saying it is better to stop it and not to waste time emailing to the UN officials.

I am collecting all the emails to send it to senior officials of the UN within a few days time because I want to know the reason why it was for some and not for all.

When they paid for some of the friends why don’t they do the things quickly to others.

This is not a matter of “money” but this shows how our UN works. I am not concerned about my expenses as it was meaningless compared to the conference and friends we met there- but I am worried about the way our UN works.

Can it deliver- not our expectation- but the hope and expectation of 6 billion people?

Lets awake UN! Make it more transparent, effective and less bureaucratic.

Distance, not differences, at root of Pakistani integration in Italy

Dear Friends,

I’d like to share with you an op-ed piece by Amer and me which was published yesterday in the latest edition of Common Ground News Service. This piece was written on the basis of information and reporting for the project story.

Here is the link: “Distance, not differences, at root of Pakistani integration in Italy”

I look forward to the feedbacks, since after its publication in Italian language, by one of the leading newspapers in Italy, our project was picked up by several blogs and media outlets.

I received many feedbacks and comments on it, especially from immigrants, coming not only from Pakistan, and living in different regions in Italy. They appreciated the fact that media covered their condition without depicting them as criminal or religiuos fanatics. They appreciated the chance to speak by their own voice.

I had many feedbacks from Italian people too: from people working with immigrants for integration and mutual understanding, but also from people who could see immigration from a different point of view. They asked me to write more stories about these topics and that’s what I’m trying to do.

I realized that many immigrants like talking about their own experience in Italy and share their perceptions and opinions about Italians and life in Italy. They also have stereotypes and prejudices towards Italians.  Unfortunately, the piece was picked up also by some blogs and websites promoting racism and hatred towards immigrants. This made me work even harder to go beyond prejudices and help shifting people’s perspective, making diversity an asset and not a barrier. I believe that as journalists we have powerful tools – words – and a big responsibility, too.

Cross cultural bridges

Reporting: London
PAKISTANIS IN BRITAIN SEEK A BRIDGE ACROSS CULTURES
by Chiranjibi Paudyal
American Reporter Correspondent
London, England

LONDON, April 3, 2010 — Islamic extremists have waged their propaganda war against the United States and its coalition partners by saying the coalition’s presence in Afghanistan and Iraq is an attack on Islam. By now, thousands of people have lost their lives and billions of dollars have been spent on these conflicts, but they don’t seem likely to end in the immediate future despite efforts from many quarters.

However, there does seem to be a shift in the balance of the propaganda war, as many Muslims have become strongly opposed to acts of violence and terrorism. Some governments in the Islamic world are coalition partners, and Pakistan, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and others Muslim nations have fully supported the West in the fight against the Islamic extremism. But it is public figures, and indeed the general public in the Islamic world, who have come up with the strongest words against Islamic estremists and the machinery of terror.

Announcing a “fatwa,” or statement of official religious policy, against al-Qaeda, suicide bombers and other terrorists, the venerated Islamic scholar Dr. Tahir ul-Qadri said in his 600-page decree that “Islam forbids the massacre of innocent citizens and suicide bombings.”

In addition, celebrated Bollywood star Shahrukha Khan, who was detained in American airports because someone of the same name appeared on a terrorist watch list, says in his new film “My Name is Khan” that there are only two types of people: good and bad, and not because of religion. “My name is Khan, but I am not a terrorist,” he said in defense of Muslims when they are being stereotyped as terrorists.

Egyptian journalist Hani Shukrallah says “George Bush is a good Muslim.” While speaking at a conference in Alexandria, Egypt held under the aegis of the International Center For Journalists with the support of UN Alliance of Civilizations and the Anna Lindh Foundation, which promotes mutual respect across cultures, he was responding to the purported “Islamic values” advocated by some Muslim extremists. If we see those as Islamic values, he said, then the former American president George Bush can be seen as Muslim by virtue of his values.

Those are just a few examples of Muslims who denounce violence. I meet people of Pakistani origin living in the United Kingdom as I pursue writing projects for the joint ICFJ-UN Alliance for Civilisation project, and find many Muslims who declare themselves completely opposing to the extremists’ radical views.

At a community mosque in Britain’s industrial city of Reading, a group of children of Pakistani origin recite “Bism-illaah-i-Arrahmaan-i-Rahim…,” from the Koran. They do so every day so that they better understand the teachings of Prophet Mohammad. “The essence of Islamic teaching is to be merciful,” says Ahmad Raza, head of the popular and well-attended Reading Islamic Centre. “That is what the teaching of Prophet Mohammed was, said the young, British-educated imam, or spiritual leader.

I asked some of the children reciting the Koran why they read the Koran. Most of them said that it was their religious duty to pray five times a day and recite the Islam’s holiest text with understanding.

According to the Islamic Website “Salaam,” there are a total of 1,689 mosques in the United Kingdom, and a majority of those mosques belong to the Pakistani community. Prayers, recitation of the Koran, religious meetings and social events are held at the mosques regularly to spread the message of Islam, which in Arabic actually means “peace.”

Imam Raza says that Muslims living in the United Kingdom are more religious and inclined to practice religion with more enthusiasm and understanding than in Pakistan. Furthermore, he says. there is a sense of fear and threat in Pakistan as Islamic extremists belonging to different factions bomb mosques in Pakistani cities and towns in recent days, especially after the government adopted tough measures to wipe out the menace of terrorism, while people are free to practice their religious beliefs in the United Kingdom.

“We are very free here. We can pray even during work,” one highly skilled migrant from Pakistan says. The prayers and recitation, he says, help promote cross-cultural understanding as we learn about the Prophet’s teachings “to be merciful and respect others’ beliefs,” he said.

Meanwhile, though. British newspapers here report that the Pakistani community is “isolated” and as a result is not fully integrated into the British way of life. They usually do not mingle with people of other religious faiths.

Imam Raza agrees. He says, “The older generation was completely isolated, at least from the British public, because of their lack of English language skills, but the new generation is more than British.”

Today, the majority of the Pakistani Muslim youths are completely westernized and tend to break their ties with the Arabic language and Islamic culture. The broader Pakistani community is integrated through mixed marriages, and a large number of Pakistanis are in politics, business and other fields. That has helped fostered more interaction and understanding of each others’ values.

On the Indian subcontinent, people like to mix with and visit each other but rarely do so without an appointment or invitation, said Sahila Sheikh, who came to Britain 20 years ago. But the situation here is completely different. “I have friends of different faiths and I have visited temples, gurudwara (Hindu places of worship) and churches. There is no problem for me to mix and interact with people of all faiths,” she said.

The Pakistani Muslim community is part of the interfaith group which “enables members of different faiths to learn about each other’s beliefs, practices and traditions to create greater friendship, harmony and understanding,” according to the ecumenical group Reading Interfaith. “We begin in our own community, working to eliminate prejudice and fear by promoting knowledge and appreciation of each other,” the group’s brochure says.

For more than 20 years the group has organized events in Reading to experience each other’s worship, witness each other’s ceremonies, enter into dialogue with one another and celebrate a common commitment to spiritual values.

“As part of a multi-cultural society, Reading Interfaith Group celebrates diversity and the opportunities to grow in faith tradition by communicating with each other,” the group says.

In Britain. the Pakistani community is the second largest ethnic minority community after Indians, and in the census of 2001 had a total population of 747,285, according to the Office of the National Statistics.

However, it is estimated that the 2001 number has surpassed 1 million in 2010. The Pakistani community comprises 1.3 percent of the total population; Indians are 16.1 percent of the total ethnic minority population. After Christianity, Islam is the second largest religious faith group in the United Kingdom. After Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom is the home of the second largest Pakistani Diaspora.

But the perception of people in the West about Muslims, and especially Pakistanis, after the 9/11 attacks in the United States and the “7/7” London train bombing is not positive. Some of the suicide bombers on the London Underground were of home-grown Pakistani origin. And there are still many people who think, the Pakistani community in Britain have been supporting the terrorists.

There is suspicion and fear in both sides. Not only Bollywood’s Khan but Britain’s Minister of International Development, Shahid Malik, was detained in American airports because of their Muslim names, even though both resolutely and publicy denounce terrorists and extremism. Just as there are threats to the West from Islamic extremists, there is fear of the West in the Muslim community.

Islam as a faith and religion, moderate Muslims say, condemns all sorts of terrorism and extremism as it is a “religion of peace.”

One Pakistani imigrant, Abdul Qayoom, a teacher in Reading, suggests that “we must not put a bad label on Islam because of pockets of black sheep in the community. A religion is just like a car and its followers are like drivers. Just because of a bad driver, you cannot blame the car as bad, nor in this case, the religion.” Religious, community and professional leaders completely oppose acts of violence and terrorism and generally say in one voice that “the acts of only a handful of extremists in the name of Islam cannot represent the whole Muslim community,” Qayoom says.

“I think there’s still a good general understanding in the UK that the actions of a few do not represent all Muslims,” British-Pakistani businessman Imran Ahmad was recently reported telling the local media.

That appears to be completely true. A migrant of Pakistani city of Peshawar, who works as a security officer said, “If all Pakistanis are terrorists, then Britain would be in ashes.” A handful of extremists should not hijack Islamic agenda and the whole community should not be treated as extremists, he said.

The UN Alliance for Cultures believes that the most important aspects of breaking down barriers and building trust, mutual understanding, opening horizons and promoting cross cultural understanding is through the appreciation of others’ views, beliefs, meeting, entertaining, negotiating and holding talks among different cultural and religious groups. As a result, in recent years – especially after 9/11 and the London bombing – the Pakistani community has taken the initiative to build trust and strengthen relations with different faith groups. The Pakistani Community Centre in Reading, for instance, has held events inviting guests from other faiths including local Members of Parliament, members of city council and others.

“It is great fun and a great occasions to be together with people of different walks of life and religions,” said Robert Wilson, a Member of Parliament who represents the city, as he attended the Christmas dinner program at the Pakistani Community Centre therePeople of different faiths and walks of life participated in celebration of the Christmas season.

“It has given a very positive message to the general public that we all are one, though we speak different languages and follow different religions, and have come from different countries,” said Hilary Edmond, a local community worker.

“Working, meeting, dealing, entertaining, negotiating and corresponding with people from different cultures can be a minefield,” states one multicultural training center’s client manual. “Such events build good relationships with communities, help understand each other better and build an environment of trust, especially at this time of mistrust against the Muslims in the West.” With the significant increase of Pakistani community in the United Kingdom over the last few years, the number of community centers and activities have also multiplied, hoping to help bridge the gap between Western and Muslim cultures.

In addition to the religious and community organizations, professional organisations in the Pakistani community work to promote better understanding with other cultures and faiths in the West. “Strengthening community, building relationships,” is the motto of the Pakistani Professionals Forum (PPF), which includes doctors, engineers, teachers and other professionals working in the United Kingdom.

“We aim to develop the mutual understanding of professional Pakistanis by enhancing friendly co-operation among them,” the chairman of PPF, Dr. M. Farrukh Hussain, said. “We aim to consolidate and strengthen our community.”

Dr. Hussain, a consultant psychiatrist, says “Most importantly, through trust-promoting images of Pakistanis worldwide, we aim to set an example of peaceful co-existence with other religions, races, communities including the people who don’t have belief in any religion. In short, humanising humanity,”

That message is echoed by Pakistan’s embassy in London, “The Pakistani Diaspora in the UK is a source of great strength to the bilateral relations and reinforces the two governments’ efforts towards solidifying relations,” embassy documents say. “Pakistan is a major ally in the fight against Islamic extremists therefore the cross cultural understanding among different communities is very important in the context of the United Kingdom.”

Those words are also consistent with the beliefs of of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. “We celebrate the diversity in our country, get strength from the cultures and the races that go to make up Britain today,” he said in a statement.

Is the message of peaceful and productive interaction between people of very different faiths getting across? A commentary by he Grand Mufti of Egypt, Shaykh Ali Gomaa, in the Arabic daily Al Ahram, indicates it is. “While religious people, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, rightly reject the suppositions of secularism, it must be admitted that it has succeeded in establishing a pluralism that has allowed Muslims to spread across the world and enjoy essential freedoms sometimes not afforded them at home,” Egypt’s highest religious authority wrote. “All the ethnic and religious communities must realize this fact and accept and recognize the fundamental issues of Europe: democratic values, human rights and pluralism and reciprocate being more liberal allowing others to exercise their rights and freedom without fear and terror,” he said.

Pakistani community, religious and professional groups have effectively initiated the course of action for cross-cultural promotion to build trust, mutual understanding among diverse cultural communities and combat prejudice, intolerance, extremism, misunderstanding and hostility.

A few days ago, I asked people about their views on the Pakistani community in the United Kingdom just outside the train station at Kings Cross, in the center of London – a mixed ethnic community. Of 48 people questioned, only 20 agreed to be surveyed. Of those, eight identified themselves as being of British origin, three as European nationals, six as Asian nationals, and three declined to identifiy their citizenship..

Of the 20 respondents, seven people said that Pakistanis are a part of the United Kingdom community of nations, four said Pakistanis were religious proselytizers, three said they were supporters of terrorism (and suicide bombers in particular), and the remaining six respondents said Pakistanis are part of Britain’s cultural diversity, that Pakistan is an important ally of the West, and that Pakistani individuals were “goodwill ambassadors” and “honest people” who promote stronger ties between the two countries.

It appears, then, that someone, at least, is listening.

AR Correspondent Chiranjibi Paudyal has written extensively about cultures for this publication, serving in Nepal, Thailand, India and England.

Copyright 2010 Joe Shea The American Reporter. All Rights Reserved.

Source: http://www.american-reporter.com

Silent Heroes, Invisible Bridges!

Silent Heroes, Invisible Bridges

Joint Reporting Project

Please visit these sites to see the joint project by Bill, Sundus and Chiran:

Idaho State Journal
http://www.journalnet.com/video_player/#vmix_media_id=12001488

All Voices
http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/5515608-how-is-pakistani-community-in-the-uk-promoting-cross-cultural-understanding

American Reporter
http://www.american-reporter.com

Blog
http://www.pressfreedomindigitalage.blogspot.com/

Youtube
http://www.journalnet.com/video_player/#vmix_media_id=12067067

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=727217730&ref=ts

Radio
http://www.cityfm89.com/website/citycastpostview.aspx?pid=119

Educating towards peace

Hi guys,

I noticed that others here introduced their projects from the Alexandria workshop and thought I would tell you all about mine and Hani’s partnership:-

At first we were planning to write a “normal” feature story on one aspect that our countries shared and we thought what better than looking at education?

However, we quickly realized that the information we were gathering would not promote closer cross-border ties in any way but rather have the opposite effect and that it was not really in the spirit of this project.

So we decided it would be great if we could get published as individuals in the others’ country, show each others people a different, more peaceful, voice and then appeal in a joint voice to the world.

Hani’s piece was published in The Jerusalem Post, both in print and on-line, as well as in supplements in New York and in our Christian edition.

My op-ed was published on the Jordanian news website Ammonnews.net and also the Washington-based Palestine Note.

As for our joint op-ed, we decided that the conclusions were too disappointing and disheartening to print in full and that it was both inappropriate and extremely difficult to write such a story, even though we both interviewed many individuals on this subject.

Instead, we wrote the reasons why we could not write the story, alluding to some of our findings but asking people to try and change. Why We Can’t Write This Story…. was published on the Huffington Post, and was picked up by several media outlets:

http://en.ammonnews.net/article.aspx?articleNO=7097

http://www.jewishjournal.com/israel/article/why_we_cant_write_this_story_20100318/

http://cgis.jpost.com/Blogs/reporters/entry/why_we_can_t_write

The Search for Common Ground News Service also wanted to run the story and we re-wrote an additional version for them. This was translated into several languages, including Arabic, and picked up across the world.

Here are some of the places that it appeared:-

http://www.thedailynewsegypt.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=28732

http://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/viewarticles.php?editorialid=991

http://bikyamasr.com/?tag=cross-cultural-reporting

In addition, we also appeared on Ray Hanania’s Radio ChicagoLand Show, talking about our findings of the joint story:

03-22-10RuthEglashHaniHazaimeh.mp3?nvb=20100402205248&nva=20100403210248&t=06693974da203aee72f2a

Hope you enjoy it all….

Regards

Ruth and Hani

Come Together

Hope everyone is well and safe.

Just taking the time out to introduce  the project completed by Bill Schaefer, Chiranjibi Paudyal and Sundus Rasheed. The all encompassing theme of the project was ‘Cross-Cultural Bridges’ – we looked at how the common man is building a better relationship between the US and Pakistan, and the UK and Pakistan.

Each of us wrote an article – which was published in The Idaho State Journal

Bill Schaefer created an audio slide show – which you can watch here:

http://www.journalnet.com/video_player/#vmix_media_id=12067067

Other video interviews are here:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=727217730&ref=ts

Sundus Rasheed produced a radio documentary called ‘Musicians without Borders’ – drawing attention to the efforts of American jazz musicians collaborating with Pakistani musicians and the beautiful music they created.  You can listen to the documentary here:

http://www.cityfm89.com/website/citycastpostview.aspx?pid=119

Feed back is appreciated and welcome,

Sundus

HijabSkirt Info – Project

Dear colleagues

This is our project Hijabskirt Info

www.hijabskirt.info

Authors: Sasa Milosevic (Serbia), Tarik Mounir (Egypt) Asma Faty (Egypt)

These are media articles about project

USA: ALLVOICES

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/5527810-the-peace-of-hijab-and-skirt-is-the-peace-of-east-and-west

USA: BUDGET TRAVEL

http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_How-to-reconcile-hijab-and-skirt-/blog/2274637/21864.html

Canada: DIGITAL JOURNAL

http://www.digitaljournal.com/blog/6090

Serbia : SMEDIA, Serbian news portal

http://www.smedia.rs/vesti/detalji.php?id=28413

Montenegro: Daily newspaper “Dan” ( The Day)

http://www.dan.co.me/?nivo=3&rubrika=Kultura&clanak=225631&datum=2010-04-01

This is translation of article from Serbian and Montenegrian on English

HOW TO RECONCILE  HIJAB AND SKIRT ?

Belgrade-based journalist Sasa Milosevic with his Egyptian counterparts Tarek Mounir and  Asma Faty from Cairo, created an unusual Web site called Hijabskirt Info (www.hijabskirt.info) as an unique educational and social platform in  overcoming the prejudices about women who wear hijab or (mini)skirt.

Faced with decades long conflict between two pieces of clothes that are synonyms of two cultures, two religions and two civilizations, Milosevic and his Arab colleagues are trying to symbolically reconcile the hijab and a skirt as a way of reconciliation of Christianity and Islam as well as West and East.

“Our goal is to encourage people around the world to begin to think by the own heads instead the heads of their governments.  Women in hijab as well as the women in skirt are stretched on the cross of the shame. After September 11^th Western media treat all veiled Muslim women as terrorists, suicide-bombers and Osama bin Laden’s followers. On the other side, Muslim traditionalists look every woman in the (mini) skirts like “easy woman”, a whore, a hunter of the wealthy Arab husbands or “walking wallet” who,  for a little money, rents young, sexually-potent and  poor Arab men” says Milosevic

Egyptian journalist Asma Fathy, one of the creators of the project proudly wears its hijab.

Milosevic and his colleagues primarily emphasis on women’s inner being pointing out that clothing details only reflect female’s cultural, traditional and religious affiliation.

They cite a list of famous and internationally recognized women who had never been threw up due to short skirt or hijab as their official dressing in the the public. Their power, influence, charity and humanitarian work overshadowed their dressing. They remind on Princess Diana, Cecil Sarkozy, Condoleezza Rice, Hillary Clinton, Benazir Bhutto, Qatar Sheikh Mozah bint Nasser Al Mišned, Jordan Earlier the Queen, etc. …

Site offers a lot of interesting information like the history of mini skirt, its golden age in the Middle East, as well as the theological vision of the hijab in the life of Muslim women, with a very useful practical tips such as how to wear hijab, how to make mini skirt of old jeans or how to make a long skirt as a compromise between Western and Islamic way of dressing.

Blog visitors who belong to opposing cultures also participate in this project.

Lucy Chumbley, an American woman, who grew up in the Middle East fits in the defense of the hijab, saying: “Mediterranean sun can be very harmful to the hair, which will tell every woman in the region. Women who do not wear a headscarf in these climatic conditions have dry and damaged hair.. ”

Italian journalist Elisa di Benedetto wear the hijab during the interview with one of the  Hamas leaders during his staying in Lebanon.  Ms. Benedetto also wears hijab in her home country, Italy, when she visits Muslim friends and their families.

Saman Karim, a Kurd from Sulejmaniya in northern Iraq underlines that Muslim women in his city can wear mini skirt without fear of reprisal by Islamic fanatics, as opposed to girls who live in southern Iraq where, due to mini skirt, they may be killed. However, he notes that these two traditions will never agree on the trend of mini skirt.

“It is contrary of the principles of our faith.  I will also try to change my  girl’s desire for  mini-skirt because I do not want both of us to be in sin in this way. I do not afraid of other men, but I have the fear of God revenge. Long skirt is ideal compromise between East and West.”