From: GRIMES_S%Eisner.DECUS.Org@MIZZOU1.missouri.edu
Subject: Letter protesting CBS anti-Arab remarks
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: daemon@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: Digital Equipment Computer Users Society
Resent-From: "Rich Winkel" <MATHRICH@MIZZOU1.missouri.edu>
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 1992 07:18:10 GMT

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee is seeking
endorsers of the following letter to CBS News protesting anti-
Arab remarks.  To sign on, contact Larry Ekin, ADC director of
outreach, at 202-244-2990 (or 202-244-3196 fax).

Posted by Seth Grimes, Jewish Committee for Israeli-Palestinian
Peace, jcipp@mcimail.com

-------------------------------------------------------------

Eric Ober
President, CBS News
524 West 57th Street
New York, NY 10019

August 11, 1992

Dear Mr. Ober,

We are deeply disturbed by recent public remarks made by your
anchor, Dan Rather, and two senior analysts closely identified
with CBS News, Dr. Henry Kissinger and Dr. Fuad Ajami.  At a June
3 fundraising banquet for the Jerusalem Foundation, Mr. Rather
presided over a panel generally expressing contempt for Arabs,
support for Israel's annexation of East Jerusalem and also
referred to "fundamental Mohammedanism."

While we all acknowledge Jerusalem's religious and historic
significance for Judaism, East Jerusalem's political status
remains unresolved, subject to international negotiations, and
cannot be determined by unilateral declarations from Israel.  Mr.
Rather's partisanship was ill-informed.  We can only understand
his participation in an event celebrating Israeli "reunification"
of Jerusalem as a partisan act in support of a particular
political position.  His tolerance of anti-Arab racism and his
reference to "Mohammedanism" betray either shameful ignorance or
a deep and disturbing contempt.

Mr. Rather stood by while Dr. Henry Kissinger remarked that "you
can't really believe anything an Arab says."  Surely CBS News
would demand an apology from one of its senior personnel who
publicly tolerated such a remark had it been made in reference to
any other ethnic or national group.

Dr. Ajami furthered the general Arab-bashing tone of the evening
with remarks denying the possibility of "Arab democracy as well
as contemptuous comment regarding bedouin.  Again, Mr. Rather
failed to challenge Ajami's overtly racist remarks.

Certainly these persons are entitled to their own opinions.
Journalists are entitled to opinions as are any other private
citizens; they should be free to express them.  However, when
opinions expressed from a CBS anchor display such strong
partisanship and ignorance, it calls into question his ability to
offer balanced reporting on Middle Eastern affairs.

As CBS analysts, Dr. Kissinger and Dr. Ajami are presumably paid
for their opinions.  However, when two senior CBS analysts
express such remarks, we must wonder at CBS News' apparent
tolerance of anti-Arab racism and also at the lack of diversity
among its Middle East commentators.  We wonder whether CBS News
is serving itself and the public well when they restrict
themselves to commentators with such a narrow perspective.  CBS
News becomes ill-informed when its main Middle East advisor is
someone who displays such unbridled hostility towards and
alienation from the Arab world as shown by Dr. Ajami.

We join the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and
numerous other organizations in calling for a public apology from
Mr. Rather, Dr. Kissinger, and Dr. Ajami.  We request that CBS
publicly clarify both its understanding of the status of East
Jerusalem, and the guidelines it issues its correspondents for
coverage of the occupied territories, Jerusalem in particular.
Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive