Columbia Honors Al Jazeera

http://www.futureofcapitalism.com/2011/05/columbia-honors-al-jazeera

"Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism will bestow its highest honor, the Columbia Journalism Award, to Al Jazeera English. The award is given annually during the school's commencement ceremony to recognize an individual or organization for 'singular journalism in the public interest,'" a Columbia Journalism School press release announces.

The latest gem from the Al Jazeera English Web site is a news article about the death of Osama bin Laden headlined "Formenting Nationalism With Murder." It's not clear whether the "murder" meant by the headline is that committed by Bin Laden or the action taken by U.S. forces in Pakistan, but, to judge by the tone of the article, it may well be the latter:

However, many Muslims in the US believe the event will not likely function to dispel stereotyping and bigotry against Arabs and Muslims.

Candeace Lukasik, a student of Political Science and International Relations at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, is in the process of converting to Islam....

excitement about Osama bin Laden's reported death is rampant around the US, and has been fanned by remarks from US president Barack Obama himself.

US citizens gathered at the site of the World Trade Centre in New York City and at the gates of the White House to celebrate Bin Laden's death. An orgy of nationalism even led some to sing "Amazing Grace" while others cheered and waved U.S. flags....

Lukasik believes that racism, bigotry and prejudice against Arabs and Muslims has been ingrained in US society for a long time, and particularly so in the decade that followed the events of September 11, 2001....

Her comments are reinforced by statements made on Monday by Obama, who declared the killing of Osama bin Laden "a good day for America."

More on Columbia and Al Jazeera is in an earlier post here.

by Ira Stoll  |  May 4, 2011 at 12:02 pm Related Topics:  Education, Press receive the latest by email: subscribe to the free futureofcapitalism.com mailing list