USA IRAN, TRUTH AND DIALOGUE

I know it sounds strange, but for a moment, can we compare Iran and the US? In Iran, the government has announced it will call off parliamentary elections because the hard-line Guardian Council insists that thousands of legislators be barred from seeking office. The Guardian Council has been called the conservative watchdog of the Iranian government. In making its most direct intervention in Iran's parliamentary history, it is creating one of the worst crises in the 25 years since the fall of the Shah.

But in the US, with all our security fears, we also have several watchdogs. One such establishment guardian is the corporate media, as we all know. Those sinister nameless government authorities who increasingly speak up in news articles have not called off our election yet. But they do not hesitate to interfere in the election process. And we note that following Dr. Howard Dean's remarks about media monopoly and the need for regulation, the media dramatically and suddenly reduced his chances to become President.

In a survey of major media reports, researchers note that network coverage of former frontrunner Dr. Dean was mainly negative, while coverage of other Democratic Party candidates was uncritical. Moreover, in a recent interview with CNN, Howard Dean challenged reporter Wolf Blitzer; "You report the news and you create the news… You chose to play my scream 673 times."

At the same time CNN (and the other networks) played the "Dean Scream" over and over, CBS refused to run an issue-oriented ad sponsored by Moveon during the upcoming Superbowl. The ad criticized the enormous growth in the federal deficit. CBS claims not to accept issue-oriented ads.

The network's critics have said that, by its own policy, CBS should have also rejected an ad by the Office of National Drug Control Policy to air during Sunday's game. They contend that both ads play a similar public service. Though the network rejects this, 26 members of Congress have criticized CBS for rejecting the spot, and have suggested the network might be bowing to Republican Party will, as happened recently when it withdrew the TV movie on former President Reagan.

As a sort of American Guardian Council, the media is in some ways acting according to the received wisdom of corporate class and interests. For these CEOs social mores may be liberal as long as power and control remains in the same elite hands. Of course, not all media bias is deliberate. Bias may simply reflect a sensationalist approach to "infotainment". It is not necessary to imagine a vast conspiracy. A centralized cabal, organized among General Electric, Viacom and the networks may or may not exist. Yet rampant collusion between public and private interests does exist; and it clearly endangers democracy in the US as surely as in Iran.

This is also true in Britain, where the recent "whitewash" Hutton report on Blair government lies about WMD resulted in a BBC beheading. The departing BBC director general said the report into the death of Dr David Kelly had been read with "disbelief". The former DG Mr. Dyke made it clear he did not accept all the report's findings. Hundreds of BBC employees protested his resignation.

At this moment, perhaps in response to the belated allegations of Former Treasury Secretary and Former Chief Inspector Mr. David Kays, the Bush Administration is planning to create a commission to investigate "Intelligence lapses" both before 9/11 and in Iraq. Doing it in this way allows the President to appoint whomever he chooses to the commission. Remember whom he tried to appoint to the current 911 Commission first? The Machiavellian Henry Kissinger! Only when his extensive mix of public and private web-building started to come to light did this deceitful old spider withdraw from consideration. In the Kissinger case the media did belatedly respond to public outrage.

Following the announcement of this new investigative commission, Democratic Senator Biden praised the move, adding, 'This is beyond politics." If you believe that I have a bridge to sell you, Senator Biden. But of course no one in Congress believes such wishful thinking-- this statement is to fool the gullible public, and to send a very gentle signal towards the president. Gentle like a flower!

Well then, Muslims should bring flowers to the party as well. I was at the US Capitol at the end of January, and was glad to see that in a sunny side room Jumaa prayers take place there every week. Muslims can be part of the system-- but insha'Allah in a good and honest way.

A free and independent media is essential to maintain a free and democratic dialogue. This is true for Muslims as well as everyone, of course. While we Muslims must also be responsible in our speech, we are asked to be examples of respect and tolerance. Let us also be unafraid to shine light on the dark places of corruption. In this spirit, we should have more Muslim journalists. Let us start watering those gardens of Truth.