I tend to think that the recent practices by both the US and Israel against journalists is only one part of a wider world wide conflict of information. Would you agree with me that the there is a great deal of media competition for public opinion? Perhaps the actual shooting and targeting of journalists would be a desparate sign of that kind of "war".
Answer
To answer briefly, I’m really sorry to say this, from what I see, hear and face in the field, Israelis have a definitive and strict policy against journalism. The first victim of the war is the truth and the journalists are part of this. What the journalists are facing here is unbelievable. We’re working in a very bad situation.
Name
Hany
- Egypt
Profession
Engineer
Question
What can news agencies and the like do in response to repeated instances of harassment or targeting of their journalists, such as in Israel? Can the network actually take effective measures to prevent further abuse of their staff? Is there some sort of specific venue or international body that handles these types of cases?
Answer
Journalism doesn’t have an army. We’re journalists, we write by the pen and we film with the camera. The only option we have is to continue our job whatever the price. I know that a lot of associations condemned what happened, yet it's still not enough. This is the reality of our situation. We have to pay the price for communicating the truth. It's a “Take it or leave it” situation.
We expect international pressure, but think most of what we're getting is silence. We need the support of many people around the world; to raise their voices and take whichever steps needed.
As for us, we have our job to do. And we will continue to do it.
Name
Lars
- France
Profession
Student
Question
After you took the famous picture of Al-Dorra, have you had any harrassments by the Israelis?
Answer
I'm still paying the price for that footage. I still receive lots of harrassment. My life is endangered and I still receive punishment.
Until now, the Israeli army still hasn't given me permission to go to our main office in Jerusalem. It's been two years now and they still haven't renewed my press card. I’m not allowed to go to Israel, not allowed to use the Ben Gurion airport. And now they question my journalistic integrity; they’re calling me a liar, biased.
Those were just examples of the harassment I've been getting. But as a journalist, I could handle any pressure and I will continue my job without being biased because I believe the truth doesn’t need bias, and I’m covering the truth.
Name
Muhammad Abdul Qadeer
-
Profession
Question
Were you there in Iraq when US was thrashing it? If yes, please tell us that : Was there any biasedness of US soldiers towards Muslim journalists?
Answer
I was covering the events in Palestine, but according to my information, there’s no difference between Muslim Journalists and Christian journalists. Journalism is journalism, not only Muslim journalists got killed in Iraq, there were also Christian journalists who lost their lives. It is the same as what is happening now in Palestine; not only Muslim Palestinian journalists are suffering from harassments.
US forces in Iraq were dealing with journalists as an "enemy," especially those covering in Baghdad. They bombed them and they killed many of them. Look at how they finished the war scenario in Iraq; the last few hours of the war witnessed direct targeting and, later, confinement in specific spots for coverage.
Name
Jason
- United States
Profession
Question
Do you think it’s feasible to assume that the bombing of two Al-Jazeera offices by US forces in two separate wars is a coincidence?
Answer
You can’t say that because the target was all journalists, and at the same time in Iraq, they attacked Abu Dhabi TV, REUTERS, etc. Yet in Afghanistan Al-Jazeera might have been a specific target.
Name
M M
-
Profession
Question
We’ve recently been seeing a lot in the news about reporters being killed or injured in hotspots like Palestine, Iraq, etc… the question comes to mind, given your history: Is it worth it? What makes it worth being shot at, or possibly killed?
Answer
Try to be a journalist, think as a journalist and believe in journalism… You will then have your answer of whether or not it is worth it. Do you think that showing the truth isn’t worth it? To send it out to each home around the whole world isn’t worth it?
I believe before I started this career and before I got my license, I vowed to show the truth and to keep up with journalistic integrity. I believe in God, and if I want to die in the field, I’ll die, or in my office, I’ll die.
I faced death four times in the field, but the fifth time I faced real death it wasn’t in the field. It was an airplane crash in Tunisia last year. If I were to think of whether or not it is
worth it, I wouldn’t have taken the plane, and here I am still alive.
Name
Sara
-
Profession
Question
What are the difficulties that you face as a photojournalist in Gaza? Do Israelis occasionally prevent you from doing your job? Are there any incidents you can cite in this regard?
Answer
We’re suffering from a closure, the collective punishment of journalists inside, especially Gaza. We’re covering real war here, and the weapons the Israelis are using against the Palestinians is different from the weapons they used in the first Intifada. Can you imagine that we’re facing F-16 and “Merkava” tanks, machine guns, the incursions in the night?
War here is very difficult to cover because of Israeli harrassment. As you know, the Gaza Strip is a very small area, and when I’m filming an F-16, it’s very close from me, especially that they throw 1,500 kilograms of explosives. More importantly, since Israelis divided the Gaza Strip into three parts, I can't move from south to north freely. I’m just working in a circle around Gaza City only. Borders are closed, terminals are closed, Apaches in the air, F-16 in the air, the tanks here and there, what can I do?
This isn’t preventing us from work, and one day I was going inside a place to film the damage in the building after the Apache bombing, and suddenly the F-16 showed up in the air and suddenly hit a rocket while I was inside the building, the rocket was 50 meters away from me, and it fortunately didn’t explode. Thank God I’m still alive.
Name
Abed
-
Profession
Question
We heard about your plane crash accident in Tunisia... how did this accident change your life and career?
Answer
This was the most difficult experience in my life. I never thought one day I would face death in the air. It was an interesting change from facing it everyday on the ground while filming the war.
But talking about death and seeing it happen is not like almost experiencing it. The place collapsed from inside. It kept shaking and going left and right, people panicked, seats started moving, and everything was falling down. I couldn’t control my seat. Then suddenly the plane split into two parts, and I jumped outside and found that the plane crashed on a mountain.
People were very badly injured. There were dead bodies everywhere. Both the pilot and the co-pilot died. Children were crying - they had stepped out of the plane.
It was raining and there was a strong wind, the ground was really muddy. I had to hold on to the tree to maintain my balance against the wind. For two hours, we didn’t know where we were, no help, only other planes passing above us. We were jumping to them to see us, screaming, howling, but they couldn't see us.
It was very painful to stay for two hours, with a neck injury, to see those injured people asking for help, to see the dead bodies. All this still remains crystal clear in my mind. I can’t do anything now except pray for God and thank Him that I’m alive. Until now I can’t believe I’m still alive.
I’m really thankful for French TV for transferring me from Tunisia to France for my treatment and taking care of me. Up till now, I’m still getting treatment in Foche hospital in Paris. I’m not able to work actively as before. My neck still hurts me often.
Name
Javier
- United States
Profession
Student
Question
Assalamu alaykum
What in your opinion sir, is the best way to counter the anti Muslim media in the US, controlled by the jews. We have Al Jazeera, but it is not Islamic. How do we get an Islamic International news station, free from foreign influence?
Answer
In the same way the Jews control the media. If we ask ourselves how the Jews control the media, and if Muslims follow their methods and deliver a little bit more, they would have good control.
All the time we talk about the Jews controlling the media for many years, and we are not doing anything about it. Millions of Muslims are doing nothing, even though they are very rich and have all the facilities to deliver good media.
Name
J
-
Profession
Question
I tend to think the deliberate focus on the death of one journalist (Tarek Ayoub) by Al-Jazeera marginalizes the death and suffering inflicted on the Iraqi people as a whole. I have nothing but respect for Mr. Ayoub, of course, but isn’t this emphasis on one individual counterproductive?
Answer
By focusing on Ayoub as a journalist to be killed, it would direct more attention to actual civilian deaths, which are being covered by journalists who are now targets. Sometimes you take a sample to show the suffering, and Al-Jazeera showed the suffering of Tarek Ayoub as a journalist and a civilian; by focusing on Ayoub, they were focusing on what’s left behind him, which is family (mother, wife, daughter…etc).
I don’t see any problem in focusing on Tarek Ayoub’s death. Al Jazeera has
the right to do it out of tribute to him, condolences to his family and respect for our career. Tarek Ayoub died for innocent people. They were the reason why he was there in Iraq.
