National Conferenceof Arab & MuslimNews MediaMarch 8-10, 2002Radisson O’Hare HotelChicago, Illinois

www.ArabAmericanView.Net

Host Committee:

National Arab JournalistsAssociation, & the

Arab AmericanRepublican Federation

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A national conference for publishers,editors, reporters, journalists, and writers

for Arab & Muslim newspapers,magazines broadcast radio/TV,

and online news web sites.

PPrrooggrraamm BBooookkPPrrooggrraamm BBooookk

The National Arab &The National Arab &Muslim JournalismMuslim Journalism

ConferenceConference

is co-hosted by

the Arab American View Newspaper

the National Arab JournalistsAssociation

& theArab American Republican

Federationwhich promotes Arab American involvement in the American political process.

for more information, visit

www.ArabAmericanView.netPO Box 2127, Orland Park, IL 60462

708-403-3380 faxrayhanania@aol.com

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elcome to Chicago and welcome tothe National Conference of Arab &Muslim American Journalists and

Communicators.The purpose of this conference is to

bring together our multi-talented commu-nity of journalists, communicators, publicrelations specialists, writers, authors andstudents so that we may celebrate ourachievements as professionals. We wantto share our talents, experiences and offersupport and guidance so that we maybecome more effective as communicators.

As Arab and Muslim journalists, wehave a special responsibility to insure thatjournalists who cover the Middle East, theMuslim World, our communities, applythe fundamental principals of truth andaccuracy. It is our responsibility toencourage the American and Westernmedia to do a better job of reporting sothat the public sees and hears an accurateand fair presentation of the facts.

My hope is that we will use this confer-ence as an opportunity to network, to

share and to sup-port. By network-ing, we canbecome a strongerArab & MuslimAmerican newsmedia.

This is our sec-ond conference,the first was in1999. These con-ferences can serveas a foundation to build a stronger Arab& Muslim media voice, and give directionto help the mainstream American mediamove back towards professionalism.

If you leave this conference with any-thing, leave with the confidence that ourArab & Muslim media is strong and thatwe have a significant role to play inAmerican society.

Thank you.-- Ray Hanania

Conference Chairman

W

t is my pleasureto welcome youto this event

and thank you foryour attendanceand support.

It is a timewhen our commu-nity is under siegeand pressure fromall sides that yoursupport gives it thestrength it needs.

Your participation is the moreimportant because it points to theresiliency of our community and ourresolve to defend it and be involved inthe civil process of our country.

Our community continue to grow innumbers and importance.

This success would not have beenwithout the hard work and dedication ofmen and women of our community likeyou.

We of the Arab AmericanRepublican Federation dedicate this eventto you all.

Be proud that you are an ArabAmerican.

WE WILL NOT YIELD TO PRESSUREOR INTIMIDATION BUT STAND TALL.

-Dr. Shibli M. Sawalha,Chairman Arab American

Republican FederationCommitteeman, Homer Township

Republican Organizationsmsawalha@aol.com

I

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M.T. Mehdi Courage inJournalism Award

Dr. M.T. Mehdi was a pioneer in ArabAmerican journalism, the publisher ofACTION Newspaper, a leading English-language Arab American newspaper. Dr.Mehdi was a high profile champion ofArab and Palestinian rights, appearingoften on national television debates anddiscussions.

As he championed Arab and Palestinian rights, Dr. Mehdi remained dedicated toaccuracy, justice and a fearless determination to face the bias that exists in the main-stream media.

The Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award was created in 1999 to recognize theachievements of individuals in the media and in communications who adhere to theseprinciples of accuracy, justice and courage. Past recipients include Tribune columnistSalim Muwakkil, RAWI, columnist Charlie Reese, the Washington Report on MiddleEast Affairs, TV anchor Mike Monseur, and the Beirut Times newspaper.

We are grateful to the Mehdi family for their support and encouragement in allow-ing this award to be bestowed each year on its recipients.

Al-Jazeera, the 2001-2002Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award recipient

The Qatar-based ArabWorld satellite television net-work, Al-Jazeera, was namedas the recipient of the 3rdannual M. T. Mehdi Couragein Journalism Award for "thecourageous pursuit of profes-sional journalism" in its cov-erage of the American war inAfghanistan and the MiddleEast.

The M. T. Mehdi Couragein Journalism Award wasestablished in 1999 to recog-nize journalists of all back-grounds and all media thatdisplay courage in the pur-suit of truth and accuracy inreporting news related to theMiddle East.

The award is named inhonor of the late ArabAmerican activist and jour-nalist Dr. M. T. Mehdi, whopublished one of the most

widely read English lan-guage newspapers in theUnited States.

"Al-Jazeera has distin-guished itself as having thecourage to pursue the truth,to broadcast the facts thatother media, particularly inthe West and the UnitedStates, have refused to pub-lish or broadcast," said RayHanania, a longtime Chicagoarea Arab American journal-ist who with members of theMehdi family oversee theaward each year.

"Since its inception, Al-Jazeera has given people ofthe Middle East, andAmericans, a taste of realjournalism. During that sameperiod, Al-Jazeera hasexpanded its broadcasts tothe West and the UnitedStates serving as a majorsource of news on the

Palestinian Intifadah and onthe whereabouts of OsamaBin Laden in the wake of theSeptember 11th terroristattacks."

Anisa Mehdi, a New Yorkbased TV producer and thedaughter of Dr. Mehdi, willpresent the award for Al-Jazeera to Washington D.C.bureau chief Hafez Al-Miraziat the National Conference ofArab and Muslim Journalistsbanquet in Chicago,Saturday, March 9, 2002.

"Al-Jazeera and its staffstand for the principles thatmy father dedicated his lifeto pursuing, truth, fairnessand honesty," Anisa Mehdisaid.

"The Mehdi family is veryproud that Al-Jazeera is thisyear's recipient."

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Program ScheduleFRIDAY

6:30 - 9:30 PMOpening Reception, Hors d'vouers

(Lower Level Ballroom)

- Tayyibah Taylor, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Azizah Magazine- Ray Hanania, Executive Director, NAJAPublisher, the Arab American View- Presentation about Azizah Magazine, MagazineStaff - Poetry Readings by Sammer Ghouleh

SATURDAY(Salon A, Salon B, Salon C -- Lower Level)

9 AM

Salon A: PANEL: Status of Women in Islam, dur-ing the time of the Prophet and the Rightly GuidedCaliph -Dr. Assad Busool, American IslamicCollege, Chicago

Salon B: PANEL: Publishers address the challengesfacing the Arab & Muslim media in America-Ray Hanania, Publisher, Arab American ViewNewspaper, Chicago-Joseph Haiek, Publisher, News CircleMagazine, California-Osama Siblani, Publisher, Arab AmericanNews, Detroit-Tayyibah Taylor, Publisher, Editor-in-Chief ofAzizah Magazine-Walid Rabah, Publisher, The Arab VoiceNewspaper, Paterson, New Jersey-Dr. Aslam Abdallah, Editor-in-Chief of theMinaret magazine & Vice-Chairman of MPAC-Dr.Mohrez El Hussini, publisher, Al ManassahNewspaper

Salon C: PANEL: Arab & Muslim WomenDiscuss challenges facing the Arab & MuslimWoman-Hosted by Chicago area American, PalestinianWomen and Friends-Barbara Nimri Aziz, Pacifica-WBAI Radio, NY

11:30 AM

Salon A: PANEL: Arab & Muslim themes in bookpublishing -Ethan Casey, publisher Blueear.com online pub-lishing, Dispatches from a Wounded World-Mohammed el-Nawawy, author, Al-Jazeera:How the Free Arab News Network Scooped theWorld & Changed the Middle East-Adel Iskandar Farag, author, Al-Jazeera: Howthe Free Arab News Network Scooped theWorld & Changed the Middle East-Shaw Dallal, "Scattered Like Seeds"

Salon B: PANEL: Main Stream American Mediaperspectives on media coverage-Ali Alarabi, NAJA Board member-Jerome McDonnell, WBEZ Radio World Viewhost-Steve Huntley, Chicago Sun-Times-Mike Flannery, WBBM TV Political reporter

Salon C: PANEL: Arab American Media on thecoverage of the Middle East and getting the messageout in America-Nadeem al-Khuffash, Voice of Palestine RadioWCEV Radio, Sunday-Mahmoud Saeed, author journalist-Dr. Amjad Zureikat, Arab/Assyrian TV's"Doctor's Corner" broadcast-Nidal Ziyad, publisher, Al-Maraya Newspaper-Kawthar Othman, publisher Al-Offok al-ArabiNewspaper-Shafiq al-Khalil, columnist Al-MarayaNewspaper

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2 PM

Salon A: PANEL: News Media Objectivity:Who's reporting the news?-Marda Dunsky, Asst. Prof. Medill School ofJournalism, Northwestern Uni.--Nermin al-Mufty, Iraqi journalist-Anisa Mehdi, TV producer and journalist

Salon B: PANEL: Professional development in jour-nalism and the media - Hosted by the ChicagoTribune Newspaper-Don Wycliff, Public Editor, , commentator, TheChicago Tribune-(Panelists to be announced)--

Salon C: PANEL: Civil Rights abuses & the role ofthe Arab & Muslim Media and community-Aladdin Elaasar, NAJA journalist-Khaled Elkhatib, VP, ADC Chicago, civil rightsattorney-Omar Najib, ADC Chicago, civil rights attorney-Anna Mustafa, community leader & activist-Mike Monseur, former CLTV NewsAnchor/Reporter

4:30 PM

Salon A: PANEL: Reporters discuss challenges incovering "War on Terrorism"-Sarah Downey, reporter, NEWSWEEK-Roxane Assaf, correspondent for theWashington Report on Middle East Affairs-Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press-Sally Farhat, Seattle Sun Newspaper

Salon B: PANEL: Alternative methods of reportingthe news, online and paid-radio-Ahmed Bouzid, Palestine Media Watch-Ramzy Baroud, Palestine Chronicle.com-Mary Ann Tawasha, Asst. Mng Ed.Countrywatch.com-Mark Pinski, director, WSBC AM Radio,Chicago

-Toni Khatib, Islamic Center of Villa Park,online web master-Barbara Nimri Aziz, Pacifica-WBAI Radio, NY

Salon C: PANEL: Mainstream Media views of theArab American Community, and the Aftermath ofSept. 11-Ali Alarabi, NAJA Board-Martha Irvine, Associated Press news wire-Pierre Roberts, Midwest Bureau Chief,Washington Post-Julie Snyder, WBEZ (Chicago NPR Affiliate)"This American Life"

DINNER

Lobby, Main FloorReception 6:30 PM

7:30 PM -- Dinner seating/service8:30 PM -- Program

-Host Shibli Sawalha-emcee Ray Hanania

Speakers

-Lorraine Ali, NEWSWEEK Journalist-Hafez Al-Mirazi, Al-Jazeera Washington DCBureau Chief -Jim Avila, NBC TV Correspondent

Awards Presentations

-Presentation of the MT Mehdi Courage inJournalism Award for 2002 by Anisa Mehdi

-Awards Presentation by UHLF, PACC-Presentation of Excellence in JournalismAwards, hosted by NAJA-NAJA President’s Award presented by YousefShebli, NAJA Chairman

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SUNDAY(Salon A, Salon B, Salon C -- Lower Level)

7:30 - 10 AM

Salon A: PANEL DISCUSSION: Publishers,Editors, reporters of newspapers, magazines,online web sites & broadcast discuss creation ofan Arab/Muslim American News Wire ServiceSystem, and a formal journalism association.Hosted by Dr. Aslam Abdullah, Vice President,MPAC, publisher of Minaret Mag.

9 AMSalon B: PANEL: Current issues facing the Arab &Muslim American community-John Janney, HLFRD; fighting the boycott ofthe Dallas Morning News-Dr. Assad Busool, Jihad: Self-discipline or HolyWar?-Kamal Abu-Shamsieh, MPAC, Eyewitnessreport from Palestine; The reality on the groundvs the media coverage-Moin Moon Khan, author, writer & Muslimactivist

Salon C: PANEL: Ethnic Americans in the mainstream media: Has coverage been fair?-Hannah Allam, Pioneer Press, Minnesota-Emilia Askari, Detroit Free Press-Lorraine Ali, NEWSWEEK Magazine-Marda Dunsky, Medill School of Journalism

10 - 11:30 AM

Salon A : PRESS CONFERENCE: Arab &Muslim Journalists Address the murder ofDaniel Pearl; Mainstream media failure to fullyreport coverage of Arab & Muslim communityreactions; “collateral” post-Sept 11 victims.

11:30 AMSalon A: PANEL: Fiction and other ways to tell thetruth-Barbara Nimri Aziz, Pacifica-WBAI Radio, NY-Shaw Dallal, "Scattered Like Seeds"-Liza Elliott, "Finding Palestine"

-Arlene Hirsch, author, "The Palestinian and TheJew: An Intimate Memoir of Love and Madness"-Siva Vaidhyanathan, author, "Dispatches froma Wounded World"

Salon B: PANEL: Challenges facing Arab &Muslim media in the wake of Sept. 11-Andy Martin, Radio talk show host, PalmBeach Florida-Jawed Anwar, Editor, Muslims Newspaper-Fadeel Al-Amin, News Director IBN RadioNetwork, Washington DC (WWTL 700 AM)-Riad Al-Majali, Columnist Al-MarayaNewspaper

Salon C: PANEL: Working for a stronger Arab &Muslim Community voice-Mohammed Al-Araj, communications directorUnited Trust Bank, Bridgeview-Samaa Elibyari, host, Caravan, a weekly bilin-gual (English/French) radio program dealing inMontreal-Linda Mamoun, communications manager, FreeSpeech TV

2:30 PM

Salon A: PANEL: Sponsored by the UnitedMuslim Americans Association (UMAA):Challenges facing the Muslim community-Sabri Samirah, President UMAA-Sammer Ghouleh, board member-Moin Moon Khan, author, writer & Muslimactivist

Salon B: PANEL: Poetry and the importance ofpoetry in Arab and Middle East literature --OPENMICROPHONE for Poets ...-Salameh Zanayed, past president RamallahAmerican Federation, poet, former Arabic radiohost for 15 years, TV host/producer (5 years).-OPEN MICROPHONE for poets to present

Salon C: PANEL: Challenges facing the Arab media(ARABIC LANGUAGE)-Yusef Shebli, WPNA Radio Chicago-Yusef Marei, Voice of the Muslim Community-Mahmoud Saeed, author journalist

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Selected Speakers’ BiosSally FarhatSally Farhat is a reporter at The Sun, a daily ScrippsHoward newspaper in Bremerton, Washington. Sheis a Lebanese-American Christian who holds aBachelor's degree in Journalism and Middle EasternStudies-Arabic from the University of Washington.She was reporter at the Detroit Free Press for one-and-a-half years up until this past May. Detroit hasthe most Arab Americans in the nation. Last year,Miss Farhat spoke on a panel on how to cover ArabAmericans and was one of the writers of the DetroitFree Press' handbook on how to write about ArabAmericans. She is also the editor of the SeattleMaronite News.

Ray HananiaRay Hanania is an award winning for journalist. Hecovered Chicago's City Hall from 1978 through 1992first for the Daily Southtown (1978-1985) and laterthe Chicago Sun-Times (1985-1992). He hosted a pop-ular talk show on WLS AM Radio and was a fre-quent guest panelist on the city's top television newsdiscussion programs. He published the MiddleEastern Voice Newspaper (1975-1977), the VillagerNewspapers (1993-1996), the Arab American ViewNewspaper (1999-present). He is the recipient of theSigma Delta Chi Chicago Headline Club's PeterLisagor Award for column writing (1985), and holdsfive runner-up citations. He was nominated for aPulitzer Prize by the Chicago Sun-Times in 1990. Hecurrently is the executive director of the NationalArab Journalists Association in Chicago. He currentlyworks as vice president of Public Affairs/PublicRelations for a Chicago based communications firm.

Jim AvilaJim Avila is a veteran member of the Chicago Arabjournalists association. He is a longtime Chicago tele-vision journalist and now serves as international andnational correspondent for NBC TV. He recentlyreported from Afghanistan. His personal storiesabout growing up as the child of an Arab Americanimmigrant and Hispanic mother are inspiring, com-pelling and motivating. His reports have won numer-ous awards.

Arlene HirschArlene Hirsch is a career counselor and psychothera-pist in Chicago. She is the author of two best sellingcareer books, Love Your Work and Success WillFollow and The Wall Street Journal Premier Guide toInterviewing. Both books were written in collabora-tion with the Wall Street Journal and published byJohn Wiley & Sons. Arlene has recently written herfirst memoir. The Palestinian and the Jew: AnIntimate Journey of Love and Madness. She has lec-tured extensively, appeared on local and nationalradio and television, and has been widely quoted inthe media. Arlene also teaches Career Psychology atNorthwestern University

Ramzy BaroudRamzy Baroud is the President of PalestineIndependent News Agency (PINA Online), Editor-in-Chief of PalestineChronicle.com, and ManagingEditor of Middle East News Service. As an interna-

tional journalist whose writing covers various sub-jects and conflicts around the world, mainly in theMiddle East and Africa, Baroud was published byover 50 publications in over 40 countries.

Emilia AskariEmilia Askari is a reporter at the Detroit Free Press.

John JanneyActivist who organized the successful boycott andprotest against the Dallas Morning News newspaper.His focus is on pooling resources, identifying andunderstanding the audience, crossing the bridge fromsmall-time newspapers to a big-time media powerhouse. Will share his experiences with fighting theDallas Morning News and how we used the mediaduring that fight (and the challenges we faced, andovercame).

Hannah AllamHannah Allam, a 24-year-old Egyptian-Americanwho moved to the United States about six years ago.Allam was raised in the UAE, Egypt and SaudiArabia by an Egyptian father and American mother,both Muslim. He attended the University ofOklahoma, graduating in 1999 with a BA in journal-ism with a French minor. He was editor of the cam-pus paper and interned at three papers in college,including The Washington Post. The Post kept me onafter my internship ended and I stayed there severalmonths until taking a courts job with the Pulitzer-winning St. Paul Pioneer Press in Minnesota. SinceSept. 11, he has authored articles told from the per-spective of Muslims and Arab Americans. He lives inMinneapolis. Ironically, two of his brothers ---Ahmed and Mohamed --- are U.S. Marines who areintelligence specialists. They translate Arabic in sev-eral dialects and are now stationed with Marines inor near Afghanistan. The events of Sept. 11 haveaffected him in a very personal way.

Liza ElliottAuthor of "Finding Palestine. Her topic is writingabout Palestine and the Middle East towards reach-ing the American Audience. Her book is filled withhistory and political analysis but reads like a novel.Liza Elliott holds a BSN from Indiana University,1976, an MSN from Catholic University of America,1979, and a PhD in Sociology from NorthwesternUniversity,1991. She is a Board member of theNational Council on US-Arab Relations, Gulf StatesCommittee, a Board member of the United NationsAssociation, Greater Birmingham Chapter, andPresident of the Birmingham Branch of the NationalLeague of American Pen Women. An adjunct profes-sor at University of Alabama at Birmingham, Schoolof Public Health she lectures on refugee health care,NGO’s and is a consultant to the Palestine RedCrescent Society. Liza Elliott lives in Birmingham, ALwith her husband, Peter Glaeser.

Shaw DallalShaw J. Dallal (J.D. Cornell University), professor.Professor Dallal teaches comparative Middle EastPolitics, the Arab Israeli Conflict and the Middle East

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and the global political economy, which he institutedfor the Maxwell School in 1990. He also teachesIslamic Culture and Civilization in the HonorsProgram of Syracuse University. An internationallawyer and scholar, he has served as the chief legaladvisor for the Organization of Arab PetroleumExporting Countries (OAPEC) in Kuwait. He ispresently the Senior Vice President for InternationalDevelopment at Zogby International. He is theauthor of the recently published novel Scattered LikeSeeds. shd@earthlink.net

Osama SiblaniOsama Siblani is the publisher of the very popularArab American Detroit Newspaper, the ArabAmerican News. This is a weekly newspaper pub-lished in full color and includes Arabic and English.

Siva VaidhyanathanSiva Vaidhyanathan, a cultural historian and mediascholar, is the author of Copyrights andCopywrongs: The Rise of Intellectual Property andHow it Threatens Creativity (New York UniversityPress, 2001). He is currently working on a book aboutNapster and the ways we regulate our informationecosystem. Vaidhyanathan has written for manyperiodicals, including The Dallas Morning News, theFort Worth Star-Telegram, and The Nation. He is afrequent contributor on media and cultural issues toMSNBC.COM and The Chronicle of HigherEducation. His research has been profiled by pro-grams on National Public Radio, CNN, the CanadianBroadcasting Corporation, International Herald-Tribune Television, Pacifica Radio, and Fairness andAccuracy in Reporting. Vaidhyanathan has also beenfeatured in articles in AsianWeek, India Abroad, TheNew York Times, The Wall Street Journal, TheIndustry Standard, and ZDNet.com. After five yearsas a professional journalist, Vaidhyanathan earned aPh.D. in American Studies from the University ofTexas at Austin. Vaidhyanathan has taught at theUniversity of Texas, Wesleyan University, and NewYork University. He is currently an assistant profes-sor of Information Studies at the University ofWisconsin at Madison.

Marda DunskyMarda Dunsky is an assistant professor at the MedillSchool of Journalism, Northwestern University,where she has taught since 1994. She teaches newspa-per editing for graduate and undergraduate studentsand the Global Journalism seminar as well asadvanced print editing. Dunsky worked as an editorat the Chicago Tribune from 1983 to 1988, first in fea-tures and then on the National/Foreign Desk. Sheworked as an Arab affairs reporter for the JerusalemPost during 1988-1990, covering the Palestinianminority in Israel. Dunsky’s op-ed and analysispieces on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict/peaceprocess have been published in the Chicago Tribune,the Washington Post and the Cape Times (SouthAfrica). Her study on how U.S. media report the con-flict appeared in the summer 2000 issue of ArabStudies Quarterly. She does frequent public speakingon the topic in the Chicago area. Dunsky is currentlywriting her Ph.D. dissertation in the history depart-ment at Chicago, "The Land Speaks Arabic: A SocialHistory of the Palestinians in Israel," for which shereceived a Fulbright research grant. She earned amaster's degree in Middle Eastern studies at theUniversity of Chicago in 1988 and a bachelor's degree

in journalism from the University of Illinois atUrbana-Champaign in 1981. Dunsky also has workedas a copy editor at the Sun-Sentinel in FortLauderdale, Fla., and the Telegram & Gazette inWorcester, Mass.

Mary Ann TawashaMary Ann Tawasha is the Assistant Managing Editorof CountryWatch.com

Joseph (Yousef) R. HaiekJoseph (Yousef) R. Haiek , publisher of the NewsCircle Magazine and editor of the online news website, www.arab-american-affairs.net.

Steve HuntleySteve Huntley is Editor of the Editorial Page of theChicago Sun-Times. Under his leadership, the Sun-Times editorial page staff was awarded a PeterLisagor Award for exemplary journalism in 1998.Before joining the Sun-Times Editorial Board in 1997,Huntley was Assistant Managing Editor/Metro ofthe Sun-Times. Under his leadership, the Metro staffwon Lisagor awards in 1996 for coverage of the FoxRiver Grove, Ill., school bus-train crash that killedseven children, in 1993 for coverage of the ChicagoLoop flood and in 1992 for the "After the ShootingStops" series on the impact of violent death on fami-lies and communities. Huntley previously was NightCity Editor of the Sun-Times. He joined the newspa-per in 1986. Huntley worked for seven years (1979-86) for U.S. News & World Report, heading up itsChicago bureau before transferring in 1982 toWashington, D.C., where he was an Associate Editoruntil promoted to Senior Editor in 1985. Huntleyworked 13 years (1965-78) for United PressInternational as a writer and editor in bureaus inChicago, Greensboro, N.C., Atlanta, Ga., andColumbia, S.C. He was promoted in 1977 toExecutive Editor of UPI's National BroadcastDepartment.

Jawed AnwarJawed Anwar is the Editor of Muslims Newspaper.

Mike FlanneryMichael Flannery has been the Political Editor forCBS 2 News since 1980, responsible for covering CityHall, Springfield and all elections. Flannery alsoserves as an investigative reporter for the station.He exposed unlicensed insurance companies thatcheated thousands out of their health insurance. Asa result of this investigation, the offending insurancecompanies were put out of business and many of thedefrauded people were reimbursed. Flannery hasreceived many awards throughout his career. Hewon two Gold Bell Awards from the Mental HealthAssociation in Illinois for his coverage of the atro-cious treatment of patients in state run mental hospi-tals. Flannery’s disclosure of a pattern of abuse ofchronically ill psychiatric patients in a privatehalfway house won him the Illinois Associated PressAward for Best Enterprise (1982). He received twomore awards from the Associated Press; BestReporter Award (1986) and was honored for hiswork on “The Death of Mayor Washington.”

Carol BradfordPhD thesis at Cambridge College was on Arabs andtheir culture, their differences, etc. profiled in theFebruary-March 1998 issue of the Washington Report

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on Middle Eastern Affairs.

Dr. Aslam AbdallahDr. Aslam Abdallah is the Editor-in-Chief of theMinaret magazine & Vice-Chairman of MPAC. Acommunity leader of the Islamic American communi-ty, he is a frequent guest speaker and lecturer, andauthor.

Walid RabahWalid Rabah is the publisher of the Arab VoiceNewspaper based in New Jersey. He is also anactivist with the Palestinian Writer's Guild in theUnited States.

Barbara Nimri AzizDr. Barbara Nimri Aziz is the executive director ofRAWI, Radius of Arab American Writers, Inc. Shecurrently works as a journalist for Pacifica-WBAIRadio in NY, where in addition to news reports, sheproduces and hosts two weekly programs, "Behindthe News" and "Tahrir-Voices of the Arab MuslimPeoples Here and Abroad." www.RadioTahrir.com, arecently launched web page, illustrates her broad-casting work at WBAI 99.5 fm, NY. Aziz regularlyvisits the Arab homelands to interview individuals.From her assignments in the "field" she also makeslive reports to WBAI Radio. Before entering journal-ism, Aziz worked for 20 years in Asia as a profes-sional anthropologist. She completed her PhD inanthropology at the University of London, UK. Inaddition to two earlier books based on her anthropo-logical research in Asia, Aziz has just completed athird book. Released by the University of Nepal inOct. 2001, HEIR TO A SILENT SONG: TWO REBELWOMEN OF NEPAL, is available from the author.She is currently working on a new book based on herextensive experience in Iraq. Her news writings andOpEds have appears in MEI (UK), Christian ScienceMonitor, Aramco Magazine, Natural HistoryMagazine, Toward Freedom (Vermont), The CatholicReporter, among others. She is featured, along withother Muslim women, in the current issue of AzizahMagazine.

Kamal Abu-ShamsiehKamal Abu-Shamsieh is a former Palestinian journal-ist and a documentary film maker. He is currentlythe national community relations director of theMuslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) based in LosAngeles. He provides the Muslim & ethnic mediaoutlets with weekly updates and news about theMuslim community.

Ali AlarabiAli Alarabi is a freelance columnist covering theMuslim and Arab communities in the United States.His columns are published around the Arab World.He is a board member of the National ArabJournalists Association. Previously he worked as awriter for the Times of Houston Arabic Languageweekly newspaper.

Anisa MehdiAnisa Mehdi is an award-winning reporter and pro-ducer of television news programs and documen-taries. Her specialties are religion and the arts.Currently Ms. Mehdi is Executive Producer for TheIslam Project, In 1998 she produced award-winningcoverage of the Hajj for PBS’s "Religion and EthicsNews Weekly," becoming the first American woman

to report for television from Mecca. She has been artscorrespondent for New Jersey’s nightly PBS newscastfor 14 years. Prior to working with PBS, Ms. Mehdiwas with CBS News in New York. She has an M.S. inJournalism from Columbia University and a B.A. inSpanish from Wellesley College.

Nermin Al-MuftyFaculty of Arts, al-Mustansiryah Uni. Baghdad, 1980,Diploma in General Journalism, IOJ, Budapest,Hungary, 1983. Permanent address: P.O. box: 59107,Code 12149, Baghdad, Iraq.Editor in Alef Baa weekly1981-1990, Director of developing programs,Baghdad radio. 1990; Director of feature department,member of editing board in al-Jumhuriyah Daily1993- April 2000; Chief of editors in Alef Baa WeeklyApril 2000 – Director of feature Dep. In al-Zawraa`Weekly, 2000- Produce in Baghdad satellite TV 1998-Contributor writer in al-Thawra Daily 1999-Correspondent of al-Kahera, an Egyptian weekly2000- Columnist in the Woman magazine 1984-Contributor translator and producer with NBC 1998.Languages: Arabic, English, Turkish (excellent),French (not very good). Awards: best journalist inIraq 1984, 1985, and 1987. The second prize of theUnion of Iraqi Journalist 1993 The first prize of al-Jumhuriyah Cultural Club 1995. The best radio pro-gram 1990. Books: three scientific books for children,1985, 1986. The Dairies of A Dying Man, short stories,2000.

Jerome McDonnellJerome McDonnell, Host, Worldview Jerome hasbeen with WBEZ since 1984. He has served in almostevery capacity at the station beginning as an intern-volunteer. He's stuffed envelopes, dubbed tapes, pro-duced call-in shows and a weekend magazine show,had a number of technical functions, and a manage-ment fling as well. Jerome was also the producer ofWBEZ's Midday with Sondra Gair, a internationalnews analysis show. He has hosted Worldview since1994. Jerome is the winner of the Peter LisagorAward and the Illinois Broadcasters' Association forBest Public Affairs Program in a series.

Nidal ZayidNidal Zayid is the publisher of the Al-MarayaNewspaper and representative of the Arab AmericanMedia & Information Center in Houston, Texas.

Riad Al-MajaliRiad Al-Majali is a columnist and writer for theHouston-based Al-Maraya Newspaper and a mem-ber of the Arab American Media & InformationCenter in Houston, Texas.

Julie SnyderJulie Snyder works with WBEZ Radio's popular "ThisAmerican Life" program and is a veteran Chicagoradio journalist. She has covered the Chicago ArabAmerican and Muslim American community and hasauthored several reports since the September 11, 2001terrorist attacks. Julie has also participated on severalpanels addressing media coverage of the Arab andMuslim American community.

Khaled ElkhatibKhaled has been actively involved in the Arab com-munity. In 1998, he and a friend foundedChicagoland Arab Professionals & Students (CAPS),a professional networking and socializing organiza-

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tion. He is currently a member of Arab American BarAssociation (ABAR), and sits on Mayor Daley’sAdvisory Council on Arab Affairs. Much of his timeis spent working with the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC). As Vice Presidentof ADC Chicago, he is actively involved in manyissues. One of the most important recent issues hasbeen the FBI interviews of Arab Americans as aresult of September 11th. ADC and ABAR are part ofa coalition providing free legal assistance to Arabscontacted by the FBI.

Sarah DowneySarah Downey has been reporting out of Newsweek'sChicago Bureau since 1999. Since Sept. 11, she's beenon the trail of Zacarias Moussaoui and other suspect-ed terrorists with ties to the Midwest. After Downeytraveled to Minnesota and Oklahoma in October,Newsweek reported that Moussaoui had bought thesame flight-training videos as Mohamed Atta--a find-ing included in the federal indictment two monthslater. Downey is a former police reporter for the CityNews Bureau of Chicago. Her first taste of war cover-age came in East Timor, where she went as a free-lancer in 1999 and wrote for dailies like the BostonGlobe. Downey had gone to the Pacific Rim to coverAustralia's historic republican referendum vote; shesold stories to several U.S. papers, then hitched a rideto Dili on a military plane. A 1990 graduate ofScripps College in Claremont, Calif., Downey hasalso worked for the Chicago Tribune and is a regularcontributor to the Chicago Reader.

Mohammed el-NawawyMohammed el-Nawawy , Egyptian born and raised,has worked as a journalist in the Middle East and theU.S. His experience includes working for theAssociated Press in Cairo, the Middle East Newsagency and the Baltimore Sun. The author of TheIsraeli-Egyptian Peace Process in the Reporting ofWestern Journalists, El-Nawawy has a Ph.D. in jour-nalism and is professor of journalism at theUniversity of West Florida, Pensacola, FL. He is theco-author with Adel Iskandar Farag of Al-Jazeera:How the Free Arab News Network Scooped theWorld and Changed Middle East.

Adel Iskandar FaragAdel Iskandar Farag , an Egyptian-Canadian, is anexpert on Middle East media. He has conductedstudies on viewership of Arab media and the use ofNorth American media by Arab immigrants. He haslived in Kuwait and in Egypt for many years, andcurrently teaches communication at the University ofKentucky, Lexington, KY. In his free time, he servesas the executive editor of The Ambassadors OnlineMagazine. He is the co-author with Mohammed el-Nawawy of Al-Jazeera: How the Free Arab NewsNetwork Scooped the World and Changed MiddleEast

Kawthar OthmanKawthar Othman publishes the Arabic languagebroadsheet newspaper, Al-Offok al-Arabi. She hasbeen cited in the past for her informative news sto-ries by the Chicago Association of Arab AmericanJournalists & Communicators. Her newspaper is con-sidered the primary Arabic language newspaperpublished in Chicago.

Mahmoud SaeedAward winning author, poet and writer.

Martha IrvineMartha Irvine is a Chicago-based National Writer forThe Associated Press and, through the AP's Chicagobureau who covered breaking news and social issues-- everything from race relations to immigration,housing and poverty. Last year, she received a StudsTerkel award, which honors journalists who make anextra effort to cover the Chicago area's diverse com-munities. A native of Michigan, Irvine received herBachelor's degree from the University of Michiganand her Master's from the Columbia UniversityGraduate School of Journalism

Roxane AssafRoxanne Assaf is a Chicago area based journalist andreporter whose articles appear in many publicationsincluding the Washington Report on Middle EastAffairs.

Toni KhatibKhatib, 38, of the western suburbs, designed andmaintains the Web site for the Islamic Foundation ofVilla Park. Khatib, who is of mixed African-Americanand white parentage, was raised Muslim onChicago's South Side. A former information technolo-gy network manager, she is now at home; she andher husband, born in Syria, have three children.

Dr. Mohrez elHussiniDr. Mohrez elHussini is the publisher and journalistfor the Al Manassah Newspaper based in NewJersey. New Jersey is home to a very significant ArabAmerican and Muslim American population and hisnewspaper has pioneered the delivery of ArabAmerican news in this country.

Niraj WarikooNiraj Warikoo is a staff writer for the Detroit FreePress, where he has covered Arab-American andMuslim communities since 1998. He also reports onthe area west of Detroit. Warikoo has exposed work-place safety problems at one of Ford's biggest plants,traveled abroad to report on the use of child labor inmaking cigarettes, and revealed Michigan's decade-long neglect of its wetlands. He spoke last year at theInvestigative Reporters and Editors' national confer-ence. Since Sept. 11, he has written about how thegovernment's war on terrorism has affected the civilrights of Arab-Americans.

Dr. Assad BusoolDr. Assad Busool is a professor of Islamic Studies atthe American Islamic College in Chicago. He is theauthor of several scholarly works on Islam. And he isa frequent lecturer on Islam, the myth and the realityas a religion and a political force.

Ahmed BouzidAhmed Bouzid is the editor and director of PalestineMedia Watch, the online web site that focuses onaccuracy in the American media, and in encouragingthe dissemination of the Arab and Muslim Americanviewpoint on Middle East and Middle East relatedissues. The website is at www.pmwatch.org.

Dr. Amjad ZureikatDr. Amjad Zureikat is currently Medical Director of

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Integrated Care at Lincoln Square, a multi-specialtyclinic. Dr. Zureikat is the President of the GreaterChicago Medical Association, a prominent independ-ent physician group in the Chicagoland area. He iscurrently a board member of the RavenswoodPhysician Association. For the past 15 years, Dr.Zureikat has been representing the medical commu-nity on both Arab and Assyrian TV on the "Doctor'sCorner."

Sammer GhoulehSammer Ghouleh is an award-winning poet and aboard member of the Illinois Spina BifidaAssociation. She is the author of several books ofpoetry. She is a board member of NAJA and also amember of the Board of the United MuslimAmericans Association.

Samaa ElibyariSamaa Elibyari has been preparing and producingCaravan, a weekly bilingual (English/French) onehour radio program dealing with currentArab/Muslim affairs, in Montreal and around theworld for the last three years. Caravan is independ-ent of any political or religious organization. It hasno sponsors or commercial ads. As a community pro-gram, it's broadcast free of charge , on CKUT, RadioMcGill 90.3FM on the dial in Montreal, www.ckut.caon the Internet. Caravan was previously calledXroads. Samaa Elibyari has published articles abouther trips to Iraq in The Gazette, Montreal leadingEnglish newspaper and in the webzine www.mid-dleeastnews.com.

Andy MartinMartin's program has become the center of foreignpolicy debate on the internet. Since 1965 he has beenassociated with the study of revolutionary warfare,starting under the late Bernard B. Fall. Martin hasbeen in Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Iran,Afghanistan, Viet-Nam, Cambodia, Thailand andHong Kong as a foreign policy analyst and consult-ant. In 1974 Martin formed the Revolutionary WarResearch Center to study revolutionary war move-ments and their impact on future foreign policyissues. Martin's program currently broadcasts inPalm Beach County from 1-3 P.M. Monday - Friday.Foreign policy issues are heard daily in the 2-3 hour.Starting March 4, 2002, the program will move tonoon-2 P.M. Monday-Friday.

Itedal ShalabiItedal Shalabi is co-owner of Arab-American FamilyServices, a not-for-profit social service agency thatassists Arab American and Muslim families and indi-viduals in need. Services include tutoring, domesticviolence counseling, youth counseling and more.

Mohammed Al-ArajMohammed Al-Araj is a board member and the com-munications and marketing director for the UnitedTrust Bank based in Bridgeview Illinois.

Linda MamounLinda Mamoun discovered Free Speech TV aftermoving to Boulder, Colorado from Philadelphia inJuly, 2001. Prior to working at FSTV, she taught soci-ology as an adjunct instructor at the University ofPennsylvania and Temple University. Raised inNaperville, Illinois, Mamoun attended the Universityof Illinois, and attended graduate school at the

University of Pennsylvania. She serves as FSTVCommunications Manager supervising a weeklynewsletter to members, distributes their weekly pro-gram schedule, and conducts outreach with politicaland cultural organizations around the country, aswell as abroad. Working with activists and artists,FSTV uses television to cultivate an informed andactive citizenry in order to advance progressive socialchange. We broadcast nationally to nine millionhomes on the DISH satellite (channel 9415) and onaffiliate cable community access stations all over theUS.

Sabri SamirahSabri Samirah is the director of the United MuslimAmericans Association and a community communi-cations activist.

Salameh ZanayedSalameh Zanayed is a longtime Chicago activist andpoet who has published several poetry books. He isthe former national president of the RamallahAmerican Federation, and member of the PalestineNational Council. He served as the first director ofthe Chicago Advisory Commission on Arab Affairsfor more than a decade.

Moin Moon KhanPresident of the American Muslims for Peaceful Co-existence, Moin Moon Khan is widely recognized inthe Muslim American and Asian American commu-nities for his moderate and patriotic views and com-mitment to coalition-building efforts. Served on theboards of more than a dozen civic organizations inthe past 15 years that include the Illinois EthnicCoalition, United Way, American Cancer Society,Council of Islamic Organizations, Asian AmericanInstitute, Federation of Indian Associations. In itsOctober 9th editorial, the Chicago Tribune admiredhim for urging fellow Muslims to defend the UnitedStates in its war against terrorism. Founding presi-dent of the Republican Minority Caucus, Moon holdsMA and MBA degrees and works in the MIS field.

Special thanks to the members of the NAJA board, ChairmanYusef Shebli, and the committee for their support. Also, thanks

to Itedal Shalabi and Nareman Taha and Adam Shillo for assist-ing in overseeing the registration tables.

A note about our guest speakers

Organizing a conference of this magnitude isvery difficult, but each time it improves. Theindividuals here have not only donated theirtime, but most have also paid to participate toinsure the success of this conference. Theirsupport has created this environment wherewe can all share and discuss important issues.Please respect all of our speakers. Speakerswill present for up to 15 Minutes each duringpanel sessions. Each Panel will last 2 hourswith 15 minutes for closings and questionsand answers. Let us thank all of them for mak-ing this conference a success.

Bios published include those submitted by thespeakers for inclusion in the Program

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Linda MamounFree Speech TV

FSTV Communications ManagerVoice 303.442.8445 or Fax 303.442.6472

PO Box 6060, Boulder, CO 80306lindam@freespeech.org

www.freespeech.org

Edwards Realty Co.Commercial * Residential * Business

EdEdwwarard Hassand HassanBroker

12829 S. Harlem AvePalos Hts. IL 60463

Tel (708) 923-6312Pager (708) 737-1797

Fax (708) 923-7301

ResolutionsAs journalists and writers, we not only report the news but we also have an obliga-tion to lead public opinion on the process of reporting the news to insure that thereporting remains professional. Journalism must be professional. As participants,we urge you to consider these and other resolutions as public statements of our

dedication to professionalism.

RESOLUTION: Urging the end to the occupa-tion and the restoration of the rights of thePalestinian people; urging an end to therepression of the Palestinian people.

RESOLUTION: Urging the mainstreamAmerican media to diversify their news roomsby hiring more African Americans, moreHispanic Americans, more Native Americans,more Asian Americans and more ArabAmericans.

RESOLUTION: Denouncing the vicious, bru-tal murder of journalist Daniel Pearl of theWall Street Journal. No cause or injustice canjustify the kidnapping or murder of innocentpeople. Further, journalists should be accord-ed special protections and rights.

RESOLUTION: Urging the American mediato be objective and fair, and to adhere tothe fundamental principles of professionaljournalism by insuring that the Arab andMuslim American viewpoint is included inthe public debate on the Middle East.

EDUCATION is the antidote to bigotry and bias.FAIRNESS in the media is a solution to racism.TERRORISM does not have an ethnic face.

Newspapers that refuse to publish theviews of the Arab or Muslim American com-munity are biased. Professional journalismdictates that newspapers remain objective,balanced, and that while they may take apoint of view in their editorials, they mustfairly provide equal access to opposingviewpoints, especially to the prominentopposing viewpoints.

Too many American newspapers and mediafrequently provide space to publish theviews of pro-Israeli writers. Yet, these samenewspapers and media refuse to providespace to publish the views of pro-Arab andpro-Muslim writers.

We, Arab and Muslim Americans, are notasking the American media to becomebiased in support of Arab or Muslim causes.We ARE asking that the American mediagive us an equal opportunity to present ourviews to the American public. We believethe American public is educated enough toto understand and comprehend the truth, ifthey are allowed to read it or hear it in theAmerican media.

We are only asking for equal time. We areonly asking to be allowed to present ourviews. We are only asking the media to bethe professional journalists they claim to be.

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Palestinian Journalists “underoccupation" among Excellence inJournalism award recipientsChicago -- The National Arab Journalists Associationwill present 20 journalism awards at its ConventionDinner on Saturday, March 9, including to thePalestinian journalists who work under Israeli occu-pation.Citations include the coveted MT Mehdi Courage inJournalism Award which is being presented to Al-Jazeera satellite television, a Lifetime AchievementAward to Arab American NBC-TV correspondentJim Avila, and 18 Excellence in Journalism Awardsto recipients ranging from newspaper publishers,online web-masters, poets, writers and journalists.The awards, intended to highlight the vast array ofwriting and journalism talent in the Arab andMuslim community, will be presented at theNational Conference of Arab & Muslim Journalists,to be held March 8 - 10, 2002 at the Radisson O'HareHotel in Chicago.One of the awards will go to the Palestinian journal-ists and media in the Occupied West Bank,Occupied Gaza Strip and Occupied Jerusalem."Only one nation, Palestine, remains under a militaryoccupation today and the Palestinian journalists whocover this occupation under the harshest of condi-tions deserve to be recognized for their insistence onrecording accurately the events of this brutal occupa-tion," said Conference Chairman NAJA executivedirector Ray Hanania."Despite the hardships of working in a war zone.Despite the threats to their lives by fanatic Israeli set-tlers and the aggressive Israeli military. Despiteimpediments imposed on their movement by theoccupation government. Despite all of these road-blocks, the Palestinian journalists continue to providethe most accurate and complete coverage of this onlyoccupation that remains in the world today."The award is presented to Palestinian journalists andthe Palestinian media, including the many newspa-pers such as Al-Quds, Al-Ayyam, and Baladi."These are only a few that struggle to exist and refuseto be silenced by Israel's massive military, propagan-da arm of oppression," Hanania said.The Mehdi award, named in honor of the late ArabAmerican journalism pioneer Dr. M.T. Mehdi, isbeing presented to Al-Jazeera for sending shock-waves through the American-dominated newsmedia."Al-Jazeera has singled-handedly forced the oftenbiased and unobjective American media to second-guess its own reporting. Al-Jazeera has broadcastreports that the American media has preferred toignore but cannot. Al-Jazeera has remained profes-sional and has remained dedicated to the principlesof professional journalism which demand that infor-mation be presented to the public truthfully, fullyand accurately," Hanania said.Avila, who is Arab and Hispanic, has been a profes-sional journalist for nearly three decades coveringChicago politics and now the international stage. Hismost recent reports included coverage of theAmerican war in Afghanistan and the Enron scandal."Avila's reporting has been first rate and on target,"Hanania said. "While he is not assigned to theMiddle East, as an Arab American, his track record

of award winning, professional journalism remains arole model to others who seek journalistic profession-alism," Hanania said.Other journalists and media publications also receiv-ing awards at the March 9 dinner include:

· Roxane Assaf for her informative reporting for theWashington Report on Middle East Affairs magazine.· Chicago Radio talkshow hosts Yusef Shebli,Nadeem al-Khuffash and Yusef Marei. Their radiostations serve as the only broadcast forum for ArabAmerican news in the Midwest, filling a gap left bybiased, one-sided American news media reporting.· Palestine Media Watch & Ahmed Bouzid web-mas-ter. This web site provides a valuable service to helpaugment the voices of the Arab and MuslimAmerican community using the Internet. · Palestine Chronicle and web-master RamzyBaroud. Baroud's innovative media ventures online,in print and his columns, help to keep the publicfocused on the truth of the Middle East conflict. · The News Circle Magazine and Joseph Haiek pub-lisher. Joe Haiek is an icon in the Arab American andLebanese American journalists community. He is anactivist who has organized journalists on the WestCoast and publishes the very informative NewsCircle Almanac.· Al-Offok al-Arabi Newspaper and KawtharOthman. Ms. Othman's broadsheet newspaper is theonly real professional Arabic language newspaper inChicago. · The Voice of Jordan Newspaper and The Hon.Ihsan Sweis, publisher. This Jordanian focused news-paper has been a fixture in Chicago for nearly adecade, providing firstclass news and information inEnglish and on a steady, regular basis. · Sammer Ghouleh, poetry and writing. Her poemshave received international awards and citations. Sheremains active in the Spina Bifida Association whereher views and writings have moved many people tocompassion.· Muslims Newspaper and Jawed Anwar publisher.Anwar's broadsheet newspaper is one of the mostprofessional designed and published English lan-guage newspapers that focuses on Muslim relatednews from around the country. It is first class. · Islamic Horizons Magazine and Omer BinAbdullah, Editor. This is a singular resource onMuslim American information. · Arab American Business Magazine and NidalIbrahim. Publisher Ibrahim's magazine has becomemust-read in the Arab and Muslim American busi-ness community, providing coverage of a segment ofour society that is often unreported.· The Arab Voice Newspaper and Walid RabahPublisher. This Arabic language newspaper is a com-pass for the Arab and Muslims of the greater NewYork area, keeping the nation abreast of the events inthis important region.· Al Manassa al-Arabiye and Mohrez elHussini. Mr.elHussini's newspaper is must read in the New Yorkand New Jersey region, providing the most compre-hensive picture of Arab and Muslim Americanactivism and news · Minaret Magazine and Dr. Aslam Abdullah. This isa first class magazine that continues to break newground with informative and well written articlesthat inform and help to correct the false images oftenportrayed of Muslims in America.· Lorraine Mahia Ali, Newsweek journalist and ArabAmerican reporter. She reigns as one of the highestranking Arab Americans in magazine journalism.

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Jim AvilaNBC TV

Jim Avila was promoted to NationalCorrespondent in January 2000, based inChicago. Most recently, Avila reported fromAfghanistan and covered the Enron scandal.Previously, he work asChicago bureau correspon-dent for NBC, reporting onstories throughout theAmerican Midwest.Beforecoming to NBC TV News,Avila was an investigativereporter for KNBC’sChannel 4 News inBurbank California. Whileat KNBC, he was the prin-cipal reporter on the O.J.Simpson criminal trial, helping the station earnthe 1995 Golden Mike Award and an EmmyAward in 1996. He joined KNBC News in 1994from WBBM-TV, the CBS-owned station inChicago where he was a general assignmentreporter. Avila covered a variety of news storiesincluding the Gulf War from both Saudi Arabiaand Tel Aviv. From 1980 to 1984, Avila was ageneral assignment reporter for WLS-TV, theABC-owned station in Chicago. He had been aweekend anchor and the San Jose bureau chieffor KPIX TV in San Francisco from 1976 until1980. Avila began his broadcasting career in1973 as managing editor at KCBS Radio in SanFrancisco and was later promoted to BureauChief.

Lorraine Mahia AliNewsweek Magazine

Lorraine Ali is a general editor at NewsweekMagazine. She writes primarily for the maga-zine’s Arts and Entertainment section coveringmusic. An award-winning journalist, she has

written about everythingfrom Christian alternativerock to Latino Lone Star rapand has interviewed every-one from Dolly Parton toMarilyn Manson. She occa-sionally covers Arab-American culture for themagazine’s Society section,and has reported on MiddleEastern affairs from Egyptfor Newsweek’s internation-

al packaging stories. The New York-based Ali hasalso contributed arts and culture stories to theNew York Times, GQ and Rolling Stone, and herpiece on palestinian rappers (“West BankHardcore”) recently made it into “DeCapo’s BestMusic Writing 2001” anthology. Ali, who is half-Iraqi, is currently working on a book about grow-ing up Arab American.

Hafez al-Al-MiraziAl-Jazeera TV

Hafez Al-Mirazi is a lead news correspondentfor Al-Jazeera TV which, in November 1996,

became the first Arab satellitechannel specializing in newsand discussion programs.Today, it has become a phe-nomenal performer in theArab media world. It’s slo-gan, “One opinion, and thethe Other,” shows why it hasgained this stature. objective,comprehensive, daring: Al-Jazeera’s style is absolutefreedom of expression. Thisuncompromising commit-ment runs through its news-casts, talk shows, documen-

taries, scientific, sports and educational pro-grams, aired 24 hours a day. Through its corre-spondents and reporters in major Arab andWorld capitals, Al-Jazeera was first to break thenews on several significant events and develop-ments. These scoops have gained for the channelconfidence of Arab and Arabic-speaking audi-ences in its home region and North America.

Our DinnerSpeakers ...

Al-Jazeera, M.T. Mehdi Courage inJournalism Award 2001-2002Jim Avila, Lifetime Achievement AwardLorraine Mahia Ali, NAJA Excellencein Journalism Award

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NAJA Board oof DDirectors2002-22003

Yusef Shebli, ChairmanHatem Abunimeh, Vice Chairman

Zaki Abu-Hashish, TreasurerJihad Saleh, Secretary

Sammer GhoulehDir. Muslim Media Relations

Nadeem Al-KhuffashDir. Arab Media Relations

Ali AlarabiDir. American Media Relations

Ray Hanania, Executive Director

Zouheir Al-Halaby, Membership Chair

Aladdin Alaasar, Spokesman

Manal Harisah, Board memberMaha Al-Khuffash, Board member

Seema Imam, Board member

www.ArabAmericanView.net

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Offers a first look at the all-Arab newsnetwork and its controversial role inthe Arab world

“A fair and engrossing look at the freest andmost controversial television news channel inthe Arab world. Does it broadcast solid journal-ism or terrorist propaganda? This book willhelp you decide.”

—Richard W. Bulliet, Columbia University

“An important book chronicling the rise toglobal media prominence of the Qatar-basedsatellite station. In Afghanistan, Al-Jazeera wasthe eyes and ears for much of the world.”

—David Barsamian, Alternative Radio and the author ofThe Decline and Fall of Public Broadcasting

Al-Jazeera, the independent, all-Arab television news network based in Qatar, has emerged asambassador to the Arab world in the events following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on theUnited States, and the war waged in Afghanistan.

More than a channel reporting the news as it happens, Al-Jazeera (Arabic for “the peninsula”) hasaccess to the Arab world and is “scooping” the western media conglomerates. It has emerged as aninternational relations actor on the world stage with its exclusive access to Osama Bin Laden andmembers of the Taliban. Its reputation has been burnishing quickly through its daily exposure onCNN in the U.S., even as it strives to maintain its independence as an international free pressnews network.

Al-Jazeera sheds light on the background of the Al-Jazeera network, how it started, how it operates,the kinds of programs it broadcasts, its effects on Arab viewers, the reactions of the West and Arabstates, its implications for the future of news broadcasting in the Middle East, and its struggle for afree press and public opinion in the Arab world.

MOHAMMED EL-NAWAWY, Egyptian born and raised, has worked as a journalist in the MiddleEast and the U.S. His experience includes working for the Associated Press in Cairo, the Middle EastNews agency and the Baltimore Sun. El-Nawawy has a Ph.D. in journalism and is professor of jour-nalism at the University of West Florida.

ADEL ISKANDAR, an Egyptian-Canadian, is an expert on Middle East media. He has conductedStudies on viewership of Arab media and the use of North American media by Arab immigrants.He has lived in Kuwait and in Egypt for many years, and currently teaches communication at theUniversity of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky.

West View Press, April 2002, 224 pages; 0-8133-4017-9, $24.00, cloth; 11 color images, 2 black & white maps

Available at bookstores, or call toll-free in the U.S.A. 1-800-386-5656. Visit us online at www.westviewpress.com

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Arab-American Family Services, Inc., is a for profit health careand social service agency, dedicated and committed to promot-ing and enhancing the lives of the Arab-American community,by empowering the community through educational programs

and services. The following programs are:

Arab American Family Services

6441 S. Pulaski Rd, #214, Chicago773-767-3025, Fax: 773-767-3027

Nareman Taha, acounselor, and Itedal

Shalabi, a professionalsocial worker, can helpyou address a variety

of challenges.

Family Services * Family Counseling* Individual Counseling* Group Counseling* Marital Counseling

Educational Services* Parenting Classes* Domestic Violence Prevention* Tutoring* E.S.L.* Citizenship

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Phone (773) 792-1121Fax (773) 792-2904Fax (773) 792-1101

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Conference Guest Speaker

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Join theNational ArabNational Arab

Journalists AssociationJournalists AssociationNetwork with other professionals

Participate in our programsShow your professionalism

Chicago Chapter Information:www.ArabAmericanView.net

Start your own ChapterStart your own Chapterin your city todayin your city today

It’s easy. Adopt our charter and organizeyour own chapter. Collect your duesand organize events and programs to

promote the advancement of professionaljournalism. Encourage Arab & Muslim

Americans to become journalists.

Join the NAJA Internet discussion listNAJA_Association-Subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Should your Tax Dollars support a Religion?

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibit-ing the free exercise thereof,” said the First Amendment. (The Bill of Rights,12/15/1791)

The Jerusalem Embassy Relocation Implementation Act (US Public Law 104-45,11/8/1995), is such a law that the First Amendment forbids the 104th USCongress to make. It violates the constitutional doctrine of separation betweenReligion and government.

1971: US Government Lemon’s test policy:1: Must have a secular purpose2: Must not advance of inhibit Religion as its principal effect3: Must not foster an “Excessive entanglement” with religion

The United States Taxpayers should not be coerced to pay $100-million dollarsfor Public Law 104-45 because it bestows followers of Judaism more sovereign-ty in Jerusalem than received by Muslims or Christians.

“Jerusalem will remain united under the sovereignty of Israel forever,” PrimeMinister Ariel Sharon declared at the annual American-Israel Public AffairsCommittee (AIPAC) conference on March 19, 2001.

An US Supreme Court Ruling is needed on this federal constitutional issue!

Write and call to protest:

President Bush, 202-456-1111, fax: 202-456-2461, email: president@white-house.gov

Call the Congressional Switchboard (House 202-225-3121) and Senators 202-224-3121), and the operator will connect you to your congressperson.

SincerelyJoseph R. LoBiancoPO Box 10121Eugene, Oregon 97440

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United HolUnited Holy Land Fundy Land Fund(UHLF)(UHLF)

welcomes all of theparticipating

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PPalestinian alestinian AmericanAmericanCommCommunity Centerunity Center

(PACC)is proud to be aco-sponsor of

the National Conferenceof Arab & Muslim

News Media

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We invite you to come by and visit us atthe Bridgeview location where you can enjoy

our warmth and hospitality, and where we willbe happy to provide you with information

on our wide range of services.