PAKISTAN AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND (PAASNE) - www.paasne.com, with the collaboration of Association of Pakistani Professionals www.aopp.org is organizing a brainstorming session, "Media and No Spin Zone" on Saturday, July 10, 2004 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM.
AOPP, in the last 26 months of existence have sent hundreds of letters, e-mails, and faxes to major publications like New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Washington Times, and Economist and to a host of other smaller publications across United States.
Initially we were ignored but gradually we have improvised and now in the last few months we have started to provoke responses from columnists and publications. And in the last few months we managed to elicit responses from New York Times. But this is no moment for complacency. This is time to raise difficult questions to understand modern media and to move beyond the usual conspiracy theories of Jewish propaganda.
AOPP will share its experience of interaction with media, think tanks and congressional leader. AOPP will also show 4-minute video clip created by Munir Mashooqullah, founding and executive board member of AOPP, shows a Pakistan that is largely hidden from the public eye in the West. Without doubt, religious extremism, some decadent Madrasahs and violence exist in Pakistan but such symbols are not entirely representative of Pakistan - rich cultural heritage, architectural marvels, a passion for sports, and great music productions, shades of which are shown in the video, also signify what Pakistan stands for. This is an effort to show this side of the coin as well.
We have realized that western media is a gargantuan, multi-headed hydra and in many ways we still do not understand its structure, operations, relations and dynamics. Why for instance western media, on both sides of the Atlantic, launched an unprecedented, coordinated attack against Pakistan's nuclear program in the run up to SAARC? Was it to pressurize Islamabad into submitting on other fronts?
The event by PAASNE on July 10 ’04 is going to address such painful and difficult questions. Asif Alam and Hassan Abbas of AOPP will not be there to lecture but to raise questions. Executive Board of AOPP believes that we have answers and solutions in the deeper recesses of our minds and by raising analytical questions we might leave with better understanding-and understanding that helps us to develop better and effective strategies to engage media. Our modern day Jihad is not to cry hoarse against the media but to understand it so that we can shield ourselves and our future generations.
You are requested to think and reflect on these issues in advance and come prepared with your comments. AOPP will appreciate analytical questions rather than personal statements and long comments.
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For further information please contact:
PAASNE president: Sohail Pirzada: 609-259-7635
Shakeeb Syed: 401-724-2003 or Aftab Ahmed: 781-308-7606
