Athens for Justice in Palestine held an exhibit in Tate Plaza Wednesday, promoting the rights and exposing the issues of Palestinians unable to access their jobs and families. Some students passed without a second glance, while others stopped to read and discuss.
The conflict between Arabs and Israelis is centuries-old, rife with mutual violence and mistrust, and ostensibly unending. It seems that there can be nothing said about it that has not already been proposed, debated, and argued to death by citizens, politicians and academics. What’s left to say? As it turns out, plenty.
U.S. foreign aid overwhelmingly favors Israel, and, at less than 2%, the Jewish population alone is not significant enough to influence public policy in such magnitude. After the Jewish people themselves, evangelical Christians in the United States are the most fervent supporters of Israelites.
In short, religious support for Israel comes more from Christians than from Jews. But is U.S. government support for Israel a reflection of public opinion or a political preference?
“The U.S. favors certain countries over others for their own interests,” said junior UGA student Lauriston Nunez. “But government interest influences public opinion.”
Another UGA student was unsure, but optimistic. “I would hope it was public opinion, in that they would do […] what the majority of Americans want them to do,” said Kanika Moss, a UGA senior.
When asked if she thought that congressmen supported aid for Israel because of
religious reasons, Moss seemed surprised that this would be a consideration at all. “I wouldn’t think so, no,” she said. “[Religion] shouldn’t have anything to do with politics.”
She acknowledged the possibility of religious influence, however. “We are a Christian-based society, I guess,” she said. “I’m not very religious.”
Kristen Turner, a UGA senior, can easily see how religion might play a factor in U.S. aid to Israel. “I, in general, view people as people,” she said. “I do favor the Israelis, just because I am Christian, and I do believe because of the Bible that God has chosen the Israelites as the chosen people. And I do believe that they’re going to win out, just because of my faith.”
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Iraqis Get a Seat at the Table
A group of six Iraqi journalists met with students and faculty from the
All of the journalists confirmed treacherous conditions for journalists in
Ms. Abeer Al-Timeemi, one of three female journalists in the group, recounted her experience being trapped inside the Al-Hathara TV station, where she worked for four months without leaving the building because of persistent death threats. Another employee of the station remained inside for a year and half. “Things are much better now,” she said, but she still disguises herself when she’s coming or going from work. “I won’t be an easy target,” she said.
Mr. Rafed Al-Tameemi, a program manager for Hathara Radio and TV, went six months without seeing his parents, wife, or children. But his family was supportive. “Stay in the station, you’re helping everyone,” his father told him.
Despite overwhelming obstacles, these journalists continue to report on what they see is an ultimately successful mission on the part of the
In short, the Iraqi people want
When asked if they had questions or comments for the students, the journalists replied that they hoped Americans would continue to develop a more informed idea of the Iraqi people, not to see them all as potential terrorists. “Those who are targeting
Discerning Foreign Policy
The separation of church and state doesn’t guarantee us a separation of religion and politics.
President George W. Bush was the first president to acknowledge the Muslim world in his inaugural address. In 2004, the newly reelected president said that our “character” is “sustained in our national life by […] the words of the Koran”.
This was a bold move, made even bolder by the knowledge that the country was still in the throes of 9/11. In this speech, Bush made the distinction between Islam and some of its radical followers who used it to rationalize a heinous act. In his presidency following 9/11, Bush often used the phrase “war on terror,” but many interpreted it, however inaccurately, as a war on Islam itself.
Enter President Obama. Barack Hussein Obama.
Obama traveled to Turkey on his recent tour abroad, speaking to Turkish Parliament and other groups. According to The New York Times, Obama told the Turkish Parliament, “America’s relationship with the Muslim community, the Muslim world, cannot and will not just be based upon opposition to terrorism.” Obama went on to cite his own Muslim background as evidence that the United States appreciates Islamic heritage.
But will Obama’s recognition of his Muslim background really lead the United States and the Muslim world to better relations than we saw under Bush? UGA students are glad to see Obama’s efforts, but believe that they must be reinforced to make significant changes in the relationship between the United States and the Muslim world.
“It would certainly improve relations on one half,” said Siavash Samei, a UGA alumnus. “The other half is to also make sure that the Islamic world is…willing to accept such an invitation to be a bit more cooperative. Just because Obama is willing to do that doesn’t mean the Islamic world is also ready to take that step forward.”
Kevin Kim, a UGA student, agreed that Obama’s heritage and new efforts to reach out to the Muslim community will not be enough. “There will always be those radicals and terrorists who just hate America,” he said.
Others believe that Obama has to gain the ground that Bush lost in his depictions of Muslims after 9/11. “I think he did an injustice to the people who practice that religion,” said UGA student Shannon Banks. “Now the average American mindset is that all believers of Islam are radicals or extremists.”
Banks concurred that Obama’s remarks in Turkey must be the beginning of a new policy. “I don’t think [his background] in itself will necessarily improve the relations,” he said. “It’s whether or not he’s going to make a conscious effort…not all Muslim believers are extremists.”
President George W. Bush was the first president to acknowledge the Muslim world in his inaugural address. In 2004, the newly reelected president said that our “character” is “sustained in our national life by […] the words of the Koran”.
This was a bold move, made even bolder by the knowledge that the country was still in the throes of 9/11. In this speech, Bush made the distinction between Islam and some of its radical followers who used it to rationalize a heinous act. In his presidency following 9/11, Bush often used the phrase “war on terror,” but many interpreted it, however inaccurately, as a war on Islam itself.
Enter President Obama. Barack Hussein Obama.
Obama traveled to Turkey on his recent tour abroad, speaking to Turkish Parliament and other groups. According to The New York Times, Obama told the Turkish Parliament, “America’s relationship with the Muslim community, the Muslim world, cannot and will not just be based upon opposition to terrorism.” Obama went on to cite his own Muslim background as evidence that the United States appreciates Islamic heritage.
But will Obama’s recognition of his Muslim background really lead the United States and the Muslim world to better relations than we saw under Bush? UGA students are glad to see Obama’s efforts, but believe that they must be reinforced to make significant changes in the relationship between the United States and the Muslim world.
“It would certainly improve relations on one half,” said Siavash Samei, a UGA alumnus. “The other half is to also make sure that the Islamic world is…willing to accept such an invitation to be a bit more cooperative. Just because Obama is willing to do that doesn’t mean the Islamic world is also ready to take that step forward.”
Kevin Kim, a UGA student, agreed that Obama’s heritage and new efforts to reach out to the Muslim community will not be enough. “There will always be those radicals and terrorists who just hate America,” he said.
Others believe that Obama has to gain the ground that Bush lost in his depictions of Muslims after 9/11. “I think he did an injustice to the people who practice that religion,” said UGA student Shannon Banks. “Now the average American mindset is that all believers of Islam are radicals or extremists.”
Banks concurred that Obama’s remarks in Turkey must be the beginning of a new policy. “I don’t think [his background] in itself will necessarily improve the relations,” he said. “It’s whether or not he’s going to make a conscious effort…not all Muslim believers are extremists.”
Monday, March 23, 2009
Heaven Help Us?
Chelsea Patterson
Nick Johnson
The unemployment rate is rising, and the job market is shrinking. People are doing whatever they can to try to hold on to their jobs, savings, houses…and faith?
A new study by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life shows that, “contrary to recent media reports” that suggest the weakened economy has caused an increase in church attendance, actually there has been little change.
Between October 2008 and January 2009, the value of the Dow has decreased by over half, but data from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press show “no increase in weekly worship service attendance”.
So, media moguls and Pew, which is it? Athenians are equally conflicted.
People may turn to family, friends, church, or other outlets for tension. Some citizens say that church is not a likely option. Rick Janzer, a grounds maintenance worker for The University of Georgia, thinks that people turn to other sources of strength during these difficult times. “They get closer to their spouse,” he said. “[They have] more open communication.”
Of course, people don’t have to choose between God and other people for support. “Maybe it’s a mix of both,” said Teresa Canon, who works downtown at Bel-Jean Copy & Print Center.
Other Athens residents believe that attendance at their religious institutions have actually increased. Chelsea Patterson, an undergraduate at UGA, said “I’ve always been a churchgoer myself, so I kind of grew up in church.” She added, “[the economy…] really didn’t affect me.”
It has affected the attendance level of those around her, though. “I’ve noticed it has gone up,” she said, concerning her experience at her Baptist church.
Some church leaders have noticed changes, too. Nick Johnson, a graduate student at UGA who attends a nondenominational church, said that the topic came up during a recent church service. “The preacher made a comment about that on Sunday,” he said, “making a joke like everybody’s trying to find some comfort somewhere, and it’s not the government. They’re going to go to church more.”
Johnson has also noticed a difference for himself. “I know for a fact at my church back home[…] attendance has gone up since the economy’s been down,” he said. He thinks that turning to faith is a viable option in times of hardship. “They’ve lost faith in the government,” he said, “so I guess the next best thing is church, to some people.”
In the face of the flailing economy, though, it can be a source of hope. “I guess that’s one good thing,” he said.
Nick Johnson
The unemployment rate is rising, and the job market is shrinking. People are doing whatever they can to try to hold on to their jobs, savings, houses…and faith?
A new study by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life shows that, “contrary to recent media reports” that suggest the weakened economy has caused an increase in church attendance, actually there has been little change.
Between October 2008 and January 2009, the value of the Dow has decreased by over half, but data from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press show “no increase in weekly worship service attendance”.
So, media moguls and Pew, which is it? Athenians are equally conflicted.
People may turn to family, friends, church, or other outlets for tension. Some citizens say that church is not a likely option. Rick Janzer, a grounds maintenance worker for The University of Georgia, thinks that people turn to other sources of strength during these difficult times. “They get closer to their spouse,” he said. “[They have] more open communication.”
Of course, people don’t have to choose between God and other people for support. “Maybe it’s a mix of both,” said Teresa Canon, who works downtown at Bel-Jean Copy & Print Center.
Other Athens residents believe that attendance at their religious institutions have actually increased. Chelsea Patterson, an undergraduate at UGA, said “I’ve always been a churchgoer myself, so I kind of grew up in church.” She added, “[the economy…] really didn’t affect me.”
It has affected the attendance level of those around her, though. “I’ve noticed it has gone up,” she said, concerning her experience at her Baptist church.
Some church leaders have noticed changes, too. Nick Johnson, a graduate student at UGA who attends a nondenominational church, said that the topic came up during a recent church service. “The preacher made a comment about that on Sunday,” he said, “making a joke like everybody’s trying to find some comfort somewhere, and it’s not the government. They’re going to go to church more.”
Johnson has also noticed a difference for himself. “I know for a fact at my church back home[…] attendance has gone up since the economy’s been down,” he said. He thinks that turning to faith is a viable option in times of hardship. “They’ve lost faith in the government,” he said, “so I guess the next best thing is church, to some people.”
In the face of the flailing economy, though, it can be a source of hope. “I guess that’s one good thing,” he said.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Vista
“I really had never seen anything in the world…and I thought I should.”
Despite manifest generational differences, developments in technology and the general overhaul of news reporting, this sentiment is just as relevant and vital to young reporters today as it was in the 70s.
At 29, Hank Klibanoff watched a friendly game of backgammon become a plan to travel the world.
“Amsterdam?” A chip slid across the board.
“No.” It slid back.
“London?” Another chip. “Yes.”
Klibanoff would go on to The Boston Globe, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, but first he would spend 11 months traveling abroad. He would learn self-sufficiency, survival instincts, how to live without much money, and other, less predictable, lessons.
In Egypt, he traveled with friends from pyramid to pyramid. By donkey. The next day, his travel party couldn’t even leave the room.
“Do not take the donkey,” he warned.
Much has changed since Hank Klibanoff was a young graduate, trying to forge a career in journalism. Today journalists face a failing economy, a flailing industry, and an audience with precious little faith in the work they do.
In conditions such as these, there’s little to hold on to. As novices struggle to know what exactly they should be learning and how exactly they should be preparing to bring the news to the world, at least they know that the best thing they can do to get ready for the job is to bring a view of the world to the news.
Despite manifest generational differences, developments in technology and the general overhaul of news reporting, this sentiment is just as relevant and vital to young reporters today as it was in the 70s.
At 29, Hank Klibanoff watched a friendly game of backgammon become a plan to travel the world.
“Amsterdam?” A chip slid across the board.
“No.” It slid back.
“London?” Another chip. “Yes.”
Klibanoff would go on to The Boston Globe, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, but first he would spend 11 months traveling abroad. He would learn self-sufficiency, survival instincts, how to live without much money, and other, less predictable, lessons.
In Egypt, he traveled with friends from pyramid to pyramid. By donkey. The next day, his travel party couldn’t even leave the room.
“Do not take the donkey,” he warned.
Much has changed since Hank Klibanoff was a young graduate, trying to forge a career in journalism. Today journalists face a failing economy, a flailing industry, and an audience with precious little faith in the work they do.
In conditions such as these, there’s little to hold on to. As novices struggle to know what exactly they should be learning and how exactly they should be preparing to bring the news to the world, at least they know that the best thing they can do to get ready for the job is to bring a view of the world to the news.
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