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What do right-wing news media outlets in Pakistan and their counterparts in India have in common? They are intolerant of progressive voices, and will go as far as doctoring videos and images to spread hate and fear.
A recent seminar on religion and culture at Habib University in Karachi earned the ire of certain sections of the local press that doctored images to present a false account of the event. This resulted in a social media campaign against Habib University, accusing it of mustering support for Israel.
The doctored image and false reporting in Pakistan are no different from the doctored videos aired by BJP-aligned news outlets in India earlier in February that tried to accuse the left-leaning student leaders at the Jawaharlal Nehru University of sedition.
Take a look: Jawaharlal Nehru University row: Freedom of speech now Modi-fied in New Delhi
On April 14, Habib University hosted a learned American scholar of Islamic studies, Professor Marcia Hermansen, who presented a seminar titled, ‘Cultural Worlds/Cultural Wars: Contemporary American Muslim Perspectives on the Role of Culture’ — on how American Muslims are confronting religious intolerance and Islamophobia in the United States.
The flyer for the event depicted two Muslims standing in front of an inflammatory advertisement in a subway station in New York. The image (below) provides a true depiction of the Islamophobia that American Muslims and intellectuals, such as Professor Hermansen, are confronting.
How can one portray an event that highlighted the discrimination against Muslims in the US as one that tried to garner support for Israel? It requires intellectual dishonesty and bigotry of the highest order.
Here is how this feat was accomplished.
A reporter from a local daily falsified the event, calling it "Support Israel, Defeat Jihad". The newspaper in question printed the inflammatory doctored image from the New York subway.
The story further accused Habib University of acting against “national interest”.
Another local daily used the same doctored image, accompanied with an editorial, that accused Habib University of destroying the "ideology of Pakistan".
The dailies deliberately cropped out the hijab-wearing woman and the bearded Muslim man from the image, who were protesting against the advertisement at a New York subway station.
One of the newspapers later published a factually correct version of their originally misreported story, after the grieved university took to social media to explain its stance. While this is appreciable, the newspaper's motives, for publishing the false story in the first place, remain questionable.
The anti-Muslim advertisement in New York provided the backdrop for Professor Hermansen’s lecture on American Muslim perspectives on the role of culture.
Professor Hermansen has spent a lifetime researching Islam. She has produced hundreds of articles and books exploring Islamic theology, Muslim cultures, and Muslim women.
She is recognised for her decades-long research on the works of Shah Wali Ullah and Sufis in South Asia. The American Embassy in Islamabad supported her lecture on the struggles of American Muslims.
The lecture that she delivered was not a covert attempt to start a campaign for Israel in Pakistan, but an overt effort to highlight how Muslims in America are resisting bigotry.
The inflammatory pro-Israeli ad first appeared in San Francisco and later in New York in September 2012. In fact, New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) had refused to carry the advertisement. It was only after the organisation behind the advertisement won a court injunction that the MTA reluctantly displayed the poster.
And while the right-wing news media and the self-appointed guardians of the nation’s ideology spilt vitriol against Habib University and falsely accused it of a pro-Israeli stance, the same never get tired of praising their spiritual masters in the House of Saud who, until recently, were busy colluding with Israel to attack Iran.
In the absence of media ethics in Pakistan, leading Urdu dailies routinely print false accounts of events. Reporters dream up conspiracies, citing fake unnamed sources. Even worse is when the news media incite hatred against individuals and institutions.
Habib University, the victim of the targeted hate campaign, is one gem of an institution. It was established recently with a generous gift of $40 million by the Habib family.
The University prides in imparting undergraduate education that is at par with esteemed institutions of higher learning in the west. Habib University has partnered with the likes of Carnegie Mellon and Texas A&M University. Almost all need-based students receive generous scholarships so that a lack of financial means may not become a hurdle in their pursuit of academic excellence.
Instead of promoting an exceptional institution of higher learning, the right-wing news media is instigating the gullible against the University.
Surely, the courts in Pakistan can be proactive to enforce libel laws before a maddening crowd starts marching.
Comments (54) Closed
such a shame.....instead of appreciating the Habib family for such a nice gifts they are causing more harm. Actually state should step in with hefty penalties on careless reporting. They should strike where it hurts more. hopefully, it would improve quality and a little bit more responsibility before publishing or doctoring a news item.
Lets beware, right wing hate groups in America, Europe and Canada have flooded the news media with comments in rash attack on Muslims and other minories from east, middle-east and south America in general through false advertisements. This has resulted in several random physical attacks on innocent muslims and other minorities in America Canada and Europe
such a shame.....instead of appreciating the Habib family for such a nice gifts they are causing more harm. Actually state should step in with hefty penalties on careless reporting. They should strike where it hurts more. hopefully, it would improve quality and a little bit more responsibility before publishing or doctoring a news item.
Why can't you name the two newspapers?
well no surprise here
medias do that all the time to increase their trps and make money,
recently in Bangalore a student from kerala was slapped by locals in a resturaunt and told go back to kerala , it became a police case and the reporter was interviewing the student who was cool, apparents he and the locals got into a fight over something
and that time beef was an issue in india, and this boy was Christian, the reporter kept asking him what the fight was about was it bec of beef, and he kept saying no, that it started bec of some misunderstanding parking the bikes and sort
and the reporter kept asking did they say anything about beef just bec he was a Christian, as far as I could see the boy was cool no big fight prob a blow or two
so this is the reporting standard in many india news channels
This is what is going to be the downfall of Pakistan. Until we don't see the bigger picture, how can some news channel spread all this hatred. Pakistan ! WAKE-UP, do not blindly follow the Saudis, they have another agenda for Pakistan and that is total-subjugation.
South Asia is such a bad place to be doing some good deed. The first one to blame are the one who are most ignorant of the core issue.
Habib University (HU) seems a great institute (i learnt this only by its website and word of mouth). Lets take this opportunity to pledge our support to HU instead of maligning a good academic institute.
That's shameful but the Habib uni organizers shouldve been careful as well.
Thank you for this article. Why do you not name the two Urdu newspapers, who are willfully damaging the reputation of the Habib University?
This makes alot of sense..
The reality is, despite hundreds of private TV & Radio Channels and scores of Newspapers and Magazines and Journals, Pakistani media is relatively immature and unsophisticated. No outlet has much investigative journalism credential to speak of, much less resources and focus to engage in actually learning the truth first hand.
This has lot to do with purely commercial quality and profit motives, rather than to educate, inform and entertain its audience and readership. Most media companies rely simply on advertising revenues rather newsworthiness, authenticity of its reporting, integrity or quality of its staff and journalists, anchors or reporters.
Habib University is a great gift from the Habib family to Pakistan. This nation has to wake up, and Habib University is like an alarm clock, so keep ringing the bell Habib University, keep up the good work. We are very very proud of people like the Habib family.
@Skeptic. Well said, agreed 100 percent.
I got my free schooling from Habib public school karachi. I thank habib family to give quality education to the poor. Today I am sitting in United states and working for a prestigious company because of th free education . I thank habib family for that.
people involved in such doctoring should be prosecuted.
This article should be translated and published in some Urdu paper. There is such a huge difference between the quality of thinking between the two media, and it is producing and catering to two types of Pakistan, bigoted and progressive, which are coming into more and more sharp conflict with each other. Very dangerous trend. Not good for national unity.
I don't see how you can be a liberal in Pakistan without the fear of being killed. In the US due to strong laws liberals for the most part don't fear violence from the American right-wing. The ad in question is paid for a right-wing Jewish organization. However liberal American Jews have condemned the ad as have main stream politicians. Keep in mind, the US government simply can't banned something as they need to follow the law. Freedom of speech which is the 1st(most important) amendment to the US constitution.
This is painful stuff. But when such labels are tagged to a Pakistani minority community, nobody bats an eye. It is business as usual. We are now fully reaping the fruits of the harvest, the seeds which we let sow unabated.
@moazze - Just like you have condemned the actions of those right-wing media outlets in the West, you should also condemn the right-wing media's deliberate misrepresentation of the event in Habib University.
@HS Well Mr. HS I am student of Habib University. I am just asking you that what if i told you the name the papers. Then what action would you take against those two newspapers kindly let me know i will tell you name of newspapers with proper screen shots
extremism is the major threat to our state
An eminent Indian scholar and journalist Maulana Waheed-ud-din says " Journalism ethics are rarely practiced in our region and specially today's Urdu journalism is unethical almost." In our illetrate society public react more than their abilities responding right wing's appeal. On the other hand same public hardly understand the reason.
I would request the University Administrators not to get bogged down by these actions of ignorance. Continue to invite progressive muslim speakers. Our society has been tightly closed for so many years. It needs to be exposed to progressive and moderate discussions.
@Nargis Bano - Exposing the names of those papers would certainly help people like me who do not know much about them.
@ayaz khan - "extremism is the major threat to our state" Might I add that it is not only extremism that is the major threat to this country, it is also the ruling elite who has always chosen to look the other way and abetted this cancer to metastasize.
Lets face it - there is Muslim hatred in most non Muslim majority and sectarian hatred in Muslim majority countries. The faith & its followers have lost their moral compass.
Thank you Murtaza!
It is not simply right-wing media in India and Pakistan which fabricates news and bogus allegations it is also common in North America and Europe. In fact, wherever these right-wingers, popularly known as nut-wingers, are there is hatred, misinformation, blatant lies. These are sick people with no honesty and integrity. They pry on the ignorance, religious and nationalistic emotion of the people.
@moazze you are doing attacks, not them...
@moazze I live in Canada and I don't see news media 'flooded' with comments/rash attacks towards Muslims and minorities. In fact Canadian media is very supportive and respectful of us muslims and other minorities. The positive support Syrian refugees have received in Canada is phenomenal. I am a nurse and my provincial nursing association runs webinars to provide information to nursing community who want to help syrian refugees but don't know how. I am so humbled by the support and respect I have observed for Muslims in Canada, particularly in contrast to what is happening in US.
You said it well - "It requires intellectual dishonesty and bigotry of the highest order."
Why was no legal action taken against the news papers that printed these? Was an apology printed by the same papers for false reports? Did Habib university's outreach reached the same number of people that the daily's did to undo the damage?
The government will probably never create a check - or pass laws against such reports because they need these things for promoting their own agenda. What can be done is Habib University undo-ing the damage and legally addressing this issue especially given that it had the backdrop of a religious scandal in the making.
Its time that Pakistan begin to reign in the often unethical news media outlet who focus on conspiracy theories and inflammatory news. We need to weed out tabloid like newspapers/media outlets and begin fining them for publishing erroneous news. A central board needs to keep a tight watch on our news outlets. Also, like in many countries of the world, they should be made to allot at least a minimum of 30-50% on positive news and events occurring in the country instead of seeking out ''shock'' news which is the modus operandi of tabloid papers.
Did someone from the Organizers or University tried to contact these papers, may be they admit their mistake. Is it not a sane thing to do, afterall a university is to make people understand what they dont so may be instead of furthering the divide and calling them "right wing" when normally media even from "left wing" also doesnt have any ethical reporting left.
May be this also is an attempt to benefit from a situation to simply paint the whole society in general, afterall if living in Karachi I am unaware of this whole episode people from as far as Toronto know too much about it.
This is the same media which blames TTP and its Islamic motives for every terrorist incident in Pakistan.. and then our liberals just join the band.
The minimum can be done is to translate it in Urdu and get published in 'willing' newspapers. Please do not call them "Right-wing", it is an insult to "Right". They are neither right nor left, they are the ignorants and hypocrites.
Contrary to Islamic teachings our culture is based on hate retribution spite & the like , existential insecurity ?
@shah What did the University do wrong?
@article "no different from the doctored videos aired by BJP-aligned news outlets in India earlier in February that tried to accuse the left-leaning student leaders at the Jawaharlal Nehru University of sedition"
Nice article as usual by Haider. But the analogy is wrong. So many authentic student phone videos clearly proved sedition charges. But pseudo-secularist, apologists among India media kept highlighting one video among many that appeared doctored. Thank god that India is finally getting rid of the Congress-I this self-excoriating apologist strain.
The damage has already done as most people read such newspaper than papers which projects a neutral view. Our media is going through a phase called yellow journalism invloving no researched news, using eye-catching tainted headlines, exaggerations of news events, scandal-mongering, or sensationalism.
Hopefully Dawn and other similarly minded institutions (and the individuals who are their backbone) will continue to fight regressive mindsets that are dragging Pakistan backwards whenever and wherever they display their poison.
If it's the same perspective Habib University actually has and those bashing Habib University in result of "false-reporting", what's the point of calling them religious hate-mongers then. If something is reportedly false, outrage is given.
If for-example Habib university is highlighting the prevalent blessedness in West against Muslims through intellectual event, it serves to prove that it did felt outraged /offended on add in first and felt the need for such event! And those who would "only" see the add would be outraged too. Article's title should be false reporting not "religious Bigotry" of Pakistanis.
If it's the same perspective Habib University actually has and those bashing Habib University in result of "false-reporting", what's the point of calling them religious hate-mongers then. If something is reportedly false, outrage is given.
If for-example Habib university is highlighting the prevalent blessedness in West against Muslims through intellectual event, it serves to prove that it did felt outraged /offended on add in first and felt the need for such event! And those who would "only" see the add would be outraged too. Article's title should be false reporting not "religious Bigotry" of Pakistanis.
Media is part of our society, they are as good or bad as other factions of society. Do not expect them to be Angels. But its Governments responsibility to control this abuse of mass communication.
@Maryam read *biased instead of blessed
Bad and biased reporting by an individual being generalized as right-wing media. In fact sensible right wing media should have highlighted the event positively... but in the article, all the way in the middle a subliminal sectarian attack has been incorporated... its not math that two wrongs can make one right... But carefree readers should Applause!
A storm in a cup of tea? ????
It is most likely poor reading comprehension and misunderstanding on the part of the newspapers. This just shows their lack of journalistic abilities. However, if this was done out of malicious intent then the newspapers should be taken to the court and the Habib University should do it.
What does the house of Saud has to do with this story?
@Jawad Hassan I agree With you
I really agree with one of the readers that this article shoud be translated in Urdu for Urdu speaking readers
Name the two Newspapers so we know what to avoid or at least read their news knowing that most of it is exaggerated or out right lie.
Wish u named the media organizations and editor's responsible
Media instigation of unwarranted issues is one of the oldest phenomenon in the subcontinent, and its accountability a far cry. The media institutions should play their part in improving the society's image instead of making it more bleak and worsening the already neglected situation the society is in.
@AMIR AHMAD Thanks for your comment Amir Sahab. May I please have your email address. The Habib family may like to get in touch with you. Thanks!