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| == Objectives and projects == | == Objectives and projects == | ||
| MEMRI's |
MEMRI's "about us" page states, "The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) explores the Middle East through the region's media. MEMRI bridges the language gap which exists between the ] and the ], providing timely translations of ], ], and ] media, as well as original analysis of political, ideological, intellectual, social, cultural, and religious trends in the Middle East."<ref name=AboutUs>, Memri.org, accessed July 23 2006</ref> | ||
| MEMRI's goals have evolved over the years, originally translating Arabic and Hebrew. Until 2001, its Mission Statement included a statement that "MEMRI relies on primary source material that it translates from the original Arabic and Hebrew... In its research, the institute emphasizes the continuing relevance of Zionism to the Jewish people and to the state of Israel."<ref>, at web.archive.org, accessed July 2 2001</ref> | |||
| MEMRI's translated articles and media analysis focus on the following areas: | MEMRI's translated articles and media analysis focus on the following areas: | ||
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| ==Staff== | ==Staff== | ||
| MEMRI's current staff includes "people of the Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths hold a range of political views"<ref name=Debate> at ''Guardian Unlimited'', January 28 2003</ref> | |||
| ===Prominent staff=== | ===Prominent staff=== | ||
| *] — MEMRI's President. Carmon is fluent in Arabic. He served |
*] — MEMRI's President. Carmon is fluent in Arabic. He served in the ] (IDF) Intelligence Branch from 1968 to 1988, was Acting Head of Civil Administration in ] and the Advisor on Arab Affairs to the Civil Administration from From 1977 to 1982, and adivsed Prime Ministers ] and ] on Countering Terrorism from ] to ]. In 1991 and 1992 Carmon was a senior member of the Israeli Delegation to peace negotiations with ] in ] and ]. | ||
| *Dr. ] received a Ph.D. in development planning from the University of Michigan. He spent most of his professional career at the World Bank, and has consulted for the International Monetary Fund. Dr. Raphaeli, an Iraqi-born, joined the Middle Media Research Institute (MEMRI)as a senior analyst in 2001. | *Dr. ] received a Ph.D. in development planning from the University of Michigan. He spent most of his professional career at the World Bank, and has consulted for the International Monetary Fund. Dr. Raphaeli, an Iraqi-born, joined the Middle Media Research Institute (MEMRI)as a senior analyst in 2001. | ||
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| ==Financial support== | ==Financial support== | ||
| MEMRI is registered in the US with the IRS as a ],<ref name=AboutUs/> which means that it is exempt from federal taxation on income. Jay Nordlinger wrote, in the National Review, that "MEMRI exists entirely on private donations — there are about 250 donors, including some foundations — and will not accept any government money, as a matter of policy."<ref> ], ], September 13 2004, accessed July 23 2006</ref> | MEMRI is registered in the US with the IRS as a ],<ref name=AboutUs/> which means that it is exempt from federal taxation on income. Jay Nordlinger wrote, in the National Review, that "MEMRI exists entirely on private donations — there are about 250 donors, including some foundations — and will not accept any government money, as a matter of policy."<ref> ], ], September 13 2004, accessed July 23 2006</ref> | ||
| Although MEMRI does not publicly report contributors to its charity, ], an organization which monitors the financial ties of conservative think tanks to conservative foundations in the United States, reports that for the years 1999 to 2004, MEMRI received $100,000 from ], $100,000 from ], and $5000 from the ] | |||
| MEMRI's U.S. income statement (06/2004) states that its' total U.S. revenue was US$2,571,899, its' total U.S. functional expenses were US$2,254,990, and that it possessed net assets of US$700,784. It has been given a four-star (exceptional) rating by ], meaning that it "..exceeds industry standards and outperforms most charities in its Cause" when rated solely by the "charity's financial health". <ref>], </ref> | MEMRI's U.S. income statement (06/2004) states that its' total U.S. revenue was US$2,571,899, its' total U.S. functional expenses were US$2,254,990, and that it possessed net assets of US$700,784. It has been given a four-star (exceptional) rating by ], meaning that it "..exceeds industry standards and outperforms most charities in its Cause" when rated solely by the "charity's financial health". <ref>], </ref> | ||
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| ===Criticism=== | ===Criticism=== | ||
| *Pro-Israel Bias and Agenda | |||
| *Bias | |||
| :], the Middle East editor for the UK Guardian newspaper, has |
:], the Middle East editor for the UK Guardian newspaper, has criticized MEMRI for having a pro-Israel bias and agenda, and not being explicit about this on the Web site. He has written, "My problem with Memri is that it poses as a research institute when it's basically a propaganda operation,"<ref name=Debate> at ''Guardian Unlimited'' </ref>, that material selected by MEMRI for translation, "further the political agenda of Israel, and "<ref name=SelectiveMemri>Brian Whitaker, , ''Guardian Unlimited'', Monday August 12, 2002</ref>, and that, "MEMRI's website does not mention you or your work for Israeli intelligence. Nor does it mention MEMRI's co-founder, Meyrav Wurmser, and her extreme brand of Zionism ... Given your political background, it's legitimate to ask whether MEMRI is a trustworthy vehicle"<ref name=Debate/> | ||
| ⚫ | :], a spokesman for the ] comments that "MEMRI performs a useful function but unfortunately they have a pro-Israel, right-wing agenda."<ref name=Perelman>, Marc Perelman, ''No Longer Obscure, MEMRI Translates the Arab World: But Detractors Say a Right-Wing Agenda Distorts Think-Tank's Service to Journalists'', ], December 7, 2001.</ref> | ||
| :Whitaker has also complained that "MEMRI's website does not mention you or your work for Israeli intelligence. Nor does it mention MEMRI's co-founder, Meyrav Wurmser, and her extreme brand of Zionism ... Given your political background, it's legitimate to ask whether MEMRI is a trustworthy vehicle"<ref name=Debate/> | |||
| ⚫ | :], a spokesman for the ] comments that " |
||
| *Selection of material portraying the Arab/Muslim world in a negative light | |||
| *Selectivity | |||
| :Brian Whitaker has said that "the stories selected by Memri for translation...reflect badly on the character of Arabs<ref name=SelectiveMemri>Brian Whitaker, , ''Guardian Unlimited'', Monday August 12, 2002</ref> | |||
| :According to ], Professor of Modern Middle East History at the University of Michigan, MEMRI has a tendency to "cleverly cherry-pick the vast Arabic press, which serves 300 million people, for the most extreme and objectionable articles and editorials"<ref name=Osama>, Professor Juan Cole Informed Comment blog, November 2 2004</ref> Similarly, ], a director of the ], stated in the ] that "MEMRI's intent is to find the worst possible quotes from the Muslim world and disseminate them as widely as possible."<ref name=SelectiveMemri/> | |||
| ⚫ | :], former British MP and the current Mayor of London, has stated of MEMRI that: "The translation and selection of quotes tend to portray Islam in a very negative light." <ref name=LivingstonePress> </ref> He has accused MEMRI of "outright distortion".<ref name=MondeDiplomatique> {{cite news | title=Propaganda that widens the Arab-West divide - Gained in translation | publisher=Le Monde Diplomatique | date=October 2005 | url=http://mondediplo.com/2005/10/15propaganda}} See in French (freely available) {{cite news | title=Traduction ou trahison? Désinformation à l’israélienne. | publisher=Le Monde Diplomatique | date=October 2005 | url=http://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/2005/09/EL_OIFI/12796#nb11}} (Persian translation also available for free )</ref> | ||
| ⚫ | :], former US ambassador to the ] and ], describes MEMRI as a service which "does not present a balanced or complete picture of the Arab print media. ...Quotes are selected to portray Arabs as preaching hatred against Jews and westerners, praising violence and refusing any peaceful settlement of the Palestinian issue."<ref name=LanguageMatters>Brian Whitaker, , ], September 28, 2005</ref> | ||
| :], a director of the ], stated in the Washington Times that "MEMRI's intent is to find the worst possible quotes from the Muslim world and disseminate them as widely as possible."<ref name=SelectiveMemri/> | |||
| ⚫ | :], former British MP and the current Mayor of London, has accused MEMRI of "outright distortion".<ref name=MondeDiplomatique> {{cite news | title=Propaganda that widens the Arab-West divide - Gained in translation | publisher=Le Monde Diplomatique | date=October 2005 | url=http://mondediplo.com/2005/10/15propaganda}} See in French (freely available) {{cite news | title=Traduction ou trahison? Désinformation à l’israélienne. | publisher=Le Monde Diplomatique | date=October 2005 | url=http://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/2005/09/EL_OIFI/12796#nb11}} (Persian translation also available for free )</ref> |
||
| :Hussein Ibish comments that "There is of course some horrific stuff in the Arab press, but one tends to forget that the American press can also be very nasty. <ref name=Perelman/> | |||
| *Translation inaccuracy | |||
| ⚫ | :], former US ambassador to the ] and ], describes MEMRI as a service which "does not present a balanced or complete picture of the Arab print media. ...Quotes are selected to portray Arabs as preaching hatred against Jews and westerners, praising violence and refusing any peaceful settlement of the Palestinian issue."<ref name=LanguageMatters>Brian Whitaker, , ], September 28, 2005</ref> | ||
| :The accuracy of MEMRI's translations is sometimes disputed.<ref name=MemriBinLaden>Yigal Carmon memri.org, 1 November 2004</ref><ref name=Philly>Ramona Smith, "Did Osama send election threat?," ''Philadelphia Daily News'' (2 November 2004).</ref><ref name=Debate/><ref name=LivingstonePress/>. For example, a controversy arose over MEMRI's translation of the Arabic words "ay wilayah" in the 2004 Osama bin Laden video. Osama bin Laden's statement was widely translated as: "Every state that does not toy with our security has automatically guaranteed its own security".<ref> at Al-Jazeera. 01 November 2004</ref> The US media in general translated "state" as nation-state, and viewed Bin Laden's statement as a warning to the US to stop intervening in the Middle East in order to guarantee US security<ref name=MemriBinLaden/>. But MEMRI interpreted "state" in the sense of a US state rather than a nation-state. MEMRI's translation was widely reported since it differed from most earlier translations and since MEMRI's "Special Alert" published along with Bin Laden's speech the weekend before the 2004 presidential election stated that: "Osama bin Laden ... included a specific threat to 'each U.S. state,' designed to influence the outcome of the upcoming election against George W. Bush."<ref name=MemriBinLaden/> The media watchdog site mediamatters.org noted that: "MEMRI's translation has been challenged by a number of scholars and experts," of whom they quote Juan Cole, professor of modern Middle East History at the University of Michigan; Omer Taspinar, a foreign policy studies research fellow at the Brookings Institution; and Bruce Hoffman, a terrorism expert and director of the RAND Corp's Washington DC office. They include Juan Cole's statement that bin Laden: "cannot possibly mean that he thinks Rhode Island is in a position to "<ref name=Osama/><ref name=Philly/> Brian Whitaker went even further, commenting that it was "a clever bit of election propoganda on MEMRI's part, implying that Bin Laden wanted Americans to vote for Kerry"<ref></ref> | |||
| ===Response to Criticism=== | ===Response to Criticism=== | ||
| Yigal Carmon, MEMRI President, has responded to various claims of critics: | Yigal Carmon, MEMRI President, has responded to various claims of critics: | ||
| * On claims of bias | * On claims of agenda and bias | ||
| :"You are right: we do have an agenda. As an institute of research, we want MEMRI to present translations to people who wish to be informed on the ideas circulating in the Middle East. We aim to reflect reality. If knowledge of this reality should benefit one side or another, then so be it."<ref name=Debate> at ''Guardian Unlimited'' </ref> | :"You are right: we do have an agenda. As an institute of research, we want MEMRI to present translations to people who wish to be informed on the ideas circulating in the Middle East. We aim to reflect reality. If knowledge of this reality should benefit one side or another, then so be it."<ref name=Debate> at ''Guardian Unlimited'' </ref> | ||
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| :Carmon replied to Whitaker's complaint that his and Wurmsyers backgrounds were not detailed on the MEMRI Web site by saying, "As for myself, I make no secret of my past. I appear regularly on various media outlets, including Al-Jazeera, and my background is always mentioned. omitted the fact that I retired from service over 10 years ago." Carmon also noted that Meyrav Wurmser had left MEMRI many years before Whitaker made his complaint that her background was not outlined on the MEMRI Web site<ref name=Debate/>' | :Carmon replied to Whitaker's complaint that his and Wurmsyers backgrounds were not detailed on the MEMRI Web site by saying, "As for myself, I make no secret of my past. I appear regularly on various media outlets, including Al-Jazeera, and my background is always mentioned. omitted the fact that I retired from service over 10 years ago." Carmon also noted that Meyrav Wurmser had left MEMRI many years before Whitaker made his complaint that her background was not outlined on the MEMRI Web site<ref name=Debate/>' | ||
| *On selection of material portraying the Arab/Muslim world in a negative light | |||
| *On claims of selectivity | |||
| :"In 1994-5, before MEMRI was formally established, I taped TV broadcasts of ] chairman] ] calling for ]. The reaction to that tape was: 'Kill the messenger'...And I protested by saying, 'But it's not me ; it's him .'...I asked a very senior journalist, 'Why are you criticizing our work? We're merely revealing the truth.' 'There is no such thing as truth...Every news item must be judged by the question of whom it serves. And you are serving the enemies of peace.' Horrified, I retorted, "And you're the one who's considered the reliable journalist, while I'm seen as biased?' So he said, 'If you want to play naive, do it with someone else, not with me. You know I'm right.' 'No,' I said. 'I do not know that you're right. There is such a thing as truth, and it is impartial'"<ref name="jpint">, ], Nov. 15, 2006</ref> | :"In 1994-5, before MEMRI was formally established, I taped TV broadcasts of ] chairman] ] calling for ]. The reaction to that tape was: 'Kill the messenger'...And I protested by saying, 'But it's not me ; it's him .'...I asked a very senior journalist, 'Why are you criticizing our work? We're merely revealing the truth.' 'There is no such thing as truth...Every news item must be judged by the question of whom it serves. And you are serving the enemies of peace.' Horrified, I retorted, "And you're the one who's considered the reliable journalist, while I'm seen as biased?' So he said, 'If you want to play naive, do it with someone else, not with me. You know I'm right.' 'No,' I said. 'I do not know that you're right. There is such a thing as truth, and it is impartial'"<ref name="jpint">, ], Nov. 15, 2006</ref> | ||
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| :"Memri has never claimed to 'represent the view of the Arabic media', but rather to reflect, through our translations, general trends which are widespread and topical. You accused us of distortion by omission but when asked to provide examples of trends and views we have missed, you have failed to answer."<ref name=Debate/> | :"Memri has never claimed to 'represent the view of the Arabic media', but rather to reflect, through our translations, general trends which are widespread and topical. You accused us of distortion by omission but when asked to provide examples of trends and views we have missed, you have failed to answer."<ref name=Debate/> | ||
| *On claims of translation inaccuracy | |||
| :MEMRI asserted that: "the U.S. media in general mistranslated the words" ] and that the modern standard Arabic definition of "wilayah" as "province or administrative district" as in Arabic name of the United States of America, (الولايات الأمريكية المتح), was what bin Laden meant, rather than nation-states.<ref name=MemriBinLaden/> MEMRI cited a post on an ] website which made the threats to US states explicit. ] said in an interview that "(bin Laden) always had this notion… this idea that the American people would shrug off the American government, and would -- their individual states of the union would become individual countries". <ref>, ], Monday, November 1st, 2004</ref> Conservative commentators asserted that this was bin Laden "voting" for ], but the later consensus within the ] is that the video as a whole was most probably meant to assist ]'s re-election. <ref>], , ], July 4, 2006</ref> | |||
| ===Support=== | ===Support=== | ||
| ], a political opinion columnist for the '']'', credits MEMRI with helping to "shine a spotlight on hate speech wherever it appears" and "presenting the voices of the...courageous Arab or Muslim intellectual, cleric or columnist (who) publishes an essay in his or her media calling on fellow Muslims to deal with the cancer in their midst. The truth tellers' words also need to be disseminated globally." Friedman quotes ], author of the book 'Pakistan: Between Mosque and Military': "The rulers in these countries have no interest in amplifying the voices of moderates because the moderates often disagree with the rulers as much as they disagree with the extremists...You have to deal us moderates into the game by helping to amplify our voices and exposing the extremists and their amen corner."<ref> reprinted in Der Spiegel Online</ref></blockquote> | ], a political opinion columnist for the '']'', credits MEMRI with helping to "shine a spotlight on hate speech wherever it appears" and "presenting the voices of the...courageous Arab or Muslim intellectual, cleric or columnist (who) publishes an essay in his or her media calling on fellow Muslims to deal with the cancer in their midst. The truth tellers' words also need to be disseminated globally." Friedman quotes ], author of the book 'Pakistan: Between Mosque and Military': "The rulers in these countries have no interest in amplifying the voices of moderates because the moderates often disagree with the rulers as much as they disagree with the extremists...You have to deal us moderates into the game by helping to amplify our voices and exposing the extremists and their amen corner."<ref> reprinted in Der Spiegel Online</ref></blockquote> | ||
| ], a ] and ranking member of the ] ] International Relations Committee's Subcommittee on International Terrorism and Non-proliferation, wrote the introduction to a MEMRI report on Arab and Iranian reactions to 9/11: "Since MEMRI's inception eight years ago, Americans and others in the West have had at least one outstanding source of information on the media of the Arab world, Iran and Turkey. MEMRI provides timely translations of materials that you will find nowhere else. As a member of Congress on the House International Relations Committee, and the top Democratic member of its Terrorism Subcommittee, I have utilized MEMRI.org to better understand the Middle East and its political culture." |
], a ] and ranking member of the ] ] International Relations Committee's Subcommittee on International Terrorism and Non-proliferation, wrote the introduction to a MEMRI report on Arab and Iranian reactions to 9/11: "Since MEMRI's inception eight years ago, Americans and others in the West have had at least one outstanding source of information on the media of the Arab world, Iran and Turkey. MEMRI provides timely translations of materials that you will find nowhere else. As a member of Congress on the House International Relations Committee, and the top Democratic member of its Terrorism Subcommittee, I have utilized MEMRI.org to better understand the Middle East and its political culture." <ref>],''Introduction to the MEMRI Compilation on the Arab and Iranian Reactions to 9/11'', MEMRI, 2006</ref> | ||
| == References == | == References == | ||
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| *] | *] | ||
| *] | *] | ||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| ==External links == | ==External links == | ||
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| * | * | ||
| * | * | ||
| * | |||
| === Other Middle-east Translation Services === | |||
| * ] Free streaming video of daily news broadcasts in the Middle East, with English translation. | |||
| * Translation organization based in Beirut | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| ===Related Web sites=== | ===Related Web sites=== | ||
| * | |||
| * | * | ||
| * | * | ||
Revision as of 19:46, 6 March 2007
The Middle East Media Research Institute, or MEMRI for short, is a Middle Eastern press monitoring organization located in Washington, D.C., with branch offices in Jerusalem, Berlin, London, and Tokyo. It provides translations of Arabic and Persian media as well as original analyses of political, ideological, intellectual, social, cultural, and religious trends in the Middle East.
MEMRI was founded in 1998 by Yigal Carmon along with Dr. Meyrav Wurmser. The organization became more prominent after the September 11, 2001 attacks, due to increased Western public interest in Arab and Iranian affairs. At that time, it expanded its staff considerably, setting up new branches outside the United States in early 2002.
MEMRI is a free source of English language translations of material published in Arabic and Persian. MEMRI publishes its translations, analyses, and in-depth reports on its Web site. MEMRI has been regularly quoted by major international newspapers. The organization has attracted both criticism and support for its work.
Objectives and projects
MEMRI's "about us" page states, "The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) explores the Middle East through the region's media. MEMRI bridges the language gap which exists between the West and the Middle East, providing timely translations of Arabic, Persian, and Turkish media, as well as original analysis of political, ideological, intellectual, social, cultural, and religious trends in the Middle East."
MEMRI's translated articles and media analysis focus on the following areas:
- Jihad and Terrorism Studies Project
- U.S. And the Middle East
- Reform in the Middle East and North Africa
- Arab-Israeli Conflict
- Inter-Arab Relations
- Antisemitism Documentation Project
Starting in October 2006, they added The Islamist Websites Monitor Project focusing on the translated news, videos, and analysis of "major jihadi websites".
Staff
MEMRI's current staff includes "people of the Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths hold a range of political views"
Prominent staff
- Yigal Carmon — MEMRI's President. Carmon is fluent in Arabic. He served in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Intelligence Branch from 1968 to 1988, was Acting Head of Civil Administration in Judea and Samaria and the Advisor on Arab Affairs to the Civil Administration from From 1977 to 1982, and adivsed Prime Ministers Shamir and Rabin on Countering Terrorism from 1988 to 1993. In 1991 and 1992 Carmon was a senior member of the Israeli Delegation to peace negotiations with Syria in Madrid and Washington.
- Dr. Nimrod Raphaeli received a Ph.D. in development planning from the University of Michigan. He spent most of his professional career at the World Bank, and has consulted for the International Monetary Fund. Dr. Raphaeli, an Iraqi-born, joined the Middle Media Research Institute (MEMRI)as a senior analyst in 2001.
- Prof. Menahem Milson (Academic Advisor), is a professor at Hebrew University in Arabic literature, and has served as head of the Department of Arabic Language and Literature and Dean of the Faculty of Humanities. He has published extensively on modern Egyptian writers. His book on Egypt's great humanist, Najib Mahfuz - Najib Mahfuz: The Novelist-Philosopher of Cairo appeared in 1998.
- Meyrav Wurmser (founding Executive Director) left in early 2002 to join the Hudson Institute and was replaced by Steven Stalinsky.
Financial support
MEMRI is registered in the US with the IRS as a 501(c)3, which means that it is exempt from federal taxation on income. Jay Nordlinger wrote, in the National Review, that "MEMRI exists entirely on private donations — there are about 250 donors, including some foundations — and will not accept any government money, as a matter of policy."
MEMRI's U.S. income statement (06/2004) states that its' total U.S. revenue was US$2,571,899, its' total U.S. functional expenses were US$2,254,990, and that it possessed net assets of US$700,784. It has been given a four-star (exceptional) rating by Charity Navigator, meaning that it "..exceeds industry standards and outperforms most charities in its Cause" when rated solely by the "charity's financial health".
Controversy
Criticism
- Pro-Israel Bias and Agenda
- Brian Whitaker, the Middle East editor for the UK Guardian newspaper, has criticized MEMRI for having a pro-Israel bias and agenda, and not being explicit about this on the Web site. He has written, "My problem with Memri is that it poses as a research institute when it's basically a propaganda operation,", that material selected by MEMRI for translation, "further the political agenda of Israel, and ", and that, "MEMRI's website does not mention you or your work for Israeli intelligence. Nor does it mention MEMRI's co-founder, Meyrav Wurmser, and her extreme brand of Zionism ... Given your political background, it's legitimate to ask whether MEMRI is a trustworthy vehicle"
- Hussein Ibish, a spokesman for the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee comments that "MEMRI performs a useful function but unfortunately they have a pro-Israel, right-wing agenda."
- Selection of material portraying the Arab/Muslim world in a negative light
- Brian Whitaker has said that "the stories selected by Memri for translation...reflect badly on the character of Arabs
- Ken Livingstone, former British MP and the current Mayor of London, has stated of MEMRI that: "The translation and selection of quotes tend to portray Islam in a very negative light." He has accused MEMRI of "outright distortion".
- Ibrahim Hooper, a director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, stated in the Washington Times that "MEMRI's intent is to find the worst possible quotes from the Muslim world and disseminate them as widely as possible."
- Hussein Ibish comments that "There is of course some horrific stuff in the Arab press, but one tends to forget that the American press can also be very nasty.
- William Rugh, former US ambassador to the United Arab Emirates and Yemen, describes MEMRI as a service which "does not present a balanced or complete picture of the Arab print media. ...Quotes are selected to portray Arabs as preaching hatred against Jews and westerners, praising violence and refusing any peaceful settlement of the Palestinian issue."
Response to Criticism
Yigal Carmon, MEMRI President, has responded to various claims of critics:
- On claims of agenda and bias
- "You are right: we do have an agenda. As an institute of research, we want MEMRI to present translations to people who wish to be informed on the ideas circulating in the Middle East. We aim to reflect reality. If knowledge of this reality should benefit one side or another, then so be it."
- "Whatever the agenda, the research has to be scientific. If it isn't - if we were trying to prove that some phenomenon existed when it didn't, or vice versa - it wouldn't be an agenda, it would be bias
- Carmon replied to Whitaker's complaint that his and Wurmsyers backgrounds were not detailed on the MEMRI Web site by saying, "As for myself, I make no secret of my past. I appear regularly on various media outlets, including Al-Jazeera, and my background is always mentioned. omitted the fact that I retired from service over 10 years ago." Carmon also noted that Meyrav Wurmser had left MEMRI many years before Whitaker made his complaint that her background was not outlined on the MEMRI Web site'
- On selection of material portraying the Arab/Muslim world in a negative light
- "In 1994-5, before MEMRI was formally established, I taped TV broadcasts of Arafat calling for jihad. The reaction to that tape was: 'Kill the messenger'...And I protested by saying, 'But it's not me ; it's him .'...I asked a very senior journalist, 'Why are you criticizing our work? We're merely revealing the truth.' 'There is no such thing as truth...Every news item must be judged by the question of whom it serves. And you are serving the enemies of peace.' Horrified, I retorted, "And you're the one who's considered the reliable journalist, while I'm seen as biased?' So he said, 'If you want to play naive, do it with someone else, not with me. You know I'm right.' 'No,' I said. 'I do not know that you're right. There is such a thing as truth, and it is impartial'"
- "We aim to reflect main trends of thought and when possible general public opinion. We feature the most topical issues on the Middle Eastern or international agenda...We also translate discussions on social issues, such as the status of women in Egypt (Special Dispatches 392, 393, January 2002) and debates on Al-Jazeera TV which reach an estimated 60 million viewers. When controversial matters are aired before such a large audience, Memri does not need to fight shy of translating their contents.
- Are the examples chosen extreme? While some of the topics covered do seem extreme to the western reader, they are an accurate representation of what appears in the Arab and Farsi media...if mainstream papers repeatedly publish the Jewish blood libel; accuse Jews and Americans of deliberately spreading Aids or the US of dropping genetically modified foods with the intention of harming people in Afghanistan (the latter allegation made by no less than the editor in chief of the most important government daily in Egypt) Memri is entitled to translate these articles...there are even more extreme views - like those expressed by most Islamist organisations - which we rarely translate." ...
- "Memri has never claimed to 'represent the view of the Arabic media', but rather to reflect, through our translations, general trends which are widespread and topical. You accused us of distortion by omission but when asked to provide examples of trends and views we have missed, you have failed to answer."
Support
Thomas L. Friedman, a political opinion columnist for the New York Times, credits MEMRI with helping to "shine a spotlight on hate speech wherever it appears" and "presenting the voices of the...courageous Arab or Muslim intellectual, cleric or columnist (who) publishes an essay in his or her media calling on fellow Muslims to deal with the cancer in their midst. The truth tellers' words also need to be disseminated globally." Friedman quotes Husain Haqqani, author of the book 'Pakistan: Between Mosque and Military': "The rulers in these countries have no interest in amplifying the voices of moderates because the moderates often disagree with the rulers as much as they disagree with the extremists...You have to deal us moderates into the game by helping to amplify our voices and exposing the extremists and their amen corner."
Brad Sherman, a Congressman and ranking member of the United States House of Representatives International Relations Committee's Subcommittee on International Terrorism and Non-proliferation, wrote the introduction to a MEMRI report on Arab and Iranian reactions to 9/11: "Since MEMRI's inception eight years ago, Americans and others in the West have had at least one outstanding source of information on the media of the Arab world, Iran and Turkey. MEMRI provides timely translations of materials that you will find nowhere else. As a member of Congress on the House International Relations Committee, and the top Democratic member of its Terrorism Subcommittee, I have utilized MEMRI.org to better understand the Middle East and its political culture."
References
- ^ MEMRI About Us, Memri.org, accessed July 23 2006
- The Islamist Websites Monitor No. 1, Memri.org, accessed January 28 2006
- ^ Email debate: Yigal Carmon and Brian Whitaker at Guardian Unlimited, January 28 2003 Cite error: The named reference "Debate" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- Thanks for the MEMRI (.org) Jay Nordlinger, National Review, September 13 2004, accessed July 23 2006
- Charity Navigator, Charity Navigator Rating - The Middle East Media Research Institute
- ^ Brian Whitaker, Selective Memri, Guardian Unlimited, Monday August 12, 2002
- ^ , Marc Perelman, No Longer Obscure, MEMRI Translates the Arab World: But Detractors Say a Right-Wing Agenda Distorts Think-Tank's Service to Journalists, The Forward, December 7, 2001.
- Mayor of London Press Release
- "Propaganda that widens the Arab-West divide - Gained in translation". Le Monde Diplomatique. October 2005. See in French (freely available) "Traduction ou trahison? Désinformation à l'israélienne". Le Monde Diplomatique. October 2005. (Persian translation also available for free here)
- Brian Whitaker, Language matters, Guardian Unlimited, September 28, 2005
- ^ One on One with Yigal Carmon: If MEMRI serves..., Jerusalem Post, Nov. 15, 2006
- Giving the Hatemongers No Place to Hide reprinted in Der Spiegel Online
- Brad Sherman,Introduction to the MEMRI Compilation on the Arab and Iranian Reactions to 9/11, MEMRI, 2006
See also
- Mosaic: World News from the Middle East
- Institute for War and Peace Reporting
- Laura Mansfield
- SITE Institute
External links
MEMRI Web sites
- MEMRI Official Site
- MEMRI German Official Site
- MEMRI Israeli Official Site
- MEMRITV Official Site
- TheMEMRIBlog Official Site
Related Web sites
- Thanks for the MEMRI
- Debate between Yigal Carmon and Ali Abunimah
- A Note on MEMRI & Translationsby Leah Harris, Counterpunch