....................................
Q-News, Issue 362

Diary >> Affan Chowdhry

My Name is Rachel Corrie

Malls and minarets

Gaddafi, the Opera

Unholy Alliance

O Layla, where art thou?

In defence of the nation

Can you survive 48 hours in Guantanamo Bay?
>> Isra Iqbal and Fauzi Waraich

An Islamic history of Europe
>> Rageh Omaar

The day women merely became more like men
>> Yasmin Mogahed

Forcing the debate on the future of Muslim women
>> Humera Khan

Not in my name
>> Khalida Khan

A new beginning with the
British Muslim Forum
>>
Gul Muhammad


Out of control orders
>> Saghir Hussein

St George, The Ubiquitous

Rather dull, actually
>>
Sarah Hussain

The Friday prayer blues
>> Hamzah Moin

Experiencing Q-News
>> Isla Rosser-Owen

Wonderfully Blessed
>>  Clement Cooper

Do we dare be European Muslims?
>> H.A. Hellyer

Voting is not enough >> Svend White

A bolder ambition >>
Salma Yaqoob

Is there a muslim vote?
>>
Dal Nun Strong


The long and winding road
>> AbdelWahab El-Affendi

A progressive victory in
East London?
>> Aysha Ali and Adam Riaz Khan

Paving the way for Nick Griffin
>> Azhar Hussain

Scotland’s quiet
revolution
>> Arifa Farooq

Labour’s struggle to get Welsh Muslims onside
>> Shabnam Ahmed

“Our votes are useless”
>> Hizb ut-Tahrir’s Abdul Wahid

Tashkent to Blackburn
>> Craig Murray

Still our safest bet
>> Baroness Pola Uddin

“A close and productive partnership” >> Tony Blair

“We value your contribution”
>> Michael Howard

“We will live up to Muslim expectations”
>> Charles Kennedy

Constituency Watch
>> Abdul-Rehman Malik
..

An unholy alliance

Page 11
Q-News, Issue 362
April 2005


Al Jazeera and Fox News. Like oil and water, there are few things that could be more incompatible. The attack dog of media moghul Rupert Murdoch’s empire, Fox News, has developed a well deserved reputation for demonising Arabs and Muslims and has, through expert cunning and savvy, become a mildly respectable source for news and information giving voice to middle America’s reactionary and decidedly right-wing proclivities. Al Jazeera is the unofficial voice of the Arab street. Slick, incisive and contrarian, Al Jazeera has changed the face of Arab media dragging its competition, in a pitched ratings war, into the 21st century. It has just won accolades for having one of the most recognised brand-names in the Middle East. So imagine our surprise when panicky blogs and e-mails announced the unthinkable: Fox News Buys Al-Jazeera. Protests were being organised. Letter writing campaigns were underway. The mood on the cyber-street was grim.

Ah...if only the hot and bothered had gone to the source of the story: MSNBC’s online satirist Andy Borowitz had struck again. Winner of The National Press Club Humour Award, Borowitz’s hilarious “news reports” can be found at www.borowitzeport.com. It’s all very sad for those who wished to uncover a conspiracy in all this. Would-be protestors take note, it’s the similarities between Fox News and Al Jazeera - hyperbole, inflaming passions and showing dead bodies - that ought to be getting our goat. Thanks for keeping us on our toes Andy.