Monday, July 26, 1999

The board members of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, San Francisco chapter fully support the fight against the "hostile takeover" of KPFA. KPFA is one of the few media outlets that provides fair and accurate reporting on the affairs of underrepresented communities.  We are concerned that the takeover might severely impact underrepresented communities such as ours by furthering their exclusion from media visibility.

As members of the Arab American community, we are against all forms of censorship.  We have seen the impact of censorship on American society since mainstream US media regularly censors Arab/Arab American perspectives, and produces highly distorted misrepresentations of Arab/Arab American politics, culture, religion, and society.

As the mainstream media regularly paints negative, racist pictures of Arab people that serve to justify US bombings in the Arab world and US government intervention in Arab affairs, KPFA has been one of the only media outlets that has provided fair and accurate reporting on Arab/Arab American affairs.  For nearly every recent crisis in the Arab world, KPFA has provided its listeners with news reports, discussions, and a very diverse and fair representation of opinions.  KPFA has created spaces for Arab intellectuals, writers and politicians whose voices are oftentimes silenced, to speak their mind and tell their stories.

As an organization that demands an end to the censorship on fair and accurate reporting on Arab/Arab American affairs, we also demand an end to the censorship of KPFA programs, reporters, and producers.   As board members of a civil rights organization, we stand by KPFA workers and listeners in their struggle for free speech and the fair treatment of workers.  We insist on the return of KPFA workers who were fired for practicing free speech.

The "hideous takeover" must be terminated.  Not only for the sake of underrepresented communities who rely on KPFA for media visibility, but also for the sake of all progressive people who rely on KPFA as an alternative to the corporate media.

Your Sincerely,

 The American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, San Francisco Chapter
Board Members: Maad Abu-Ghazali Dina Adeeb Youmna Chlala Pierre Habshi
George Khadder Senan Khairie Ashraf Morar Nadine Naber

Amjad Obeidat
Osama Qasem
Jamal Shamieh