Al-Jazeerah.info is an American site run, out of Atlanta, GA, by American Citizen, Dr. Hassan El-Najjar. For years this site has been an outlet for writers such as Jane Stillwater, William Rivers Pitt, Mike Whitney and many other prolific and vocal progressives, critical of America's policy toward those of Arabic descent. These well-known writers and thinkers have long engaged with real Palestinians, real Egyptians, real Iraqis making Al-Jazeerah.info one of the greatest places on the web for the exchange of cross-cultural ideas.
Today I checked in on Dr. El-Najjar's site. This is what I found:
From Al-Jazeerah.info Editor to Readers
Dear Readers,
Al-Jazeerah.info has been a US independent forum promoting peace between the US and the Arab and Muslim worlds and between Israelis and Palestinians, for the last five years.
Some people apparently neither like peace nor tolerate the First Amendment to the US Constitution. They have not stopped attacks on Al-Jazeerah, its editor, its contributors and authors.
What's new this time is that those who oppose Al-Jazeerah.info have been orchestrating a campaign against Al-Jazeerah.info Editor, personally.
A letter-writing campaign has been going on since March 22, 2007 targeting officials of the institution I work with in addition to a continuous smearing internet and media campaign against me, personally.
I have concluded that it's not safe for me any more to continue editing Al-Jazeerah.info in this atmosphere of intimidation, which abridges freedom of speech and freedom of the press.
I promise to resume publication as soon as conditions change to a more peaceful and tolerant discourse.
Hassan El-Najjar
Al-Jazeerah Editor
April 7, 2007
This is terrorism of a different sort. The free-speech afforded by Dr. El-Najjar - to those around the world of all races and political viewpoints - was incredibly valuable. If you have never heard of http://www.aljazeerah.info/ then you missed some of the more courageous writing on the internet. All the more because the authors, some in the thick of war and associated tragedy, continuously reached out for peace with their fellows.
We are all poorer - much poorer - for the removal of Dr. El-Najjar's contribution. The world is poorer for not receiving the dialogue between members of our global community: A dialogue that might have lead to cooperation, organization and strategies for promoting peace around the world.
Of course, this would, like Jimmy Carter, throw a wrench into Bushie plans for endless war... so...
I leave you all with this simple statement - which was apparently not sufficient for those determined to squash all efforts at understanding, cooperation or peace.
About Al-Jazeerah.info
This is an educational Publication that promotes peace in the world, between Palestinians and Israelis and between the US and the Arab and Muslim worlds. Ending wars and occupation is the first step.
Al-Jazeerah Peace Information Center is an independent U.S. news and research publication. It is not related to any other identity or government in the world. In particular, it is not related to the Saudi, UAE (Dubai), or the Qatari websites with similar names.
This website, Al-Jazeerah.info, is not related by any means to Aljazeera TV station of Qatar.
It does not aim at profit. All donations and proceeds are used just to run the website.
Readers' support is of great importance for
Al-Jazeerah.info
You may send donations by check to:
Al-Jazeerah, P.O. Box 724,
Dalton, GA 30722-0724, USA.
Another effort made, at great personal expense and sacrifice, goes down due to the promotion of fear by our smirking leader!