Angola | Burundi | Côte d'Ivoire | Democratic Republic of Congo | Guinea | Indonesia | Jerusalem | Kenya

Kosovo | Lebanon | Liberia | Macedonia | Morocco | Nepal | Nigeria | Pakistan | Rwanda | Sierra Leone

Sudan | Timor-Leste | Tunisia | Ukraine | USA | Yemen | Zimbabwe

Final Evaluation for:

Promoting Widespread Awareness of Religious Rights through Print and Online Media

in Near Eastern, South Asian and East Asian Countries

Prepared for US Department of State – Bureau of Human Rights, Democracy and Labor

Reference Number: S-LMAQM-09-GR-553

Contact information: Leena El-Ali – Program Director; (202) 572-6285, lel-ali@sfcg.org

Grant Period: 8/13/2009 to 07/31/2011

Date of Final Evaluation Report: 10/31/2011

I. Project Goal

The goal of this project was to increase public awareness of religious freedom in the Near East, South

and East Asia and Turkey by providing a voice for constructive perspectives on religion, and

effectively using the media as a forum for free speech in which individuals stand up for human rights

and tolerance. Another goal was to increase the number of people exposed to constructive, diverse

perspectives on religious freedom by the distribution of 288 op-eds to media and thus media

audiences, including citizens, activists, educators, students, religious leaders and policymakers in

local languages – Arabic, English, French, Hebrew, Indonesian and Urdu – and involving a broader,

more diverse group of opinion-makers in the Near East, South and East Asia and Turkey in the debate

on religious freedom.

II. Project Summary & Outputs

A. Summary of Results Against Targets

Grant targets Grant Achievements

288 articles, over 8 quarters (+July 2011) 291 articles were distributed during the grant duration.

Target exceeded

23,000 individual subscribers There were 32,780 subscribers to these articles on religious freedom at the end

of the grant period. Target exceeded by 38%

10:1 average reprint ratio The average reprint ratio for all articles distributed is 24 reprints per article

distributed; Cumulative reprints to date exceed target by 140%

Select reprints in Islam-focused outlets

1 Khalifah (blog), Ahmadiyya Press.com (Indonesia), Ahmadiyya Times

(Lebanon), ALIF: Alhamdulillah Its Friday (Indonesia), Altmuslim.com (US),

Altmuslimah.com (US), Canadian Council for Muslim Women List Serv

(Canada), Ikhwan (Muslim Brotherhood website, Egypt), Indian Muslim

Observer.com (India), IQRA magazine (Canada), Islamicity.com (US), Islamic

Voice (India), Islamonline.com (UAE), Islamopedia Online (US), Hizb ut-

Tahrir (UK), Husaini Youths, Muslims Debate (US), Muslim SMS Solution

(South Africa), Muslim Voices (US), OnIslam.net (Egypt), Radical Middle

Way (UK), Wahid Institute (Indonesia). *Note: our distribution method allows

anyone to reprint articles, not requiring contact between SFCG & every media

outlet

Select media outlets demonstrative of the

reach of CGNews articles, in various

languages

Arabic: Al Ittihad (UAE), Al Ghad (Jordan), Al Wasat (Bahrain), Gulf in the

Media (UAE); English: Bali Times (Indonesia), Khaleej Times (UAE), Daily

Star (Lebanon), Al Arabiya (UAE), India Times (India), Today’s Zaman

(Turkey), Pakistan Examiner (Pakistan); French: Leuromag.com (France), Al

Balad (Lebanon); Indonesian Rima News.com, Mulyanis; Urdu: Al Qamar

(Pakistan), Daily Abtak (Pakistan), Daily Aftab (Pakistan)

2

B. Outputs: Articles on Religious Freedom (Cumulative Q1-Q8)

A full list of all articles that are supported by this grant and their reprint totals are included below,

organized by series. The series appear in descending order:

Series #11: Globalisation and Religious Pluralism

Each article commissioned, edited, translated and distributed in Arabic, English, French,

Hebrew, Indonesian and Urdu:

a. Ghassan Michel Rubeiz – “The media‟s power to promote religious tolerance”

(May 3, 2011)

b. Alex Stein – “What India can teach Israel” (May 17, 2011)

c. Hani Naim – “Social media creating social awareness in the Arab world” (May

17, 2011)

d. Rahim Kanani – “A new narrative of empathy for the West and the Arab world?”

(May 24, 2011)

e. Khaled Diab – “Can Egyptian solidarity inspire Israelis and Palestinians?” (June

21, 2011)

f. Yonatan Gur – “The power of face-to-face encounters between Israelis and

Palestinians” (July 5, 2011)

Number of reprints for all articles in this series: 154

Series #10: Islamic Scholars Speak Out Against Intolerance

Each article commissioned, edited, translated and distributed in Arabic, English, French,

Hebrew, Indonesian and Urdu:

a. Talya Ezrahi – “Religious peace between Jews and Muslims: an interview with

Mohammed S. Dajani Daoudi” (Apr. 12, 2011)

b. Qazi Abdul Qadeer Khamosh – “Violent Afghan protests serve as Pakistani

warning” (Apr. 19, 2011)

c. Musharraf Hussain – “Bridging the gap between British Christians and Muslims”

(Apr. 26, 2011)

d. Sheikh Ibrahim Ramadan – “The right of others to disagree” (June 7, 2011)

e. Ahmad Suaedy – “Yogyakarta ruler‟s tolerance an example for Indonesia” (June

14, 2011)

f. Sheikh Hani Fahs – “In Lebanon, dialogue as a solution” (June 28, 2011)

Number of reprints for all articles in this series: 183

Series #9: Countering Religious Intolerance in the Muslim World

Each article commissioned, edited, translated and distributed in Arabic, English, French,

Hebrew, Indonesian and Urdu:

a. Lina Attalah – “Egypt‟s Copts channelling anger into civic engagement” (Jan. 4,

2011)

b. Muqtedar Khan – “Time to turn around worrisome trends in Pakistan” (Jan. 11,

2011)

c. Qurat ul ain Siddiqui – “Fixing the failure of Pakistan‟s criminal justice system”

(Jan. 18, 2011)

d. Testriono – “More to religious (in)tolerance in Indonesia than meets the eye”

(Jan. 25, 2011)

e. Saliba Sarsar – “Citizenship, not religion, must be the basis for inclusion in the

Middle East” (Feb. 8, 2011)

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f. Yasser Khalil – “Muslims and Christians together in a new Egypt” – (Feb. 15,

2011)

Number of reprints for all articles in this series: 203

Series #8: Politics and Religious Interpretation

Each article commissioned, edited, translated and distributed in Arabic, English and

Hebrew (Note: Sarah & Zonszein’s was distributed in these three languages, and

Indonesian, Urdu and French as well):

a. Rabbi Pinchas Leiser – “The “rule of restitution” as a paradigm for resolving

conflicts” (Dec. 9, 2010)

b. Chrystie Swiney – “Engagement, not isolation, as the way to a moderate Hamas”

(Dec. 9, 2010)

c. Rabbi Michael Cohen – “Religious interpretation and the Arab-Israeli conflict”

(Dec. 23, 2010)

d. Mahmoud Jaraba – “Hamas: A never-ending debate over peace” (Dec. 23, 2010)

e. Rabbi Naama Kelman – “Learning from Miriam and Pharaoh‟s daughter” (Dec.

23, 2010)

f. Aziz Abu Sarah and Mairav Zonszein - “Jerusalem‟s potential to bring Jews and

Muslims together”(Jan. 18, 2011)

Number of reprints for all articles in this series: 109

Series #7: Religious Leadership in the Arab-Israeli Conflict Each article commissioned, edited, translated and distributed in Arabic, English and

Hebrew:

a. Bishop Dr. Munib Younan – “Bring religion back to the frontlines of peace”

(Oct. 1, 2010)

b. Deborah Weissman – “Religious leadership and building a culture of peace”

(Oct. 1, 2010)

c. Oded Wiener – “A world without violence: religions and cultures in dialogue”

(Oct. 14, 2010)

d. Ghassan Rubeiz – “Religious leaders needed in peacekeeping” (Oct. 14, 2010)

e. Daniel Sperber – “Interfaith Challenges” (Oct. 28, 2010)

f. Hannah Siniora – “Can religious leaders play a constructive role?” (Oct. 28,

2010)

Number of reprints for all articles in this series: 107

Series #6: The Role of Spiritual Leaders in Interfaith Dialogue

Each article commissioned, edited, translated and distributed in Arabic, English, French,

Indonesian and Urdu:

a. Michael Cohen – “Sharing the Holy Sites” (Aug. 10, 2010)

b. Haroon Nasir – “Pakistani Christians more active than you think” (Aug. 31,

2010)

c. Tariq Oubrou – “Interfaith dialogue for a globalised world” (Sept. 7, 2010)

d. Mohamad Bashar Arafat – “Teaching the next generation to make peace” (Sept.

21, 2010)

e. Riad Jarjour – “Religion as a tool for peace” (Sept. 21, 2010)

f. Elga J. Sarapung – “High expectations for Indonesian religious leaders” (Oct. 19,

2010)

Number of reprints for all articles in this series: 177

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Series #5: Jerusalem

Each article commissioned, edited, translated and distributed in Arabic, English and

Hebrew:

a. John Bell, Michael Bell, Mike J. Molloy, Tom Najem – “A special regime for

Jerusalem” (Jun. 24, 2010)

b. Carol Daniel Kasbari – “My Jerusalem” (Jun. 24, 2010)

c. Nita Schechet – “My Jerusalem” (Jun. 24, 2010)

d. Hagai Agmon Snir “Prepare Jerusalem for peace now”(Jul. 8, 2010)

e. Sidra Ezrahi – “Why Jerusalem? The politics of poetry” (Jul. 22, 2010)

f. Hanna Siniora – “Our Jerusalem” (Jul. 22, 2010)

Number of reprints for all articles in this series: 72

Series #4: Islamic Law and Non-Muslim Minorities

Each article commissioned, edited, translated and distributed in Arabic, English, French,

Indonesian and Urdu:

a. Isabelle Dana – "Seek Islamic spirit, not state, say Muslim scholars" (Jan. 5,

2010)

b. Mohsine El Ahmadi – "Not so bad for non-Muslims in Morocco" (Jan. 19, 2010)

c. Sara Khorshid – "Shari'a in favour of minority rights in Egypt" (Feb. 2, 2010)

d. Asghar Ali Engineer - Putting minority rights in context (May 25, 2010)

e. Huma Yusuf - Pakistan's blasphemy laws need reforming (Jun. 29, 2010)

f. Yasser Khalil – Are Egyptians ready for equal rights regardless of religion? (Jul.

13, 2010)

Number of reprints for all articles in this series: 184

Series #3: Muslims and Jews in each other’s religious narratives

Each article commissioned, edited, translated and distributed in Arabic, English and

Hebrew:

a. Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf – “Using Qur‟anic narratives in pursuit of peace” (Mar.

4, 2010)

b. Deborah Weissman – “Can Muslim and Jewish narratives co-exist” (Mar. 4,

2010)

c. Zvi Zohar – “Jewish respect and admiration for Muslim religiosity” (Mar. 11,

2010)

d. Mustafa Abu Sway – “Islam and Muslims on Judaism and Jews” (Mar. 18, 2010)

e. Rabbi Naftali Rothenberg – “The Jewish-Islamic heritage and its contemporary

significance” (Mar. 18, 2010)

f. Rabia Terry Harris – “The tragedy of monotheism” (Mar. 25, 2010)

Number of reprints for all articles in this series: 74

Series #2: The Myth of Islam as Inherently Violent

Each article commissioned, edited, translated and distributed in Arabic, English, French,

Indonesian and Urdu:

a. Abed Z. Bhuyan – "The jihad to enhance oneself" (Nov. 24, 2009)

b. Maher Y. Abu-Munshar – "Settling the 'infidels' question in Islam" (Dec. 1,

2009)

c. Leena El-Ali – "Is the Qur‟an hostile to Jews and Christians?" (Dec. 8, 2009)

d. Novriantoni Kahar – "Extralegal policing criticised in Indonesia" (Dec. 8, 2009)

e. Naazish Yarkhan – "Violence against women is not a tenet of Islam" (Dec. 15,

2009)

f. Muhammad Farooq Khan – "Islamic limits to fighting oppression" (Jan. 5, 2010)

5

Number of reprints for all articles in this series: 270

Series #1: Religious freedom and the Arab-Israeli relationship

Each article commissioned, edited, translated and distributed in Arabic, English and

Hebrew:

a. Marc Gopin – "Redefining the „Jewish‟ in Jewish state" (Nov. 12, 2009)

b. Fr. Jamal Khader – "Overcoming religious prejudices through education: The

experience of Bethlehem University" (Nov. 10, 2009)

c. Muli Peleg – "Freedom of religion for mutual survival" (Nov. 10, 2009

d. Menachem Klein – "Inclusive Judaism is needed in Israel" (Nov. 26, 2009)

e. Hussein Ibish – “Palestine must be a secular state” (Jan. 28, 2010)

f. Aziz Abu Sarah – “Palestine between religion and secularism” (Feb. 4, 2010)

Number of reprints for all articles in this series: 61

III. Quantitative & Qualitative Analysis of Project Objectives

The section below examines all five objectives outlined in the grant proposal:

1. To provide a voice, in the form of written articles, to those fostering religious freedom and

overcoming conflict resulting from sectarian tensions across the Near East, South Asia East

Asia regions and Turkey.

A total of 291 articles on various debates within the topic of religious freedom were

distributed, across multiple languages, during the grant period. All articles highlighted

constructive ways for religious and ethnic groups in the Near East, South and Southeast Asia to

be more accommodating of the “other,” or proposed ways for the authors‟ governments to be

more inclusive of marginalized religious groups. Some articles even provided religious reasoning,

within Islamic precepts, that helped Muslim readers understand that Islamic concepts and

teachings are in fact accommodating of religious differences.

After about four to six weeks of articles being distributed via a news service, the Program

Assistant for Monitoring and Evaluation would track where the article had been reprinted, and in

which languages, and report back to the author as well the editorial team. Many of these authors

had never written articles for the mainstream media, and were quite pleased to see that their

messages of tolerance and compassion were carried to so many parts of the world. One author,

Egyptian freelance journalist Yasser Khalil, commented: “It was a good thing to see the article

[in] The Daily Star, Alarabia.net, Kuwait Times, Middle East Online and many other media

outlets. It is very interesting also to see the article links are spread [across] many feed websites,

and tweeted and re-tweeted. This means a lot to me... the article can help people to rethink about

equal rights regardless of religion.” This was the ultimate aim of the project – to bring tolerant

voices to the fore of mainstream media and encourage readers of news outlets around the world to

examine the common humanity of people across religious divides.

2. To make effective use of media to foster public dialogue on matters concerning religious

freedom.

Our distribution method for these articles involved a rigorous process of finding suitable authors

to write on specific topics within the larger topic of religious freedom, commissioning and editing

articles, translating them and then distributing them to news outlets around the world. One of the

key achievements of this project has been to expose readers of right-of-center Islamic news

6

outlets to articles in which authors encourage religious freedom, provide a more comprehensive

and fair view of the “other” and justify religious tolerance based on religious precepts.

Of the hundreds of news outlets that we distribute to, (or those that reprinted this project‟s articles

after finding them in other news outlets, which means that SFCG has no direct contact with

them), several of them were Islam-focused news outlets. Notably, the Muslim Brotherhood

website, Ikhwan Web, published two articles in the “Islamic law and non-Muslim minorities”

series that began in January 2010, including Egyptian journalist Yasser Khalil‟s article, “Are

Egyptians ready for equal rights regardless of religion?” This is highly significant because the

article takes a critical approach to the Brotherhood‟s own view of combining state and religion.

Hizb ut-Tahrir‟s UK site published communications professional Isabelle Dana‟s article, “Seek

Islamic spirit, not state, say Muslim scholars,” which cites a number of Islamic scholars who de-

emphasize the necessity of an Islamic state. This is significant not only because of the content –

which directly undermines the mission of Hizb ut-Tahrir, but also because Dana is a woman, and

not an Islamic scholar.

The table below lists many of the Islam-based news outlets throughout the world that have

reprinted articles on religious freedom supported by this grant:

A full list of news outlets – organized by language – that reprinted all the articles in these

religious freedom series can be seen in Appendix B.

3. To highlight initiatives promoting religious freedoms and evaluate and suggest alternatives

to events standing in the way of religious tolerance and human rights.

Reprinted nearly 1,600 times in local and international news outlets, these articles

highlighted creative initiatives and alternatives to religious intolerance and made them

readily available to a large group of readers who otherwise rely on a mainstream media that

has a tendency to overlook these types of constructive solutions. In portraying such coexistence,

the articles and their authors gave readers hope, as well as ideas for promoting more peaceful,

tolerant and religiously diverse societies.

For example, in his article “Overcoming religious prejudices through education: the experience of

Bethlehem University,” (Nov. 10, 2009) Chairperson of the Department of Religious Studies at

Bethlehem University, Fr. Jamal Khader, wrote about the integrative theological coursework

component promoted by Bethlehem University, demonstrating “joint religious studies provide an

opportunity for students to understand the position of the other and begin to respect the

differences.”

1 Khalifah (blog) Ahmadiyya Press.com

(Indonesia)

ALIF: Alhamdulillah Its

Friday (Indonesia) Altmuslim.com (US)

Altmuslimah.com (US)

Canadian Council for

Muslim Women List Serv

(Canada)

Ikhwan Web (Muslim

Brotherhood website,

Egypt)

Indian Muslim

Observer.com (India)

IQRA magazine (Canada) Islamicity.com (US) Islamic Voice (India) Islamonline.com (UAE)

Islamopedia Online (US) Hizb ut-Tahrir (UK) Husaini Youths (India) Muslims Debate (US)

Muslim SMS Solution

(South Africa) Muslim Voices (US) OnIslam.net (Egypt) Radical Middle Way (UK)

Wahid Institute (Indonesia)

7

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, in his article “Using Qur‟anic narratives in pursuit of peace,” (Mar. 4,

2010) speaks of the Cordoba Initiative, which is “utilising a powerful model of action-oriented

and faith-based partnership to create a tipping point in Muslim World-West relations within the

next decade, including in the context of Israel and Palestine.” As the chairman of the Cordoba

Initiative, Rauf implores readers to move into action-oriented dialogue and go beyond the passive

discussion that all too often limits interfaith conversation.

In “The „rule of restitution‟ as a paradigm for resolving conflicts,” (Dec. 9, 2010) Jerusalem-

based psychologist Pinchas Leiser suggested the “rule of restitution” could serve as a valuable

paradigm for political negotiations Israel and Palestine, while Director of Middle East projects at

the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University,

Aziz Abu Sarah, and journalist Mairav Zonszein, state that Jerusalem is a potential source of

reconciliation in their piece “Jerusalem‟s potential to bring Jews and Muslims together”( Jan. 18,

2011). They claim that this is exemplified by “efforts of non-violent protest and education, such

as the Wadi Hilweh Information Center in Silwan, comprised of residents of Wadi Hilweh who

seek to effectively communicate information about their struggle to retain their land, and the

Sheikh Jarrah Solidarity movement, which has been bringing Palestinians and Israelis together to

protest the settlements in East Jerusalem every week for the last year.” Thus, they go on, “such

groups must be strengthened so that Jerusalem‟s potential to bring Christians, Jews and Muslims

together in peace can be realised.”

Meanwhile, Lebanese journalist and blogger Hani Naim, in his article “Social media creating

social awareness in the Arab world” (May 17, 2011) stressed how the new wave of social media

could be used as a tool for promoting tolerance and bringing people together by breaking through

fears of the “other” and reinforcing “a sense of social cohesion and helps people focus on what

they have in common, despite differences in their backgrounds.”

4. To engage opinion makers and prominent leaders from academia, government, civil society

and religious institutions in writing solution-oriented articles on religious freedoms and

distributing them to mainstream media in target countries in local languages.

A total of 60 authors (9 authors wrote twice for different series) were selected to write for

the 11 series supported by this grant. The authors – from 15 different countries – included

scholars, religious figures, students, civil society activists, journalists, amongst other

disciplines, that discussed the subject of religious freedom in a constructive and solution-

oriented way.

The articles were then distributed via the team‟s existing news service to mainstream media in six

languages (Arabic, English, French, Hebrew, Indonesian and Urdu), thereby making these

authors‟ ideas and solutions available to people who may otherwise not be exposed to such

writings in mainstream media, where articles – particularly commentaries – tend to be either

critical of religious minorities‟ demands for greater recognition of their rights, or critical of

government ineffectiveness in protecting religious minorities, without providing solutions

In commissioning and distributing these articles to media, the team was able to highlight the

voices of prominent religious and lay leaders from government as well as civil society in the

Arab-Israeli conflict. That writers such as Oded Wiener, Director of the Chief Rabbinate of

Israel, were reprinted in EMarrakesh (Morocco), Daily News Egypt (Egypt) and Bali Times

(Indonesia) news outlets, was a huge achievement, as such outlets rarely publish Jewish voices.

Through the publication of his article, “A world without violence: religions and cultures in

dialogue,” (Oct. 14, 2010) which argued that “Dialogue is the torch that must be carried in pride,

8

without fear”, Middle Eastern readers, in Muslim-majority countries such as Egypt, Indonesia and

Morocco, were exposed to the range of voices affiliated even with a right wing government,

thereby highlighting the existence of religious diversity within Israel and amongst the Jewish

people.

Another achievement was the publication of articles by Jewish religious figures in news

outlets of countries that have on going armed clashes with Israel, such as Lebanon. One such

example is Pinchas Leiser‟s article, “The “rule of restitution” as a paradigm for resolving

conflicts,” (Dec. 9, 2010) being published in Noor News Outlet (Lebanon) a few months after a

border clash resulted in the deaths of four Lebanese and one Israeli. The publication of this article

suggesting that Judaism supports a just solution to problem of Palestinian refugees, in a country

with nearly half a million Palestinian refugees, hostile relations with Israel and only a tiny

remnant of a Jewish community, promoted an entirely new perspective on Jewish values,

whereby Judaism can become affiliated with conflict resolution, not armed action. Meanwhile,

another success was the publication of Palestinian Bishop Dr. Munib Younan’s article,

“Bring religion back to the front lines of peace” (Oct. 1, 2010) in the Iranian state-run outlet

Taghrib News. This article, which underscored the need for religious tolerance in the Israeli-

Palestinian conflict, exposed Iranian readers to the previously ignored viewpoint that Judaism and

Jewish society contain elements of reconciliation and a peaceful core, thereby potentially

promoting a shift in the local viewpoint regarding Israeli society.

Authors from academia included University of Delaware Associate Professor Muqtedar Khan,

who commented on the persecution of Christians following the Asia Noreen case on Jan. 11,

2011 in his article, “Time to turn around worrisome trends in Pakistan,”. He provided examples

from the Qur‟an and the Prophet Muhammad‟s life to urge Pakistanis to use non-violence to sort

out disputes with their non-Muslim neighbors. Similarly, Asghar Ali Engineer, a well-established

scholar from India wrote in his May 25, 2010 article, “Putting minority rights in context,” about

how lessons from Islamic history demonstrate the importance of multi-religious societies and

should encourage his fellow Muslims to let members of these societies live in peace and

harmony.

Another scholar, Muhammad Farooq Khan, from Peshawar, Pakistan, wrote an article, “Islamic

limits to fighting oppression” on Jan. 5, 2010 about the failure amongst extremist and militant

Pakistanis to understand Qur‟anic teachings. The article was reprinted 33 times in news outlets

across the globe. Khan also discussed the topic on his television show. Tragically, the team

received word some months later that Khan had been murdered by extremists for airing such

views on his television program and in his writings. The team found no evidence that the article

supported by this grant was in any way linked to his murder, although this moment was a very

grave time in the two-year grant period.

However, most articles and their authors have been well-received and have had a positive impact

on readers. The fact that these articles have appeared in so many outlets, including in Pakistan, is

evidence that there is a growing number of individuals willing to speak up for religious tolerance.

5. To achieve an average 10:1 reprint ratio per article, which would ensure that the articles

are being made available to and read by the greatest number of readers of mainstream

media in countries in South and East Asia, the Near East and Turkey.

In the grant proposal, the goal for this particular objective was to garner over 700 reprints for all

the articles supported by this grant. In fact, this number was exceeded by 127%, and all the

9

religious freedom articles in fact were reprinted 1,594 times in news outlets around the

world.

The reprint ratio for this number of articles is 24 reprints per article, over 140% of what

was promised in the grant.

One of the reasons for this success was the topics the team chose. All of them of course discussed

the issue of religious freedom in a constructive way, but the team tried to encourage authors to tie

in their opinion articles to current events, thereby providing news outlet editors with timely,

relevant articles, rather than articles that covered religious freedom more generically. Focusing

articles on current events also made them more relevant for readers‟ own questions and struggles

at critical times and therefore more likely to resonate with individuals.

IV. Overall Project Impact

One of the biggest impacts of this project was infusing mainstream media in Pakistan with a

multitude of English- and Urdu-language articles inspiring dialogue on religious freedom. A

total of 19 Urdu-language news outlets reprinted articles produced as a result of this project. Some of

the articles, like Karachi-based journalist Huma Yusuf‟s June 29, 2010 article, “Pakistan‟s blasphemy

laws need reforming,” was commissioned, edited and distributed by the team following on the heels

of violence against Paksitan‟s Ahmadi community, which left 80 dead as a result of a bomb attack.

The article was reprinted 36 times, and in 5 Urdu-language news outlets, including Al Qamar, Urdu

Power Network, AMENews, Daily Aftab and Daily Gulf News, urging each of these outlets‟ readers to

understand that such actions went against the founding spirit of Pakistan.

Another significant impact of this project is that it carried Jewish Israeli voices to mainstream

media in the Muslim world, where they are often not heard. Authors like Yonatan Gur, who

proposed face-to-face meetings between Israelis and Palestinians to improve relations; Alex Stein,

who commented on India‟s pluralistic society and what it could teach Israel; and Talya Ezrahi, who

interviewed a Palestinian religious leader, were all reprinted in Pakistan‟s Al Qamar news outlet,

amongst others.

Moreover, as the prevalent stereotype among both Israelis and Palestinians is that only “bearded

fanatics” speak on behalf of religion on “the other side,” the team made sure to highlight women as

authoritative interpreters of religious texts. Articles such as Rabbi Naama Kelman‟s 23 December

2010 article, “Learning from Miriam and Pharaoh‟s daughter,” or the 25 March 2010 article, “The

tragedy of monotheism” by Rabia Terry Harris, Director of Muslim Peace Fellowship, were

published in outlets such as Al Khabar and Daily News Egypt, likely challenging readers‟

assumptions about what constitutes religious authority and underscoring the breadth of both Judaism

and Islam. As one reader noted following publication of Kelman‟s article: “It is so refreshing to hear

feminist religious voices shedding light on the conflict.”

On several occasions, specific articles in the series spurred readers on to concrete action to

further religious tolerance in their communities. One example of this phenomenon was Alex

Stein‟s piece, “What India can teach Israel”, which compared religious pluralism in India and Israel

and resulted in him receiving three separate invitations to meet with Hindus and Muslims upon his

travels to India. Another contributor, Hagai Agmon Snir – head of the Jerusalem Intercultural Center,

which promotes pluralism in that city – received an offer from a Palestinian reader following the

publication of his July 8, 2010 article, “Prepare Jerusalem for peace now,” to take both him and his

staff on a tour of his neighborhood and the encroaching Jewish settlements, a step that, as Hagai noted

10

“might be relevant to our future work.” Such reactions demonstrate the clear benefits and concrete

relationships that can be built when voices calling for religious pluralism are given a global media

platform.

Additionally, the participation of various figures from the Council of the Religious Institutions of the

Holy Land – an organization that works to prevent religion from being a source of conflict – such as

Bishop Munib Younan (who wrote the Oct. 1, 2010 article, “Bring religion back to the front lines of

peace”) and Oded Wiener, who coordinates interfaith dialogue for the Chief Rabbinate of Israel (and

wrote the Oct. 14 article, “A world without violence: religions and cultures in dialogue”) in this

project helped lead to a media campaign. The positive reaction to these articles, including reprints

in unexpected outlets, such as the Jordan-based Al Siasi, made these religious leaders more aware

that media can be used as a platform promote constructive opinions among a large audience. As

a result of this awareness, the Council has increased its media-related activities, such as issuing

media statements calling for increased tolerance and pluralism once, for example, acts such as

the desecration of holy sites take place. This has, in turn, led to high-profile Council members such

as Chief Rabbi Metzger appearing on outlets such as the Israeli Reshet B radio station to decry

violence against sacred sites. Events like these demonstrate the power of religious leaders speaking up

in the media for tolerance and understanding, and the importance of giving them a platform to do so.

Also, we have had some luck working with authors directly to promote their articles beyond print and

online media – and into broadcast media. For example, Dr. Muhammad Farooq Khan (discussed

previously), who wrote the article, “Islamic limits to fighting oppression” for the series, The Myth of

Islam as Inherently Violent, addressed the points raised in his article on two Pakistani television

programmes, one on PTV – a state-run broadcasting network of six channels – and the other on AAJ

TV – a 24-hour television news channel.

In addition, on one of AAJ TV‟s weekly show, “Sawal Uthta hay” (The Question is Raised), after

discussions with SFCG‟s Urdu editor, the producers developed an entire show around the issue of

religious freedom and tolerance, inviting several well-known Pakistani scholars to debate the issue.

Outreach in Southeast Asia – to outlets including Sun TV Network, TVRI, Elshinta-teve and Jak-TV

– has also yielded requests for payment in order to promote article topics on the air.

V. Problems/Challenges in Implementation

Undoubtedly, one of the gravest challenges during the grant cycle was reaching out to radio and

television, as it did not yield desired results. Most of the radio and television stations the team

contacted – primarily in South Asia and Southeast Asia – were already reporting on contentious

issues, including issues of religious freedom, but as they pertained specifically to their local

audiences. They stated that they were not interested in topics that did not pertain directly to their local

constituencies, and they indicated in several of the meetings that the in-depth analysis that we

generally provide in our series articles for print and online media was not the ideal format for their

up-to-the-moment news cycles on broadcast radio or television.

Also, the producers and programmers at the radio and television stations that we agreed with the

overall project aims and were happy to receive series articles via email. However, they reiterated time

and again that unless SFCG could provide local contacts/spokespeople on each topic, along with

assistance for production costs, there was little they were willing to do.

Meanwhile, Israeli television has encountered interference by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,

leading to several resignations by high profile presenters at Channel 10, a main television news

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channel in the country, after they were forced to apologize on-air to business mogul Sheldon Adelson,

a close friend of Netanyahu‟s – a move that was reportedly a result of shareholders interfering in the

news divisions‟ editorial content. In the Palestinian Territory, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas

tightened his grip on the Palestinian media as a result of conflict between Hamas and Fatah. The

narrowing of the field for political and religious moderates on both Palestinian and Israeli television

meant that our own outreach proved extremely difficult.”

Though this gives us some ideas on how to approach radio and television in the future, as a result of

the response we have received during the first five quarters of outreach independent from other SFCG

programming, we decided to discontinue outreach for the remainder of the grant cycle in favor of

spending additional time on commissioning and outreach to print media, which has had the strongest

impact.

VI. Qualitative Feedback

Below is a list of quotes received, either by the SFCG team or the authors, during the grant period that

demonstrates the impact of these specific articles on their readers.

“As the advisory member of Monthly Shaloom (Urdu Journal) from Islamabad-Rawalpindi Catholic

Diocese. I seek your permission to take news and (Urdu) articles to publish in the monthly journal

SHALOOM word to word with a vote of thanks.” - Arif Gill, Advisory Board Member, Monthly

SHALOOM in Pakistan. (June 5, 2011)

Sometimes I read the news and get depressed about the future of this place and our inhumanity to

each other. But sometimes, when reading an article like this, I think maybe we do have the ability to

fully respect one another.” - Haim Zilberman, writing in response to Aziz Abu Sarah and Mairav

Zonszein’s article, “Jerusalem’s potential to bring Jews and Muslims together” (Feb. 2011)

Such an inspiring piece. Makes me believe that all of us in the region can all achieve something

remarkable should we put our hearts and minds to it.” - Shirli Shachar on Aziz Abu Sarah and

Mairav Zonszein’s article, “Jerusalem’s potential to bring Jews and Muslims together” (Feb.

2011)

“I am very pleased to read what I wrote about the transformation of Hamas and its political

positions. I say in all honesty - great writing!” – emailed in Arabic to Mahmoud Jaraba, in

response to his article, “Hamas: A never-ending debate over peace” (Jan. 11, 2011)

“Great piece – a perspective I have not come across previously, but am tempted to agree with!” –

sent to Rabbi Michael Cohen by a reader following publication of his article, “Religious

interpretation and the Arab-Israeli conflict” (Dec/Jan 2010)

“I have read your very interesting article […a]bout Hamas. I have been working since several years

about Hamas issues and enjoyed hearing your perspective” - sent to Chrystie Swiney by a reader,

following publication of her article, “Engagement, not isolation, as the way to a moderate

Hamas” (Dec. 12, 2010)

“Thank you for publishing the piece by Naama Kelman, It is so refreshing to hear feminist religious

voices shedding light on the conflict” Shlomit Amsallam, phoning the Search office following

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publication of Kelman’s article, “Learning from Miriam and Pharaoh’s daughter” (Dec. 11,

2010)

This is a great article -- your analyses of the situation are always right-on and more than just

interesting, but the list of suggestions here packs a real hit! – sent to Ghassan Rubeiz by a reader,

following publication of his article, “Religious leaders needed in peacemaking” (Oct. 15, 2010)

The author is right, diversity is Jerusalem’s strength. I pray for the day that Jerusalem is at peace

and all can worship in that city in peace and harmony. That is what the Torah is really about what we

should all be striving our hardest towards” – emailed to Hagai Agmon Snir, in response to his

article, “Prepare Jerusalem for peace now” (July 11, 2010)

Your essay is so insightful and pointed and really lets people in other parts of the world (let alone

country) understand the social complexities and ironies that characterize Jerusalem in a very

personal way. – USAID official’s response to Carol Daniel Kasbari’s article, “My Jerusalem”

(June 30, 2010)

It was a good thing to see the article [in] the Daily Star, Alarabia.net, Kuwait Times, Middle East

Online and many other media outlets. It is very interesting also to see the article links are spread

[across] many feed websites, and tweeted and retweeted. This means a lot to me... the article can help

people to rethink about equal rights regardless of religion.- From Egyptian journalist Yasser

Khalil on finding his article, “Are Egyptians ready for equal rights regardless of religion?”

reprinted in various news outlets across the Middle East (July 2010)

This is just to let you know that the article was picked by the Daily News in Egypt and by the Ikhwan

[Muslim Brotherhood] news website too! I was quite happy about this since it shows they are ok to

discuss and debate this topic and advertise the work of these scholars at the same time to an audience

that does not know them. It was also picked up by the Global Arab Network...- Isabelle Dana, a

professional in communications and media with a focus on Africa, the Middle East and Islamic

studies, who wrote “Seek Islamic spirit, not state, say Muslim scholars” in Jan. 2010 for the

Islamic law and non-Muslim minorities series (February 2010)

VII. Supporting documentation

See Appendix A for detailed information on all articles distributed during the grant period –

including author names, dates of distribution, links to articles online and the outlets that distributed

them. Appendix B contains a table of all of the news outlets that reprinted the articles supported by

this grant.

VIII. 'F' Framework Indicators

The following provides data on two indicators that fall under GJD 4.2 (Media Freedom and Freedom

of Information), as promised in the grant agreement:

1. Number and diversity of authors who wrote articles on topics related to religious freedom.

A total of 60 authors (9 of which wrote articles for multiple series) from across 15 different

countries were commissioned to write articles supported by this grant. The countries include:

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USA India Morocco

Canada Israel Spain

Egypt Jordan Pakistan

Germany Lebanon Palestinian Territories

Indonesia Malaysia United Kingdom

2. Number and diversity of media outlets that reprinted these articles.

In grant period, 66 commissioned articles on religious freedom were distributed in multiple

languages – for a total of 291 articles across all languages – and reprinted 1,594 times in a total

of 572 news outlets around the world – including Egypt, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and

the UAE. Of these 572 outlets, 363 were English-language, 84 French, 74 Arabic, 27 Indonesian,

19 Urdu and 5 Hebrew.

Appendix B contains a table that lists the various news outlets, blogs, Facebook pages and

Twitter feeds by language that reprinted articles supported by this grant.