Journalists boycott Pelosi-Abbas meet, demand release of BBC reporter
Boycott part of a wider protest against inability of PA to free kidnapped BBC journalist Alan Johnston.
By The Associated PressMedia in the Palestinian territories boycotted a meeting Tuesday between the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas as part of a wider protest against the Palestinian government's inability to free a kidnapped BBC journalist.
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, is on a Mideast tour with a delegation of lawmakers, including the first Muslim member of Congress, Democratic Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota.
But her meeting with Abbas coincided with the strike journalists called in solidarity with 44-year-old Alan Johnston of the British Broadcasting Corp., who was kidnapped in the Gaza Strip on March 12.
Johnston is the longest-held reporter ever abducted in Gaza. There has been no word on his whereabouts or condition, and no demands have been issued.
"We are very concerned for the fate of our colleague," said Naim Tubasi, head of the Palestinian journalists union.
Eleven journalists have been kidnapped in Gaza over the past three years.
All were released unharmed, most within days of capture. Kidnappers, who usually take hostages to settle scores or demand jobs, are rarely punished, however, which journalists say has encouraged the practice.
Many suspect that members of a powerful Gaza clan took Johnston. But efforts to free him have made little progress.
Pelosi's trip includes stops in Israel, the Palestinian territories, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Syria. The last leg has drawn criticism from the White House, which accuses Syria of supporting terrorism.
Pelosi has said when she visits Damascus, she will tell leaders that Israel will only engage in peace talks if Syria stops supporting Palestinian militants.
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Journalists protesting outside PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' Ramallah headquarters Tuesday to demand the release of a BBC reporter. (AP) |
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But I am not sure about this time. Pelosi may have lucked out.
A boycott is a form of protest. In this protest, I suggest that readers reflect upon their responsibilities as both reporters and as human beings. Factors that I consider are: 1) their objectively in reporting news, 2) their self-interest, and 3) their social conscience. As far as reporting the news, they fail miserably, as they did not cover the meeting. However, they pass with flying colors regarding social conscience and self interest. However, their self interest is considerably more important to them than social conscience, because they are rarely known to protest other well known abuses of power by both belligerent parties to this conflict. As such, I would be inclined to seriously question their objectivity in reporting the news.