Comments for Jack’s Jordan Jottings #3: The real media bias – the view from Jordan at http://www.pres-outlook.com , comment 1 to 4 out of 4 comments http://www.pres-outlook.com Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:16:23 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.pres-outlook.com/insights-opinions/blog/Jacka-s-Jordan-Jottings-3-The-real-media-bias-a-the-view-from-Jordan.html#comment-4938 Jack, thanks for your candid admissions - I think I would have asked the same stupid questions. Your essay highlights a simple fact: it's easy to live in a vacuum, and it's easy to have "enemies" who must be characterized in the most simplistic of ways, lest their humanity be exposed, and we'd have to reconsider. Your work at the "The Outlook" is vital to the church emerging out of the culture wars of the last 40 years. There's a lot of angry rearguard action going on, but God's relentless love for the church AND the world is moving us along to a far-larger embrace of the world wherein the easy categories no longer hold, and we Christians are finding ourselves back to the basics of the Great Commandment and Matthew 25. The world is filled with great and generous people seeking peace; thank you for sharing that with "Outlook" readers. - Tom Eggebeen Fri, 23 Oct 2009 06:52:12 +0100 http://www.pres-outlook.com/insights-opinions/blog/Jacka-s-Jordan-Jottings-3-The-real-media-bias-a-the-view-from-Jordan.html#comment-4912 Response to Jack Haberer’s report on media bias and onvisiting with Prince Hassan of Jordan From even before my first visit as a student to Jordan in 1965 (when East Jerusalem and Bethlehem were under Jordan's control) to my last visit in 2005, it has been so obviously clear that the Hashemite leaders have been proponents of peace-building in the Middle East. 9/11 made that more urgent, but, earlier, so did the influx of Palestinian refugees and the need to somehow limit both Israeli expansionism and the fanaticism of those so unjustly treated that they could only think of revenge. Yes, Jordan was involved in war -- with both Israel and Arab neighbors -- as well as peace-building. Yes, the wars were seen by them to be wars of necessity, of national survival -- but the achievement of a peace treaty with Israel, imperfect as it is, is the greater accomplishment. If this treaty, calling for Egypt, Israel and a Palestinian entity (better, a viable State!), to work together with Jordan, were only fully implemented! (Israeli government policy suspends so much.) It calls for all these nations to work together to overcome the great problems of how to share resources to mutual benefit. If this treaty, which builds on an earlier treaty between Israel and Egypt, could be truly put into effect, the way forward to peace in all the Middle East would be clear. But beyond that, the Hashemite leaders have broken new ground in furthering inter-religous co-operation, respect and genuine dialogue. And they have promoted, at least in part, the education necessary both for the elite and for the average Muslim someday to thoughtfully interact with Christian neighbors and even reflect, theologically and practically, those peace-building values. This is not just from one side; Christians promote education, and advocates from the Middle East Council of Churches are very much involved. Jack, you are exactly right in making clear why virtually none of this has had any play in the dominant media. Meanwhile every peep from the terrorist leaders hiding in caves is splashed all over the world. That is also the fault of the Arab as well as the Western media -- the Arab media conforms to the same pressures as the Western, but with their own spin. The tragedy of this is that the influence of the Hashenite leaders is dulled even in their own region and even in their own country! But the Reformation movement in Islam cannot be stopped. It accords with a peaceful and prosperous future for Muslims and their Christian and Jewish neighbors, yes, but especially with opportunity for the average Muslim! God's gifts are to the world, to be shared, and enjoyed -- Muslims as well as Christians believe this. There is so much to build on! It is so much more exciting than being obliterated in a paroxysm of violence! The Jordan of 2005 still harbors resentful people who could be tempted to violence, alas, yes -- one Muslim student from a Christian run school was enticed and almost won over while I was visiting in 2005. But the far greater evidence of the desire for a different future was all over the country. The biggest sign was the trees! The Ottomans obliterated what remianed of the forests of Ramoth-Gilead -- the country was bare in 1965. But green was everywhere in 2005! Olive trees, of course, but much other green besides, trees that can grow in an environment where water is scarce. Towns were growing, with many houses anticipating adding an upper story (as signed by the protruding rebar). All this indicates a siding with peace, with reviving an historic accommodation with neighbors, including especially Christians, whose communities, they say, go back to the Apostle Paul!, in Jordan. Even new churches were being built in 2005 on the newly discovered foundations of ones going back to the Byzantine era! Historically Christian towns were thriving! Yes, Western Christians would want more change in the direction of freedom of religion beyond freedom of worship and peaceful co-existence and partnership -- and the end of laws so one-sided in terms of only allowing conversion to Islam (this goes back to the initial Arab invasion). But it is so important to celebrate the positive! And in the case of Prince Hassan, the encoragement of actual theological sharing in dialogue! And above all the utter repudiation of the fanatical terrorists as Muslim heretics as well as criminals. All this was clear eight years ago if Western media would have brought it out. It might have prevented the launching of what too many other Muslims worldwide still see as signs of a Western Crusade against Islam, notably the invasion of Iraq and the humiliation of Muslims in detention, especially this last -- such a contrast to the Hashemite leaders' attempts at bridge-building. Thank you for lifting the veil and speaking the truth to our Presbyterian Church, Jack! - Robert Roland von Oeyen Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:03:37 +0100 http://www.pres-outlook.com/insights-opinions/blog/Jacka-s-Jordan-Jottings-3-The-real-media-bias-a-the-view-from-Jordan.html#comment-4911 No one has all the answers and I pray that this interview is watched by numerous people. Having been raised in a "foreign" territory, I welcome your questions Jack. The international community has been talking of finding peace for years!!! When I was in seminary back in the 70's, I visited Cairo, Egypt. My group attended the 10th anniversary of "the appearance of the Virgin Mary." Crowds of people went to the scene. Political and Religious leaders came to speak at the beautiful occasion. Who saw the Virgin Mary on the rooftop of an Coptic Orthodox Church? Two Muslim attendants at a gas station across the street from the church. Isn't marvelous that some Muslims started this celebration because they saw the Virgin Mary on top of a rooftop? how did they know that it was Jesus' mom? Who told them? What a way to bring people together!!! That evening Muslims, and Christians gathered to celebrate an incredible occurrence. Was God there that evening? You betcha! (as they say in Minnesota).....Before the evening ended, three doves flew over the crowd which were awed by their appearance. Me? I didn't know what that meant? But I learned that doves don't fly at night and my eyes did see the three doves bless the crowd as they swooped on down from one end to the other. Didn't God bless our Lord after his baptism by sending a dove? It is awesome when people come together from different communities and can learn from each other! We all grow as a result! Thank you Jack for doing the interview! Thank you for being who you are! Keep it up and may the subscriptions increase as a result of your work. A good friend of mine has a saying: "Do your job and the money will come!" Amen. - Tomas Spath Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:11:14 +0100 http://www.pres-outlook.com/insights-opinions/blog/Jacka-s-Jordan-Jottings-3-The-real-media-bias-a-the-view-from-Jordan.html#comment-4908 Jack, I always knew you could learn and that you had an open mind. Keep learning and enjoy the trip. Who knows what other things the Holy Spirit has in store for your journey of faith. - Martin Shelton-Jenck Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:58:04 +0100