Scholars for Peace in the Middle East at UCSC is pleased to present the 13th speaker in its series, French media critic Philippe Karsenty, on Tuesday May 13th at 7:30pm in the Stevenson Fireside Lounge at UC Santa Cruz. Karsenty's talk is entitled "Media as Political Propaganda: The Case of Mohammed Al Dura".
The image of Mohammed Al Dura, a 12-year-old Palestinian boy crouched in terror behind his father as he allegedly becomes the fatal victim of Israeli bullets, has become an icon of Palestinian "martyrdom," especially in the Arab world. Originating with the French public television station, France 2, the video clip was repeatedly broadcast on television, appeared in Palestinian posters, advertisements and on Arab country postage stamps, fueling hatred of and violence against Israel around the world. Osama bin Laden referred to al-Dura in his post-September 11 video; the killers of Daniel Pearl placed a picture of al-Dura in their beheading video; streets, squares and academies have been named after al-Dura throughout the Muslim world.
Philippe Karsenty, head of the French media watchdog agency Media Ratings, was sued by France 2 after he posted an article arguing that France 2's broadcast on the death of the Palestinian boy Mohammed Al Dura was fraudulent. Karsenty's appeal of his case is currently being decided by an appeals court. The case raises political issues about the propaganda war of Arabs against Israel, as well as interesting questions about the use and misuse of visual images and narration on TV.
Sponsored by Scholars for Peace in the Middle East at UCSC, Stand With Us, Leviathan, and SCIAC