DAY TWO: 6th Feb 2007 Tuesday
War Criminal Conference & Exhibition
[Dewan Merdeka, PWTC, Kuala Lumpur]
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SESSION 4: MASS MEDIA - WAR PROPOGANDA
Question and Answer Session: Session 4
 
Q1: (Majidah UIA) What will it take to make the media accountable of disseminating wrong info? Taking down states in one thing, but the media? Words that demonize Islam - oxymoron - do not accept them.
A1:

Dyer
The practical terms - no one should control the journalists - but more people should access the media. Who guards the guardians? Believe in human intelligence and good will - the truth will come out - need more access..

Carmichael
It is dangerous when the state try to control the press - freedom of speech is important. Islamaphobia - should not exist - the discourse of the world today is lopsided, and often times wrong.
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Q2a: To Dyer and Carmichael: (Nizam from MMU Melaka) China as superpower - Nixon - if readers do not want US as superpower - who will you want, China? How would you answer the question?
A2a: Dyer: not China, perhaps Luxembourg? What is needed is the International Rule of Law
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Q2b. (To the moderator) There is no real left in the US - would you consider the nation - as left enough? Does Malaysia have a political left?
A2b: The moderator will answer this answer the question after this
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Q4. Must not see Bush elected again - if there were no Florida doubts - Al Gore (lost the election) - castigated by Malaysian media - will situation be better?
A4.

Dyer: Al Gore will never have invaded Iraq, Afghanistan - perhaps, never Iraq
Carmichael: Gore will not have invaded Iraq, mentioned it continuously

US - a shining nation on the hill. Kerana Mu Malaysia - is that the same?
• That US propaganda - Bush era - demonized Muslims, spread an untrue propaganda - cannot be compared to Malaysia's efforts to work towards the betterment of the nation.
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Q3. (Unidentified) We love peace - look at the banners - Bayati - what is peace to you?
The other speakers - does criminialise the war give peace? If it doesn't, what more do we need - at the present moment?
A3.

Bayaty: Colonialisation - by the Western thinking - she was brought up colonial - need to fight this very hard - peace can only come from real criticism of the Western civilization, how it has deprived humanity from developing freely. European - thinking - how they are superior - is inbuilt - taught to them? Peace might be a utopia - now - a lot of suffering and damage - the extreme suffering in Iraq is making Iraqis more humble, and value life - make them more powerful

No one wants hegemony - we need more democracy, re: previous session - need reform of the UN. Need a world parliament - increase the presence of democracy - UN now - predicated on power.