November 26, 2002
U.S. IMAGE IN THE ISLAMIC WORLD: 'POLICY' IS THE
PROBLEM
KEY FINDINGS:
** Islamic commentators
stress that "deeds must match words" in U.S. foreign policy,
especially in the Middle East towards Israel and Iraq.
** U.S. "arrogant
unilateralism" is why Muslims "view Washington's intentions with
skepticism."
** Many acknowledge the
"Shared Values" campaign's demonstration of Muslim success in the
U.S. but nevertheless complain that Muslim "visitors are...treated as
suspected terrorists."
MAJOR THEMES
Turned off by the (foreign) policy-- Arab/Muslim dailies emphasized that the U.S.'
"bad image" in the Islamic world comes strictly from "U.S.
foreign policy and Washington's stance on Arab issues." Several regional papers demanded
"concrete steps to gain our trust," while Abu Dhabi's Al Ittihad
dismissed the "Shared Values" campaign by declaring that it
"must be accompanied by a real and clear change in U.S. foreign
policies." In previews/reviews of
the "Shared Values" campaign, many noted that it "comes in
conjunction with beating the drums of war against Iraq" and asserted that
it is aimed at minimizing Arab/Muslim street reaction to any conflict. Virtually all regional media stressed that
anti-Americanism will abate only if the U.S. shows the same intolerance for
Israel's UN "violations" as it does toward Iraq's; Morocco's
independent Demain called for the U.S. to "start being fair in the
Middle East."
'Propaganda blitz' cannot hide U.S. 'arrogance in displaying its
might'-- A number of observers bluntly charged that
the U.S. "media campaign to improve its image...has been a complete
failure." Pakistan's centrist News
declared that "by targeting Muslims," this campaign "appears to
be another Zionist propaganda tool."
Many criticized the U.S.' perceived belief that it has the "right
to interfere to reform misconceptions in Arab societies" or to "light
a fire under the Islamic world [so it will] behave." Karachi's independent Dawn concluded
that U.S. Under Secretary of State Charlotte "Beers has been told to
inject Botox-like properties on the wrinkled face of America's ugly
unilateralism."
Anger over treatment of Muslim visitors, not citizens-- Some dailies suggested that the U.S. was seeking
to cover-up the racial and religious discrimination that has occurred since
9/11. Many writers, however, confirmed
that the images of "harmony" and "fairness" between
American Muslims and non-Muslims, as portrayed in the "Shared Values"
campaign, were accurate. Saudi Arabia's
pan-Arab Al Hayat said the campaign was "justified," adding
that "American society remains a place of coexistence among different
cultures and ethnic groups."
Malaysia's pro-government Berita Harian summed up a common
theme: "It is the foreign policy of
Washington towards Islamic countries that is under scrutiny, not the treatment
or the lives of American Muslims."
EDITOR: Ben Goldberg
EDITOR'S NOTE: This
analysis is based on 23 reports from 7 countries over 31 October - 26 November.
Editorial excerpts from each country are
listed from the most recent date.
MIDDLE EAST
EGYPT: "Refusal To
Air"
In the weekly popular Channel II program "Ra'ees El-Tahrir"
(Editor-in-Chief), host Hamdy Qandil talked about (11/26) "the four paid
mini-documentaries produced by the U.S. at $15 million to improve its image in
the Moslem world. " Qandil
indicated Egyptian TV refused to air them based on the claim that these were
political advertisements touching its independence. Qandil concluded: "The U.S. would do better saving its money
because it will not achieve any results."
"The Invasion Has Begun"
Leading pro-government Al Ahram's radical contributor Fahmy
Howeidi warned (11/19): "Gentlemen, our
democratic future has become guaranteed. Fifty Arab women [parliamentarians]
from 14 Arab countries went to the U.S. to train in democracy in an intensive
program to 'reform Arabs' twisted situation'...the program was prepared by the
State Department under the supervision of Elizabeth Cheney.... However, the matter is graver than the travel
of 50 women. The Arab scene recently has been dominated by an intensive
campaign to reshape public awareness....
Americans have given themselves the right to interfere to reform
misconceptions in Arab societies, which is considered an invasion and
penetration of Arab societies.... The Voice of America has developed into a
more vital program than news reports, now called Sawa.... American - and sometimes Israeli - writers
and politicians have made direct, unprecedented presence in the Arab
press.... They became defenders of
American policy...and spoken directly to the Arab reader about the invasion of
Iraq as opening the door for a democratic regime to replace the years of
sadness...liberated women in Afghanistan and defended the American targeted
killing in Yemen."
"How Can America Improve its Image In The Islamic World? Not By
Media Brochures Alone"
Aggressive pro-government Al Akhbar's Islamic page reported
(article features a photo of the U.S. Embassy's booklet on Ramadan in America)
(11/17): "If the U.S...wants to improve its image in the Islamic world, it
should: side with the fair issues of Moslems in Palestine and Iraq; respect the
right of self-determination for all countries according to the U.N. Charter and
refrain from intervening in any country's internal affairs by seeking to change
its regime; it should respect international legitimacy.... It should treat Moslem and non-Moslem
[American] citizens equally. Not all terrorism comes from what is Moslem or
Arab."
MOROCCO: "I Love
U.S.-rael?"
Independent, French-language weekly Demain Magazine
commented (11/4): "The U.S.
Government invested $M15 to publicize the 'joy' of American Muslims who live in
the United States, to better the image of America in the Islamic world. The TV
spot takes 2 minutes and we see Muslims from different origins who live in the
United State.... Americans want us to
love them. It is very simple. They need to start being fair in the Middle
East and impose international legitimacy on their Israeli ally. All the military hardware used against the
Palestinians is also made and paid for by the United States. Only when America will be just can it win our
sympathy, and then it will not need such expensive ads."
"How Does America Improve Its Image?"
Islamic Arabic-language Attajdid stated (11/4): "Finally, the United States has become
aware that its image is bad and ugly all over the world, particularly in the
Islamic world. The entire world is
feeling increasing hatred towards Washington, because of U.S. arrogance and
injustice in the Middle East.... France
is leading this trend in the European Union....
In this context, the U.S. ambassador has held successive meetings with
newly elected female members of the Moroccan parliament and with Moroccan
journalists who visited America last year and with other Moroccan
personalities.... The United States is a
powerful but unjust state and to improve its image, it should be a powerful
state but fair. Power should serve
justice and respect of peoples. With
justice for all, America could win the respect and support of all
nations."
"Televised Campaign To Better The Image Of The U.S."
Pro-government coalition, French-language L'Opinion
commented (11/1): "This campaign
that represents small documentaries is about life of Muslims in the United
States and religious freedom. This
reality is not always known in the world.
These documentaries have been broadcast in Indonesia, the most important
Islamic country in terms of demography.
Other Arab countries will follow suit.
The State Department spoksperson Richard Boucher stated that this
communication offensive will be highlighted during Ramadan. He did not give any names of the targeted
countries. He also said that these
programs will be prime time programs. $15 million will support this
campaign."
SAUDI ARABIA:
"American Naive"
London's pan-Arab Al-Hayat ran a commentary by columnist
Bechara Charbel (11/26): "There is
no doubt that the U.S. administration's campaign is justified. Since the
September 11 attacks, a wave of lies and conspiracy theories have swept over
the Arab and Muslim world. The violations committed against Arabs and Muslims
in the U.S. are unjustified, but still, they are not comparable to the massacre
that caused them.... It is only normal
that in such an environment of hatred, the U.S. should resort to a campaign to
bring attention to a fact-- that no two rational persons may dispute--that the
American society remains a place of coexistence among different cultures and
ethnic groups under the law and the constitution.... It is difficult for Washington to convince
the Arabs and Muslims that what it has been doing since 9/11 will serve to
develop their societies, as long as it continues to unleash Israeli
brutality."
"Propaganda Has No Owner"
London-based pan-Arab Al-Hayat ran a commentary by the
paper's Riyadh bureau chief Dawood Al-Shiryan (11/21): "The U.S. media campaign to improve its
image so far has been a complete failure...the problem with the American
campaign, it is not only a failure but has also turned into a means for
incitement against U.S. policy in
several Islamic countries, the most prominent one is Indonesia. The programs of the campaign have been met
with demonstrations denouncing U.S. policy, demonstrators consider the campaign
as part of American hegemony. But this
failure has not prevented the campaign from continuing. Certainly the U.S. image as a nation, people
and civilization does not need a political campaign to improve it, and the aim
of this propaganda campaign is to improve the image of the political system by
using some shining pictures of the great American society, but the result is,
the campaign has insulted the community and has done nothing to improve the
image of the US government. The campaign has failed because it depends on
political propaganda, which is connected in the minds of the people as a means
to protect lies and twist the facts. In addition, the timing of the campaign
has coincided with political and military campaigns, in which Washington is
engaged in more than one place in the world."
"Again, The Bush Administration"
London's pan-Arab Al-Hayat published an op-ed by columnist
Rashid Khashana, stating (11/14):
"The United States has launched a large TV campaign in the Islamic
world during the month of Ramadan in an attempt to improve its image. The campaign comes in conjunction with
beating the drums of war against Iraq....
The Americans plan to focus, among other things, on showing that
American Muslims are assimilated in American society, enjoying unrestricted
freedom of worship. Yet the political
and cultural dealings with Islam is dominated by folkloric appearances, such as
issuing a stamp on the occasion of Ramadan, or inviting American Muslim leaders
to have Iftar with officials. President
Bush will do just that on the Eid at the White House this year, as he did the
year before. But that cannot be compared
with the access that Jewish organizations enjoy. It is clear that dealing with the Islamic
culture is restricted to appearances, while its civilized aspects are being
suppressed. This is not restricted to
within the U.S. More serious is that the hawks of the current administration
have started an unprecedented campaign to change the educational curricula in
the Arab and Islamic countries, for which they have allocated $20 million, as
if Pentagon experts are more knowledgeable about Islamic civilization than its
own people. The planners of the TV
campaign claim that it aims at improving America's image, we note that the
campaign expresses the view of a single American team, which is the one that is
controlling the administration in a way that is similar to the practice in
Third World countries. Yet the views of
the majority of the Americans, who reject the war against Iraq remain
missing..."
"Muslim Life In America Series"
Pro-government Al-Watan reported
(11/10): "Egyptian TV has refused
to broadcast an American propaganda series during the month of Ramadan aimed at
improving the image of the U.S. in the Arab world. Hassan Hamed, President of the Egyptian TV
and Radio Federation, said that Egyptian television does not air political ads
at all."
TUNISIA: "Come See The
Actors...!"
A commentary by senior editor, Manoubi Akrout, in independent
French-language Le Quotidien stated (11/2): "Once more, the Americans are tangled up
in an absurd strategy. Their TV campaign
to ameliorate their image does not help much, since the essential is
absent.... Americans are so convinced of
their wisdom that they are concentrating their campaign on the life of Muslims
in the United States and on the freedom they have in practicing their
religion. This is so funny! Because what we understand from this campaign
is that Americans just need a small cloth to polish their image, and that's
it! In reality, Americans need much
more than this to improve their image within the Arab-Muslim world. They need to show the world that they no more
tolerate the Israeli behavior in violating the UN resolutions.... In fact, Americans should stop covering, in
this unacceptable manner, the Israeli actions.... To ameliorate their image the Americans
should stop their hostilities against
the Iraqi people.... If Americans
want to ameliorate their image, they should work on giving the UN its role of
guarantor of international law. They
should stop using as an alibi the struggle against terrorism that allows them
to interfere in countries' sovereignty....
They should stop as well making the entrance to their country a door,
which is open to humiliating Arab visitors.
Americans should not forget that Arabs are the principal investors in
the U.S. economy."
UAE: "Attempts By The
U.S. To Improve Its Image"
Mohammed Al Hammadi commented in Abu Dhabi-based Al Ittihad
(11/6): "Before starting a
publicity campaign to improve its image, the U.S. must know what requires
improvement...the image or the reality...Those in the U.S. who believe the
negative U.S. image among Arabs is due to Arab ignorance of the U.S. are
certainly mistaken. We understand the
U.S. But the U.S. must understand
us. The bad image is drawn from U.S. foreign
policy and Washington's stance on Arab issues and human rights, especially in
Palestine. Any media or diplomatic
initiative must be accompanied by a real and clear change in U.S. foreign
policies prior to improving the image. If the U.S. spends millions of dollars
and succeeds in improving its image, but later recognizes Jerusalem as the
capital of Israel and moves its embassy to Jerusalem, then what kind of a good
image will the U.S. have among Arabs?!"
"Road Map And Propaganda Blitz"
Hashem Ahelbarra wrote in Dubai-based Gulf News
(11/4): "U.S. envoy William Burns
paid a visit to the region in a bid to make a case for the 'road map' for
achieving peace and establishing a Palestinian state by 2005...Both the timing
and the substance of the U.S. design carried by Burns dealt a blow to his
mission. Two questions impose
themselves. Why now, when the prospects
of an imminent war against Iraq poison the air? And whose purpose should a
vaguely drafted plan, poor in details and commitments, serve?...Now that the
U.S. is engaged in a public diplomacy of a genre never seen before in a bid to
refurbish its image in the region, a propaganda blitz would not do the job by
itself. To achieve that goal, they first
need to answer the question they have been avoiding: have they really been embracing a 'messianic'
policy in the Middle East to spread the principles of freedom, peace and
prosperity, or just to secure a balance of power?"
ASIA-PACIFIC
MALAYSIA: "Futile Ramadan Public Relations Exercise"
Government-influenced English-language New Straits Times
had the following editorial (11/16):
"This Ramadan -- despite the Islamophobia throughout the Western
world -- seems extra special for Malaysians and I hear Indonesians too, because
greetings appear to have poured in every day since the start of Ramadan from
the U.S. -- from both Muslim and non-Muslim Americans. Wishes for a blessed Ramadan are narrated in
the form of migrant Muslim happiness and prosperity in America, delivered
through prime media time and space. If
the Malaysian media were ideologically obsessed and fanatically biased, or even
if they were not free as proclaimed by Western media pundits, then any amount
of money cannot buy such space and time.
Furthermore, because it is a well-intentioned American-Muslim non-profit
organization, we remain trapped and it becomes difficult, in the spirit of
brotherhood to counter such overt American hypocrisy -- which on one hand
speaks of "either you are with us or you are with them" and then on
the other, constructs and maintains its ideological diplomacy most
pervasively. It used to be called
propaganda during the war years in America.
However, the question that comes to mind -- (to) what extent do these
scenic pictures of happy American -Muslim families and successfully employed
American-Muslim migrants speak for all of the Muslim people in Republican
America? So they say, public relations
is a friend of the rich. To be enriched,
ideologically, one needs to win the hearts and minds of people and more than
anyone else, it is big business and big government that must woo the public for
power, expansion and prosperity."
"Washington's Questionable Agenda"
Government-influenced English-language weekly Malay Mail
had the following commentary by writer Askiah Adam (11/17): "Millions of dollars are being spent by
the United States government on advertising its good faith in the war on
terrorism. If the US is against Islam,
these advertisements appear to be asking, would it allow the religion to be practiced
freely in the country by its citizens?
The emphasis here must be on the word "citizens" for, in America today,
only American Muslims are privileged to be thus without encountering problems
from the INS. Yes, it may be true that
Muslims in the US are indeed free to practice their religion, teach it to their
children and maybe, even to proselytize but, some are now unwilling to be
openly recognized as Muslims. Even
accepting that its Muslim citizens have freedom of religion, how is it expected
to buy the empathy of other Muslims when they experience problems entering the
country? To even the impartial observer,
this is a cynical campaign that insults the intelligence of the average Muslim. If the aim is to convince the Muslim world
that its actions against Iraq are above board then it has to be matched with a
firmer hand against its Middle East ally, Israeli. Until that happens, Muslims the world over
will continue to view Washington's intentions with skepticism. One very important factor stands out above
all else. In an Iraq that sees Saddam
replaced through conventional means, neither the United States nor Britain has
a share in the country's oil wealth.
That America's oil companies were openly vying for an Iraqi presence so
soon after the recent Republican victory makes credible the long held
allegations that American policy in the Middle East is driven by the oil
imperative."
"State Department Ads Off Target."
Government-influenced, Malay-language Berita Harian had the
following editorial (11/10): "The
U.S. State Department is off target with its ad campaign. The intention is to show that Muslims in
America are living in peace, without any discrimination or oppression. This PR campaign has had some influence on
the media. Some time ago, there were
news reports on investigations by the FBI on Arab immigrants to the U.S. - in a
search for suspected terrorist sleeper cells.
With the launch of the PR campaign, such news of invasive methods by
government agencies have disappeared from the pages of the major
newspapers. In its place are stories of
how American Muslims and non-Muslims are meeting to establish better relations
and so on. In contrast, the INS has issued
a directive that all visitors from Islamic countries will require visas. Also all visitors from said countries are to
be thoroughly scrutinized by immigration, customs and FBI. With that in mind, we can surely say that PR
campaign is way off its mark. We have
never said that American Muslims were badly treated. However the visitors to the U.S. are, from
the minute of arrival into the U.S., are treated as 'suspected terrorists' and
are 'profiled'. This is the
discrimination by America, which we are condemning."
"American Campaign Is Confused About How To Woo Islamic
Countries."
Government-influenced, Malay-language Berita Harian had the
following editorial (11/9): "It
started off at the end of October with a ABC News Niteline show that features
the efforts of the White House to dispel the idea that America hates Islam. This is followed by numerous reports from
different news organizations that show America is not anti-Islam. Recently on Malaysian and Indonesian TV, a
video clip of a Lebanese-born schoolteacher and her life in America is shown as
proof that America is not about to launch a war against Islam. However this campaign seems off its
mark. The Muslim world never has
criticized America for its treatment of its Muslim community. It is the discrimination of the Bush
Administration towards Islamic countries and their communities that has been
criticized. The Palestinians who have to
endure oppression without any respite in sight.
Iraqi citizens who live under the threat of war. Malaysian students who face gender
discrimination in applying for their visas to the U.S. It is the foreign policy of Washington
towards Islamic countries that is under scrutiny, not the treatment or the
lives of American Muslims."
"Washington Launches
Program To Win The Hearts Of Muslims"
Government-influenced, Malay-language Berita
Harian's reporter Wan Esuriyanti Wan Ahmad who is in New York on a UN
fellowship filed this report (11/4):
"In its efforts to gain support to attack Iraq, local American
media are working with the U.S. Government to disseminate the information that
American does not have anti-Islamic sentiments.
The media report that Muslims in the country enjoy the American
lifestyle and have the same opportunities as anyone else. On ABC's News Niteline was a report on the
efforts of the White House to remove the perception that the administration was
anti-Islam. The report also tried to
show the support being given to the American Muslim community. At the
same time, the U.S. Government has released video clips of American
Muslims--which have already been aired in Indonesia, and soon in Malaysia. However, the New York Times has
reports that the video has been heavily criticized by viewers in Indonesia,
because the Indonesian public is suspicious about the real lives of Muslims in
America. This strategy of selling America
is being viewed as another propaganda effort to get international support for
its own agenda. In any case, it cannot
be denied that in America, particularly in New York City, there are residents
of many religions and races. There are
about eight million Muslims in America and 700,000 in New York. The New York community in general, does not
discriminate against Muslims or practitioners of any other religion.... In my travels to Maine, Vermont,
Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and other states, all I saw was community
harmony. Many Americans did not support
their government's efforts to go to war nor were they interested in
discrediting another religion. This
would be the same for the media organizations as well. There would be news reports that would be biased
or in favor of a certain agenda, but there would also be reports that were fair
and balanced. I am reminded by the words
of Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad...that to defeat your enemies, you need
to know and understand them. The Bush
administration may not accept this, even at a time when they are trying to tell
the world that they are not anti-Islam in the face of the anti-American
sentiments from Muslims feeling that U.S. policies are against them. If Iraq is such a threat to world peace and needs
to be stopped, America should realize that as a superpower, it will also be
looked upon to stop the threat to Palestinian peace. If America wants to punish Iraq for having
weapons of mass destruction, what of other countries such as North Korea or Israel. If America wants to eliminate anti-American
sentiment, it needs to show that its policies will not bring suffering to
others. Unfortunately, America is only
showing its arrogance in displaying its (economic and military) might and Iraq
continues to be its target."
PAKISTAN: "Shared
Values"
GEO TV, a new, popular but somewhat sensational
Urdu-language news channel based in Dubai owned by the "Jang" group,
ran a report (11/8) on "Shared Values." They ran clips of some of the
ads noting that they were being aired in Malaysia and "some other Muslim
countries." Reporting was mostly
accurate, but emphasis was placed on the "large budget" for the
project. Sardonically, the commentator closed noting that: "this is a USG effort to show how well
Muslims are treated in the U.S.," but "we all know from the stories
that we hear from our friends and relatives that the reality is
different."
"Too Late The Ad"
A letter to the editor by A. R. Jerral run in the centrist News
(11/8) stated: "These days large
advertisements are published in national newspapers on behalf of the council of
American Muslims on the life of Muslims in USA. This sudden PR blitz is
amazing. Why now? Is it to forestall the likely reaction of Muslims in the
light of prospective attack on Iraq? This Council of American Muslims for
Understanding will render better service to the Muslim world if they can create
understanding in Americans especially make Mr. Bush understand. By targeting
Muslims in Pakistan or elsewhere this organisation appears to be another
Zionist propaganda tool."
"Information Vendors & Spin"
In an op-ed in national independent Dawn, Anjum Niaz wrote
(11/7): "Pakistan with its
'crumbling infrastructure' is being called a 'nuclear Yugoslavia' because Islam
has had 'no more success in quelling ethnic and tribal animosities than
Communism had in Yugoslavia,' and the 'Punjabis, through military and civil
service, run the other provinces in imperial fashion much as the Serbs
did'.... In today's multiplicity of
moral certitude that competes for attention, it does the heart a world of good
to hear yet some others speak well of Pakistan.... On another level, they shine in comparison
with the State Department's stultified effort to win over a billion Muslims via
paid ads costing the $15 million. Clumsily packaged by its Wisenheimers (who
perhaps have never left their shores) under the stewardship of Ms Charlotte
Beers, the high priestess of spin, slicked away from the ad world of Madison
Avenue by chief Colin Powell and installed as his undersecretary, Beers has
been told to inject Botox-like properties on the wrinkled face of America's
ugly unilateralism. Drawing pointed
criticism, officials here say that in initial focus group testing, some Arabs
and Muslims found the videos so offensive that the US embassies there sent
urgent messages to the State Department, urging not to release them. But the indefatigable Ms Beers has reportedly
tweaked the videos, insisting the ads are just one piece of a much broader
media campaign, including websites and even a new radio station, all designed
to tell what they call the real American story.
In a shoulder-to-shoulder contest, Karen Hughes - the woman who gave up
Bush for her husband and son, jettisoning a job which no woman had ever held
before and go back to live in Texas - monitors long distance the Office of the
Global Communication housed in the White House.
Word has it that a strenuous search is under way thumbing through the
nation's rolodex for Muslim names smelling of sweet success. And sure enough,
profiles of prominent Pakistani-Americans (many professional hustlers) are
trickling in to be short-listed, selected and sounded. Others are more wary and not biting. 'It's a
tough sell,' says one, 'especially when the US wants to go into Iraq caring two
hoots about Arab and UN wishes.' 'Remember
the first rule of marketing?' mulls another Pakistan-born American, while
preferring to sit this one out, 'the product that you sell has to be
good.' Carrying medicines and food to
the Muslims of the world is not enough.
So what's the great rush? Well,
Bush wants to light a fire under the Islamic world to behave and fall into line
with the US, ideally to fall in love with Uncle Sam and its 'liberties.' The rising anti-US crescendo is making the
Texan president's patience wear thin. While publicly he's demanding results,
privately insiders confide 'the president is a very worried man'.... A slew of authors, reporters and advertising
kingpins like Charlotte Beers are information vendors with their own individual
spin."
"Why Such Expensive Advertisements?"
Dr. Arshad Khan of Peshawar wrote a letter to the editor that appeared
in the rightist Pakistan Observer (11/6): "I have noticed a few half-page
advertisements probably sponsored by the US Government wherein we are told of
how great life is for Muslims in the US. Does the US Government take us to be
so naive that we will be influenced by these advertisements? Why is there such need for these expensive
advertisements? It is like telling
Palestinians how great life is in the occupied territories. My advice to the US Government would be to
quit fooling us and rather take some concrete steps to gain our trust. Deeds must match words, otherwise only the
press would be benefiting by getting US dollars for these advertisements."
"A Deplorable Campaign to Hoodwink the
Nation"
In the (10/31) pro-Islamist Urdu-language Ausaf,
an editorial appeared stating: "it
is a pity that some sections of the electronic and print media are trying to
establish the impression that the U.S. is the biggest well-wisher of the
Pakistani nation. Through this
deplorable campaign, sometimes the U.S. diplomats are shown painting a
school wall and sometimes a U.S.-based
Pakistani doctors' association tells fairy tales of Americans' excellent
attitudes with Pakistanis. One of
the important objectives of this
insulting advertising campaign is to get across the view that during the last
55 years Pakistan's politicians,
scholars and social workers could not serve their people and now all
this will be done by the U.S. but for this, Pakistan will have to first compromise on its sovereignty and give
in to all U.S. demands."
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