Like most Americans, I first became aware of Al Jazeera during the months following the September 11 terrorist attacks. Based on reports from U.S. news organizations, it had the image of an underground network of jihadist sympathizers, known for their access to messages and videos from Osama Bin Laden. Never giving it much attention, I stumbled across an Al Jazeera broadcast several weeks ago while looking for something of value amidst the carnage of American cable channels.
To my surprise, it was a very sophisticated program, moderated from a massive, modern studio in Qatar; indeed, this Arab news organization was launched by the Emir of Qatar in 1996 and is still heavily funded by that government. Watching for an hour or so, I viewed field reports from across the globe, including a few from the U.S.; rather than hearing the expected, negative rhetoric about America, I watched a report on our severe drought among other issues of concern to the average American. While there was some coverage of our presidential race and of the ongoing conflicts in Syria and Afghanistan, these issues were placed in a broader, international context. Throughout the program, I did not discern any hint of anti-American bias in the reports and it was refreshing to view our country and its policies from a distant and less encumbered perspective.
I am proud to be an American and relish the freedoms that we enjoy. Nevertheless, despite our international generosity and our propensity for military intervention, we tend to be a self-absorbed nation. Most Americans have little interest in foreign countries and know very little about their culture (let alone their location on a map). Any hope for developing a cooperative spirit across this planet will hinge on our willingness to understand one another's point of view and the opportunity to watch news reports and discussions from other countries seems to be a good first step.
