Background:

Cornelis Hulsman spoke at the Arab Thought Forum in Jordan, concerning the need for a media watch system that prevents any misreporting. After all, misreporting might cause conflicts and tensions between Muslims and Christians.

Side A: 

Prof. Ḥassan Nāfaʿa, Director of the Arab Thought Forum, introduces the lecturer, Cornelis Hulsman. Hulsman refers to a self-written paper for the European Institute of the Mediterranean and states that media distortion can cause conflicts and tensions. Before addressing the topic in detail, he gives more information on his personal and his NGO’s (Center for Arab West Understanding) background. He then talks about a student-produced film about CAWU that demonstrates media distortion with the example of an alleged physically forced conversion to Islam. Muslims and Christians in the Middle East are community oriented and do not want any of their members to change to another religion. Additionally he lines out: disputes over certain completely unreligious issues getting religiously loaded; biased western media; a blame-the-other attitude; harmful effect of repeating rumours; the role of US news agency Compass Direct. The film about CAWU is being showed then.

Side B: 

After the film ends, Hulsman continues his lecture. He lays out what he regards as efforts necessary to accomplish for his NGO on order to combat media distortion: systematic translations, building an electronic library and a Who-Is-Who of people mentioned in Arab media, maintaining the internship programme, establishing an electronic network. After he concludes his lecture, participants give their own views and comments, including a diplomat from the Indonesian embassy introducing an Indonesian view on Christian-Muslim tensions.