Dear Oprah, Lebanon is not Afghanistan
Tell Your Friends » By Rakan Diab
Journalism 101: Make sure your information is factual. Journalism 102: credibility is fragile.
And who forgot these simple aspects of any journalism career? The beloved Oprah Winfrey.
In a promo clip for her upcoming episode of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” explaining how fans can be so fanatic sometimes in all parts of the world. Oprah described Nancy Ajram as “the Britney spears of the Middle East”. She also noted that her sexy dance moves “caused quite the controversy in this deeply conservative country” along with photos of veiled women sitting in the desert; two photos that have nothing to do with Lebanon but more to do with Afghanistan. And I’m pretty sure Ajram is Lebanese!
I guess someone and their research team did not do their homework. Let me educate you a bit about this “conservative” country. This year alone Beirut was named “World Book capital of the year” by UNESCO and was said to be the number one party city in the world. Some years ago, Sky Bar was named Number one bar in the world. And if that’s not liberal enough, just ask your fellow celebrities.
You could just ask Snoop Dog who actually performed in Lebanon and featured it in his video. You could ask The Pussycat Dolls (I don’t think these ladies would be allowed in a deeply conservative country) or Akon, or the large variety of international artists that performed in Lebanon this year. But if you are still skeptical, just watch your local news. CNN’s Cal Perry reported that Lebanon’s party scene is world class. BBC news described Beirut as “the most liberal and diverse city in the Middle East”.
One can’t help but think that Oprah attempted to distort the facts to fit the theme of the episode and to fit her lifelong image as the advocate for woman’s rights; defending their causes and crusading for their liberation around the world. Now since we love Oprah we will act stupid and just say it was simply a mistake. An offensive one, if you ask me!
All in all dear Oprah, whether it’s the researcher’s mistake or yours, you have an obligation to your audience including us to set your facts straight and for that I invite you to visit and experience Lebanon. Maybe then you would know that Beirut is simply not Kabul.
P.S. I think you have an apology to make for Ajram too!
Check out the promo clip:
Tweets that mention Dear Oprah, Lebanon is not Afghanistan | Star Scene -- Topsy.com
Oct 20th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by George and Khalad Karim, Star Scene Lebanon. Star Scene Lebanon said: New event post: Dear Oprah, Lebanon is not Afg… http://bit.ly/2B8BZB [...]
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uberVU - social comments
Oct 21st, 2009 at 3:48 am
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Social comments and analytics for this post…
This post was mentioned on Twitter by StarSceneLB: New event post: Dear Oprah, Lebanon is not Afg… http://bit.ly/2B8BZB…
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Miral Moukheiber
Oct 21st, 2009 at 8:28 pm
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Dear Oprah, Lebanon has always been called the Switzerland of the Middle East, it is the ONLY arabic country wher you can find diversity in a society that is the example of acceptance and coexistence. it not like that, we do not have valed women in a desert. Our society holds many religions and each member knows how to respect and give spaace to the other. Our children go to mixed (religion) schools and universities. Our life is open to the west and yet still attached to certain social customs that keeps family ties that contribute to build security and attachment to a poloticaly torn country that each and every one of loves, a country that every Lebanese cannot depart from, a country that calls all Lebanese with a nostalgia that they cannot fight. Polititians fight, but we among each others share a great love to the most wonderfull country in the world, not because of its beautiful sights or weather, but because of its poeple and the great love and attachment we have to our land. and finaly dear Oprah, for you to understand, I invite you to come and do a program about this smallest but wonderful place in the world. You may not understand what I am trying to tell you unless you come and experience it yourself. Do not warry, no one will hurt you, you will be safe here.
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Kathleen Saleh
Oct 22nd, 2009 at 6:01 am
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Yes, you are right, Lebanon is open to the west, Beirut may be the party capital of the world but women still do not have basic rights and equality, they still suffer from domestic violence and discrimination. Lebanon has the facade of an open society but it is just that, a facade.
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Tweets that mention Dear Oprah, Lebanon is not Afghanistan | Star Scene -- Topsy.com
Oct 27th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Maz, christiane daccache. christiane daccache said: Dear Oprah, Lebanon is not Afghanistan – http://bit.ly/2BBQqE [...]
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uberVU - social comments
Oct 27th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
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Social comments and analytics for this post…
This post was mentioned on Twitter by mazenf: Oprah! get it right http://bit.ly/2BBQqE…
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Sara Rahal
Oct 29th, 2009 at 8:10 am
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guys, ladies, why panic and do you feel so upset about what oprah said. WE THE LEBANESE ARE REALLYYYYYYYYY KNOWN TO BE OPEN MINDED, AFTER ALL WHO IS OPRAH TO US. just take it as easy as u can. WE THE LEBANESE, MISS OPRAH, ARE THE PEOPLE OF THE CEDARS, THE PEOPLE OF PARTIES, WE THE LEBANESE DONT CARE ABOUT WHAT YOU, AMERICAN CELEBERTIES, WORLD KNOWN PEOPLE THINK OF US. WE THE LEBANESE MISS OPRAH TAUGHT THE WORLD HOW TO LIVE, WE TAUGHT PEOPLE HWO TO THINK. just keep that in mind.
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