Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07CHENNAI349
2007-05-16 06:39:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Consulate Chennai
Cable title:
AN ANTI-U.S. ECHO CHAMBER IN BANGALORE'S URDU SPEAKING
how-toVZCZCXRO6457 RR RUEHBI RUEHCI DE RUEHCG #0349 1360639 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 160639Z MAY 07 FM AMCONSUL CHENNAI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0931 INFO RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 2525 RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA 0775 RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 5044 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1071 RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 0552
UNCLAS CHENNAI 000349
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
STATE FOR SCA/PPD AND SCA/INS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL OEXC OIIP SCUL KPAO KISL IN
SUBJECT: AN ANTI-U.S. ECHO CHAMBER IN BANGALORE'S URDU SPEAKING
COMMUNITY
UNCLAS CHENNAI 000349
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
STATE FOR SCA/PPD AND SCA/INS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL OEXC OIIP SCUL KPAO KISL IN
SUBJECT: AN ANTI-U.S. ECHO CHAMBER IN BANGALORE'S URDU SPEAKING
COMMUNITY
1. (SBU) Summary: Deeply felt Muslim resentment over the Iraq war
and U.S. policies in the Middle East, as well as misperceptions of
American society emerged during a planned literary discussion in
Bangalore between Urdu writers and journalists and visiting American
author Eddy Harris. End summary.
2. (SBU) On May 5, U.S. Speaker Program participant Eddy Harris met
with a group of seven prominent Urdu writers and journalists in
Bangalore as part of Harris' South India program arranged by post's
Public Affairs Section. The meeting was hosted by M.A. Siraj, a
leading moderate Islamic scholar and social commentator, and also
attended by post's Cultural Affairs Officer (an Urdu speaker) and
locally-engaged program specialist.
3. (SBU) What was planned to be a genteel conversation about
literature quickly became very heated when Ms. Farida Rahmatullah, a
writer and poet, asked Mr. Harris' opinion of the war in Iraq.
Without waiting for him to reply, Ms. Rahmatullah and Ms. Fauzia
Chaudhry, an Urdu language professor, switched into Urdu and
launched into a diatribe against the U.S. Notably, U.S. foreign
policy was not the only target. Aside from asking questions about
how the U.S. can kill innocent children every day in Iraq and
Afghanistan, the writers and journalists asked about what they
perceived to be the poor status of women in the U.S. and whether the
U.S. can still call itself a democracy.
4. (SBU) About the U.S. media, Ms. Rahmatullah said that it is not
free and independent but merely propaganda outlet that ignores the
suffering of the people of Iraq and Afghanistan and pushes an
obvious imperialist agenda. Ms. Chaudhry added that the U.S. needs
to know that "they" (presumably referring to the Urdu speaking
community at large) are not stupid -- as they watch Al Jazeera and
see what is really happening. Notably, everyone in the group jumped
on the bandwagon, their heads nodding in response to each other's
statements. Even Mr. Siraj, controversial in his community for his
moderate social views, stated that the U.S. is no longer a democracy
as it is held hostage by the Israeli lobby, and that he fears the
U.S. is becoming a fascist state. (Note: CAO observed that while
many of the group's questions and comments seemed quite out of touch
with reality, the convictions behind them were very strongly held.
End note.) The group did listen when Mr. Harris and the Consulate
representatives rebutted their misconceptions.
5. (SBU) The group also set its sights on Mr. Harris, castigating
him for not writing about Iraq. They said every writer in their
community is writing extensively about U.S. foreign policy and the
conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. (Comment: This, indeed, appears
to be the problem as this echo chamber amongst Bangalore's Urdu
speakers reinforces a very negative view of the U.S. Thus,
notwithstanding the high regard many urban Indians have for the
U.S., this community is an exception and consequently a public
diplomacy challenge. End comment.)
6. (SBU) In the end, the group warmly expressed their appreciation
of the chance to engage with Consulate officials, particularly in
Urdu, and they said they would welcome opportunities to do so again.
Ms. Chaudhry colorfully added that the group only felt comfortable
enough to initiate such a conversation because Mr. Harris is black
and "in every white man we see George Bush."
7. (SBU) Comment: PAS Chennai chose to meet these writers and
journalists because they are the leaders and opinion-makers of
Bangalore's Urdu speaking community. We can assume that if they
hold such vehemently anti-U.S. views that many in the community
follow their lead. Urdu newspapers in Bangalore have up to 100
thousand readers; eleven percent of Karnataka's 52 million
inhabitants - roughly 5.7 million people - are Muslim. This
highlights the depth of this public diplomacy challenge. The
contentiousness of this encounter was an exception to the others
programs of Eddy Harris' excellent and largely literary tour of
South India. Other programs will be reported septel. End Comment.
HOPPER
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
STATE FOR SCA/PPD AND SCA/INS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL OEXC OIIP SCUL KPAO KISL IN
SUBJECT: AN ANTI-U.S. ECHO CHAMBER IN BANGALORE'S URDU SPEAKING
COMMUNITY
1. (SBU) Summary: Deeply felt Muslim resentment over the Iraq war
and U.S. policies in the Middle East, as well as misperceptions of
American society emerged during a planned literary discussion in
Bangalore between Urdu writers and journalists and visiting American
author Eddy Harris. End summary.
2. (SBU) On May 5, U.S. Speaker Program participant Eddy Harris met
with a group of seven prominent Urdu writers and journalists in
Bangalore as part of Harris' South India program arranged by post's
Public Affairs Section. The meeting was hosted by M.A. Siraj, a
leading moderate Islamic scholar and social commentator, and also
attended by post's Cultural Affairs Officer (an Urdu speaker) and
locally-engaged program specialist.
3. (SBU) What was planned to be a genteel conversation about
literature quickly became very heated when Ms. Farida Rahmatullah, a
writer and poet, asked Mr. Harris' opinion of the war in Iraq.
Without waiting for him to reply, Ms. Rahmatullah and Ms. Fauzia
Chaudhry, an Urdu language professor, switched into Urdu and
launched into a diatribe against the U.S. Notably, U.S. foreign
policy was not the only target. Aside from asking questions about
how the U.S. can kill innocent children every day in Iraq and
Afghanistan, the writers and journalists asked about what they
perceived to be the poor status of women in the U.S. and whether the
U.S. can still call itself a democracy.
4. (SBU) About the U.S. media, Ms. Rahmatullah said that it is not
free and independent but merely propaganda outlet that ignores the
suffering of the people of Iraq and Afghanistan and pushes an
obvious imperialist agenda. Ms. Chaudhry added that the U.S. needs
to know that "they" (presumably referring to the Urdu speaking
community at large) are not stupid -- as they watch Al Jazeera and
see what is really happening. Notably, everyone in the group jumped
on the bandwagon, their heads nodding in response to each other's
statements. Even Mr. Siraj, controversial in his community for his
moderate social views, stated that the U.S. is no longer a democracy
as it is held hostage by the Israeli lobby, and that he fears the
U.S. is becoming a fascist state. (Note: CAO observed that while
many of the group's questions and comments seemed quite out of touch
with reality, the convictions behind them were very strongly held.
End note.) The group did listen when Mr. Harris and the Consulate
representatives rebutted their misconceptions.
5. (SBU) The group also set its sights on Mr. Harris, castigating
him for not writing about Iraq. They said every writer in their
community is writing extensively about U.S. foreign policy and the
conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. (Comment: This, indeed, appears
to be the problem as this echo chamber amongst Bangalore's Urdu
speakers reinforces a very negative view of the U.S. Thus,
notwithstanding the high regard many urban Indians have for the
U.S., this community is an exception and consequently a public
diplomacy challenge. End comment.)
6. (SBU) In the end, the group warmly expressed their appreciation
of the chance to engage with Consulate officials, particularly in
Urdu, and they said they would welcome opportunities to do so again.
Ms. Chaudhry colorfully added that the group only felt comfortable
enough to initiate such a conversation because Mr. Harris is black
and "in every white man we see George Bush."
7. (SBU) Comment: PAS Chennai chose to meet these writers and
journalists because they are the leaders and opinion-makers of
Bangalore's Urdu speaking community. We can assume that if they
hold such vehemently anti-U.S. views that many in the community
follow their lead. Urdu newspapers in Bangalore have up to 100
thousand readers; eleven percent of Karnataka's 52 million
inhabitants - roughly 5.7 million people - are Muslim. This
highlights the depth of this public diplomacy challenge. The
contentiousness of this encounter was an exception to the others
programs of Eddy Harris' excellent and largely literary tour of
South India. Other programs will be reported septel. End Comment.
HOPPER