Generation Islam narrated with ominous tones of children going to Hamas “boy scout” camps to train and strengthen physically, children who look up to fighters as heroes even as children– as though American boys don’t grow up with GI Joes and war themed video games wanting to be soldiers. Then they cut to a camp run by Islamic Jihad where teens train with guns as though saying there’s no difference, this is what summer camp is like in Gaza, they’re “just like us” when its singing and wanting education and competing in Afghan Idol. But when it comes to glorifying armed fighters, it’s a whole other culture and pathology.
The ones going to “Quran Camps” are the ones who support violent resistance, while the featured American-Palestinians seemingly are not as religious and are nonviolent peace wagers by virtue of having introduced Western civilized concepts with the help of arabic-speaking muppets. Muppets, as Amanpour noted, are freely allowed to travel throughout the occupied territories unlike its viewers and generally neglect to appreciate how a culture of occupation as opposed to violence, can affect its young viewers.
Did you notice in the Afghanistan segment they profiled only Americans, and white non-Afghani Westerners at that, who were helping build Afghan schools, expand education, improve their lives, etc. They profiled American soldiers building schools and passing out crayons, and two American civilians but not a single Afghan doing that that’s worth noting. Apparently they’re being rescued by White Americans. Yes, those Americans volunteering are doing honorable and extremely selfless work in Afghanistan but so many native Afghans are risking and devoting their lives to do just that. It’s absolutely unbelievable that CNN did not profile a single one in the same light.
And of course, they included the requisite black cloaked niqabi shot…looks like they covered all their bases.
All these enlightening specials seem to be approached the same way– there’s already a narrative in place that we all are familiar with, and they tailor the story to that established story instead of contributing anything substantial or original. Are you sad?” to the girl who lost her leg and family, “Are you happy?” to the kids in a real, not-falling apart school built by American soldiers for the first time in their lives…questions that are not empty or leading at all, good work done by a veteran international correspondent lauded by all.
