- Oct 10, 2020
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The development of a carefully-crafted media strategy, defending Hamas without giving the impression
of supporting violence, was deemed to be one of the most important aspects of the Committee’s public
relations campaign. Ahmed spoke of the need of “broadcasting the Islamic point of view in U.S. media,”
adding that “when Nihad appeared on CNN and talked in the way he spoke, this greatly reduces the
severity of allegations of radicalism.”31 Ahmed’s statement referred to the appearance, a few weeks
earlier, of IAP public relations director Nihad Awad on CNN Crossfire, when he advanced Hamas’ point
of view with words that were palatable to the American public.32 The media-savvy Awad followed up
on Ahmed’s words with a presentation on the media strategy, stressing the importance of “training and
qualifying individuals in the branches and the communities on media activism through holding special
courses on media,” and highlighting the importance of writing op-eds in prominent American
newspapers.33 Awad’s strategy has long been heeded by U.S.-based Hamas activists upon their return
to the Middle East. In fact, over the last few years, former U.S. Palestine Committee head Musa Abu
Marzook and former UASR director Ahmed Yousef, currently senior political adviser to Palestinian
Prime Minister Ismail Haniya, have published several editorials in prominent American newspapers
such as the Washington Post, the New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times, using tones that are
quite different from those used in Arabic.34
I found the two-pronged approach interesting, how Hamas supporters use different words with the American media than those they use with fellow Muslims.
of supporting violence, was deemed to be one of the most important aspects of the Committee’s public
relations campaign. Ahmed spoke of the need of “broadcasting the Islamic point of view in U.S. media,”
adding that “when Nihad appeared on CNN and talked in the way he spoke, this greatly reduces the
severity of allegations of radicalism.”31 Ahmed’s statement referred to the appearance, a few weeks
earlier, of IAP public relations director Nihad Awad on CNN Crossfire, when he advanced Hamas’ point
of view with words that were palatable to the American public.32 The media-savvy Awad followed up
on Ahmed’s words with a presentation on the media strategy, stressing the importance of “training and
qualifying individuals in the branches and the communities on media activism through holding special
courses on media,” and highlighting the importance of writing op-eds in prominent American
newspapers.33 Awad’s strategy has long been heeded by U.S.-based Hamas activists upon their return
to the Middle East. In fact, over the last few years, former U.S. Palestine Committee head Musa Abu
Marzook and former UASR director Ahmed Yousef, currently senior political adviser to Palestinian
Prime Minister Ismail Haniya, have published several editorials in prominent American newspapers
such as the Washington Post, the New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times, using tones that are
quite different from those used in Arabic.34
I found the two-pronged approach interesting, how Hamas supporters use different words with the American media than those they use with fellow Muslims.
