Mission and meaning of aljazeerah

Al-Jazeerah Peace Information Center

Name and Mission

By Dr. Hassan A. El-Najjar,

Editor and Founder of Al-Jazeerah

February 22, 2002

The word "Al-Jazeerah" means "The Island," in Arabic. It is also used as an abbreviation for the Arabian Peninsula, which is referred to by many Arabs as "The Island" because it is surrounded by sea from three directions and the desert isolates it from the fourth.

The main goal of Al-Jazeerah Peace Information Center is to promote cross-cultural understanding between people all over the world. This will be achieved by publishing news, articles, columns, book reviews, and letters, which must not contain any hateful or derogatory words or phrases. We are looking for opinions, analyses, and arguments that are well reasoned and well documented.

The need for this approach has increased recently as a result of the bias displayed against Arab and Muslim nations in many parts of the world. In particular, major TV stations, magazines, and newspapers in the United States have taken the Israeli side in the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. This is despite the fact that Palestinians are victims of the Israeli military occupation and oppression.

It is the mission of Al-Jazeerah Peace Information Center to promote non-violence in the resolution of international conflicts, particularly the U.S.-Iraqi conflict and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, without equating the oppressed Palestinians with the oppressive Israeli occupiers. Within this context, we especially welcome any contributions from readers that set the record straight and may help educate the world generally, and Americans in particular, about the truth of what is happening in Palestine, Iraq, and around the world.

This is a free forum for an objective treatment of the issues that have major importance for world peace and for understanding among people of all nations and cultures. We welcome articles, opinions about issues, news, pictures, letters, and book reviews. Thus, Al-Jazeerah will be an island of truth and hope.

Al-Jazeerah (www.aljazeerah.info) was created as a domain name and bought by Dr. Hassan A. El-Najjar on January 24, 2002.

Earth, a planet hungry for peace

Apartheid Wall


The Israeli Land-Grab Apartheid Wall built inside the Palestinian territories, here separating Abu Dis from occupied East Jerusalem. (IPC, 7/4/04).

The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers in the West Bank, like a Python. (Alquds,10/25/03).