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MSU’s Journalism Hall of Fame pick disputed

April 18, 2013
	<p>Osama Siblani</p>

Osama Siblani

To the dismay of the nonprofit Anti-Defamation League, publisher and editor-in-chief of The Arab American News, Osama Siblani will be inducted into the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame on Sunday.

The hall of fame is hosted by MSU’s School of Journalism and director Lucinda Davenport is a member of the committee.

Despite claims from the Anti-Defamation League that Siblani is anti-Semitic and supports terror groups while running a one-sided paper, the hall of fame selection committee decided the nearly 28-year veteran of the Dearborn, Mich., based paper still will be inducted.

The Anti-Defamation League advocates for Jewish rights and other civil rights.

“After reviewing the concerns raised by the Anti-Defamation League, members of the selection committee support their earlier decision,” MSU spokesman Kent Cassella said in a statement. “The Hall of Fame selection committee believes in the freedom of the press and the right to freely express one’s views, although it may not always agree with all the views expressed by its inductees or those printed in publications with which the inductees are affiliated.”

Osama Siblani said the claims have nothing to do with the Journalism Hall of Fame, and the league is trying to smear his reputation.

“They’re trying to stifle the debate on the Arab-Israeli conflict here in America, and that we should not allow them to do,” Siblani said.

Anti-Defamation League Michigan Regional Director Heidi Budaj said the decision is “disappointing.”

“I just hope that this particular selection does not damage the legitimacy of the hall of fame in any way,” Budaj said.

“We question the wisdom of the journalism school at the Michigan State University in holding him up as upholding the journalistic ideals of these awards.”

Budaj said the league has followed The Arab American News for many years and sent a letter detailing the organization’s concerns to the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame after Siblani was announced in early April as one of five that would be inducted.

She said the league has concerns about comments from Siblani showing support for Hamas and Hezbollah, which has been designated as terrorist groups by the U.S. State Department, and his support for Palestinians in the newspaper.

Budaj said the newspaper does not show the other side of issues, such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and it has published anti-Semitic cartoons from contests in Iran stating the Holocaust wasn’t real.

Siblani said he is not anti-Semitic, as he himself is Semite because Arabs and Jewish people come from the same roots. He said the U.S. State Department classifies groups as terrorists, not all people agree with this and he is entitled to his opinion.

Advertising senior Shane Cann said he knows little about the debate, but he is concerned with the accusations of flawed journalistic principles if the newspaper truly fails to show both sides to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“It could go either way,” Cann said of whether Siblani should be inducted into the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame. “I’m sure (the committee has) looked at it very detailed before making a decision.”

Despite the debate, Siblani is not taking his coming induction lightly.

“This is a great honor,” Siblani said. “I have to start working very hard now in order to earn this honor and to keep it.”

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