Build on BBG reach and impact within the Muslim world

Alhurra lands interview with Secretary Clinton
During an interview with Alhurra Television the United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton discussed her trip to the Middle East, next steps in the Middle East peace process, escalating tensions between Israel and Syria, the Iraqi elections and the situation in Iran. Excerpts of her interview are available here.

"Voices from Afghanistan" exhibit at the Library of Congress
The Library of Congress launched an exhibit in Washington, D.C. on February 24, showcasing handwritten scrolls and letters sent by listeners to Radio Azadi, RFE/RL's popular Afghan radio program. Librarian of Congress Dr. James Billington calls Voices from Afghanistan "a window through which can be seen the society, culture, and concerns of the Afghan people." [Take an online, interactive tour of the letters] The multimedia exhibit also includes a of two Afghan boys who sent a 130-foot long letter to Radio Azadi from their small village outside of Kabul, as well as manuscripts, maps, photos, and music from the Library's permanent collection of artifacts from Afghanistan.

The exhibit will run in the Library's Thomas Jefferson Building for three months, giving visitors a valuable opportunity to learn about RFE/RL’s broadcasting to Afghanistan.

Since it went on the air in 2001, Radio Azadi has received "fan mail" from merchants, clerics, farmers, university students and schoolchildren across Afghanistan. The ornate letters and scrolls, which number in the thousands, tackle serious topics like terrorism and corruption, while also making simple song requests and dedications. RFE/RL is presenting these letters as a gift to the permanent collection of the Library of Congress.

Al Youm Turns One
Alhurra, the Arabic-language television network, celebrates the one-year anniversary of its flagship program Al Youm (Today) on March 8. Al Youm, heralded for broadcasting simultaneously from five countries in three continents, brings together all areas of the Middle East (the Gulf, North Africa and the Levant) and the U.S. The program shows viewers how issues not only affect the people in their country, but those who live in the countries around them including the global economic crisis, the impact of technology, child labor laws, cultural diversity and development. During the anniversary week, Al Youm examined the impact of terrorism in the Middle East and the U.S., examined the question of Yemen’s role related to Al Qaeda and the use social networking sites for terrorist recruitment efforts. In its first year on the air, Al Youm’s anchor Engy Anwar became one of the first women to broadcast live from the Hajj. Another high point in the year was Al Youm’s non-stop coverage with reaction from the Middle East, the U.S. and Asia to President Barack Obama’s speech in Cairo to the Muslim world.

RFE/RL Launches Radio Service for Pakistan’s Pashtun Heartland
On Jan. 15, RFE/RL launched Radio Mashaal (Torch), a broadcast service directed to Pakistan and the border regions between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The programs are in the local Pashto dialects and offer an alternative to the growing number of Islamic extremist radio stations in the region. Radio Mashaal’s correspondents cover local and international news with in-depth reports on terrorism, politics, women’s issues, and health care. The station features roundtable discussions and interviews with tribal leaders and local policymakers in addition to regular call-in programs aimed at giving listeners the opportunity to be heard. Radio Mashaal operates out of a new bureau in Pakistan and broadcasts from RFE/RL’s Prague headquarters. The station shares a frequency with VOA’s Radio Deewa and transmits via FM, shortwave and satellite. Online, Radio Mashaal’s Web site provides live and on-demand streams of its broadcasts.

Kyrgyz Service Monitors Imprisonment of Opposition Politician
When the former Minister of Defense, General Ismail Isakov, was imprisoned on Jan. 11, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service used radio, television and the Internet to keep its audiences informed. The Bishkek military court sentenced Isakov to eight years in prison for alleged corruption while serving as defense minister. In interviews with the Kyrgyz Service, Isakov and his son, who lives in the United States, condemned the verdict and insisted that the trial was politically motivated. Two days after Isakov’s imprisonment, the Service reported that supporters of the jailed politician across the country had gone on hunger strikes. Furthermore, the Service revealed on Jan. 29 that Isakov supporters had been denied permission to hold a protest rally in Bishkek.