Topic - Media Objectivity

AWARE’s CHARTER OF COMPASSION

LEE
16 Jun 09 , 09:57 AM

Hello everyone
Re: Founding fathers of Aware’s New Charter for Compassion mentioned in ST article on June 14.

This is a SUMMARY ALL 4 persons mentioned in ST article on Aware’s New Charter of Compassion. I have done more homework on Mr. Alvin Tan and Mr. Jolovan Wham, the other 2 persons (Karen Armstrong & Tan Chong Kee) .

I quote from the ST article:
http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_390091.html

""Ms Yap hopes to establish a Singapore chapter of the Charter, started by British author and religious scholar (1) Karen Armstrong.

Its other founding members include San Francisco-based (2) Dr Tan Chong Kee, who founded the now defunct online forum, Sintercom;
(3) Mr Alvin Tan, artistic director of theatre group The Necessary Stage; and(4) Mr Jolovan Wham, executive director of transient worker help group, Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (Home).
Ms Armstrong, who wrote seminal works like A History Of God and The Battle For God, launched the charter to promote a more harmonious world through compassion - a core principle in every religion."" UNQUOTE
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1) My research on Karen Armstrong
http://www.amazon.com/Battle-God-Karen-Armstrong/dp/0345391691/ref=bxgy_cc_b_text_a/177-7447274-8908124

Quote: Former nun and A History of God iconoclast Armstrong delves deeply once again into the often violent histories of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, this time exploring the rise of fundamentalist enclaves in all three religions. . Even Buddhism, Sikhism, Hinduism, and Confucianism have developed fundamentalist factions. Reacting to a technologically driven world with liberal Western values, fundamentalists have not only increased in numbers…. Armstrong sensitively recognizes one of fundamentalism's great ironies: though they ostensibly seek to restore a displaced, mythical spiritual foundation, fundamentalists often re-establish that foundation using profoundly secular, pseudo-scientific means ("creation science" is a prime example)

Reacting to a technologically driven world with liberal Western values, fundamentalists have not only increased in numbers, they have become more desperate, claims Armstrong, who points to the Oklahoma City bombing, violent anti-abortion crusades, and the assassination of President Yitzak Rabin as evidence of dangerous extremes. "
Unquote.

2) About Tan Chong Kee
http://www.fridae.com/newsfeatures/2005/08/01/1464.tan-chong-kee
People
1 Aug 2005
tan chong kee
by Sylvia Tan

Fridae speaks to Dr Tan Chong Kee, Singapore's best-known figure in civil society activism, about his upcoming talk on Aug 2 which challenges the notion that same-sex love is contrary to Asian values. Currently the Chairman of non-profit theatre company, The Necessary Stage, the 42-year-old also holds a Ph.D. in Chinese Literature from Stanford University in the United States.

Tan Chong Kee…
'Same-Sex Love In Classical Chinese Literature' (in Mandarin) will be held on .. pm as part of IndigNation, Singapore's first Pride month. The series of events is held in "response to the unreasonable ban on parties for gays and lesbians and heavy censorship of publications serving this community."

3) About Mr. Alvin Tan of Necessary Stage:
http://www.fridae.com/newsfeatures/2003/07/02/839.spores-necessary-stage-to-present-mardi-gras

Article: Entertainment - 2 Jul 2003
Spore's necessary stage to present 'mardi gras' by News Editor
Singapore theatre company, The Necessary Stage, will stage “MARDI GRAS”, a play about A GROUP OF PEOPLE WANTING TO ORGANISE SINGAPORE’S FIRST PRIDE PARADE. Unquote. (note: Go to the link. look at the photo “we are here..we are queen…we’re..so in trouble)

4) About Mr. Jolovan Wham - he participated in a forum for human rights. However, it seems he spoke on issues of the homeless and migrant workers. But take a look at the other speakers in this forum.

http://www.singaporedemocrat.org/articleAseanHRForum.html
SINGAPORE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
Singaporeans come together to form group for human rights
24 Sep 07

At a forum held at the Allson Hotel yesterday, a group of Singaporeans came together to push for human rights in Singapore.

Moderator MR ALEX AU, WRITER AND GAY RIGHTS ACTIVIST, kicked off the session by explaining how ASEAN had agreed to include a segment in its charter that promised to respect the rights of its peoples. This came about after years of engagement with civil societies within and outside of ASEAN. UNQUOTE

Actually I was waiting and hoping for someone to do the “research” on Alvin Tan and Jolovan Wham since I already covered Armstrong and Tan Chong Kee. This has been very time consuming for me so I hope you will not let the efforts go to waste.

I am in the midst of writing my letter to the PM, Ministers, MPs, MUIS and MOE. Remember I AM BUT ONE VOICE. So everyone, PLEASE DO YOUR PART PEACEFULLY by writing, forwarding and informing the Ministries and the public.

My advice to everyone is to be more investigative and be pro active when you read something of concern. Find out more through the Net so there are facts and evidence that can be substantiated and share it with us. No need to get all panicky, just share what you have and the facts will speak for themselves. Besides waiting for someone to organize a society, I encourage you to investigate further on all articles mentioned in ST and post it here. That’s more fruitful than waiting for ST to “change”..

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LEE
17 Jun 09 , 09:24 AM

……ST insists they have been impartial and professional. So, if ST were to print future articles on Aware’s charter of compassion, will they use their sensational headlines only to highlight what they wish the public to read and dismiss the other important facts the way they did with the CSE issue? Are they going to have breathless coverage and inform the public that these founding members are pluralists who think that any religious citizens speaking up against moral values are denounced as religious fundamentalists? Are they going to splash that poster on the “Mardi Gras” play that was put up Necessary stage? That poster with a practically naked gay with captions “We’re here, we’re Queen, We’re …soooo in trouble”? http://www.fridae.com/newsfeatures/2003/07/02/839.spores-necessary-stage-to-present-mardi-gras
(Those who don’t know what I am talking about, please go to my posting on June 16 09.57am regarding the background of the 4 founding members of Aware’s charter of compassion.)

Will ST splash that gay mardi gras poster in the paper the way they splashed Dr. Thio’s photo? I have many friends who told me Dr THIO’S PHOTO IN THE ST WAS LARGER THAN MAS SELAMAT OR ANY PHOTO OF OUR PRIME MINISTER. Unfortunately I missed that.

True Objectivity means the public must have ALL the necessary knowledge about an issue before they can discern for themselves. The only way for adults to “filter” the information is when they are provided with all the facts.

….So don’t worry “CW”, if there is no hidden agenda or disguise behind Aware’s new charter of compassion, then individuals like yourself should have nothing to worry about all this information being shared to the public. If this charter isn’t another disguise by Aware for gay activists to push their agenda onto mainstream society, then you have nothing to be concerned about.. Just let the public have all the necessary facts about the 4 founding members of Aware’s charter of compassion so they can decide for themselves.

I stated in my earlier posting 16 June 10.02am that everyone is entitled to share their views in our secular state. Aware shares theirs and so should we. Fair and square. But we object when the so called All Inclusives say their views can be included in secular space but ours has to be excluded. We object to our national news media excluding the concerns of parents and citizens until we had to petition, write online letters, mass emails to get MOE to investigate Aware’s Controversial CSE Trainer’s Manual. If ST had really been impartial, all these “actions” would not have been necessary. We have now lost the confidence that ST will be impartial when reporting about activities that deal with moral issues.

Was there a need for Aware to be so secretive and adamant about their confidential manual if there was nothing wrong? So, if there is no hidden agenda or disguise behind Aware’s New Charter of Compassion, then there’s nothing wrong in SHARING this information on public space.

Now concerned parents and citizens have to do more investigative work. I save myself close to $320 on one year’s subscription of ST’s print edition. Better to give this to the more needy.