The Australian launches attack on Green Left Weekly

The July 1 Australian carried an extraordinary attack by Ilan Grapel on Green Left Weekly and its monthly Arabic insert the Flame titled “A willing ally to Hamas’s hatred”. Both publications are guilty of a “radical anti-Israel stance”, Grapel said.

But the Flame, “unbeknown to its English readers”, also allegedly “supports terrorist groups and promotes violence”.

Grapel claims that, through the Flame, GLW is “openly promoting extremism”.

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They have since refused to allow the right of reply to the editors of either GLW or the Flame. Show your disgust by sending a letter of complaint to The Australian opinions editor Rebecca Weisser at weisserr@theaustralian.com.au, or phone (02) 9288 1634.

GLW Publishes First Arabic Supplement: The Flame

Green Left Weekly, Australia's weekly alternative newspaper, has released its first Arabic Supplement, The Flame with issue #759 (July 23 edition).

Created with the help of progressive Sudanese activists, the supplement is aimed at engaging and involving the growing Arabic speaking community in Austalia. "The Flame" will cover news from the Arabic-speaking world as well as a progressive Arabic view on Australian political issues.

At the time of the 2001 Census there were 209,372 Arabic-speakers at home in Australia. Arabic is the second most commonly spoken non-English language in Sydney. The Lebanese community in Australia is the largest and earliest arrivees within the Arabic speaking community. In addition to Lebanese, the Arabic community includes Egyptians, Syrians, Iraqis, Palestinians, Jordanians, Sudanese. Many ethnicities also speak Arabic in addition to their language because they have lived in Arabic countries. They include Armenian, Kurds, Assyrians, Mandaeens and many more. The Arabic speaking community in Australia is increasing, with more arriving from Iraq and Sudan.

To find out more or get involved visit http://www.greenleft.org.au/