Note: The writer of this
email to me just to hand, which responds to Keith Bradsher's email
to me of this morning, is Babu Gogineni. He lives in London and is
the Executive Director of the International Humanist and Ethical
Union. Website:
http://www.iheu.org/ Babu Gogineni
has given his permission for this post to exbaba.com
This body describes
itself as: "the federating international umbrella organisation of
Humanist, rationalist and secularist organisations from over 37
countries with Specialist NGO Consultative status at the UN, UNICEF
and the Council of Europe."
The Barry Bearak who
Babu Gogineni refers to is, unlike Keith Bradsher who was a
runner-up to the Pulitzer Prize, a 2002 Pulitzer recipient for
International Reporting, and was a finalist for the Prize in
1987. He is Southeast Asia Bureau Chief, New York Times.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, July 02, 2003
2:42 PM
Subject: Re: Keith Bradsher,
New York Times, Writes to Barry Pittard
This
is absolutely breathtaking! NY Times Asia Bureau Chief Barry
Bearak - based in Delhi - called me for help in arranging a
meeting for him with Dr. Younis Shaikh, accused of blasphemy and
in prison in Pakistan. It was a pleasure to work with him. NYT
carried a major article on Dr. Shaikh later.
At
that time I had a discussion with Mr. Bearak as regards Satya Sai
Baba. At his request I faxed him my 'Sex, Lies and Videotape,
Retelling the Sathya Sai Story'. Mr. Bearak then told me that he
was planning to do an article on Sathya Sai Baba. It would be
strange for Mr. Bradsher to suggest that NYT Delhi had no idea of
allegations against Sathya Sai Baba!
So Mr.
Bradsher replies after 7 months! In any case, I went to Google.com,
typed in Sathya Sai Baba, and the second article that popped up
was my own Sathya Sai Baba Retelling the Sathya Sai Story!
Flimsy
excuses. As a reader who holds the mighty institution of NYT in
high regard, I have a right to be disappointed by NYT, and not
just because of Jason Blair! In the case of Jason Blair, the NYT
management acted honorably as soon as the facts became known. What
is the management doing in the case of Keith Bradsher's article
and the worldwide protests?
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