This item is available on the Militant Islam Monitor website, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/304
October 25, 2004
James J. Zogby, President of the Arab American Institute and John Zogby, President and Chief Executive Officer of Zogby International at FPC Briefing on "What Arabs Think: Values, Beliefs and Concerns"http://fpc.state.gov/fpc/14220.htmMIM:James and John Zogby, pro Saudi propagandists whose sound bytes and polling statistics often go unchallenged despite the evidence of their Islamist and pro Saudi bias.Brothers John and James Zogby, the head of the polling organisation and a the Arab American Institute, are two examples of how slick packaging and public relations are enabling them to push their pro Wahabi and anti American agenda as a and manipulate American public and political opinion .Pollster John Zogby was a left wing activist who ran for public office and turned his pre election assessment into his present polling career . In an article entitled "How I did it " Zogby arrogantly boasts that he intends to become the leading authority for opinion studies in the US ,while takeing a swipe at politicians who are among his biggest clients : "I want to be the Gallup of my generation, the household word, the generic. I have plans to make this a $40 million corporation, partly by pursuing licensing agreements with partners around the world. We're getting ready to poll Swaziland. We've completed Botswana and Malawi. Most of these polls are corporate-sponsored. We want to know the investment climate, the path to reform. Once I was a very liberal professor activist, and I saw a political career for myself. But I managed to be cured of that disease." ------------------------------------------------ MIM :The uncritical citing of Zogby statistics by prestigious firms has overshadowed the criticism of his methods by those who challenge his credibilty. He has been assailed by Christian and Jewish groups regarding his polling methods and Islamist bias . In addition to being a spokesman for the Wahabists, Zogby is regarded as a con man for hire , who manipulates results to suit his clients and further their stated agendas . Both Jews and Christians have assailed his agenda and his methods. Below are excerpts from Jewish and Christian web pundits decrying the reliability and borderline illegality of Zogby's polling methods. Kesher Talk - a Jewish weblog on the Middle East stated that : "... pollster John Zogby is notorious in the polling community for being, well, a shyster. He keeps his methods an absolute secrecy, contrary to the stipulations of the major polling organizations..." "... The Christian Science Monitor hosted a breakfast with John Zogby (the pollster) and James Zogby (president of the Arab American Institute). Low and behold, the Zogby poll is described as being run by BOTH of them, not just by the pollster, and the discussion of it on TV has involved both of them - John talking about the poll itself, then a quick tag to James who rails against U.S. foreign policy..." http://www.hfienberg.com/kesher/2002/04/impressions-of-america-poll-zogbys.html ----------------------- 'Polipundit' opined as to : 'Why Christians et al shouldn't trust Zogby Arab polls' http://polipundit.com/index.php?p=4176
"...All in all, Zogby's habit of confusing his personal opinion --------------------------------------------------- MIM: Chris Mooney of The American Prospect calls Zogby a "leading enabler " stating : "Zogby's reputation as a pollster buys instant credibility" and that clients who commission a Zogby poll "have essentially purchased an objective fact ." -------------------------------------- John Zogby's Creative PollsAnd a closer look at his methodsChris Mooneyhttp://www.prospect.org/print-friendly/print/V14/1/mooney-c.htmlIn a recent New York Times Magazine cover story about animal rights, journalist Michael Pollan reported that 51 percent of Americans believe that "primates are entitled to the same rights as human children." It was a surprising finding, but one that Pollan simply attributed to a "recent Zogby Poll." When Pollan's article came out, you can only imagine the celebration at the Doris Day Animal League, a group dedicated to establishing legal rights for chimpanzees. The league's role in commissioning the survey went entirely unmentioned in the Times story. By hiring the renowned pollster John Zogby, the group had essentially purchased an objective fact, one that entered into the conventional wisdom via the nation's leading Sunday magazine.Whomever you blame for this small propaganda coup, it's hardly unique. Media coverage of polling results often neglects to mention the self-interestedness of the sponsor, and John Zogby is a leading enabler. Today, Zogby International's polling reputation may be second only to that of the hallowed Gallup Organization, which makes having a Zogby Poll extremely desirable for advocacy groups across the political spectrum. Animal rights is a lefty cause, but one recent Zogby Poll conducted for the libertarian Cato Institute found that "two-thirds of likely voters support personal Social Security accounts" -- i.e., partial privatization. Another, conducted in 1997 for the anti-tort group New Yorkers for Civil Justice Reform, found that Empire State citizens "overwhelmingly believe that the cost of lawsuit awards is too high." And a Newsmax.com/Zogby International Poll, conducted for the right-wing Newsmax Web site, found in late 1999 that two-thirds of Americans wanted Congress to consider a second impeachment proceeding against then-President Clinton. It helped that the poll primed respondents with speculative allegations that the president traded nuclear technology to the Chinese in exchange for campaign cash.What these polls have in common is that they reveal "findings" that their sponsors wish the public to believe as facts. And Zogby's standing as a reputable pollster buys instant credibility.There's nothing new about dubious surveys: An infamous Roper Poll released in 1992 came to the wild conclusion that 3.7 million Americans had likely been abducted by aliens. And Zogby International isn't the only firm available for advocacy groups, candidates and corporations in need of creatively framed findings and message testing. But among high-profile pollsters, Zogby is unusual in the extent to which he has blended partisan and interest-group polling with credibility-enhancing contracts for media outlets such as Reuters, NBC News, MSNBC, and numerous newspapers and television stations.As Zogby himself acknowledges, the repute he derives from media polling helps him sell his services to more self-interested clients. The lucky groups end up with the Zogby brand name attached to findings that advance their agendas. "Media organizations should have people who absolutely aren't polling for interest groups," observes Robert Blendon, who directs Harvard University's Program on Public Opinion and Health and Social Policy. Blendon notes that most major media polling conglomerates, such as the ABC News/Washington Post Poll, maintain firewalls between their work and outside interests..."...In the last election, however, John Zogby brazenly polled for a Democratic opponent to Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas), paying out of his own pocket because he wanted to provide a "fresh challenge" to the Republican House whip. Zogby also polled for New York's millionaire independent gubernatorial candidate Tom Golisano, declaring in late October, "I'm ready to mortgage my house and predict that Golisano comes in at least second, barring anything unforeseen." Golisano came in third with 14 percent of the vote.In the past half-decade, meanwhile, numerous Zogby Polls for various special interests have relied on creative phrasing to give the impression of wide public support for the view that the given client is promoting. In response to a question about the wording of the Newsmax.com impeachment survey, Zogby responded, "If we had anything to do with the wording of that question, then I guess I have a problem with it." He telephoned back to add that it was "probably not the best wording, but, I mean, I think it's defensible." Zogby acknowledges that he retains control over question phrasing. Indeed, in the world of interest-group polling, clients often submit proposed questions or concepts, but much of what they are buying is the polling firm's expertise in devising wording that produces results..."-------------------------------MIM: An example of polling as propaganda can be found in the Zogby poll asking if Americans believed that thegovernment had foreknowledge of 9/11, which was released on the eve of the Republican convention .http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=855Released: August 30, 2004Half of New Yorkers Believe US Leaders Had Foreknowledge of Impending 9-11 Attacks and "Consciously Failed" To Act; 66% Call For New Probe of Unanswered Questions by Congress or New York's Attorney General, New Zogby International Poll RevealsOn the eve of a Republican National Convention invoking 9/11 symbols, sound bytes and imagery, half (49.3%) of New York City residents and 41% of New York citizens overall say that some of our leaders "knew in advance that attacks were planned on or around September 11, 2001, and that they consciously failed to act," according to the poll conducted by Zogby International. The poll of New York residents was conducted from Tuesday August 24 through Thursday August 26, 2004. Overall results have a margin of sampling error of +/-3.5.The poll is the first of its kind conducted in America that surveys attitudes regarding US government complicity in the 9/11 tragedy. Despite the acute legal and political implications of this accusation, nearly 30% of registered Republicans and over 38% of those who described themselves as "very conservative" supported the claim.http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=855-----------------------------------------------------------------MIM:The political impact of the Zogby polls a and combined efforts of the brothers can be seen by the influence they were able to excerpt at all levels of government to explain Arab hatred of America and manipulate US foreign policy. Political hack Zogby boasts of his and his brothers being asked to lecture on their findings and criticises the Bush administration and the 9/11 Commission claiming that they refuse to discuss US "policy as the problem". According to James Zogby ,the results of a Zogby International poll revealing negative Arab attitudes towards Americans was a result of "US policy towards the Arabs and Palestinians " ..."found a receptive audience". Both James and John Zogby "addressed the Department of State , testified before Congress, and lectured on the results before distinquished audiences in the US". http://www.jerusalemites.org/articles/english/aug2004/16.htmExcerpts from:"It's Still the US Foreign Policy, Stupid"By James J. Zogby
In responses given to open-ended questions, the role that anger with US policy plays in this growing Arab disenchantment with America becomes even clearer. When asked to identify the "first thought that comes to mind," the "best and worst things they could say about America," and "what America should do to change its image in the Arab World," the principal responses all focused on policy issues. "Stop supporting Israel," "Change your Middle East policy," and "Stop killing Arabs" were among the most common responses. "...What our data demonstrates is what most of the world and a great number of Americans already know: Policy matters. What is disturbing, however, is the degree to which US policy makers refuse to acknowledge the role that policy plays in this widening gap that is separating America from the Arab World. The President and leading lawmakers continue to obfuscate this fact, insisting that the problem lies elsewhere. Commissions have been formed to study the situation, but have been instructed rule out a priori any discussion of "policy as the problem..." MIM: The Zogby brothers work together to promote the Wahabi lobby and the interests of the Democratic Party . Zogby International provides the propaganda and the American Arab Institute is the forum through which the Zogby's can promote the interests of their Saudi handlers.MIM: The Foundation for Defense of Democracies carried an item labelling Zogby " a publicity agent "...for Wahabi extremism".http://www.defenddemocracy.org/in_the_media/in_the_media_show.htm?doc_id=180206&attrib_id=7377MIM: Stephen Schwartz wrote in Frontpage Magazine about James Zogby's Saudi handlers. Zogby's lovefest with Wahabists begs the question as to what financial and business 'perks' both he and his brother John are enjoying as a result of their dhimmitude .One answer mounts to a gift of $300,000 dollars by Saudi Prince Alaweed ibn Talal to James Zogby's Arab American Institute,which is listed a non profit organisation.---------------------------------------In 2003... " James Zogby (who is even slicker than al-Jubeir) appeared as representative of his Arab American Institute (AAI), in a joint presentation with Saleh al-Wohaiby, secretary of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY, an official arm of the Saudi government).They announced that AAI and WAMY will "take up the cases of some 13,000 Arabs and Muslims, some of whom have been targeted by the U.S. government for possible deportation."What is WAMY? Simply, the Saudi equivalent of the Hitler Youth: a hate-mongering, ultraextremist group preaching, among other niceties, that Shia Muslims are not real Muslims, but products of a Jewish conspiracy. It is under continuing investigation for involvement in al Qaeda funding."http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=8466MIM: In "Stopping the Saudis" Alex Alexiev, a senior fellow at the Center for Security Policy , revealed that the Arab American Institute was working together with the World Assemby of Muslim Youth, a group which on a US government list of Saudi groups behind terror funding .WAMY was incorporated in the US by Osama Bin Laden's brother, Abdullah."...The radicalization of Islam is continuing apace domestically as well, and again the Saudis play a key role. In just one recent example, according to the Arab News (a Saudi government-controlled newspaper), the World Assembly of Muslim Youth -- which was incorporated in the U.S. by Osama bin Laden's brother Abdullah bin Laden -- announced last June that it will "take up the cases" of 13,000 Muslim illegal aliens slated for deportation, together with the Arab American Institute, an American non-profit organization (and the recipient of $300,000 from Saudi prince Alwaleed ibn Talal, again according to the Arab News). It is difficult to interpret this as anything other than a blatant interference in the internal affairs of the U.S. by a state-controlled foreign entity." http://www.traditioninaction.org/HotTopics/e016htSaudis_Alexiev.html
--------------------------------MIM: James Zogby, the director of the American Arab Institute,lamented the bad rap given the Saudis after 9/11 . In an article published in the Saudi government controlled 'Arab News' , he complained that "the majority of Americans have no direct experential knowlege about the Saudis", and that "the public debate on Saudi Arabia has spun out of control". Zogby is the American version of Saudi government spinmeister Al Jubeir .http://www.arabnews.com/?page=7§ion=0&article=46864&d=16&m=6&y=2004Excerpts from : Misconceptions about Saudi Arabia in the USWASHINGTON, 16 June 2004 -"Continued reports of violence against Westerners in Saudi Arabia has once again thrust the Kingdom back into the news.Spokesman Adel Al-Jubeir held a widely covered press conference detailing a multi-pronged Saudi offensive against the terrorist threat. But on television and radio talk shows, a less informed political discussion unfolded. Prominently featured on these programs have been "think tank" "experts" and authors of best-selling books on Saudi Arabia — most of whom have never even visited the country.On one occasion, I appeared in one such debate responding to an Israeli-American woman who was described as a "Middle East expert" at a prominent right-wing think tank. She soberly gave her analysis that "this was the beginning of the end.""What should the US do?" she was asked. Her response was that we needed to either immediately develop alternative energy supplies or find a way to "secure our oil," presumably by wresting it from the control of the "extremists", whom she predicted, were poised to take power.This would all be laughable if it were not so dangerous. The public discourse about Saudi Arabia has spun out of control...""Because the vast majority of Americans have no direct experiential knowledge about Saudis, when 9/11 occurred and was immediately followed with a barrage of misinformation about the country, they had no ability to filter out and reject false ideas. For too many Americans, the only face they were able to put on Saudi Arabia were the images of the 15 Saudis who were part of the group of 19. And when asked in open-ended questions "what is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear about Saudi Arabia" — a majority respond with "war," "danger," "terror," or "a bad place". When asked to tell the "first good thing that comes to mind when they hear Saudi Arabia" — almost one half say "nothing". The good news, however, is that those negative views do not hold for those Americans who know Saudis or the country of Saudi Arabia..."----------------------------------------------------------------AAI director James Zogby is also senior analyst with Zogby /international
MIM: Under the Zogby's The Arab American Institute and John Zogby's polling organisation have become extensions of the Wahabi lobby and the democratic party. According to his biography :Dr.(James) Zogby has also been personally active in U.S. politics for many years. Most recently, Zogby was elected a co-convener of the National Democratic Ethnic Coordinating Committee (NDECC), an umbrella organization of Democratic Party leaders of European and Mediterranean descent. On September 24, 1999, the NDECC elected Dr. James Zogby as its representative to the DNC's Executive Committee.
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NEW YORK - The validity and accuracy of polls carried out by the well-known Republican pollster John Zogby concerning Israel must be questioned, in view of the revelation that Zogby signed a newspaper advertisement calling for the "dismantling" of Israel and his long record of other anti-Israel political activity. ------------------------ MIM: Below is information regarding James Zogby and The Arab American Institute. It should be kept in mind that James Zogby is currently a senior analyst in the polling firm of Zogby International run by his brother, John Zogby. All of the Zogby brother's public and political affiliations appear to constitute a blatant conflict of interests which call any claims of objective research or results into question. Despite his and his brothers acheivement of 'the American Dream' Zogby coauthored a tome portraying Arab Americans as victims of discrimination. More insidious is Zogby's authorship of a "Middle East Peace Proposal whcih was endorsed by the foreign ministers of Tunesia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the Palestine Liberation Organisation," Besides having close ties to Saudi Wahabists, Zogby hosts a television show which is broadcast in Abu Dubai , In 1990 James Zogby: "... co-authored "The Politics of Exclusion," a study of discrimination against Arab Americans in U.S. politics. The study formed the basis for a decade-long effort to end such discrimination.
In 1991, Zogby authored a Middle East peace proposal, which was endorsed by the foreign ministers of Tunisia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the Palestine Liberation Organization..." http://www3.estart.com/arab/news/zogbybio.html MIM: In 2002 Zogby offered 'Palestinians' this advice on how to fight against Israel. Note that he emphasizes that "a key point here is to enable them ( the' Palestinians') to regain their victim status and strip the Israelis of their mantle of self defense".He called the article "I have a Palestinian Dream". "...A peaceful march of tens of thousands of unarmed Palestinians converging on the city of Jerusalem from all points in the West Bank, carrying banners that read "Let my people pray" or "Let my people go home" would tie the hands of the Israeli military. If they use violence, they will lose. If they allowed the march, the Palestinians would gain new power and win. A key point here is to empower the Palestinian people and to enable them to regain their victim status and to strip the Israelis of their mantle of self-defense. There are many other such tactics that could be developed into a comprehensive campaign..." http://www.alternet.org/middleeast/12454/ --------------------------------------------------------- MIM:According to their website the AAI is : ...a Washington, D.C.-based organization which serves as the political and policy research arm of the Arab American community. Since 1985, Dr. Zogby and AAI have led Arab American efforts to secure political empowerment in the U.S. ...For the past three decades, Dr. Zogby has been involved in a full range of Arab American issues. A co-founder and chairman of the Palestine Human Rights Campaign in the late 1970s, he later co-founded and served as the Executive Director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. In 1982, he co-founded Save Lebanon, Inc., a private non-profit, humanitarian and non-sectarian relief organization which funds health care for Palestinian and Lebanese victims of war, and other social welfare projects in Lebanon. In 1985, Zogby founded AAI. http://www.aaiusa.org/zogby/zogby_home.htm MIM:Despite claiming to be of Lebanese Christian descent, James Zogby has never met an Islamist he didnt like. His founding role in the Arab American Anti Discrimination Committee ( an Islamist spinoff of the ADL belies any pretence he makes of being a moderate . The ADC has come out in support of Hizbollah and it's former communications director, Hussein Ibish, was notorious for his anti semitism and anti Americanism, and support for terrorism. When asked by Geraldo Rivera what he thought about Hizbollah in 1994 Ibish responded : "... I think that Hizbollah fought a very good war against the Israelis, a http://judiciary.senate.gov/testimony.cfm?id=910&wit_id=2574 In a 2004 interview on the Neil Cavuto show about the Council of American Islamic Relation's "Not in the Name of Islam"petition ( a public relations stunt designed to give CAIR -which Dr.Daniel Pipes has labelled "radical to core " a facade of moderation) Ibish stated that : Muslim countries. "The attacks in Riyadh, in Morocco, in Amman and in Syria are really starting to annoy a lot of people who might have shrugged or might not have cared so much." http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=%5CNation%5Carchive%5C200405%5CNAT20040514b.html NEW YORK- A veteran extremist who has defended Arab terrorists who * Zogby has praised the Hezbollah terrorist group as "the Lebanese Neal Sher, former executive director of AIPAC and former head of ...Zogby has repeatedly praised and defended Ziad Abu Eain, an Arab Zogby denounced President Clinton's 1995 executive order banning For a copy of the ZOA's new report, James Zogby's Record of Extremism, http://www.zoa.org/pressrel2000/20001004a.htm ---------------------------- MIM: In 1997 Kenneth Timmerman wrote about The Gore Clinton campaign ties to Middle East terrorists and detailed a meeting between the James Zogby and Abdulrahman Alamoudi, the now jailed leader of the American Muslim Council who were both on the Democratic National Steering Committee together with Edward Gabriel, who was a courier of campaign funding from rich businessmen in the Middle East . According to Timmerman , Zogby and Gabriel 'gave' the donations to Arabs in America,who then 'contributed' it to the campaign. (In 2000, James brother John was appointed as 'Advisor of Ethnic Affairs ' for Gore Lieberman campaign. The ZOA issued a press release detailing John's extremism and urged that the appointment be rescinded.) (see above) "...Timmerman reported that Gabriel had sat together with James Zogby and Abdulrahman Alamoudi on the steering committee of the Arab Americans for Clinton/Gore "96. The "Moneyman" article described a "former DNC employee" who alleged that Gabriel served as a conduit for campaign contributions to the DNC from Arab businessmen in The suspicion of Gore's connection to the AMC and Gabriel and his receiving campaign contributions from Arab terrorist groups is further heightened by another article published by Timmerman in the April 1997 issue of the American Spectator. Timmerman reported that Allegedly, William Grigg, writing in the Jack Kelly reported in an
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This item is available on the Militant Islam Monitor website, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/304