Avoiding the Question 101

From: U.S. Department of State
Special Briefing by Farah Pandith, Special Representative to Muslim Communities
Farah Anwar Pandith
Special Representative to Muslim Communities
Washington, DC
July 1, 2009

(I thought that you might also find this amusing)

MR. WOOD: Good afternoon, everybody. Welcome. Sorry for the delay. I think you all know we had some technical difficulties. I’m very pleased to have with us today Special Representative to Muslim Countries[1] Farah Pandith. And Ms. Pandith’s going to brief you on her new position and the Administration’s efforts to create opportunities for dialogue with Muslims around the world. So I’m going to turn it over to her in just a second. .........

QUESTION: Yes, Samir Nader with Radio Sawa. Congratulations on your position. Will you be responsible in charge of contacts with the Organization of Islamic States, or will – or is the Secretary going to appoint a new representative to replace Ambassador Sada Cumber?
MS. PANDITH: The OIC is under the International Organizations Bureau of the State Department, and I think you’d have to ask that question to Esther Brimmer, the assistant secretary. I don’t know the answer to your question.
QUESTION: But you are not – it’s not part of your responsibilities?
MS. PANDITH: No, no.
Yes, sir.
QUESTION: You’ve focused also on the fact that you are trying to work in order to listen to the probably grievances of the Muslims or also trying to engage with the non-official, the organizations, the young people. And a very important conference, Islamic Christian Conference, has just concluded in Damascus was making a big case of what the fate of Jerusalem, and would President Obama’s promise in his speech to the Islamic world, that his policies are going to be built on international laws, UN resolutions, and not on ideological, self-serving interpretation of religious books of such a group. What can you assure – what kind of role are you going to play in the future talking to these people, non-official people, organizations, young people? How are you going to convince them that actually the United States is very serious about pursuing this kind of policy that President Obama has promised, that it is going to be built on UN resolutions, the illegitimacy of acquisition of land by force, Israeli force, and that the United States is going to stand against the eradication of the Palestinians out of Jerusalem and other Palestinian land?
MS. PANDITH: I think the President is the person who has made statements on these issues. I think that the ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, has also made statements on these issues. And I would ask you to refer to them.
I think I’ll take – I think I’ll – yeah, I think we’re actually – there’s one gentleman in the back – poor guy – who’s had his hand up. Yeah.