Wikinews:Published interview requests

Interview requests at Wikinews can be submitted to Wikinews:Request an interview.

Riaz A Hakeem, Taliban resurgent in Pakistan on enforcement of Sharia law, May 4, 2007

Date request was made: 2/20/2007
Position: Founder
Organisation: Pashtun Foundation
Web: www.pashtunfoundation.org
Email address: rhakeem@alltel.net
Phone number: 281-240-7860

Statement

I just returned from a visit to the city of my birth, Peshawar, Pakistan.

While there I was able to make a comprehensive assessment of the Talibanization of Pakistan. This is what I wish to discuss. I do not have access to the standard media outlets, however what ever CNN, and the the big three networks put out about Pakistan is less than half correct. The Taliban are slowly but surely establishing a parallel government in Pukhtunkhwa (NWFP) in particular in the areas of conflict like North and South Waziristan, where the Wazir Pashtun tribesmen trounced the Pakistan army, the army had to find a way to retreat, which it did under pretense of a peace treaty. But also in Bajaur where US missiles struck two madrassa's killing many children. Further more a major city has been taken over, the city of Bannu, from which hails the Chief Minister of Pukhtunkhwa (NWFP). In addition the far flung areas of Chitral and Dir are inaccessible and while it is widely believed that the Taliban have set up their government over there as well, it is hard to verify, because those areas are so remote and difficult to get to.

This information is not coming out in the main news outlets, and this is what I want to discuss.

Thanks.

Wikinews community discussion

Running a story like this would need some kind of proof, a single witness report would be difficult to confirm. I think it's highly unlikely a story like this can be run under the policies we have on this website.--Steven Fruitsmaak (Reply) 16:50, 20 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

sounds interesting. is topical[1], [2], [3]. there is some corroboration6.txt, [4], [5]. — Doldrums(talk) 19:36, 20 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Providing confirmation here now that the contact phone # for Riaz A Hakeem is indeed a valid phone line. I received no phone call pick up, and left a message at the answering service. I emailed Hakeem, thanking the person for their interest. There was no mail-box notification of a sending error, so I assume the email address is valid.-Edbrown05 22:15, 20 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I received a call back from Mr. Hakeem in reply to the message I left on his answering service. Mr. Hakeem says he is 58 years old. His physical presence is in the United States, and that he is a naturalized U.S. citizen <--(I think I said that correctly). The person's interests during the short, and distracted conversation I had with the individual, seems entirely consistent with Wikinews reporting goals of disseminating information. I will be pursuing an interview as I become able to frame a context that conveys the relevance of what Mr. Hakeem has to say. -Edbrown05 00:20, 21 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

per Stevenfruitsmaak's comment. Yes we would need some verification, but I don't think it would be impossible. Bawolff ☺☻ 23:53, 21 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Me and EdBrown are in touch with Mr. Hakeem and are working on this. anyone interested in joining in welcome. — Doldrums(talk) 05:15, 22 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Should we consider this interview abandoned? Thunderhead 04:51, 23 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

No, because it took almost 2 months to get it published. -Edbrown05 10:33, 24 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I would be interested in his interview only if I have to waste my time. Mr. Hakeem repeatedly used the word pashtoonkhwa for NWFP province, while he knows very well, that the constitutional name of the province is not what he using. Interviewing him will also damage wikipedia's reputation amongs Paksitanis. I am sure that wikipedia's policy would not allow to publish contents which harm the national unity and public interests of any country.

Moreover, if he can have his website in multiple languages then why not Urdu too? Which is a national language of the country. Should Mr. Hakeem had only published his website in English or Pashto. This question would have not been raised.

Also as Mr. Steven Fruitsmaak said that a single witness reports would be difficult to confirm. If such unknown individuals are allowed to spread their personal views, then we must get ready to take 170 million interviews from Pakistan only.

Then why we trust on the person who use CNN instead of Geo. Is Geo TV not available in USA? --saj - pakistanfront.wordpress.com 22:00, 21 February 2009 (UTC) 23:02, 20 February 2009 (UTC)

Your point would be taken more seriously if you were paying enough attention to notice this is Wikinews, not Wikipedia. --Brian McNeil / ^talk 22:30, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Brian, I sliped in to this page, while I was looking for something. But still wikinews or wikipedia not make much diff. Not only wikinews and wikipedia but no other well-reputed site would ever like to harm their reputation with such material. The way Mr. Hakeem wrote his story tells his story by itself.--saj - pakistanfront.wordpress.com 22:00, 21 February 2009 (UTC) 23:02, 20 February 2009 (UTC)

It would seem you stumbled onto this page as a place to spam links to your blog. In any case, an interview is where the opinions and beliefs of someone are exposed. That is well within policy, and, to put it bluntly, "public interests of any country" can go to hell. If we bow to that, we have to bow to the Chinese who would censor all mention of Tibet and Tienanmen Square.

If you think you can competently and cogently refute the assertions made by Mr. Hakeem then do so on the article's comments page. None of the current administrators will entertain any request for its removal or alteration, so further discussion on this page is pointless.

Two last points: If you respond, use a spellchecker. Second, not all contributors are in the USA, and some of us rarely waste time watching television. --Brian McNeil / ^talk 23:39, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Brian, Don't act like a fool, blaming someone with such stupid remarks that I am trying to get some clicks from wiki, do not give any weight to your comments. My blog is my identity and tells people and allow them to evualate me. It is not spam attempt and you know that, but just to save your face you are saying so. See? If you will blame other you will also be blamed. Remember that.

Secondly, public interest of any country is the most important thing. Or may be you would like to say that wiki websites do not take care of public interests of any country, including USA??? Do wiki not comply with the public interests of USA and if yes, they it must take care of public interests of other countries too. And by the way, what if I popup with some stupid out of Balgium? Would you mind if such stupid start talking as such, that it harms public interests? Would you be saying the same in that case too?

Your comments tell your story. You are acting like a racists, first you tried to bash over Pakistanis by saying that public interst of any country can go to hell and then you dragged in China, which was totally irrelavant. Tell me if I am wrong and then I shall also drag in Balgium. What you say???

And ah, unfortunatly, you have some rights over wiki but that does not mean that you end the discussion solely. My point of view is that your stock of logic is diminishing fast, otherwise you would never tried to end the discussin by saying pointless.

Two last points: if you respond, do read the full post first. Second, I did not said that go and watch TV but your friend Mr. Hakeem talked about CNN. --saj - pakistanfront.wordpress.com 22:00, 21 February 2009 (UTC)

Anthony Maki, Wikinews interviews Anthony Maki, March 5, 2008

Date request was made: 25 January 2008
Position: Student activist
Organisation: None
Web: The Haphazard Complex
Email address: acmaki@gmail.com
Phone number: +17635154250

Statement

On Wednesday, 23 January, I hosted a "get out the vote" caucus training session for students of Anoka High School in Anoka, Minnesota. Along with a tutorial presentation on the caucus process, many representatives of various campaigns were invited. The presidential campaigns of Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and Ron Paul were present. Also, Al Franken and Mike Ciresi's campaigns were there. Finally, Elwyn Tinklenberg, the former mayor of Blaine and former state transportation commissioner under Jesse Ventura, appeared himself to promote his contesting Michelle Bachmann's seat in Minnesota's sixth congressional district. Among the local media, the event that I organized was well received. The meeting was covered by the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Anoka County Union, KSTP-TV, WCCO-TV, and Anoka-Hennepin School District 11's own newsletter. The purpose of the meeting had two parts: to educate and encourage the local students to participate in the caucus process, and through media exposure, youth elsewhere will get the message that they should put the participation in participatory democracy. An interview on Wikinews would only further the reach that this event has already enjoyed. Thank you.

Wikinews community discussion

Do you have some links to the news coverage of your event? --SVTCobra 16:47, 30 January 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, here they are: WCCO, KSTP, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Anoka County Union, and Anoka-Hennepin Independent School District 11. --Anthony Maki 14:41, 31 January 2008 (UTC)[reply]
EDIT: Since then, I have been elected as the caucus chair, the precinct chair, and a delegate of my precinct caucus (Ramsey W-2 P-1). This happened on Super Tuesday, February 5. Anthony Maki 17:49, 10 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I'll carry out the interview now. He seems notable enough. --Anonymous101 Talk 17:28, 4 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]