to links pageCommunication from Lionel of Argentina:
News Report on TV Program, “Zona de Investigacion”
(A Journalistic Program similar to 20/20)
Part 1 was aired this past Sunday (August 5, 2001) and it was a phenomenal hit. From what I understand, the phones at the station didn't stop ringing and Zona de Investigacion hit its largest rating, one million viewers. It has caused great commotion and the SB organization has been on Alejandro's case all week.
Dear friends,
I think it is about time that I give you a report on what is happening in Latin America in regards to the exposé. I've communicated part of this to some of you, so excuse if you'll be hearing some things twice.
First and foremost I think we should all be very grateful to Conny Larsson for flying to Argentina at his own expense to be interviewed for the TV program about which I am writing.
Some of you might remember filling a questionnaire for the Argentinean journalist Alejandro Agostinelli, who has taken great interest in exposing what he calls the SB controversy. The contact with Alejandro was started through the Spanish website, ad we've become good friends, after corresponding almost daily for at least the last 7 months.
Alejandro started collecting material, first, for an article that a friend, Enrique Marquez, was writing about the SB exposé, (which is yet to be published) and then for his own article that will be published in a magazine in Spain and another in Colombia. However, all that was interrupted by the opportunity to put together a TV program for Chanel 9, Aegentina called "Zona de Investigacion" (a kind of journalistic program in the style of 20/20). The program, which is aired on Sundays at 10:00 p.m. lasts approximately a half hour.
The material that was put together includes interviews with devotees like Leonard Gutter, president of the Sai Organization in Latin America; Monica Slovosky founder of the SB movement in Argentina, Jorge Hadad, president of de Sai Organization in Argentina and two more long time devotees on the pro side, intermixed with interviews with Conny Larsson, Said Korramshahgol and Sharon Purcell (Said was interviewed in Los Angeles and Sharon in her home) clips of SB videos, documents, books, statements, etc. It was really a team effort towards which a lot of the ex-devotees contributed, worked together and facilitated information.
So much was gathered that the TV station decided to do it in two chapters. Part 1 was aired this past Sunday and it was a phenomenal hit. From what I understand, the phones at the station didn't stop ringing and Zona de Investigacion hit its largest rating, one million viewers. It has caused great commotion and the SB organization has been on Alejandro's case all week.
To the point that he has conceded to have Leonard Gutter on again (live) on Part II, which will be aired this coming Sunday 12th For those of you who would like to write a note to Alejandro his e mail is Ale1963@yahoo.com I am sure he would appreciate your encouragement. All of a sudden he has found himself battling alone with a pretty aggressive organization. They really can't take it, specially since it also hit the newspapers and SB is being pretty much ridiculed. Which now makes the Org. think that the program was biased.
They can't face the fact that for outsiders it all can look pretty ridiculous. They might just see it as millions of people worshipping a false god that has been abusing sexually of their children. I expect to have a copy of both parts of the program in the near future. What we hope will follow is a documentary for another channel called Infinito, which is seen all over Latin America. So anything that any of you feel you could contribute in the way of ideas, video, photos, documents, etc.please feel free to do so. We would like to encourage more victims to come forward or people that have first hand information.
I'll give another report after this Sunday's program. Much Love, God Bless,
Lionel
Here's a translation of the letter that Alejandro wrote to me right after the program:
Thank you Lionel! Well, sending this message is a question of honor. I am writing to you from the TV station. A COMPLETE SUCCESS!!!!! The report lasted almost 40 minutes and the conductors were EXCELLENT. We were bombarded, as you can well imagine with insults and complaints from devotees who went on and on praising Sai Baba.
In the studio, the general comments were very favorable: "very impressing" - "They are very credible on camera" (speaking about Conny and Said) . I answered two calls from people asking about "Ananda Baba" or "Love Master", the one from the Rioja region. We'll get after him next! The program conductor, Cristina Perez, mentioned on the air what happened to me with the devotee (a woman) who sent me a very subtle "esoteric threat" by saying that last night she had had a dream of Sai Baba who warned her that "the program had bad intentions, but that there was nothing to worry about because it would all remain in the karma".
I told her she should listen to Baba and not worry. The conductors of the program emphasized on the air that we are all seekers of truth and thanked the devotees for their participation because they "showed their openness even when they new that there were going to be testimonies anti SB" Well so much for the news at 39 minutes after the closing of the program. Please write this in English and send it to Conny, o.k.? He certainly deserves it
Best Regards, I'll call you as soon as I get a chance. Part 2 is staring me in the face and I am runnning a little behind.
Alejandro.