Date: Sun, 07 Oct 2001 13:55:46 +0400
From: "Dr. Salwa Ghaly" <sghaly-AT-sharjah.ac.ae>
Subject: Re: U.S. pressures Qatar to restrain TV outlet


Kamran,

I agree, censorship is not in order, but accountability, responsibility and
some soul searching on the part of the network in question most certainly
are.  Again I say it unqualifiedly, the Jazeera purveyors of  news and
peddlers of specific views are marshalling the network's massive resources in
the manufacture of consent.   That they invite progressive secularist elements
does not belie the fact that they are thoroughly patriarchal and politically
conservative in their outlook.  When they give air time to "atheists" or
secularists--and the two are interchangeable as far as they are concerned--it
is not to expose the viewer to a variety of different perspectives but to
dismiss and discredit those people, their organizations and what they stand
for.  There is no doubt in my mind that the ideological state apparatus is
very much in operation there.

One last comment: about a week ago, a well known Muslim cleric used the
al-Jazeera platform to exhort Muslim youths to take up arms against the US
should it wage war on "fellow Muslims" in Afghanistan or anywhere else.  It
this is not inflammatory then I do not know what is.  Granted, there is a
great deal that has been wrong and continues to be wrong with American foreign
policy the world over, but wouldn't you agree, Kamran, that no responsible and
self-respecting television network should allow itself to be associated in any
way, shape or form with people who advocate the use of violence, particularly
in the present crisis and at this most critical time?  I am not suggesting
that such people should have no voice, let them say whatever they please, but
the network's position and ideological slant should not remain nebulous and
slippery as it is now.   We all criticize the US for any number of reasons,
but there is a world of difference between expressing rational views openly
and freely and pontificating about jihad ....

Salwa


Kamran D. Rastegar" wrote:

> Salwa,
>
> Thank you for your note. Perhaps you read my comments a little differently
> than I intended, but in any case I do disagree wholeheartedly with your
> conclusions. First, I think my characterization is accurate: al-Jazeera
> is an "independent commercial Arabic-language satellite TV station, well
> regarded for presenting a far wider range of views and perspectives than
> any other broadcast news in the region." Independent because they are not
> the official organ of any gov't, and certainly commercial - they are one
> of the most successful Arabic language TV networks, if not the most
> profitable. As for the rest of my statement, as you yourself note, they
> are known for the wide range of opinions they do present - I've likely
> watched less Arabic satellite TV than you, but my sense is that the
> opinions are far more diverse than either LBC or any other network.
>
> Now, the issue of the presence of what you term "fundamentalist" speakers
> on al-Jazeera should perhaps be a social concern, but not one that is
> amended through censorship of media. Furthermore, al-Jazeera has also put
> ardent atheists and radicals of various stripes on its shows; something
> that no other Arabic media have done, at least not on the scale of
> al-Jazeera. I don't mean to be advocating the network on a qualitative
> level - some of the discussions on al-Jazeera are good, many are boring
> and trite, as with much of broadcast news anywhere. But the fact that it
> gives a podium for these differing views is more positive than negative.
>
> The point I was making in that earlier post is that I think it's
> hypocritical for the US to speak of freedom and also demand that
> al-Jazeera be brought into line for giving airtime to popular views. That
> the views are popular may be of concern, I agree, but demanding censorship
> is no answer to that problem. It would be like the Gov't of Egypt
> demanding the US muzzle Fox News or the NY Post for their continual
> diatribes against Arabs, etc. What we hear from them is much more
> inflammatory than most anything I've ever seen on al-Jazeera...
>
> As for their kid-gloves in touching local news, I concur. This is
> certainly an issue that they are weak on, for obvious reasons...
>
> Best,
> Kamran
>
>      --- from list postcolonial-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---



     --- from list postcolonial-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---