Arab News reports that the Saudi Ministry of Culture & Information is asking Muslim journalists to speak out and speak up for their religion. They should try to emphasize the positive and tolerant aspects of Islam, at least to counter the Islamophobic stories found in international media. All very commendable.
Muslim journalists urged to portray true image of Islam
Jihad Ziadah | Arab NewsJEDDAH: Media persons attending a reception organized by the Saudi Ministry of Culture and Information in Jeddah on Thursday night called on the Muslim journalists to portray the true image of Islam to the world.
“Muslim journalists, writers and thinkers living and working in non-Muslim countries should present the true image of Islam to the world through their work,” said Farah Al-Attasi, chief of the US-Arab Center for Translation, Research and Information, at the reception held at Jeddah Hilton for media persons who covered this year’s Haj.
“Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah’s initiative for holding interfaith dialogues has, undoubtedly, contributed to broadening a Muslim’s vision about other religions and has emphasized the need to promote dialogues rather than violence, fanaticism and hatred,” she said.
The event was presided over by Assistant Minister of Culture and Information Prince Turki bin Sultan.
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At the same time, however, the Saudi government is not exactly meeting international standards when it comes to actually speaking out about human rights. It’s matching up with the standards of other Arab countries, though that’s not saying much.
This report on the Forum on Free Press, sponsored by the international human rights organization Secondo Protocollo, notes that Saudi blogger Fuad Farhan was prevented from attending. He was joined, in his absence, by others from Syria and Tunisia.
Forum on free press gets off to censored start
BEIRUT: Four journalists and rights activists from Saudi Arabia, Syria and Tunisia were prevented by their governments from traveling to Beirut to attend a regional forum on Arab press freedom on Friday. Over 160 journalists, bloggers, publishers, editors and press freedom advocates came together for the first session of the two-day Third Annual Free Press Forum in Beirut.
This year’s gathering, which was organized by the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) in partnership with local daily An-Nahar and held at the Monroe Hotel, coincided with the third anniversary of the assassination of MP and An-Nahar publisher Gebran Tueni. Tueni’s murder in a car bombing came just six months after leading An-Nahar columnist Samir Kassir was killed in a similar attack. The culprits of both assassinations have yet to be identified.
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December:13:2008 - 11:28
This is going to be explosively offensive so hold on to your seats.
SAUDI OFFICIALS SAY: “Pat us Saudis on the back because we make Hajj such a smooth and seamless event”
I SAY: BRAVO–CHEERS
If I knew I was obliged to have a million + strangers from all over the world in my back yard, I would do my darnest to make it a smooth and seamless event. So Sparky says, “That is just flippin commonsense one would protect their own backyard or sideyard”
I SAY: STOP THESE DARN SOCIAL EVENTS TO GET PRESS COVERAGE ON HOW MUCH IS BEING DONE OR TRYING TO DRUM UP SOME FAKE FAKE FAKE IMAGE OF ISLAM THAT IS NOT BEING PRACTICED IN THE KINGDOM
HYPOCRISY
It is like get a few social elites together and perhaps a few commoners who have connections and let’s do propaganda. What is worse is that it is propaganda for something UNREAL!!!!!
December:13:2008 - 11:28
In all honestly, I know America does its own propaganda but I can certify that a lot of it is based on some type of truth or reality!
December:13:2008 - 11:28
The King’s vision for society is noble.
The challenge is that the ulemaa will never agree to it.
For example, while it is fine to say that Muslims should speak about the real face of Islam, that is contradicted by the fact that only one very narrow version of Islam (that of the ulemaa) is permitted.
What would happen were a journalist to publish articles on the traditions, philosophy, and ideas of the Sufi, Shi’a, or Ahmadiyya community?
The answer is clear — the articles would be proscribed by the ulemaa.
So, while it is right to say that religious perspectives should be freely available regarding Islam, it should include all the paths chosen by those who believe that they follow religion, and certainly all paths chosen by those who believe that they follow the ways of the Rasulullah.
That must include those whom we commonly deride as apostates or non-believers.
There should be no compulsion in matters of religion, the Quran states.
It is regrettable that this precept is always forgotten by the ulemaa.
December:13:2008 - 11:28
Yes, a seamless Haj is to be expected. But it is not something that happens automatically. With 3.5 million people coming to one place, at one time, to do exactly the same things–and to have them do it without chaos and catastrophe–is worth a certain amount of self-congratulation. Supporting the Haj takes time, money, and interest, so I think a certain amount of praise is due.
I think any major US city would have trouble coping with what is, in essence, 60 Super Bowls going on at the same time, for five days straight.
I don’t see anything wrong with projecting an ideal while knowing full well that the reality falls short of that ideal. I don’t find that hypocritical at all. And Haj is perhaps the time the Saudis–at least those in Mecca–demonstrate and act upon religious tolerance. Sufis and Shi’ites are welcome to Haj and do the rituals in their own way. Things get a little sketchier post-Haj, in Medina, but that is post-Haj.
December:13:2008 - 11:28
Let me clarify what I mean in the above post timed 11:28 because it may be subject to various intrepretations: Here goes:
What I mean is that it is all talk (aka. black propaganda)that is all I ever see and no action (aka. in terms of progress of women’s rights for example which is an important and relevant subject to me).
Because I see no progress in regards to actions in regards to human rights especially those regarding women they are only empty words and promises (aka. in terms of talking about how great Islam is which I do not argue but I argue against ideology versus current practice).
Thus by showing the true image of Islam in coerced words does nothing or carries no meaning to me personally and serves as but a meaningless form of expression (aka. toilet paper) absent of actions.
December:13:2008 - 11:28
I give the Saudis much props and credit to a seamless Hajj but I disagree or would object to that necessarily being primarily motivated by pious and righteousness inclinations. But only God knows the intentions of individuals at the end of the day…
There is just so much more issues that need progress that are moving at snail speed that OUTRAGE ME!
December:13:2008 - 11:28
“Forum on freedom of press gets off to censored start”
Let me humbly quote Thomas Jefferson
“I have sworn upon the alter of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man”
- Thomas Jefferson
“Of all the forms of tyranny
over the mind of man,
none is more terrible than fear –
to be afraid
of being one’s self
among one’s neighbors.”
-Paul B. Hoffman
And as long as John will tolerate it on his blog
Thank you John for letting me express myself…
December:13:2008 - 11:28
John is all for freedom of speach!
What about the moratorium on articles about ”women driving”? Is that lifted now in this all out festival of free-journalism?
December:13:2008 - 11:28
Well, I haven’t seen any articles on it of late…
Maybe women are already driving and they just forgot to report it?
December:13:2008 - 11:28
Was there a moratorium on articles about women driving? WhY and when? Is that an official thing or self censorship again?
Does anyone know what’s happening with this whole issue?
December:13:2008 - 11:28
Yes, apparently journalists are not to put in articles on women driving. There was a link a while back, on Saudi Jeans to an article which a paper refused to publish, and which was published on the internet instead.
December:13:2008 - 11:28
Aafke has it right. While there’s no piece of paper telling journalists to not write on the subject, apparently word got out that the papers should let this particular issue cool for a while. During that time, however, there were several news pieces about Saudi women’s triumphs and tragedies behind the wheel, just no op-eds calling for it or columns discussing it.
Newspapers in neighboring states, however, had a sudden flourishing of those columns!