Media can play a positive role in the dialogue between Arabs and the West
The Foundation of Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain's prize for Poetic Creativity held the first day of its seminar on the 'Role of the Media in the Dialogue between Arabs and the West'. The speakers hailed from around the world and offered expert opinions detailing the problems that vex the media and ultimately the world at large by inhibiting understanding between the Arab world and the West.
The two day, four session event, which included 30 international experts in the field of journalism and the media was organized by Al-Babtain to enlighten and empower participants to 'promote dialogue rather than conflict between civilizations'. Abdulaziz Al-Babtain, who is known for his poetry and charitable works, said at the event opening yesterday, "I believe that more contributions and initiatives for discussion and dialogue between different sides are proposed, the more successful we will be in achie
ving understanding between peoples, particularly if we are supported and backed by mass media.
Director of Newsweek Europe, Christopher Dickey, said of terrorism in the ME of the eighties, "It was directed by Arabs against Arabs." Looking closer at the issue, he said, "Terrorism among the Arabs is a means of communication." Dickey used the example of the 1980s attempt on the life of Kuwait's late Amir, HH Sheikh Jaber, saying, "This was understood as a signal from Saddam Hussein about certain things that Iraq was doing and certain things that Kuwait was doing during the Iraq-Iran War." However, Dick
ey noted that violence perpetrated by Israel was colored by a different theme. He said, "The violence used by Israelis against the Arabs in response to terrorism was all about humiliation-we are strong, you are weak.
After 9/11 Dickey explained how the dynamic changed. "Al-Qaeda was not using terrorism as a process of statecraft, which is what it was before, in many respects...Al-Qaeda was terrorism as spectacle...They love Hollywood movies." said Dickey of the influence Western showmanship played on Al-Qaeda. "Spectacle or no, the terrorism of Al-Qaeda should have been understood as a communication strategy and the response to Al-Qaeda's act on 9/11, by the United States should have been primarily, a communication str
ategy - a strategy of communication, not of war.
Dickey's explanation of what could have followed 9/11 if the US had understood the cultural nuances of the Arab world and been more open to communication with, rather than conflict with the Arab world, was enlightening and insightful. "It was inevitable that there would be an attack on Afghanistan by the US...but what was most important was that after that was achieved, that the war would end." noted Dickey, who furthered that communication should have followed by the US making certain to publicize, or com
municate to the Arab world that there was no conflict between the US and the Muslim world, thereby marginalizing Al-Qaeda - but that did not happen. "Quite to the contrary." said Dickey, "The US responded with not one war, but with two.
He said among the many reasons the US wanted to attack Saddam Hussein was the US need for it's own spectacle, "It wanted 'Shock and Awe'." Dickey said by March 2003, all the men who had carried out the attacks on New York and Washington, with the exception of Ayman Al-Zawarhi and Bin Laden, were either dead or captured. "That was the victory." he said, clarifying, "The logic of US policy at the time was still all about war and not about communication.
Michael Binyon, a UK journalist from "The Times" newspaper, said, "The English press is largely written for people living in Britain or America but it's often read by people living overseas because it is in English..." Binyon continued explaining that while there are many good publications written in other languages they are less widely read due to the language barrier. Notably he said that often there is little written on the Arab world due to the fact that English language readers are "often depressed by
news that does not seem to change very much".
Binyon explained that English readers do not know the background on stories from the ME and journalists are hard pressed for column space to explain differences as basic as Sunni Islam compared to Shia Islam to uninformed English speaking readers. "Readers and listeners very often do not know the difference." He said, "Many people in the West, especially, do not really care what is going on in the ME-they should, but they don't.
Often, the Arab side of the Arab-Israeli problem lacks coverage by the English speaking media. Binyon explained, "Take the violence in Gaza for example...there are no BBC correspondents based in Gaza - the reason is, that it is too dangerous." Alan Johnson was the only Western TV reporter in Gaza until last year. "He was kidnapped by an extremist group that threatened to execute him." said Binyon who went on to say how after many months he was released and 'understandably, not replaced by the BBC".
Virginia Sandrock, a media and international relations expert from France said 'fear and insecurity generated' after 9/11 contributed to the misunderstandings between the East and West. Sandrock explained the move from terror to fear of the other after 9/11. "An ethnocentrism based on differentiation which can be summarized in two words, 'we' and 'they' took hold of the media," said Sandrock who further explained 9/11's affect on tightening the relationship between the French press and politicians. "Every
political act is considered in terms of media-related impact...consequently, the press losses its credibility because of biased opinions, lack of objectivity, lies, and manipulations.
Both Binyon and Sandrock cited the Internet as a force for free press and ultimately for communication between peoples. Binyon said, "Much of the stuff you find there is rubbish. Some is extremist, some is untrue, and some is genuinely thoughtful." Sandrock said, "The Internet allows nuances of approaches and modification of the perceptions of the other.
Sandrock put the relationship between Arabs and the West in the form of a challenge for the future, saying, "The new challenge is not that of information, but of communication which can be summarized in the concept of coexistence with individuals or groups different from oneself.
kuwaittimes 31/3/2008
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Al-Babtain Talks to Press about the
“Role of the Media in the Dialogue between Arabs and the West”
The Foundation of Abdul Aziz Saud Al-Babtain’s Prize for Poetic Creativity has invited the Journalists and representatives of Gulf, Arab and foreign Media in Kuwait to attend the press conference of the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation, Mr. Abdul Aziz Saud Al-Babtain, which will be held on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 at 11 AM. in AL-Babtain Central Library for Arabic Poetry. Mr. Al-Babtain will talk about the Arabic Poetry Spring Festival from (24th-26th of March, 2008,) and the forthcoming seminar entitled: “Role of the Media in the Dialogue between Arabs and the West”, which will be organized by the Foundation on 30th-31st of March, 2008.
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Al-Babtain Foundation Declares the Program of
“Role of the Media in Dialogue between Arabs and the West”
The Foundation of Abdul Aziz Saud Al-Babtain's Prize for Poetic Creativity has launched special website In English, Arabic and French languages for the seminar on “Role of the Media in Dialogue between Arabs and the West”
due to be held in Kuwait on March 30th-31st, 2008 at Abdul Aziz Saud Al-Babtain's Central Library with the participation of media figures and journalists from Europe and America as well as Arab experts in the western media.
The Foundation as well declared that the program of the Seminar will include an opening speech on the first day by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Mr. Abdul Aziz Saud Al-Babtain, to be followed by 3 sessions.
First Day
The first session will discuss changes in the Western media after September 11th 2001, how that influenced dialogue among civilizations and the emergence of new vocabularies that reflect a clash among them.
The second session will focus on new means of Mass Media such as blogs, web forums, chat rooms as well as all interactive models of media and their role in the freedom of speech and dialogue.
The third session will discuss how the West perceives Islam as a religion and vise versa, i.e. how Islam perceives the West and the role of media in this process.
Second Day
The first session of the second day will discuss the role of journalists, media organizations and union in the dialogue between civilizations and cultures including the role of correspondents in times of peace and war.
The second session will tackle misrepresentation in media and their effect on dialogue among civilizations including the responsibility of media corporations in providing accurate and non-allied news and stories in times of peace and war as well.
The third and last session will focus on dialogue role in solving international crisis and how could media play a role in furthering dialogue, on the one hand, and in enlightening these crisis particularly Middle East affairs and world wars, on the other.
Seminar's websites:
Arabic: http://albabtainprize.org/Seminar.html
English: http://albabtainprize.org/Seminar-e.html
French: http://albabtainprize.org/Seminar-f.html
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The Foundation of Abdul Aziz Saud Al-Babtain's Prize for Creativity is proud to announce the seminar to discuss the ‘Role of the Media in dialogue between Arabs and the West’ on the 30th – 31st of March 2008, in the library of Abdul Aziz Saud Al-Babtain, Kuwait.
The Foundation of Abdul Aziz Saud Al-Babtain has activities in many cultural fields through specialized centers in arts and poetry, and encourages translation as well as the dialogue between civilizations.
With influential members of the press world wide coming for this distinguished occasion, the Foundation of Abdul Aziz Saud Al-Babtain is honored to host an event of such global importance. Never has a time come in modern history of such a need to discuss the role of the media, and how this affects dialogue between these two vast civilizations.
In recent times, there have been many changes in the media, whether it be through a newly adopted language in times of war, the evolution of new media platforms or the wide spread affect of the internet, the second seminar in this field the Foundation of Abdul Aziz Saud Al-Babtain has been orchestrated in order to discuss and confront these new issues, and also to attempt to ferment through dialogue, tangible solutions to avert future crisis.
With six sessions spread over two days, with participants from America, Britain, France, Germany, Scandinavia, and all across the Middle East, the Foundation of Abdul Aziz Saud Al-Babtain will be hosting it’s first session in the English and French language in order to meet the challenge of fermenting dialogue between the Arabs and the occidental world. Previous activities of seminars from the Foundation have been orientated around similar themes; all forged in attempt to further dialogue between cultures and recognize the importance of dialogue.
For more information on the seminar please feel free to contact Us.
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