Blogging in the Arab World
So, I’m again in the news. This time it was Italian media. Following is the transcript of my interview with Paola Caridi - a journalist who lives and works in the Middle East as a correspondent of Lettera22, an Italian news agency which collaborates with the leading national weeklies and dailies.
So here you go:
Of course, presenting the truth as they live it and see it is not necessary counted as pro local governments and regimes, and not necessary against them, but in most cases resulted that blogger try to achieve the following:
- Have a new window to represent the Arab countries, from within its people.
- Anonymous (as most of them think they are) blogger, where no one can question him or hold him accountable for what he claim against, or for the country he represent. In other words, this created an attraction for the blogger to be free to reveal as much of their identity as they choose, unlike the public media
- Correcting, and in some cases introducing the point of view that you never see on western media
- Open new channels of discussion with formal and non formal identities inside ones country as well as outside
- Get attention and support from international media as well as NGO’s for cases that one day were impossible to cross the borders of the room or the country they toke place
- Mobs organization and unofficial groups� space for declarations that are not permitted by the local governments and societies they live in. An example of that could be gays, or religious extremist, both of which are rejected widely within the Arab society
- The unlimited topics and means of presentation that defeats the old Arab media style, which unfortunately is not showing any tendency of developing towards representing the pulse of the citizens rather than the rules by which they have to live within as dictated by their governments
- The commercial and out-of-culture entertainment media, which in all cases was and still is a copy of imported foreign values that do not represent the Arab culture in general, and the refusal to accept that as the face value of the moderate citizens, hence the Arab bloggers
- The emergence of few organizations who have sprung up to protect and to fight for the human rights in these countries, encouraged to have an extension of activities through bloggers who in all too many countries, face clampdowns on their freedom of expression
- Another attraction of blogs in Arab world is the feedback, with readers of blog entries able to post their comments directly to blogs, thus hearing the hidden local news as well the opposite point of view that will never have space or means to appear to the public
- War blogs and bloggers as a tool. This is conceived by some Arab bloggers, specially the depressed ones who feel that they have no chance to fight the war against their enemy (whoever and whatever that enemy is) face to face, due to the external and internal boundaries that govern his society
- At the same time the online technology for setting up blogs has become increasingly user friendly, and is free
Maybe this is partly because younger people have fewer inhibitions about mixing their writing about politics with contributions on more personal matters. It seems as if there are more English than Arabic-language blogs, and in the Maghreb there are of course many French blogs.
Therefore, what they represent is what modern reality of their social and cultural life is. I don’t agree to describe them as being in prison and ready to fly, no, they are what they are. However, unfortunately this is not what the West perceives about the Middle East. Being it a matter of heritage or a result of biased media, westerns still think that Arabs means camels, tents and 1001 nights.
On the other hand, I believe English blogs of Arabic bloggers has different objective than those written in Arabic, and that is the reach to the west in most, and the first language of some for those who live outside the Arab world.
For decades, there were no open channels between the East and the West. Blogs was and still is a great opportunity for Arab with bilingual skills to reach other around the world. To start a process of “learning to unlearn” on the non-Arab mass, so that the old believes and values perceived about Arabs, their culture and society are corrected and/or updated, and to represent an alternative point of view than that presented by local and foreign official views. It is very essential mind opener tool.
At the same time, Arabic blogs are also essential tool for open discussion between Arabs. A tool that never existed before to share ideas, to form a position, and to organize a move. Arabs in general never got the chance to live a democratic life locally or regionally. Hence, I believe that Arabic blogs will also help transfer of knowledge and strategies directly and indirectly will help in the long run to empower the Mobs. The recent Egyptian elections, and the reaction of Arab blogger (Arabic and English) from Egypt and outside, is a good example although it might have not made a big difference on the Elections process, but I think will be more powerful next elections, not only in Egypt, but in all Arab countries.
On the other hand, and as was mentioned before, most of the bloggers are very young. And to tell you the truth, Al Jazeera is not so much famous TV channel between this generations. However, that maybe does not apply to the political bloggers, which are not by the way that young. But, did Al Jazeera revolution have an effect on Arab bloggers? Yes it had, and probably will continue to do, specially that most if not all Arabs see it as the first open-debate channel that touch on taboos, similar to what Arab bloggers do touch on.
Having said all that, sometimes one has the impression the young Arab bloggers cannot believe the attitude of the older generation and especially figures of authority locally and internationally. And these are often challenged on Al Jazeera, but do not represent the Arab bloggers views, which mean that it does not represent the mass educated and ignored young generation. In fact, I believe that young generation has no presentation in the Arab media “revolution”, except few, very few Arabic newspapers articles here and there, on the other hand, much more attention from the western media, and this interview is an example 
Period.
Anyway, please feel free to answer above questions and add correct me if I’m wrong…
My Other Media Interviews and Mentions…
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15 Comments on “Blogging in the Arab World”
That was very interesting indeed dear Hitham. You have made a very powerful statements in your reply.
I’d love to add my two cents in there but I honestly don’t know anything about Arab Blogging, I have come across Jordan Planet by accident. I would have never thought that such a thing existed. I loved it when I saw it and right away felt proud of my fellow Jordanians becoming bloggers and decided on the spot to join and pitch in in whatever way I can. However, I have no idea what the other blogs are doing in any other Arab country beside Jordan. If time permits I’ll try to learn more about them, meanwhile, I’m content with being and learning about Jordan Planet.
Hello Hatem,
Here is some more links for you. projects similar to JP:
Bahrain: http://bahrainblogs.com/
Another Bahrain: http://ping.bahblog.com/
Saudi: http://saudiblogs.blogspot.com/
Tunisia: http://www.tn-blogs.com/blogs
Maghreb: http://www.maghreblog.net/
Palestine: http://palestineblogs.net/
Kuwait: http://safat.kuwaitblogs.com/
Arab: http://arablog.net/
Iraq: http://iraqblogcount.blogspot.com/
Arabic: http://arabblogcount.blogspot.com/
If anyone know of more, please let me know.
Excellent post - and good blog
Nice interview, Haitham. Thanks for sharing it with us.
take care,
andy
be sure to add this blog to your list. peace.
http://richarabs.blogspot.com/
Dear Haitham,
Your media interview is very interesing. As in my academic interview with you, you again put your finger at the potentials of this new media very clear.
“Arabic blogs will also help transfer knowledge and strategies directly and indirectly will help in the long run to empower the Mobs”.
Fine that you used the term arab mobs (Howard Rheingold’s book Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution).
Yes. we are not the Arab Street, we are Arab smart mobs that use micro digital multmedia, including mobile phones, mesaging,blogs and wikis etc to transform the cultual foundations of our Arab politics for a new future.
Dear Haitham,
Your media interview is very interesing. As in my academic interview with you, you again put your finger at the potentials of this new media very clear.
“Arabic blogs will also help transfer knowledge and strategies directly and indirectly will help in the long run to empower the Mobs”.
Fine that you used the term arab mobs (Howard Rheingold’s book Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution).
Yes. we are not the Arab Street, we are Arab smart mobs that use micro digital multmedia, including mobile phones, mesaging,blogs and wikis etc to transform the cultual foundations of our Arab politics for a new future.
Don’t go anywahere far. I have an Arabic blog right here
http://www.sukrat.blogspot.com
Speaking of problems with blogs in the middle east:
I just started a website last month called yemenmax.com and yesterday I completed the new blog called yemendiary.com. I was so happy. then this morning i found both to be blocked by Yemen Net servers accusing my sites to have adult content on them! In Yemen people going to my site see a horrible notice that my site is not allowed and has adult and sexual content! yemenmax is a family community portal that has informatin and links for people in yemen and it doesnt have even politics in it! yemen diary is in the same directory of yemenmax and believe me i only have 2 posts and no nudity or anything else! Yemen Net has started a war with me! I have emailed the press so we will see whats next!
The relationship between ethnicity and speciation has
come up recently in an anthropological suggestion that
the brain may treat ethnic features as it does species
features and thus restricting broad breeding. Thus,
the same social neural mechanisms that serve
species-specific identification for breeding and
grouping seen in lower primates may be operating as
ethnic distinctions in higher ones, suggesting that
ethnicity may be as “natural” as speciation factor
(the latter crucial to perpetuation of the species
maintenance). But what if we were to go one step
further?
AH Bittle in CLINICAL GENETICS
60:89,2001–”Consanguinity and its relevance to
clinical genetics,” reviews first and second cousin
consanguinity. Though Islam seems to frown upon first
cousin marriage, Bittle points out that in the Islamic
world it occurs at the highest frequency (>50%). And,
though Chaleby K. et al in their study “Cousins
marriages and schizophrenia in Saudi Arabia,” Br. J.
Psychiat 150:570, 1987, claims that such consanguinity
does not raise the frequency of this disorder, Bittle
was rather critical of the data’s reliability.
In fact, an entire literature looks at the genetics of
psychosis with some progress made to suggest a
frequency greater than manifested by other medical
disorders where consanguinity is concerned. Here a
question must be asked in light of intense American
intervention in the life of Arabs: are there
incompletely penetrating psychiatric traits
characteristic of Arabs because of the frequency of
consanguinity to which Arab cultures adapted in order
to impose social order?
Admittedly, the hard data are not available for any
reliable conclusions that are less flawed than the
negative results of Chaleby et al. But in light of
President Bush’s determination to change the Mideast
so that it politically mirrors American democracy
(where such consanguinity is illegal), one may
legitimately ask if the absence of democracy in an
intellectually so vibrant a culture may not reflect an
adaptation to genetic traits acquired through the
practice of consanguinity? In other words, is the
Koran prescribed Sharia more appropriate for social
order in the Arab world?
No racist notions nor any value judgments are
intended. Rather, I seek to emphasize that the
assumptions on which Bush’s invasion of Iraq and the
Mideast is based may be by far more maladaptive to
circumstances acquired over centuries that the clergy
run Sharia and he should have given this consideration
before adamantly assuming that parliamentary
government is superior in all cases to the regime the
region developed over the centuries.
Daniel E. Teodoru
Excuse me, but what the heck are you talking about Mr. Teadoru? I am pretty sure I understand your postulation which if is what I think it is, is simple critical race analysis. Let me get this straight, because Moslems/Arabs marry their cousins they are not inclined to adapt to parliamentary democracy? Haitham this is a bunch of racist bullcrap not worthy to be posted on your esteemed blog!!!This guy has a whole lot of nerve to post this mallarky. HAHAHA Mr. Teodoru, you are really quite the jokester. I simply googled your name and you are one of the biggest Zionists out there. Gosh, remember all those times Jews were called inferior? Hmm, very interesting. Haitham, please erase this crap and me too after you read it. Shukran.
Hey Robin,
Don’t worry about this Mr. Teadoru! The comment is nothing more than a SPAM
Haitham,
Ah that ubiquitous thing called SPAM. Mr. Teodoru is not only a Zionist, he is also a professor of bioethics and neurobiology, as well as one of the founding members of Viet Nam Veterans for a Just Peace (The group who smeared Kerry in the presidential campaign). Probably more than you care to know but he got under my skin.
This might not be the link to post my response to the above statements by the Professor, and it is a digression from his actual letter, but I would like to explain why he bothers me so much.
I grew up in a racist home. My parents said they were not racists, they were just speaking facts. Their primary target was and still is the “Mexicans”. My mom, a nurse, had worked with welfare patients, mostly Hispanic (due to demographics). Long story short, my parents belief is this: “Mexicans are an inferior race because there is just something in the mix of indiginous Mexican Indian blood and Spanish blood which makes for an inferior intelect”. As a small child this is all I heard, Mexicans are inferior. In high school I secretly had a Mexican boyfriend. One night my father caught him kissing me goodnight at the front door. I was then subjected to the belittling beratement of both of my parents. I will never forget it as long as I live. Currently my 16 year old daughter attends a Catholic High School. It is 85% Hispanic. My parents are mortified, I have her in an inferior school. Their comments make me cringe, I fell physically affected when they say these things.
As for the Jews, well, according to my parents, they are born “superior”, don’t the facts speak for themselves? Look at their level of education. Look at their cunningness (as if this is a respectable quality). They’re TOUGH!! Look how they beat the Arabs. (of course they never said things like this in front of my ex)
This confession is a painful one for me to make. I grew up in an atmosphere where racial superiority or inferiority was drummed into me. Whether the above post by Mr. Teodoru is SPAM is irrelevent. Racism is pernicious. A little suggestion here, a little more blatant suggestion here, and then statements by academics. Racism is a cancer. It is so very hard to rid oneself of it if it is taught to you. Racism is shameful. My own personal experience of being married to an Arab makes me defensive when I read such things. But racism of any sort is so very uncomfortable for me to ignore. I apologize for using this link for this topic. Whatever put us all here on earth, we must learn to appreciate our differences and not to debase others by reason of birth. Peace be with you.
Please note: I am not saying Jews are cunning, it is my parents who say this. They do not differentiate between the Jewish faith and Zionists. Their thesis is this: Since Zionists are Jews, and Jews are superior (according to my parents), then Zionism is superior. On my recent visit I enlightened my father (my mother wasn’t interested) about Christian Zionism. Now THIS my father agreed was insane. My question: Why is it that when Chrisitan Zionists promote an agenda it is insane (according to my father and many others as well as myself) but when Jewish Zionists promote an agenda of ethnic cleansing it is ok? My point is very simple, there is absolutely no rationalle to racism. I fully respect your leaving his statement, it serves as an example. But when I read it, SPAM or not, it made me want to vomit.
First of all, I am NOT A Zionist, though I do feel that Israel’s existance– not as the Revisionist Jabotinskyite Ziofascists would have it– but as would result form an inter-Semitic cousins quid pro quo, would be beneficial to the Arabs once the West subdues its oil addiction. Most American Jews are not hateful towards Arabs, though they had their guilt for silence during the Holocaust manipulated by Zionists since after WWII into utter fear of another Holocaust. I think Israel is a reality, much as is Palestine. However, I can also imagine the polssibility of two peoples, one state. But that is not for me to advocate. Right now, Israel is NOT a state because it has no econmy to speak of, other than an armaments industry. As the JERUSALEM POST pointed out, one makes more on welfare in Israel than after taxes from working. So Israel is one big welfare program for Jews only, payed for by US taxpayers. But it is also a giant campus where Jews and some Arabs get a wonderful technological education, only to migrate to the West for good jobs. So Israel is doomed by an alliyah in reverse. But the Arab states are also doomed because, like banana republics, they are one crop states– oil. As a result, they have been invaded by the British and Americans, trying to steal cheap oil. However, because since 1920 some 10% of Arab males were willing to die to kick out the Westerners, the West has had to make deals; but deals only with favorable Arab leaders, supporting these Arabs’ hold on power over a recalcitrant population. If the West’s craving for oil should subside, the Middle East is doomed. Things are so bad that Sunni Arab states cannot afford to begin a nuclear arms industry with which to match Shia Iran’s. So, as the Jordanian monarch said, the Sunni Mideast is threatened by a Shi’ite Crescent. That will force the Sunni Arab states to turn to Israel– THE ONLY nuclear arms power in the Middle East– as a deterrent power against Iran, which all Israeli military and academic specailists admit, only want nuclear arms as deterrent against its neigbors. Furthermore, if Israel does succeed in collaborating with the Palestinians to create a sister state that is prosperous but self-ruling (it may or may not be Islamic, much as Israel is and is not Jewish), that will clear the way for it to lead the Arab neighbors out of banana republic status through high-tech education and collaboration. Learning Arabic can save Israelis from chronic unemployment and careerless geriatrics, and also hopeless US welfare status. Isolated from her neighbors Israel has NO economy and so is not a state. It can accuse Europe of anti-Semitism or claim that Europe has falled to Islam because of its abandonment of the spiritualism of Christianity and its “anti-Semetic nature,” as claim by raving loonies like Israeli Yo’er who chooses to live in “anti-Semitic Eurabia” instead of Israel and by many ex-Commies, now Zionazis, but Europe will never allow Israel into the EU or into NATO; Israel must, therefore, integrate itself into the Arab World, as many founders of Zionism had insisted is essential to its survival back before its founding.
Now as to first cousin marriages; I proposed an issue FOR DISCUSSION, *NOT* for acceptance as fact. And I do not think this is an issue only with Arabs, as such marriage was common all over the globe, often resulting in obvious genetic disorders. Idiotic misrepresentation of my views as racist only cover up the racist rage of others– in SOME cases– but in most cases are merely reductum ad absurdum, as as I like to think of it…reductum at rectum. We are just begining to learn about human genetics. For example, we have one less chromosome than apes. That is because one set of chromosomes seem to have fused. What does that mean to the leap from ape to man? Who knows? But does that mean you don’t research and discuss it?
My critics assume that I hold a certain vehiment view, the exact opposite of their vehiment view. But just as man may have evolved from ape as a result of fusion of two chromosomes, the Middle East may evolve as a result of fusion of Jews and Arabs in the Mideast. The problem is that– besides from crazed Jihadis– we suffer from some people born of a Jewish mother, thus claiming to be Jews, but who adopted Zionism late in life and now use it to establish their “mesnhood,” or, in other words MANHOOD. Many of these people made a lot of shaddy and/or crooked money in service of the US strategic weapons industry. So, though they have comfy villas and condos in what they call “anti-Semitic Eurabia,” they want, before they die, to be recognized by the he-men of the Six-day June 1967 war as “mensh.” Towards that end they call for crazy things like “World War IV” to bring about Israel’s dominance of the Middle East. They get few Diasporic Jews to support them (so they lambaste the 87% of Jews that voted for Kerry as “self-hating Jews”) and most Israelis– including Netanyahu, who tries to squeeze them for cash and influence– simply laugh at them and call them “putzes.” As a result, they are forced into coalition with “Christian Zionist” Jesus freaks who want to avoid the rigorous demands and discipline of science and math that only produce questions and so they get apoplectic on Bible-babble. But because these Jesus freaks for tax-free cash believe that America should be for Christians only, their neocon allies have had to debunk their “Inelligent Design” crap. So now you have the neocons cutting the throats of their only allies, the yahoos for Jesus– tax-free, of course– while the same organization, AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE is featuring pseudo-genetic semi-doc arguments to “prove” why Jews are so much smarter than we “dumb goyim.”
http://www.aei.org/events/eventID.1589,filter.all/event_detail.asp
If you really care about the children of the Mideast– Arabs and Jews, all of whom may violently die there, but will not leave– then be constructive and fair; for now they are all NATIVES to the region, not “settlers.”
I don’t care what you think of me, but do discipline yourselves to think in terms of “meaningful dialogue” and responsible debate for the sake of the Mideast’s children. Pot-bellied chickenhawks who all their lives ran from war and evaded service in it are now calling for us “dumb goyim” to follow the dumb Bushit they helped get elected start WW IV. But there are too many real American heroes who yell: STOP! One is Francis Fukuyama, a one time satellite of the neocons, who suddenly asked: how come the only place you guys want democracy from the barrel of a gun is in the Middle East? For that he was labeled an anti-Semite. But the charge now seems like turds flinging manure, not real fear of anti-Semitism or real concern. It is just noise to stop the meaningful dialogue, as many neocons learned to do back in their Leninist “comrades” days. The real question is DO YOU WANT TO BECOME NEOCON-LOOK-ALIKES, OR DO YOU WANT RESPONSIBLE DEBATE AND MEANINGFUL DIALOGUE IN AMERICA?
MANY ARAB AND JEWISH AMERICANS ARE WAITING FOR YOU TO LEAD, NOT TO APE THE NEOCON HYSTERICAL SLANDER. If you need proof, just look at how many Arabs and Jews are telling screwball Abe Foxam of ADL to just shut up and speak only for himself if he can’t stop his diarrhea.
Daniel E. Teodoru