Iran: Regime Responds to the Ashura Protests
January 5th, 2010 by Josh
In the wake of country-wide opposition protests on the Shiite holy day Ashura, the BBC reports that the Iranian regime has barred all Iranian citizens from “cooperating with foreign organizations it says are trying to destabilize the government.” Among the 60 groups included on the list are Human Rights Watch, Yale University, opposition website Rahesabz, U.S.-funded broadcasters, and the BBC itself.
According to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency, President Ahmadinejad tried to downplay the power of the recent protests by saying that “The Iranian nation has witnessed many plays of this kind: a play ordered by the Zionists and the Americans, who had purchased the tickets to this play and were the only audience.” But Mohammad Reza Madhi, a former high-ranking officer in Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards’ intelligence service, told the Bangkok Post that he believes Ahmadinejad is “crazy” and that the Iranian government is on the verge of collapse.
On Monday, nearly 90 professors at Tehran University signed a letter to the regime strongly denouncing the government’s use of violence to suppress dissent, claiming it “shows the weakness of the country’s leadership.” The Tehran-based Parsine news web-site reports that Ayatollah Khomeini’s remaining family is similarly dismayed by the reckless violence and is considering a permanent move to the holy city of Najaf in Iraq. Meir Javedanfar over at Tehran Bureau uses this story as an opportunity to ask the question: “Can the Khomeini family pose a real challenge to Khamenei and Ahmadinejad?”
Al Jazeera reports that Iran is moving rapidly to indict and try those arrested during the Ashura protests. However, requests by defense lawyers to hold the trials in an open session were denied and very little information has been made available regarding the identity of the defendants or the nature of the charges.
Meanwhile, Andrew Sullivan at the Daily Dish has compiled a large sample of the Ashura day coverage, specifically highlighting the citizen journalism and user-generated content from Iranians on the ground.
Posted in Freedom, Human Rights, Iran, Islam and Democracy, Journalism, Protests, Reform, US media | 1 Comment »
Journalists Operating in Closed Societies
September 11th, 2009 by Jason
As part of the Council on Foreign Relations’ Edward Murrow 60th anniversary fellowship celebration, several American journalists discussed their career experiences reporting from foreign countries with closed societies. The panelists included Dan Southerland of Radio Free Asia, David Remnick of The New Yorker, Caryle Murphy is an independent journalist currently working in Saudi Arabia and finally Elizabeth Rubin of The New York Times Magazine. Margaret Warner of NewsHour with Jim Lehrer presided.
While the discussion touched on many countries, Murphy focused on the current journalism environment in Saudi Arabia. According to Murphy, Saudi Arabia is “still very much a closed society. But it’s not as closed as it used to be.” She attributes this opening to the Internet and a conscious decision by the Saudi government to allow foreign journalists to operate more freely with the hope they will publish “better, fairer stories.”
Other discussion focused on when should journalists risk the safety of their sources, fixers and even themselves for the sake of a story. One difficulty journalists face is to determine which red lines should not be crossed, a problem especially difficult during tumultuous situations such as in Iran today.
Posted in Afghanistan, Gulf, Iran, Iraq, Journalism, Kuwait, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, US media | Comment »
Is Western Media Coverage of the Middle East Biased?
July 10th, 2009 by Max
Ibrahim El-Houdaiby, writing for the Daily News Egypt, makes the case that Western media is very selective in its coverage of Middle East and Muslim issues. While El-Houdaiby begins by criticizing coverage of the murder of Marwa El-Sherbini, who was stabbed to death in a German courtroom, he argues that selective coverage extends to much larger-scale events:
“There has been harsh criticism for Tehran’s regime for its crackdown on demonstrators. I do believe that no regime should use power against its own people that way. But an immediate question would be: where is this very same media when Egypt’s regime cracks down on demonstrators calling for an increase in salaries or for political reform.”
Posted in Egypt, US media | Comment »
Al Jazeera Widens U.S. Broadcasting
July 7th, 2009 by Max
Al Jazeera, the Doha-based news network, has expanded its English-language broadcasting in the U.S. The network had experienced difficulty forging deals with U.S. cable distributors following accusations by individuals such as former vice-president Dick Cheney that it was “the mouthpiece of Osama Bin Laden.”
The network is now available in the Washington DC area, as of July 1st. Viewers who desire coverage in their own area are encouraged to visit www.iwantaje.net.
Posted in Middle Eastern Media, US media, al-Qaeda | Comment »
Iran Hangs Six Opposition Supporters
July 1st, 2009 by Blake
Drawing criticism from some senior clerics over the way it has handled the fallout from last month’s elections, Iran is reported to have hanged six supporters of presidential candidate and opposition leader Mir-Hossein Mousavi. The Jerusalem Post also reports a serious public crackdown on Iranians Monday by Basij militiamen and their female counterparts, the Sisters of Zeynab. Moreover, accounts of prison overcrowding and prisoner abuse have emerged.
The swelling rift among clerics in the Iranian establishment has continued to draw conjecture from Western analysts, prompting a Huffington Post article that examines a potential “clash” between Islam and Democracy in Iran. Similarly, Pepe Escobar at the Asia Times claims that Iran was cementing an uniquely theo-militaristic dictatorship even before the election. On the other hand, reports that the regime–whose survival has depended on its popular appeal–has been weakened. Doubts that the theocracy will weather the crisis remain widespread. Nevertheless, the death of Michael Jackson, many argue, has drawn Western media attention away from Iran, which has been advantageous for President Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Khamenei.
Posted in Elections, Iran, US media | Comment »
State Department to Twitter: Delay Maintenance for Iran
June 16th, 2009 by Max
Reuters has just reported that the U.S. Department of State has acknowledged that it asked Twitter, the social networking service, to delay scheduled upgrades so as not to disrupt the Iranian opposition’s communications. The upgrades, which were to have taken place Monday night, would have occurred during daylight hours in Iran and interfered with reformists’ ability to organize. As the Iranian government has limited cellphone and internet service since last Friday’s election, Twitter has played a central role in allowing opposition protesters to organize on the ground, as well as communicate with the outside world. Twitter has rescheduled the upgrades for 5pm EST, 1:30am in Iran.
Posted in Elections, Iran, Middle Eastern Media, Public Opinion, Reform, US foreign policy, US media | Comment »
An Iranian Recount
June 16th, 2009 by Max
On the tail of the largest demonstrations in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which left a reported seven protesters dead, the Council of Guardians has announced that it will order a partial recount of disputed ballots in Friday’s elections, but will not annul the vote as had been requested by Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mohsen Rezaie, two of the challengers in the presidential election that was allegedly a massive victory for incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Ahmadinejad’s supporters planned a counter-rally in the same places as yesterday’s rally, which was to take place at the same time as another opposition rally. Mousavi’s spokesman, however, urged his supporters not to attend in order “to protect their lives.” There are also reports that 120 lecturers at Tehran University have resigned over the election and subsequent attacks on the university by Basij militia.
The opposition rally drew from a wide spectrum of Iranian society. One young cleric who addressed the crowd said that he brought a message from the holy city of Qom: “Without a doubt, all clerical scholars are against the current situation. The only person acceptable to them is Mr. Mousavi, they have rejected Mr. Ahmadinejad’s request to meet them in the past two days.”
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Elections, Iran, Islam and Democracy, Middle Eastern Media, US media | Comment »
Calls to Defend Press Freedom in Iraq
June 12th, 2009 by Blake
The Committee to Protect Journalists and the Journalistic Freedoms Observatory, both of which are media watchdog groups, have issued a letter to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki calling for greater protection of journalists. Although it acknowledges the progress in the Iraqi media since 2003, the letter cites an unsafe security environment and governmental intimidation and harassment of journalists as intolerable threats to press freedom.
The letter calls on the government to condemn intimidation, enforce penalties for media-related offenses, and release freelance photographer Ibrahim Jassam Mohammad, who has been held for nine months without charge.
Posted in Freedom, Iraq, Journalism, Middle Eastern Media, US media | Comment »
Repairing American Public Diplomacy in the Middle East
February 9th, 2009 by Cecile
William A. Rugh has a good article at Arab Media and Society about improving America’s image in the Middle East. While the last few years have seen improvements, overall American public diplomacy is not being utilized to its full potential. Rugh advises a continuation of engagement with Arab media - President Obama’s interview on Al Arabiya is a step in the right direction. He also suggests reforming the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which is responsible for all U.S. government international broadcasting, arguing that it “has been an irresponsible steward of America’s broadcasting assets.”
Additionally, the Pentagon’s role in public information programs (for which it is ill-equipped and ill-trained) has grown over the years. Both Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates have acknowledged that this should change and Rugh stresses that public diplomacy should be primarily restored to the State Department.
One important function of public diplomacy in the past has been to provide a barometer of foreign opinion. However, President Bush “seemed uninterested in foreign opinion, and his adminstration made little use of public diplomacy professionals as monitors and analysts of it.” If Obama is to make good on his promise of listening instead of dictating, this would be a good place to start.
Overall, Rugh recommends an approach to public diplomacy that incorporates the use of all Arab media (not just the “friendly” ones), substantial reforms of U.S.-owned enterprises such as Radio Sawa and al-Hurra, and a restoration of the State Department’s primacy in public diplomacy with enhanced training for officers in the public diplomacy career track.
Posted in Diplomacy, Middle Eastern Media, Military, Public Opinion, US foreign policy, US media | Comment »
2008: LAT Calls For More Clarity on Iraq; Obama Calls Talabani
June 27th, 2008 by Matt
LA Times writer James Rainey, dismayed at the current state of campaign discourse on Iraq (”amounts to a bout of locker- room towel snapping”), calls up a few experts to get their two cents on areas where the candidates need to be pressed for more detail. Rainey charges the media with cutting through the fog that has settled over the Iraq issue, but he also hopes they cut the candidates some slack if their positions change–getting away from trying to catch every “flip-flop”.
Meanwhile, Barack Obama presumably talked about Iraq in some detail with Iraqi president Jalal Talabani, but didn’t put out a particularly illuminating statement about their conversation.
Posted in Election 08, Iraq, US media | Comment »
The Power of Language
May 29th, 2008 by Sarah
Lawrence Pintak, Jeremy Ginges, and Nicholas Felton opine in the New York Times that President Bush’s description of the Arab media as a purveyor of anti-American propaganda reflects a broader failure to use Arab journalists as a potential “weapon in the war of ideas against terrorism.”
Bret Stephens, writing for the Wall Street Journal, condemns the Department of Homeland Security’s recommendation to use the term “progress” instead of “liberty” when defining foreign policy goals. While the DHS issued these recommendations in order to “better engage the Muslim world,” Stephens suggests that doing so sidesteps our true policy goals of ending totalitarianism, and he argues that the U.S. should not shrink from using the word “liberty.”
Posted in Journalism, Middle Eastern Media, US foreign policy, US media | Comment »
The Muslim Divide and Western Perceptions
May 5th, 2008 by Amanda
Over the weekend BBC World broadcast “The Doha Debates” hosted by Qatar Foundation, on the Sunni-Shia conflict as portrayed in the media. Sayyed Hassan al-Qazwini, imam of the largest mosque in North America, is disconcerted by the widespread radicalization of Muslims by Western press. He also affirms that the media misinterprets the Sunni-Shiite split that has historically been, and continues to be motivated more by politics than religion.
Speakers included Informed Comment contributor Juan Cole, former advisor to Jordanian King Hussein General Ali Shukri, and Dr. Hisham Hellyer, fellow at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies.
At Dipnote, the official State Department blog, the “Question of the Week: What Impact Would Press Freedom Have on People Without It?
Posted in Journalism, Qatar, US media | Comment »
Look Beyond Baghdad, PRT Member Asks
November 29th, 2007 by Sean
Today in the CS Monitor, a Provincial Reconstruction Team member Jon Dorschner in the Dhi Qar province argues that the current American debate on Iraq is focused too narrowly on Baghdad, to the exclusion of other important developments.
Posted in Foreign Aid, Iraq, US media | Comment »
Restrictions on Free Press Spread to US
October 19th, 2007 by Celest
Ilan Weinglass, in the Washington Times, writes how Saudi billionaire Khalid bin Mahfouz has used British libel laws to silence allegations that he funded al-Qaeda. “A number of leading American publications including The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times and USA Today have publicly retracted allegations made about Mr. Mahfouz on their pages.” He describes this as “disturbing” since the Treasury Department has reported significant evidence.
Posted in Freedom, US media | Comment »
Arab and American Media in Shaping Mutual Perceptions and Misperceptions
October 17th, 2007 by Amanda
Marc Lynch in his blog, Abu Aardvark, highlights the Arab and American media and their role in “shaping mutual perceptions and misperceptions.” Lynch addresses Arab coverage of the United States and describes how al-Jazeera’s heavy coverage of the 2004 Presidential election was “really extraordinary” at covering the contours of the American political system. Yet, he goes on to ask if this instance “represented a single moment, the exception rather than the rule?”
Posted in Journalism, US media | Comment »
Muslim Leaders Issue Open Letter to Christian Churches
October 15th, 2007 by Sean
An open letter addressed to the leaders of Christian churches, signed by 138 Muslim leaders and issued last week, has begun to attract a great deal of attention in the past few days. The letter, entitled “A Common Word Between Us and You” outlines the “basis for peace and understanding” which exists in both religions, and calls for interfaith dialogue, as “our common future is at stake.”
Some have described the letter as ‘historic’ and stated that the Muslim signatories “represent all schools of Islamic thought,” while John Cullinan in the National Review argues that the letter lacks specificity and substance.
Posted in US media | Comment »
Iranian Bloggers Respond to Ahmedinejad’s Visit to Columbia
October 1st, 2007 by Sean
Tom Parker of the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center published yesterday in the International Herald Tribune an interesting compilation of excerpts from Iranian blogs concerning Ahmedinejad’s speech last week. The active Iranian blogosphere, though nominally under government observation, offered a range of often-critical reactions to their President’s visit, and the event’s coverage in the American media.
Posted in Iran, Public Opinion, US media | Comment »
More Debate on the Surge and Crocker-Petraeus Report
September 12th, 2007 by Sean
The Economist gives a good overview of the debate.
John Tabin at American Spectator writes that though the military goals of the surge are working, the political stalemate in the capital leaves the establishment of “local institutions that would take over the for the national government under a soft partition,” as the only positive progress on the political front.
In the National Review, Peter Wehner states that the Crocker-Petraeus report has given the U.S. strategy in Iraq needed space to maneuver until next summer. For his part, Robert Scheer at the Nation accuses the general and the ambassador of duplicity in their testimony before Congress.
Posted in Iraq, US media, US politics | Comment »
Questioning the Question: Why do They Hate Us?
September 11th, 2007 by Sean
“Why don’t ‘you’ ask ‘them’?” Mohamed Elmenshawy queries in the Christian Science Monitor, highlighting the problematic nature of the debate about Arab discontent with America. He argues that a lack of indigenous Arab voices in Washington and a tendency towards misleading simplifications have stalled the effort for mutual understanding.
James Carroll writes in the International Herald-Tribune of the difficulties that this question, and the sense of American victimhood that understandably arises every September 11th, present for our foreign policy.
Posted in Public Opinion, US media | Comment »
Our Voices Together Event: U.S. & The World
August 30th, 2007 by Shir
Our Voices Together held an event this morning on “Foreign Perceptions of the U.S. & American Understanding of Foreign Cultures,” in which four young foreign journalists spoke on various issues related to the media, cross-cultural understanding and perception, and violence.
Amr Emam (Egypt), stressed the U.S. is perceived negatively for its policies, not its values. He spoke about the deficiency in American media in covering events in the Middle East, in particular the atrocities the U.S. is complicit or involved in.
Sabrina Valle (Brazil) expanded on these issues, saying that global issues were absent from or distorted in American media. Miscommunication occurs, she said, because the rest of the world thinks Americans get the same news they do.
Mugumo Munene (Kenya) spoke about the 1998 bombing of the U.S. embassy in Nairobi to highlight a great disappointment for Kenyans in receiving American assistance, and the unequal focus on American deaths in the tragedy.
Shamim Ashraf (Bangladesh) stressed American foreign policy in the Middle East, particularly towards Israel and in Iraq, are at the heart of a deep mistrust of America.
The panelists agreed that personal connections and improved education in foreign issues would greatly support better global relations, and expressed hope for much improvement.
Posted in Foreign Aid, US media | Comment »
