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Muslim World

Al Arabiya Producer Nabil Kassem: Arab media are “living in denial” over Darfur

Two years on, Nabil Kassem is still profoundly affected by his experiences in Sudan. What he witnessed there, and recorded in a film he made for Al Arabiya, were scenes of unspeakable brutality and untold suffering, scenes he thought would surely wake up an Arab public all too willing to let Darfur pass by. But 'Jihad on Horseback' never made it across the airwaves. In this highly charged interview with Lawrence Pintak, Kassem speaks of how Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir prevented the broadcast of perhaps the most provocative documentary film ever made by an Arab director.

Darfur: Covering the “forgotten” story

The burning village of Um Zeifa. Image by Brian Steidle courtesy of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

There is no issue in Arab journalism today that is more controversial than how the region’s media cover Darfur. It is the hot-button issue in the Arab newsroom not because of the physical danger but because the issue bores right to the heart of the mission of Arab journalism and the self-identity of those who practice it, writes Publisher and Co-Editor Lawrence Pintak.

Media and Religion in the Arab-Islamic World

Old and new religious media on sale in Syria.  Photograph by Kim Badawi.

In this edited version of the 11th Templeton Lecture on Religion and World Affairs, Abdallah Schleifer looks at the development of journalism in the Arab-Islamic World, attempting to explain factors shaping journalism practice in the region.

The Appeal of Sami Yusuf and the Search for Islamic AuthenticityIcon indicating an associated article is peer reviewed

Islamic pop star, Sami Yusuf.

Tracking Sami Yusuf's move into the mainstream is key not only for understanding Sami Yusuf as an Islamic artist but also as a useful index for how Muslims see themselves as participants in Western modernity. Christian Pond asks, will they, as encouraged by Sami Yusuf, choose the path of Islamizing modernity? Or will they choose the more complicated path of modernizing Islam?

Arab Media Wire

CPJ asks Jordanian king to toss out cyber law The Committee to Protect Journalists, a New York-based nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to defending press freedom worldwide, is deeply concerned about a provisional law on cyber crimes that was approved by the cabinet of ministers on August 3.
The Loss Of Popularity Of Egyptian Blogging The active blogs of a few years ago, which scrutinised social violence and confrontations between the opposition and the police, seem to have waned in popularity today. Their success was attained neither by Facebook nor by mini-blogs, like dormant volcanoes whose eruption has been postponed eternally.
Media Habits of MENA Youth - AUB/Issam Fares Institute report "The survey found the participants highly adept at using new media. They spent considerable time consuming new and traditional media, but much less time producing media content."
Kuwait likely to follow UAE, Saudi BlackBerry ban Kuwait officials are likely to follow Saudi Arabia and the UAE with a ban on certain BlackBerry services, local Arab media has reported.
UAE to suspend Blackberry service on security fears The United Arab Emirates' plan to suspend BlackBerry services in October has sparked concern among users in the Gulf Arab state over the impact it might have on free speech and on companies which rely on the services.
Al Jazeera Files a Lawsuit Against the Egyptian Newspaper Al Ahram Al Jazeera has filed a lawsuit against the Egyptian-based newspaper Al Ahram Newspaper following the publication of what it calls false and damaging statements about the international news network and its management. Al Jazeera says tThese allegations, published in June in an article entitled "Jazeerat Al-Taharrush" ("Al Jazeera an Island of Harassment"), were completely baseless, and without merit, and were mainly aimed at damaging the reputation of the Al Jazeera Network.
Re-thinking 'civil society' in the Arab world Rami Khouri on the role of NGOs in the Arab world
Journalism court threat to Iraqi media Media freedom in Iraq has taken another turn for the worse with the announcement of plans for a special court to handle journalism cases.

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