The answer to this question is, of course, a flat “No”. The public furore against television is no more than a natural expression of our struggle to come to terms with a visual culture that has been having an ever greater impact on our public and private spheres. In the Arab world, television has a bright face that should not be diminished by the occasional errors of the few.
Although television was introduced into Arabian societies in the immediate post-colonial era to serve as a government tool for national integration and cultural revival, it was not until the 1990s that it became a topic of national and regional debate. The change was caused by the advent of privately-owned channels with mixed political and commercial agendas.
In fact, in the pre-1990s period, television was viewed as some kind of sacrosanct institution, off limits to criticism in the same way as the flag or the national anthem. But with the arrival of satellite channels, there has been a growing sense of uneasiness on the parts of not just governments but religious and social groups as well. They are all concerned about the potentially deleterious effects on society and the state by unrestricted broadcasting.
Last February, Arab ministers of information tried to curb these “negative” effects by issuing an inhibitive charter that some saw as being no more than an opening salvo in a coordinated drive to stifle freedom of expression. When in May some Arab satellite channels started airing Turkish soap operas dubbed into Arabic, they were accused of being “Trojan horses” for foreign cultural hegemony.
Even the Qatar-based Al Jazeera news channel could not escape critical remarks from a wide range of state and non-state actors, all accusing the broadcaster of sowing the seeds of division through its aggressive political talk shows. Early this month, two soap operas, one on an Abu Dhabi channel and the other on a Palestinian station, were discontinued following concerns over their potential “damaging” effects.
With so many different threats levelled at it, with so many angry outbursts, it is easy to lose sight of the immense popularity of television in the region in general, and the specific satellite channels in particular. The good and the bad in broadcasting are being all lumped together and the good work that is being achieved in contributing to national development is being overlooked.
But the massive attachment of millions to their favourite television channels and shows does furnish convincing proof that broadcasters are offering something with redeeming value to their audiences. The Al Jazeera news channel, for example, boasts a 40 million-strong viewer base, while Al Arabiya channel makes claims in the 25-30 million range. Viewing figures for individual shows are also stunning, with Future Television’s Super Star reality programme touching the 60 million mark, and MBC’s Bab Al Hara soap opera garnering similar levels.
Here in the United Arab Emirates, television is increasingly becoming an integral component of people’s daily lives. This Ramadan, channels based in Abu Dhabi and Dubai have featured some of the finest drama and talk shows, most of them produced through cooperative pan-Arab ventures. Sharjah Television has introduced the Munshid show, with contestants competing in chanting performances.
The same channel has also developed the tradition of broadcasting live the fast-breaking moment as marked by the Ramadan cannon. Huge crowds of men, women and children gather every evening around the cannon to witness the moment when the gun is fired while waving (through the cameras) to their loved ones in Sharjah and elsewhere in an atmosphere of joy and spiritual fulfilment.
Television is like Man: often imperfect, very occasionally evil, but at its best, a forceful power for good. But it cannot be ignored – which is why, whatever it broadcasts, it will always be a target for criticism from someone
*Published in the UAE's NATIONAL on September 28, 2008. Muhammad Ayish is Professor of Communications at the University of Sharjah. |
