Are the BBC & CNN Mirrors of Arab\Muslim Reality? By Ali Al-Hail

Are the BBC & CNN Mirrors of Arab\Muslim Reality?

By Ali Al-Hail

Al-Jazeerah, November 30, 2004

I suppose the obvious answer is yes, they are mirrors of Arab\Muslim reality, but they have lately, been observed to become distorting mirrors (albeit occasional selectivity of objectivity and accuracy).

For example, the CNN and the BBC report what is happening in Darfur as an ‘ethnic cleansing’ though the Darfur issue has been going on since the 18th century as part of the tribal nature, which really raises a legitimate question about the timing!!

Whilst the behavior of the ‘Janjaweed’ thugs against their other Darforian fellows are completely unjustifiable, the BBC and the CNN tend to mislead their viewers when reporting for instance, the Israeli\Palestinian conflict.

They seem to show that, the frequent assassinated Palestinians in Gaza by Israeli missiles fired from American –made Apachi helicopters as a legitimate practice by Israel to defend itself against these ‘villains’!!.

Having said that, what the BBC and CNN show will always inevitably be partial.

Because of a number of factors:

(1) the historical moral\stereotypical relationships between Arabs\Muslims and Americans\Europeans since medieval times which has regrettably, reinforced by an apparent link to Arabs\Muslims in the terror of 9\11 ;

(2) The War on Terrorism declared by the American Administration that is perceived as directed against Arabs and Muslims being presumably, the sole potential source of terrorism threatening the “modern World”;

(3) the pro Israel Lobby in both the BBC & CNN.

Although what the BBC and CNN show, if it is going to make sense to Arab and Muslim viewers, must connect with what these viewers already know about the upper hand of Israel in the Arab\Muslim conflict over the occupation of Palestine, thanks of course to the green light from the ‘leader of the free world’ and the European Union with varying degrees.

If they simply showed us lies or chose things that were simply untrue, which they quite often do, then we would be unlikely to believe it and therefore it would be unlikely to be pleasurable and we would therefore be unlikely to watch it.

Accordingly, they are very likely, going to lose their market and credibility in both Arab & Muslim Worlds, if they ever care!!

The media must to some extent reflect our own experience or must connect with our own perceptions of the world if we are going to be able to make sense of it at all. Nevertheless, of course the media are not a neutral window on the world let alone the BBC & CNN. What a shame?!

Dr. Ali Al-Hail, Ph.D., M.E. is Professor of Mass Communication, Qatar, Doha

Earth, a planet hungry for peace

Apartheid Wall


The Israeli Land-Grab Apartheid Wall built inside the Palestinian territories, here separating Abu Dis from occupied East Jerusalem. (IPC, 7/4/04).

The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers in the West Bank, like a Python. (Alquds,10/25/03).

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