My Thoughts on Islam, Media, and the West

The blogs this semester contained a general consensus. Everyone seemed to have learned a lot over the course and transformed their views of the Arab world while simultaneously expressing their deep confusion and inner turmoil. Many people commented on current events that occured throughout the semester, including the tragedy in Mumbai and the threat against New York City. Some people were bothered by the fact that the Mumbai attacks were automatically assumed to be “terrorist.” That type of comment bothers me. Of course they were terrorist. Anyone can be a terrorist if they plan an attack of violence against a group of people and invoke terror. For example, the kids of Columbine were terrorists: they planned out attacks on theirs school and followed through, killing many students. How can people who invade hotels and a Jewish community center, killing and taking hostages, not be considered terrorist? The idea is ridiculous to me. What I do agree with is that America was wrong in suggesting Al-Queda was behind the attacks. But, that was just the media trying to stir up the controversy in the story.

Some other classmates commented on Sami Yusef and how he is an extremely unique musician. They also explain how someone like Sami would not work in the United States. I disagree. The United States already has artists similar to Sami, singing about religion and peace. For example, Nickelback is a huge band and they are a Christian Rock group. Also Matisyahu is a huge sensation. He is an Orthodox Jewish singer who is able to combine reggae and Hebrew, preaching about peace and the Bible. His music was all over MTV and I do not know of anyone who doesn’t know about Matisyahu. His music also transcends generations: my grandparents, aunt and uncle all enjoy Matisyahu’s music. So, while Sami Yusef is unique in the sense of his extreme popularity, I feel like someone similar could become popular in the United States if his or her music is really good.

In addition, I noticed that a lot of classmates commented on Dubai after our guest speaker. Many people expressed diverse sentiments regarding the growing phenomenon. Most of my peers decided that they would like to visit Dubai and see the glitz and glamour with their own eyes. My interest was also sparked following the guest speaker. I enjoyed his pictures and the way he described the layout of the area. Some questioned whether the quick expansion of Dubai was positive or negative in the Middle East. While those opinions were very difference, the overall consensus was a deep fascination with Dubai.

Ultimately, many people admitted their feelings of embarrassment about how little they truly knew about the Arab media. I happen to be one of them. I didn’t know anything about media in the Middle East, yet I have to say that I don’t know about the media in Asia, South America, Africa and Australia. I know a little bit about Europe through reality TV and due to the fact that I lived in Italy for four months. But aside from that, I have to admit that most Americans don’t receive an education about foreign media. Which is why I am glad that I was able to take this class and truly gain an understanding (even if it was just brushing the surface) of Arab media.

I am really upset by the facts of the Rabbi and his wife's murders in Mumbai.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article5274030.ece

And I know I am biased because I am Jewish and because this is the story we are exposed to in the United States. I am sure that the Middle East reports it differently but the fact is, I read this story and a few others stories of similar content. Media in the United States is this way. But the fact is, an innocent rabbi and his wife were murdered and she was five months pregnant. It makes me want to cry. How can people just murder innocent people without any qualms or misgivings? Apparently their nanny saved the other child by taking hold of him and running out the door after ten hours of siege. The child has a genetic disease called Tay-Sachs, which is terminal. It kills me that the child will die alone, without his mother and father. It is a heart-breaking and tragic story. And why did it happen? Because of terrorists. Because people want to change the current situation in India and Pakistan so they take the lives of innocence.

We talked about Hezbollah in class yesterday and it was very interesting to me. A couple of thoughts ran through my mind during the discussion. I thought about all the good things that Hezbollah does for its own people, all the schools, hospitals, benefits, cleaning, etc. But then I think back to the music videos, which were not music videos but military propaganda pieces and I wondered what exactly they are teaching in these schools. Maybe that is irrational to think but nationalism and propaganda remind me of the Nazis. The Nazis took care of their own and simultaneously destroyed many other people: Jews, gypsies, gays, disabled, etc. So does that make them good? I am not being entirely serious when I say nationalism and Nazism are related. But my grandma survived the Holocaust and she lost her father at Buchanwald. And any group that has similarities to the Nazis terrifies me, especially when their video games are anti-Israel. I think that nationalism can be a good thing. But there is certainly violence involved in Hezbollah’s plans and there must be SOME reason that six countries consider it a terrorist organization. It can’t just be that Hezbollah does positive things and the United States automatically misunderstands the organization. They support suicide bombers and the families of those that died in any sort of martyr attacks. I am just throwing it out there that maybe Hezbollah treats its own people right in Lebanon, but elsewhere maybe it does in fact do harm and should be considered a threat.

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After a big turkey dinner, my family and I sat down to watch Slumdog Millionaire together. It was great and completely relevant for this class. First of all, the film is about a poor Muslim boy in India who competes in Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. As we learned in class, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire is a national media phenomenon (although in India they play to twenty million rubies). It was very interesting to see how similar the show in India is to the United States. Granted, it was directed by Danny Boyle who happens to be British. But, I found this clip on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxIN1Fa5Kpk and it is of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire India. It seems the same to me, questions in English with a little bit of Hindi in between. The movie exemplifies how extremely popular Who Wants To Be A Millionaire is around the world. In the film, everyone was watching the boy, Jamal. Before he even won the game, the poor people in the street surrounded him praying for his win. He represented hope in the eyes of everyone who will never see that amount of money. It seemed as though every television in India was tuned in to this particular event. The film proves that the presence of popular culture transcends into even the poorest areas of the world.

Of course, Jamal was arrested for cheating before he was able to answer the million-dollar question. The film takes us from beginning to end on the different events throughout his life that allowed him to answer each question. One of the questions was about the Hindi god Rama. While Jamal is Muslim he was able to give the answer due to an unfortunate situation that happened when he was a young boy. In the scene, Jamal recalls the death of his mother. I thought that this segment was particularly relevant, especially in light of the events that occurred today in the exact town. He grew up in Mumbai as a Muslim. The scene was set on a Muslim camp, where Hindi people invaded, killing everyone that got in their way. Jamal’s mother died during the attack, which seemed relatively common in that area. The Hindu people set fire to homes and Muslim’s clothing while they were still wearing it. The attack was horrible to watch. However, while Jamal was running from the attack, he found the answer to his Millionaire question: Rama was holding a bow and arrow. The route of the problem between the Hindu Indians and the Muslims (both in India and Pakistan) is due to the way the British government set up partitions when they ended their colonial reign: namely the fight over Kashmir. The problem continues to be a conflict even today, as there was a terrorist attack in Mumbai. Although it is uncertain as to who was truly behind the attack, many news stations reported that the terrorist group was rumored to be Pakistani based. I guess we will find out more as the story further develops. I found it interesting how the United States television stations were mainly concerned about whether any US citizens were taken hostage. The anchors briefly mentioned the other hostages but focused on Americans and discussed how the attacks could be against the West, although I don't really believe the West has anything to do with it. But then again, we will see!

I really enjoyed this film and I think everyone should go see it. Although I am always a sucker for feel good films, I found that it was very relevant for this class and for the current events happening in Mumbai. My prediction is that this film will not only nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, but that it will win. I haven’t seen anything that even compares this season so far.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27925893/

To ride the subway or not to ride the subway… that is the question. Today word leaked from the Associated Press (a wire service) that al-Qaida terrorists are targeting New York City subways and railways over the upcoming holidays. According to the story, the FBI “received a ‘plausible but unsubstantiated’ report” about an upcoming attack. The first thing that comes to my mind is fear. I certainly don’t want to die in the New York City metro system. So, should I avoid the subways? The second thing that comes to my mind is: is this all bullshit? Should I go on with my day-to-day life and not allow a fear of a ‘plausible but unsubstantiated’ threat? Is this just a ploy by the government to instill terror into the lives of Americans? Part of me feels like if I am going to die, then I am going to die and that’s it. I cannot live my life in fear of an ominous death lurking at any corner. The fact is, everyone will die eventually, maybe today, maybe in 50 years.

What bothers me about this article is the fact that these attacks were discussed all the way back in September. Meaning, someone knew of a potential plot and waited until now to scare us. And who knows if this is even a real threat? It pisses me off that the government would hide something like this until now.

Fear is a very powerful thing. People act differently when they are scared, especially with the threat of death hovering in front of their eyes. I won’t be surprised if New Yorkers look suspiciously at anyone in Arab garb over the next couple weeks. These threats make Americans revert back to 9/11 sentiments. How are we supposed to promote peace and understanding amongst Arabs and Americans when Americans only see terror? They don’t even see the horrors we are causing over in the Middle East because American media only broadcasts what it wants. Even the color system we assign to the different levels of terror alerts. It is meant to play with American emotions and let me tell you, it works. The government understands the powers of fear and terror and they utilize it to gain support for their actions in the Middle East. And it works.

Last week London celebrated its fifteenth year of Islam Awareness Week (November 17th to November 23rd). The aim of the week is to shrink stereotyping and clear up misconceptions about Islam, which is the second most popular religion in England. The week is packed events including debates, concerts and famous public speakers. I have mixed feelings about Islam Awareness Week. As I was trained in public relations, I see these special weeks as attempts for companies to align themselves with a cause. I also don’t really see Islam as qualifying as a “cause”. In America, we have a different cause every week: AIDs awareness week, breast cancer awareness week, mouth cancer awareness week, hunger and homelessness week, etc… Literally every week has a different focus and a chance for publicists to promote products. For example, during mouth cancer week, a gum company may hold a fundraiser to help research aid, simultaneously promoting their wonderful gum. Or during hunger and homelessness week, a grocery store like Whole Foods will promote themselves through acts of community service and donation of their food products. That is what I would do if I were a publicist for either a gum company or grocery store. In the United States, we literally have fifty-two weeks of causes. It is a bit much. While I do think it is important to promote awareness of these various diseases and sad situations, I cant help but think of it from a business perspective, which in turn ruins the aspect of awareness for me.

As for London and their Islam Awareness Week, I think it is a little different. Islam is not a cause, it’s a religion. Therefore businesses may have a little bit more difficulty aligning themselves as Islam promoters. Apparently the week was started by an Islamic society living in England. It is focused towards schools and universities to promote awareness of the religion in youth. This tactic always works: get kids while they are young and impressionable. Even Hitler used this tactic in Hitler Youth, brainwashing the German youth about his antics. I am in no way comparing Hitler to Islamic Awareness Week, I am merely pointing out how easily the youth are influenced in both good and bad ways. Teaching tolerance to kids makes it more probable these ideals will stick throughout adulthood. However, it also singles out Islam. I am not entire sure it is better to point out the differences between individuals at a young age. I know when I was little, I never even noticed the differences between me and my friends. Once you point out to little children that there are some people that are not the same, this may cause even more problems. However, for university-aged young adults, I think this week could spread understanding. Young adults are at an age where education can influence them even more than parents may be able to. Therefore, I hope that in London, most of the efforts to promote Islam Awareness Week are geared towards people my age.

My question is: if there is an Islam Awareness Week, do other religions of England also have their own weeks? Or is it all encompassed under the title of “Diversity Week”? And if so, why don’t they spread awareness of all religions?

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article5190462.ece#cid=OTC-RSS&attr=2015164

Salaam Pax may be the blogger king in Iraq, but according to this article, the Blogfather, Hossein Derakhshan was the master of Iran. He even developed a program so he could blog in Farsi: work that allowed Persian letters to show up on the Internet. This weekend he was arrested due to his opinions about Israel, the government referring to him as an Israeli spy. As an advocate of free speech I believe his arrest is completely ridiculous. Just because of he believes Iran should recognize Israel, he was arrested as a spy. Nobody even considered his other beliefs and his patriotism toward Iran, claiming that he would fight on Iran's side if it were ever attacked by America. He also avidly promotes Iran to have its own nuclear weapons. However, when you live in Iran, I guess you are expected to hate Israel, or at least talk as though you hate Israel in order to avoid suspicion. Granted, I think that he should have stayed in Canada, where he was safe and away from all the ridiculous antics of Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. With a man like Ahmadinejad as president, how is a country like Iran supposed expand knowledge? Forums like blogs are necessary to exchange opinions and inspire growth within the country. With the president calling for the arrest of Iranians with different opinions, how is Iran supposed to grow as a culture? It seems backward to me. Not that I believe in the clash of civilizations, I just believe that the president of Iran is an idiot (and I mean that). He denies the fact that there are gays in Iran. He denies the fact that the Holocaust happened. He apparently lives in a fantasy world. The oppression emanating from Iran makes me sick. Even from reading Persepolis, I became nauseas about the Iranian government. I have nothing against the people of Iran. In fact I think that bloggers like Hossein Derakhshan are necessary for the eventual transformation of the Iranian government. I will admit that I have no idea what the president of Iran does for his own people, however I do see the way he preaches. He is scary to me, almost reminiscent of Hitler himself. Bold statement, I know. But people like him should never have a chance to attain nuclear weapons. Because he may actually destroy the world. And people can disagree with these statements, I just thought I would throw out my opinion since this is a BLOG and on BLOGS you are allowed to express your opinions in a safe environment. Except for the blogfather of Iran.

After watching Control Room I made some observations that I believe cater to a Western audience:
1. The constant comparison of Al Jazeera to Fox News- Both news sources portray themselves as fair and balanced. It is important to compare Al Jazeera to a news station in the United States in order for the Western audience to gain a better understanding of this news station.
2. The way Al Jazeera speaks English in their news rooms saying "thank you" to each other as opposed to speaking in Arabic. This aspect I found particularly interesting- It shows how the Arab media is Westernized in their ideas.
3. The idea of two worlds colliding at a rapid rate (from the opinion of the American soldier) This aspect shows the Clash of Civilization theory which the US government endorses.
4. The fall of the statue of Sadaam. According to Al Jazeera, it was just a media show for American citizens to get behind the war. They wanted to know where the Iraqi police and military were during such an act. Also, they claimed that it was just a ploy especially because the people pulling down the statue were not Iraqi at all. It was just a propaganda stunt to further the favor of America.

Technically, it is all propaganda. Both Americans and Iraqis are guilty of using propaganda in their news media for their own personal benefits. So, why does the term propaganda have such an extremely negative connotation? At least in my mind, it reminds me of the Nazis. Since Nazi propaganda, people have been very careful to steer clear of this term, yet they are guilty of utilizing it.

The concepts of Orientalism and the Clash of Civilizations are very closely related and often times feed off each other. While I have discussed both of these theories in prior papers, I believe it is important to redefine the terms. Orientalism is the distinction made between the East and West, allotting power to the West over the more backward East. The Clash of Civilizations is a theory claiming that the fundamental differences between Eastern and Western cultures will never allow for a peaceful relationship. There are aspects of both theories that are portrayed and challenged throughout the life stories from Iran, Palestine, Lebanon, and Iraq. I chose to focus on two main resources: Persepolis for Iran and Salam Pax’s blog for Iraq. The main reason for this decision is that these two sources struck me as particularly meaningful.

Persepolis and Persepolis II by Marjane Satrapi are told through the eyes of little girl growing up in Iran during the Iran/Iraq war, exemplifying certain problems of both the East and the West. Marjane grew up in a liberal home with two parents that protested the government. While there were many people that demonstrated against the government, her story can in no way be extrapolated to encompass all Iranian life. She had a completely unique situation and therefore readers can only gain insight into her personal experience. In a way, Persepolis portrays the Orientalist view of the East. While Marjane does not agree with this perception, she explains the flaws of Eastern society: the class separation and the separation of men and women. She finds the fact that her maid cannot sit at the table with her family at dinner completely unfair. In regard to men and women, Marjane makes a social commentary on the ignorance of the government. At school, men and women are not allowed to walk up the same stairwells for fear that the men will be tempted to look at a woman’s behind. While she finds this belief ridiculous, it is part of Iranian culture. These views of the East further enhance the notion of Orientalism in the sense that the East is “backward”. The graphic novel also portrays the Clash of Civilizations. When Marjane is sent abroad to study in Austria, she is an outsider, rarely able to connect with Westerners. The only group she befriends is a collection of people striving to be different. However, she ultimately views them as all the same: vacationing in the Alps, having sex, and doing drugs. Eventually, Marjane discovers drugs as her only outlet to the pain of being so different. She culturally clashes in Austria. Upon her return to Iran, she experiences difficulty in reconnecting with her old friends. At first her friends want to Westernize, mimicking Marjane and attempting to discover an “insider’s” view of abroad. However, when they realize she takes birth control and has sex, they shun her as a slut. Because Marjane spent her teenage years in Austria, she found a clash upon her return to Iran. In a way this refutes the entire theory of the Clash of Civilizations. Marjane grew into this hybrid of East and West, almost a globalized yet solitary culture, where she can no longer fit in anywhere.

Another interesting cross between cultures is Salam Pax, the blogger in Iraq commenting on the events of the most current war. The fact that he is blogging creates a problem with the theory of Orientalism. According to my definition, the East is supposedly backward, especially with technology. However, Salam Pax reaches out to a global community through the Internet. He is able to connect with people from Iraq, England, America, and all over the world. However, some of what he says enhances both the Clash of Civilizations and Orientalism. He gives power to the West by claiming that the US has turned a blind eye on the problems of Iraq for thirty years and only now they stick their nose where it does not belong. He claims, “The entities that call themselves ‘the international community’ should have… looked at reports about weapons and human rights abuses a long time before having them thrown in their faces as excuses for war five minutes before midnight” (Pax 120). In other words, the West should have taken an interest in Iraqi troubles long before this war. In addition to his annoyance with American government, Pax blogs as though Orientalism exists, even though he doesn’t necessarily agree, by claiming that the West demonizes Arabs and Islam. He points out various stereotypes, poking fun of both societies. However, ultimately, Salam Pax proves that a global culture is possible, as the mediums of communication continuously become easier to utilize. His blog is proof that there are similarities in day-to-day life among every culture. While in a way, I am extrapolating from his small contribution (a blog), I feel as though he is very much an inside source, an every day Iraqi.

Unlike Salam Pax’s blog, Palestine by Joe Sacco should not be taken as an every day situation. Joe Sacco’s story is of an outsider in Palestine, seeking the stories of horror and destruction from refugees. It is dangerous to extrapolate from his graphic novel because he rarely gives readers a glimpse of day-to-day Palestinian life. As for Lebanon, Mazen Kerbaj’s comic was relatable and sad. He showed everyday life for a little boy growing up in times of war. I feel like his piece was acceptable to expand to the youth of Lebanon due to the fact that he is merely a small boy. However, one should consider the fact that his point of view is Westernized as he goes to a French school in Lebanon. The 99 comic book is also very telling of Islamic society. This comic exemplifies that the clash does not exist. The story is translatable to Western and Eastern culture alike, and although there are religious undertones, it is easy to understand the success in any country. The problem with all of the sources is the fact that they are all Westernized. Authors have been outside of the land they describe and have a different perspective from those remaining within the countries’ borders. Therefore, we must take this Westernized aspect into account when extrapolating. Ultimately, there are dangers in assuming unity within any culture. Even worse, it is dangerous to extrapolate from these four war-ridden stories out to all of Islamic culture. The fact that these stories are so different from each other is enough of an example to show how dangerous it would be to understand Arab and Islamic people as one unified entity.

Los Angeles looks the way it does for a number of reasons. First of all, the county is made up of mountains and valleys. To connect the hills and flat land, a number of freeways and winding roads on the canyon were created. The hills are much less populated than the valleys, which are more like suburbia. Houses built on hills were more expensive but also in a much cooler climate than the valleys, which is probably why the richest people built homes there. Los Angeles is also where Hollywood was created and therefore a lot of the architecture reflects the over-the-top studio-like style. The spread out structure of Los Angeles caters to the necessity of cars, which allows those with expensive cars the ability to show off. Culturally, LA is a place where people come to "make it" in the movie business, so the population is very much mixed of rich and poor and the residential and commercial areas reflect that combination.