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Reining in the Arab Media
March 18, 2008 | Posted by Abu Muqawama - 12:57pm |
2 Comments
Arab Media & Society has a special online feature covering
the new regulations passed by the wise Arab rulers to prevent networks like
al-
Jazeera from saying anything controversial ever again. You may not be a big fan of
al-
Jazeera, but if the Saudis figure out a way to stifle the freedom of speech on what
Marc Lynch calls the "new Arab media," that will be a bad thing for everyone from democracy promoters to human rights
activists to even counter-insurgents.
Abu Muqawama holds
al-
Jazeera responsible for fanning the flames of sectarianism since 2003, sure, but he also recognizes a good long-term trend when he sees one. Repression of political speech is only going to lead to more radical
Islamists in the Arab world, and it's hard for this blogger not to be cynical about these new regulations.
Disagree? Sound off in the comments.
But read this first.
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