With more attention turning to the media and culture in Arab world, Libyan blogs are following suit by critiquing government's role.
By Jamel Arfaoui for Magharebia in Tunis – 03/03/10
Libyan blogs this week tackled freedom of the press in the Arab world, the lack of tolerant dialogue and the role of the Ministry of Culture.
According to blogger Ahmed Faitouri, Arab citizens hope that "their media will express their dreams and aspirations and be a bridge of freedom and participation. This will be brought about only by agreeing on a unified Arab media strategy, which needs for its basis a unified Arab policy." The blogger added: "It's true that Arabs possess money and creative human resources, but it's the controlling entities that set the agendas in advance. State-run media focus on highlighting the image of the ruler, regardless of the importance of the news."
Blogger Abdul Dayem Ukwass expressed sorrow at the absence of a culture of dialogue and acceptance of other opinions and criticism. "Unfortunately, we haven't been able to rid ourselves of the tribal pattern, even in our thinking and culture. Every one of us clings to a "host" of thoughts and opinions that he or she fosters and feeds, based on a single-minded theory, and considers it to be sacred property that only death can part him from."
"Anyone who attacks such a 'host' by having different opinions or criticizing it will expose himself to the weapons of mass libel, where everything is allowed and possible, without any regard for the rules of dialogue and manners of difference," added Ukwass.
For his part, blogger Ghazi Gheblawi hopes for a hard look at ministries of culture in Libya and other Arab countries. "What took place in Libya after the establishment of the Ministry of Culture, which was later turned into the Public Establishment for Culture, proved that culture and intellectuals in our country and most Arab countries would be in better condition without these government agencies and establishments."
"These entities monopolize cultural activities in the country, and only aim at placing more restrictions on intellectuals and making them like employees in those government agencies". The blogger believes that this will make intellectuals "lose their independence and ability to criticize the squalid conditions in the country".
Freedom and discussion of reform in Libya are under increasing scrutiny both at home and abroad. Local and international public opinion welcomed the country's decision to allow Human Rights Watch to hold a Tripoli release for a landmark report on the state of freedoms in Libya.
Libyan blogger Alaa Mohammed told Magharebia that 'reform' didn't originally exist according to the commonly recognized definition. "Rather, there was a trend to make some breakthroughs in different directions that didn't affect laws and establishments."
"[T]his was one of the points criticized by Human Rights Watch last December in its report that was titled 'Libya: Truth and Justice Can't Wait'. The so-called 'reforms' in Libya are just unregulated, non-institutionalized breakthroughs," he added. "Therefore, any breakthrough that may be offered can always be withdrawn, and this was what has actually happened. However, I think that the two suspended newspapers … will be allowed to re-issue, but probably under certain conditions.
"In addition, the blocking of Libyan websites that appear overseas and YouTube may be lifted, but the blocking and suspension will always be like two threatening swords, together with the other tools of oppression," said the blogger.
For his part, Ziad El Heni, member of the executive bureau of the African Union of Journalists, said in a statement to Magharebia that the Libyan authorities' "step to block a number of electronic newspapers and websites that are deemed to be part of the reformist trend in Libya and to arrest two writers, Jamal Haji and Ahmed Khalifa, is an unacceptable thing. It's a setback to the course of media openness which Libya has recently seen."
Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/blog/2010/03/03/feature-02.
By Jamel Arfaoui for Magharebia in Tunis – 03/03/10
Libyan blogs this week tackled freedom of the press in the Arab world, the lack of tolerant dialogue and the role of the Ministry of Culture.
According to blogger Ahmed Faitouri, Arab citizens hope that "their media will express their dreams and aspirations and be a bridge of freedom and participation. This will be brought about only by agreeing on a unified Arab media strategy, which needs for its basis a unified Arab policy." The blogger added: "It's true that Arabs possess money and creative human resources, but it's the controlling entities that set the agendas in advance. State-run media focus on highlighting the image of the ruler, regardless of the importance of the news."
Blogger Abdul Dayem Ukwass expressed sorrow at the absence of a culture of dialogue and acceptance of other opinions and criticism. "Unfortunately, we haven't been able to rid ourselves of the tribal pattern, even in our thinking and culture. Every one of us clings to a "host" of thoughts and opinions that he or she fosters and feeds, based on a single-minded theory, and considers it to be sacred property that only death can part him from."
"Anyone who attacks such a 'host' by having different opinions or criticizing it will expose himself to the weapons of mass libel, where everything is allowed and possible, without any regard for the rules of dialogue and manners of difference," added Ukwass.
For his part, blogger Ghazi Gheblawi hopes for a hard look at ministries of culture in Libya and other Arab countries. "What took place in Libya after the establishment of the Ministry of Culture, which was later turned into the Public Establishment for Culture, proved that culture and intellectuals in our country and most Arab countries would be in better condition without these government agencies and establishments."
"These entities monopolize cultural activities in the country, and only aim at placing more restrictions on intellectuals and making them like employees in those government agencies". The blogger believes that this will make intellectuals "lose their independence and ability to criticize the squalid conditions in the country".
Freedom and discussion of reform in Libya are under increasing scrutiny both at home and abroad. Local and international public opinion welcomed the country's decision to allow Human Rights Watch to hold a Tripoli release for a landmark report on the state of freedoms in Libya.
Libyan blogger Alaa Mohammed told Magharebia that 'reform' didn't originally exist according to the commonly recognized definition. "Rather, there was a trend to make some breakthroughs in different directions that didn't affect laws and establishments."
"[T]his was one of the points criticized by Human Rights Watch last December in its report that was titled 'Libya: Truth and Justice Can't Wait'. The so-called 'reforms' in Libya are just unregulated, non-institutionalized breakthroughs," he added. "Therefore, any breakthrough that may be offered can always be withdrawn, and this was what has actually happened. However, I think that the two suspended newspapers … will be allowed to re-issue, but probably under certain conditions.
"In addition, the blocking of Libyan websites that appear overseas and YouTube may be lifted, but the blocking and suspension will always be like two threatening swords, together with the other tools of oppression," said the blogger.
For his part, Ziad El Heni, member of the executive bureau of the African Union of Journalists, said in a statement to Magharebia that the Libyan authorities' "step to block a number of electronic newspapers and websites that are deemed to be part of the reformist trend in Libya and to arrest two writers, Jamal Haji and Ahmed Khalifa, is an unacceptable thing. It's a setback to the course of media openness which Libya has recently seen."
Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/blog/2010/03/03/feature-02.
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