Two weeks ago, I downloaded the Al Jazeera application on my iPhone with the understanding that Al Jazeera was a great news station. I had listened to it every day in England and felt that I was missing out on something by not listening to it here. It was slightly amusing then, that as soon as I had downloaded the application and flipped to the news section, I saw article upon article detailing protests against US Embassies in North African and Middle Eastern countries.
I feel so lucky to be studying in a school that cares about international relations, a school where all of my classes directly relate to what is going on, real time, in the world. Last weeks discussion in class about different governments in the Middle East and their reactions to the protests really made me think. I found it so interesting that the media can have such a huge effect on the populus of a country. One Middle Eastern broadcaster repeatedly showing the same insulting video had sparked a huge amount of protests. These protests spread from North Africa all the way to the Muslim provinces of Kashmir. It's fascinating that the media has had such a big influence when inciting people to action; I think it is one of the reasons that grass roots civil societies can be so successful.
Today, when I checked Al Jazeera, I saw an article about cartoons published in a French newspaper that portrayed images of the Prophet Muhammad. Our discussion about people who wanted to 'stir the pot' came to mind. This is such a turbulent time for all of the countries in the MENA region, and I'm excited to see how grassroots communities along with the populus are able to shape these countries in the next few months.
I feel so lucky to be studying in a school that cares about international relations, a school where all of my classes directly relate to what is going on, real time, in the world. Last weeks discussion in class about different governments in the Middle East and their reactions to the protests really made me think. I found it so interesting that the media can have such a huge effect on the populus of a country. One Middle Eastern broadcaster repeatedly showing the same insulting video had sparked a huge amount of protests. These protests spread from North Africa all the way to the Muslim provinces of Kashmir. It's fascinating that the media has had such a big influence when inciting people to action; I think it is one of the reasons that grass roots civil societies can be so successful.
Today, when I checked Al Jazeera, I saw an article about cartoons published in a French newspaper that portrayed images of the Prophet Muhammad. Our discussion about people who wanted to 'stir the pot' came to mind. This is such a turbulent time for all of the countries in the MENA region, and I'm excited to see how grassroots communities along with the populus are able to shape these countries in the next few months.
I read a similar article about the French newspaper that printed these images, and I found it difficult to understand the reasons behind this. France certainly has a different relationship with the countries of MENA, particularly Tunisia where the Arab Spring has had a significant effect. France has the largest population of Muslim people in Western Europe, and these numbers are increasing. The statement being made was profound and, from the right to free speech, lawful. The act is questionable though, as riot police are sent to protect the editor in his own home, and schools and embassies in Tunisia are being temporarily shut down. It'll be interesting to track the further impact these cartoons will have on the recent protests.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me to make the most sense that such an event would occur in France precisely because there is such a large Muslim population. If there exists such a large population, then there exists an even greater chance for anti-Muslim extremists to develop, or at the very least satirical smart-asses that portray their fear of change in the form of a comic. While they do have the right to free speech and expression and thus the right to portray such images, I think it is the right of the rest of the world to use their freedom of expression right back in these Western extremist faces, it is not simply the Muslim influence upon their country they fear but change itself, since birth we are taught that change is inevitable. After reading about the French newspaper and thinking about the Danis cartoonist a few years ago, and the tomes of American anti-Muslim extremities, I think its time we as society stand up and say, it is time to grow up.
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