Eye on the Forum of Satellite Media Challenges and Its Impact on the Arab Gulf Youth
On Monday Nov 3rd. 2008 at Doha the capital of Qatar it was the closure of the Forum of Satellite Media Challenges and Its Impact on the Arab Gulf Youth which was extended for 2 days and was under the auspice of her Highness Sheikha Moza Bent Nasser Al-Monsnad “really I want to send my best regards and thanks to this lady who sponsors always the freedom of expression and liberties in our area”.
However, I have some remarks on this event as follows:
First, most of the speakers and the participants were not from youth, I mean youth ranged from (15-40) years old the main topic of this conference, not only that but also, the point of view of youth was absent as I watched, please note that in Europe right now especially in whether the Council of Europe or the European directorate of youth, youth are representing at least 50% of the active participation and voting on any decision that belongs to any mater related to the future of Europe.
Second, most of the theorists, speakers and participants are over 40 years old and in that respect they try to impose their own points of view and grounds on the youth as if the youth is a marginalized quantity and not matured and needs always a trustee or some trustees to convert them to the right way, therefore they don’t have the choice and this is one of the problems that we always face as youth here in this area of the world.
Third, I always hear in such conferences that held in this area in respect of media some words like ethics and religion, we as youth respect ethics and religion instinctly, however when it’s aroused in such conferences it means censorship and being out of its own meaning, and unfortunately remind us by the latest agreed Arab Media Charter which represents a very sharp reverting in freedom of expression and human rights according to the classification of IFEX as a result of using such words.
Fourth, some topics were tackled in that conference as the sexual harassment or assault phenomenon which was diffused among the male youth when most of the theorists and speakers attributed it to only the pornographic satellite media and forgot all the other reasons as the cultural lag, superficiality, the socio-economic and the socio-political frustration among youth and the lack of justice and equity in our Arab societies. “May be the economic factor is not clear or sharp at the Gulf area, however it is one of the most important factors that affects on the behavior of the Arab youth in general”.
Fifth, the well known TV Anchor Presenter Mr. Amr Adib, during his important interview with one of the Top TV Anchor Presenter Mr. Hamdy Kandil on Cairo Today program which televised live every-night as a one of Orbit Channels, quoted some of the US democrats presidential candidate Obama’s latest speech in respect of the necessity to read more to our sons and to stop watching the TV to decrease the consumption of energy, but he forgot that the US people are reading, and if not, they will never be the state No 1 in scientific research and consequentially the economy No 1 also. However, in societies having problems like a bad socialization of the sons, oppression, very week civil society and parties oppressed and controlled all the time by its regimes, neither a reasonable educational system nor allotting the right funds for scientific research, spending more funds for intelligence, security and armament according to a stereotyped allegation “the deterrence and keeping the stability”, the absence of a real freedom of expression and finally the lack of justice and equity all of them are considered as the reasons of our lag.
On the other hand, in respect of the Arab affairs, especially the Egyptian one, Amr Adib asked Mr. Kandil about youth, and I was agreed with the view of Mr. Kandil when he mentioned that even the students’ unions elections at the Egyptian universities were fabricated and only one category was allowed and able to succeed and not the others, therefore, the youth who doesn’t belong to the governing power will abstain to participate actively in their societies and will be frustrated.
Also, when he was asked about the civil society and the parties, because they always accuse it of being lazy and not taking the right representation and action in society, however, Mr. Kandil answered him that they have to be excused, because they don’t have the right authorizations and permissions to do that according to the state of siege imposed in most of Arab society or being a state of police.
Furthermore, the stereotype allegation that this time is much better than the previous eras in freedom of expression comparing with the eras of both Nasser and Sadat, however, Mr. Kandil answered that each era has its own political circumstances, therefore, the comparison is not fair, however after the ratification on that charter that called Arab Media Charter the member states don’t allow to new news channels to obtain the appropriate licenses to work or at least they should apply some sort of censorship and both of the two matters are bad, when they allow to the other fun and entertainment channels to work actively.
Finally, I’m not agree with Mr. Kandil when he criticized Aljazeera according to interviewing Israeli characters on their TV channels under the allegation of having some sort of indirect normalization with the Arab viewers, because Aljazeera is one of the most strongest media brands and trademarks globally, in addition, they follow the codes of the international media channels like objectivism and credibility, and let me say until when we shall talk to everyone around the world in respect of or middle east crisis, I mean the Palestinian one, except having and preparing the right debate with the other real involved party, I mean the Israeli party, and accordingly we wasted many good chances like President’s Sadat one, therefore, in this time being we cry over the spilt milk.
Kindest Regards,
Ahmed Moustafa
Egypt
A legal translator,
Socio-economic specialist,
Human rights activist &
Youth Trainer
Email: solimon246@yahoo.com
Mob: 0020109229411
URL: http://intellecto.wordpress.com
