Democracy and media

These days, it is very important to remember what Mr. Goebbels once said about media and information policy.
Mr. Goebbels was propaganda minister in Hitler s government, his policy was to "lie and lie ". Unfortunately, this policy is widely adopted by regimes in the Middle East. When Arab crowds were shocked in the 1990s for watching a live political debate on Al Jazeera TV, all intellectuals believed that Arab media expresses the new generations of Arabs! Many believed that Arab media is truly free to say and do whatever it want! At last, many intellectuals believed that as Arab we can at last be proud of our Arab free media, which, as imaging that time, totally separated from authorities!
Today s Arab spring is unveiling step by step the ugly face of Arab media and Arab societies itself. In fact, during the last twenty years we should were waiting someone to tell us that "no free media in non-democratic state".
I wonder how our dignity allow us to express our views on TV channels which a day before was legalizing killing of innocent people just because they are different religiously or ethnically from those who are running the TV channels.
Three news channels are dominating the Arab market: Al Jazeera, Al- Arabiya and BBC. Al Jazeera belongs to Qatar regime and its rival Al- Arabiya belongs to Saudi regime. Al Jazeera is talking so much about democracy especially when Syrian uprising, we can easily notice that al Jazeera focusing on bloody scenes comes via mobile and internet from inside Syria, but no one dare to say " oh Al-Jazeera: where are scenes of bloody massacres against Bahrainis democratic activists?" of course no one of Al Jazeera staff will respond to this question because authorities in Qatar ordered not to support the Bahraini opposition because they are Shia backed by Iran.
"Bahrain protests to Qatar over Al-Jazeera film" the Guardian newspaper published last week, wondering why the film is broadcasted only on Al-Jazeera English! Why not also on Al- Jazeera Arabic? The answer is, because Al-Jazeera Arabic is Qatari regime s spokesperson, exactly like Jay Carney now in the white house.
Dubai-based Al-Arabiya also was ordered the same, not from Qatari regime but from Saudi religious totalitarian regime. Al- Arabiya airing daily programs about the Syrian uprising but when Bahrainis activists protested in February and March demanding a constitutional- monarchy, the Saudi-run channels was talking about Libya and only about Libya!. Sometimes, Al- Arabiya aired short news about Bahrain events but only to say "it is a conspiracy backed by Iran to take over Bahrain ".
For almost a week now, both Al- Arabiya TV and al Arabiya website, are broadcasting news about Saudi king Abdullah s speech to Syrians, demanding the Syrian regime to reform and respond to protesters. Al- Arabiya considered the speech a "historic" and up to now it is broadcastings news on TV and the website about the speech. However, Al- Arabiya interviewing intellectuals and religious Sunni figures to express their support and to thanks king Abdullah for his speech " as usual, king Abdullah support his Arab brothers and sons who want and demanding freedom" one intellectual said as reported by al-Arabiya website.
For those intellectuals and public figures who are supporting king Abdullah speech to Syrians, and also for Saudi-run media(Al- Arabiya TV, AL Hayat newspaper and Alshareq- Al- Awsat newspaper) which set the environment for them to support the king and his regime, I have only to say: when Bahrainis demanded freedom, king Abdullah or" king of humanity " as Saudi wealthy media used to say, sent his tanks and troops to kill the innocents people of Bahrain in cold blood, he never sent his support for them.
Each one who thanks king Abdullah is companion of Saudi regime in bloodsheds that took place against the Bahraini innocents which ordered directly by the king.
Syrians who thanks king Abdullah are also companions in bloodshed in Bahrain, and they should know that our counterparts, as democratic movement in Syria, are Bahraini and Saudi democratic movements, not regimes worse than the Syrian one.
As Syrian dissident, I hope and wish to see all world media come for coverage the Syrian people tragedy under the rule of Baath regime, but I will never support or thank people who kill my democratic counterparts in Saudi, Bahrain and Iran.
Saudi Arabia and its media want democracy in Syria, while it prohibited women to driving cars.
Bahrain recalled its ambassador to Syria to protest on violence against Syrian innocents, while it killed a hundreds of its innocents people during February and March uprising.
Al-Jazeera condemns the Syria regime blackout on demonstration, but did not condemn the Qatar regime blackout on the forced and inhuman transferring of a Qatari tribe into Saudi soil.
Iran-run Al-Alam TV Arabic, adopted the revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, and Bahrain and of course Libya, but when Arab spring flowered in Syria, it quickly adopted the Iranian regime allegation about a conspiracy that Syria is witnessing, not a rightful uprising.
I think Al-Jazeera, al-Arabiya and Al-Alam have so many stories to tell about what happening inside Saudi, Qatar, Bahrain and Iran.

* Nebras Dalloul is a Syrian activist and writer

Rate the article
Bad	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Very good
Result : 100%							Participated in the vote : 7