The Irritable Sheikh: Will Salafi Satellite Shiekh's Get The Message?
08 January 2013By Mshari Al-Zaydi
It is important for one to assess his own flaws from
time to time. Should this be too difficult, or should
one be blind to his own defects, then he should find
another person to highlight them, ideally a close
associate.
"Al-Hafez" is a renowned Egyptian satellite channel
that expresses the trend adopted by the sheikhs and
orators of the Salafi school of thought. The channel
has indulged extremely naively and enthusiastically in
the "talk show" format, freely broadcasting the
unrestricted rhetoric of private sessions on to our
television screens. Yet recently, having suffered
several setbacks as a result of the way in which its
presenters dealt with those who disagreed with their
opinions, it seemed as though the channel was
reconsidering its acts. Al-Hafez has realized that
what is said in one place cannot necessarily be said
in another, and that when it comes to a television
screen, polite language must be used and presenters
must be respectful when addressing the audience. Some
Salafi "sheikhs", being new to this field, seem to
have been ignorant of this fact regardless of the
advice they received. Yet sometimes it is simply a
case of trial and error.
The Egyptian Salafi star Abdullah Badr is renowned for
his fierce battles against whoever disagrees in
opinion with the fundamentalist currents. We saw this
in the past with his terrible attacks on the Egyptian
actress Elham Shahin. Yet Badr recently gave an
exceptional statement on al-Hafez television when he
said that he has decided not to appear on satellite
channels any more. He claimed that al-Hafez channel,
which he works for, had told him that he was an
irritable person, and so this was his last appearance
on the channel!
Speaking on his television program "In the Balance",
Badr added that: "According to the channel's policy,
they see me as an irritable and deeply-agitated
person. I do not want anyone to say that I terminated
my contract with the channel, for I have been working
without a contract since 2006. People hope that the
air of falsehood will soon disappear, and when this
happens, I will return to the media."
According to al-Arabiya.net, Badr indicated that he
would resume his work in the mosques, saying: "I have
my mosques where I will speak to the people, and as
for anyone who lacks decorum, I will not remain silent
about them."
This example demonstrates what was already abundantly
clear; the media is not an open space or an arena
without limits. No matter how emboldened you are,
there is a responsibility you must shoulder as an
individual in the same manner that the media outlet,
through which you publish or broadcast your material,
must also be held accountable.
Being irritable, quick-tempered or furious at someone
for known, or sometimes unknown, reasons does not mean
that you can implicate your audience in your own
problems.
This applies to satellite channels, newspapers, radio
stations and other entities in the same manner that it
also applies, in a moral sense, to bloggers on social
networking websites such as Facebook, Twitter and so
on.
I hope those who have become obsessed with the idea of
absolute "freedom", glorifying it in their own manner,
learn a lesson from this example and heed the
following words of wisdom:
Words come with responsibility and your freedom ends
where the freedom of others begins. Lying is a crime,
cursing is a sin and claims must have evidence.
A Saudi journalist and expert on Islamic movements
and Islamic fundamentalism as well as Saudi affairs.
Mshari is Asharq Al-Awsat's opinion page Editor, where
he also contributes a weekly column. Has worked for
the local Saudi press occupying several posts at Al -Madina
newspaper amongst others. He has been a guest on
numerous news and current affairs programs as an
expert on Islamic.
©
EsinIslam.Com
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