What does it mean to be a “liberal Arab?” Even in the West, definitions of the “liberal” vary.
In the American context, the demarcation of the “liberal” overlaps cultural and political lines. Republicans use the term in a derogatory way to describe their opponents. Watch “Fox News” to understand. (On second thought, please do not watch Fox News!). Europeans are hardly keen on the term altogether. Many often use the term “progressive” to liberate the “liberal” from its political baggage and imprecise cultural insinuations.
So when the newly-launched Huffington Post Arabi — the Arabic edition of the news and entertainment portal Huffington Post — was fiercely attacked for not being “liberal” enough to match the “liberal left” views of the mother portal, it left me puzzled. This is a title in the Independent, which was, more or less, mirrored by other publications:
“Huffington Post causes outrage after Arabic edition criticizes gay people, atheists and selfies.”
The main photo with the article was that of former Tunisian President Mohamed Moncef Marzouki (2011-14), perhaps one of the most progressive and prominent Arab politicians of all time, since he also presided over Tunisia’s democratic transition following its 2010-11 peaceful revolution.
Looking befuddled in a low-resolution photo, with an unrelated caption (neither the caption nor the article mentions the former Arab president’s name) that reads: “The Huffington Post has been accused of letting ‘its Arabic site disgrace its brand’.”
I spent some time seeking to understand the “outrage” mentioned in the “Independent” and other publications. Some readers’ criticism of some content published in “Huffington Post Arabi” was justified. Their opinions, in this case, were consistent with mine, although I am sure that such opinions are not at all consistent with the views of others. But that is the nature of any opinion.
Frankly, I find “selfies” distasteful and I share the views of a writer in Huffington Post Arabi that Arabs should not simply mimic every western phenomenon, which many westerners, themselves, may find objectionable.
It also happens that the American Psychiatric Association (APA) also agrees, as it recently classified “selfies” as a mental disorder, giving it an official name: “Selfitis.” It is defined as “the obsessive compulsive desire to take photos of oneself and post them on social media as a way to make up for the lack of self-esteem and to fill a gap in intimacy.”
Of course, the issue has little to do with the freedom to take “selfies” or, at least in the minds of some, also little to do with the rights of homosexuals and atheists.
The issue is rather political because some of those affiliated with the project are accused of being members of the Muslim Brotherhood. Naturally, this stalks fear that the editorial line will follow suit.
Others get involved, perhaps unaware of how their views could be utilized in the sentential media war.
“Buzzfeed” was one of the first to attack “Huffington Post Arabi,” again using sentential headlines, imbalanced text and irrelevant photos.
Of the 14 different offshoots of the “Huffington Post,” its Arabic edition must be the most scrutinized. The politics behind much of the attacks (especially by Arab twitter users and some in the media) notwithstanding, what puzzled me most is the assumption that being a progressive or liberal Arab should automatically mean a word for word translation of the political and cultural norms of western culture. I spent some time browsing both websites, “Huffington Post Arabi” and the English version to find out for myself whether the “outrage” at Huffington Post Arabi’s supposed regressive coverage is justified.
There was much in the English version that was worth reading while other content was, frankly, of no use to me — or even objectionable altogether. I will continue reading it, however, simply because I trust the publication’s overall editorial agenda.
The Arabic was more relatable and unmatchable in terms of its authentic understanding of the Middle East. That was refreshing. However, some of the content was of no use to me and a few of the opinions were quite misguided, in my view.
Aside from the article mentioned above, I hardly noticed a war on freedom.
But that said, shouldn’t “Huffington Post” (Arabic, English and all other editions) allow for views that are not consistent with one’s own understanding of being leftist, liberal, or progressive?
Why shouldn’t the Arabs face their demons heads on? Debating, using their own language and cultural references, freedom, democracy, human rights, role of religion in politics, authoritarianism, globalization, even the very role of media in politics?
“Buzzfeed,” the “Independent” and “Jihad Watch” should not determine the limits of Arab political thought or cultural norms. Nor should we expect the Arabic edition of “Huffington Post” to duplicate the English version, in which case an Arabic edition would be unnecessary.
However, what one should expect from “Huffington Post Arabi” is to challenge the media polarization and operate outside the destructive framework of the media war under way in the Middle East.
“Huffington Post Arabi” should open an equitable platform for ideas and encourage debate, bringing the arguments of all sides to the fore, allowing its readers to decide for themselves, not to appease any particular definition of what a liberal is or is not; but to espouse urgently needed dialogue at a time of senseless wars and protracted conflicts.
