Religious Satellite Channels and the Competitions for Public Opinion
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DISSERTATION Titel der Dissertation Preaching Arab Satellite Television Channels: The Power of Salafi Discourse in forming Public Opinion. Verfasser Mohammed Abualrob, MA Angestrebter Akademischer Grad: Doktor der Philosophie (Dr.phil.) Wien, 2013 Studienkennzahl: A 796 310 301 Dissertationsgebiet lt. Studienblatt: Publizistik- und Kommunikationswissenschaft Betreuer: Univ.- Prof. Dr. Thomas A. Bauer Acknowledgment I would not have been able to finish this without the support of my supervisor Prof. Dr. Thomas Bauer. I am deeply grateful to Prof. Dr. Andre Gingrich for his great efforts and support. Prof. Dr. Katharine Sarikakis, Prof. Josef Dr. Josef Seethaler, Prof. Dr. Christoph Reinprecht, thank you all, I have learned a lot from you. I am also grateful to Prof. Dr. Dimitris Charalambis, for his precious time spent on reviewing this thesis. I also would like to thank the Student Service Center for Social Sciences, Prof. Dr. Birgit Sauer, Ms. Birgit Muskovich and Ms. Erika Mikusch. A special thank to my friends Haneen Taha, Dr. Waled Al-Shurufa, and everyone else who has contributed to the thesis and my PhD journey, in one way or another. Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart. Mohammed Abualrob. ii Mohammad Ahmad Abualrob Ramallah West Bank / Palestine Home: +972 (0) 4 2512048 Mobile: +972 (0) 599 316909 Email: [email protected] [email protected] Curriculum Vitae Date and Place of Birth: 13th July. 1985, Jenin, Palestine Citizenship: Palestinian Marital Status: Single Academic Background: March 2009: Doctoral student in Media studies at the University of Vienna, the Doctoral thesis entitled:” Preacher Arab Satellite Television Channels: the power of Salafi discourse in forming the Public Opinion”. 2007- 2008: Masters’ degree with honour in International Studies from Birzeit University. I defend my thesis, entitled “The Role of Al-Jazeera in Shaping Qatar International Relations. 2003-2007: BA degree in journalism as a major and political science as a minor from Birzeit University; very good high degree. I got a higher distinction in my BA senior seminar, entitled “The Relation between the European Rationality and the Media: Media between Conveying and Reforming Reality." Nov-Dec 2007 Seminar in “Newspapers Chief Editing” under the supervision of Swedish experts, sponsored by the Media Development Center in Birzeit University. 2006- 60 credited hour-course in translating media texts from English into Arabic and visa versa, held by Ritaj Center for Administrative Solutions and sponsored by the media Development Center in Birzeit University. 2004- Certificates in the “Youth Leadership” and “Training of Trainers” from Caritas Center in Jerusalem. 2003- High School Diploma certificate - the literary stream, with an average 93%. iii Experience: June- August 2010: Visiting scholar at the Scripps school of journalism. University of Ohio- USA. Jan 2009 - August 2012: Full- time lecturer of media. Birzeit University. Feb 2011- June 2012: Part time lecturer in media- Alquds University. Jerusalem. Sep 2010- Feb 2011. Part time lecturer in media- Arab American University- Jenen. Palestine. Sep 2008 - Jan 2009: Part -time lecturer, departments of media and political science. Birzeit University. Sep 2008- Jan 2009: Coordinator of the first graduated student conference at Birzeit University. Sep- 2007- March 2009: An academic assistant in the academic support unit, Birzeit University. Sep- 2007- March 2009 Coordinator of assessment project University theses at the Faculty of Graduate Studies, Birzeit University. Oct 2007- Jan 2008 member of media committee at Edward Said international conference,” critical accounts on (post) modernity”- Palestine. Jan- June 2007: An editor in the Al-ayam daily newspaper- Palestine. 2006- The department of Media in the University selected me as an editor in chief for the seasonal magazine “Aqlamna” that belongs to the media department. 2006- Established a number of articles and reportages in “Al-Hal” newspaper and one of those articles was a follow up of the file of “Al hyat al jadeeda” newspaper and another investigation about “Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades”. 2005-2006: a self-research study in Jordan entitled " the communicative operations in The refugee camps in Jordan " 2004-2005: A chief editor of a youth newspaper called " seere w enfata7at " that belongs to the enterprise " Ta’awon for solving conflicts "and the newspaper distributes " 10 " thousands editions in universities and colleges all around the west bank, In addition to distributing many of the press reports inside the newspaper. iv 2004 a member in the media club elected by the journalism and political sciences committee. 2003-2004 an effective volunteer in the forum “SHAREK” and participated in several of the proceedings and the tournaments. Publications: Abualrob, Mohammed. (2012).” Al-Jazeera and Qatar: Conflation of Political Interests and Media Discourses”. Second Ed. AFRIQUE ORIENT for publishing - Casablanca, Morocco. Abualrob, Mohammed. (2012). “Preaching channels between excitements and promotion, the question of content”. Almesbar monthly book, “Egypt's Islamists after the revolution of January 25”. Vol. 61. pp. 181-208. Abualrob, Mohammed. (2011):” the role of Al Quds digital Television in the political divide in Palestine. Chapter in the book” The Palestinian media and division. MUWATIN. Ramallah.PP.47-64. Abualrob, Mohammed. (2010). the image of women in advertising in LBC channel.” Semiology Magazine. Vol 34, PP. 119-132. Algeria. Abualrob, Mohammed. (2009):” The possibility of prosecuting Israeli for Gaza siege.” Arab future magazine, Vol 359. PP. 51-66 Beirut- Lebanon. o Abualrob, Mohammed. (2008). “Edward Said once again in Birzeit University” “Falasteniat magazine. Vol. 3. Jerusalem- Palestine. Abualrob, Mohammed. Under Pub. “The priorities of media coverage in Palestine: Traditional media vs. electronic media. Handbook chapter. Ohio University. USA. 2012. A lot of articles and short papers in newspapers and websites. Participations: May 2011. Participant in the Conference:” Freedom of expression in conflict situations. My Paper entitled: Social media in the context of v Palestinian–Israeli conflict – the trick of free channels and free borders. Turku University. Finland. Jun 2010 participant in the conference:” the role of media in political Divide in Palestine.” It was organized by, The Palestinian Institute for the Study of Democracy” Muwatin.” The Paper was entitled”: the role of Al Quds digital Television in the political divide in Palestine. Nov 2009 Participant in the Conference of Media and Child, which was organized by the Center of Child in Jerusalem. The paper was entitled”: Internationalization of Arab Media and the psychology of children.” April- May 2009 participant in many workshops in Vienna University and academic institutes in Austria in different aspects, for instance: lectures about” the international media coverage of the Palestinian issue. Jan 2009 Participant in the Conference of the first graduated student conference in Birzeit University, the paper was” common errors in writing graduate theses.” 2008-2009 Participant in different workshops in Birzeit University, specially the lectures that I coordinated such as, “the Israeli aggression against Gaza: image and myth”, “the Palestinian reality: achievement Problematics and the eloquence of persuasion”. Participant in different T.V and Radio talk shows programs. Awards: I got the award of Palestinian American Research Center- PARC 2008. Award for Excellence and Creativity. Language Abilities/Skills: Arabic: Mother Language English : Reading, writing & speaking vi ABSTRACT The last decade witnessed launching tens of Islamic preaching satellite channels that can be received free of charge in the Middle East. And as Muslims are divided into two main branches (Sunni and Shiite), and each of them has different schools that compete with each other, preaching channels broadcast is representing this diversity. Political and religious groups and parties fund some of these channels while others try to commercialize the preaching message in order to survive. Commercialization works mainly through discursive techniques that lead to religion commodification, consequently, products and services get an Islamic brand by advertising through preaching channels. In addition to commodification, Islamization is another main technique to achieve popularity. Preaching channels and mainly Salafi ones, frame the political situation- such as the Syrian revolution- in an Islamic perspective. Binaries such as good and evil, right and wrong belief and disbelief are a main discursive technique for categorizing actions. This study is specialized in the power elements of Salafi discourse via satellite channels in Middle East. Keywords: preaching channels, commodification, Islamization, Sunni, Shiite and Salafi. vii ABSTRAKT Im letzten Jahrzehnt wurden Duzende „islamisch predigende Sender (Kanäle) eingeführt (installiert), die gebührenfrei im Mittleren Osten empfangen werden können. So wie die Moslems in zwei Hauptgruppen gespalten sind (Sunniten und Schiiten) und jede von ihnen unterschiedliche Schulen hat, die miteinander konkurrieren, repräsentieren die Sendungen der „Predigt-Kanäle“ diese Verschiedenheit (Ungleichheit, Vielfalt). Politische und religiöse Gruppen finanzieren einige dieser Kanäle, während andere versuchen, die (Predigt-) Botschaft zu kommerzialisieren, um zu überleben. Die Vermarktung funktioniert hauptsächlich