The text below is the author’s remarks to the M20 Media Freedom Summit held online in Delhi on September 6, 2023 by the M20 Organising Committee, which comprises 11 editors from India and a former judge of the Supreme Court.Raseef22, the website I publish, is an Arabic language digital native in its 11th year, covering the 22 Arab countries, with a focus on rights, freedom of expression and the public interest.In what is often referred to as the Arab world, our daily lives are quite different from our neighbours.In a nutshell, we mostly live with unelected leaders deriving some legitimacy from foreign powers and some from religion, and between these sources, the people are crushed.We suffer from weak institutions representing the people, and an even weaker legal system.This makes any quality journalism, state Enemy Number One, much similar to Myanmar, and Turkey, only we don’t manage to draw the same attention to our conditions.A block of 22 countries, the Arab world is inhabited by over 420 million people who live under challenging circumstances and disenfranchisement.Arab regimes are some of the most oppressive in the world, with media freedom indices coming at the bottom of all lists, every year.In fact, large Arabic media are mostly state owned or controlled.Newcomers are denied access to ad revenue as the advertising business is just as rigged; we only wish we can have regulation of advertising, even if it is like Turkey’s regulatory body.Also read: M20: The Digital Age Has Brought a New Kind of Censorship for the Media in IndonesiaNewcomers cannot compete with state subsidised media. As you know, independent journalism becomes a form of activism once it veers from the official narratives.The Arab world today consists of a rich club and a poor club, both of which are equally plagued with censorship, self-censorship, and the patriarchy which is another big villain stifling expression.The youth feel mostly marginalised, the sense of citizenship is lacking, and no matter in which country you poll, the dream is to emigrate to the US or Europe.Some think the Arab Spring came and went and we have nothing to show for it. I disagree. Everything changed in the Arab world with the digital revolution, but we need more resilience and more change.Amongst the 22 Arab countries, Tunisia and Lebanon once stood out as more tolerant; alas both countries are moving backwards, quickly.A new dictator installed himself in Tunisia and born-again Conservatives are having an upper hand in Lebanon, recently displaying the most aggressive behaviour on freedom of expression. Lebanon is changing fast.Bloggers in the UAE are jailed for blogging, Bahrain has zero tolerance to critics and a fetish for jailing photographers, Egypt, once the thought leader of the Arab world, is now its leader in jailing journalists.In Saudi Arabia there are hardly any incidents involving journalists lately, because there are none practicing journalism.Last year, 196 people were executed in Saudi Arabia, some for what they said. One hundred and ninety six!Covering Saudi affairs from inside the country is impossible; Raseef22’s experiences in Saudi have ended in tears, and blood.Jamal Khashoggi chose to write with Raseef22; he was balanced and patriotic, sending positive messages about the future of the Kingdom, evidently appealing to authorities.But he did not have an official permission to think or express his opinion. That was his real crime.Can you imagine how many Jamals live in Saudi today?How many men and women are afraid to speak out?Our current Saudi writers hide behind pen names, even when writing about entertainment and lifestyle, they are even afraid of receiving payment from Raseef22 for the trace that a wire transfer might leave.Also read: Why M20? To Remind G20 Leaders That the World’s Problems Can’t Be Solved Without Media FreedomIn July this year, Muhammad al Ghamdi, a school teacher, got a death sentence for disrespecting the King in a tweet.This served as yet another lesson for every person in the Kingdom and sets the tone for years to come.Saudi Arabia utilises the best censorship tools available, thanks to imported technology. It might be the only country that manages to censor Google search results and AMP pages. This is in addition to strong cyber farms that attack and control narratives, on demand.Using a VPN comes with huge risk and hefty fines. Saudis have come to accept that the public interest is not for them to worry about, and that they are subjects, not citizens.On the brighter side, Saudi sent positive signals in the last two years, with a welcome push on music, the arts and entertainment which were effectively banned until now.A courageous and exciting statement was made last month by the Crown Prince on the Hadith, or stories about the prophet’s behaviour and practice.This signals a new, more tolerant Islam could be in the horizon. Hadith was used to stifle and control lives when the Quran was deemed too lenient or didn’t address a certain issue.This is an excellent step forward towards a more liberal Islam, interpreted through a positive and inclusive angle.Are there glimmers of hope? Of course, there are.Saudi Arabia is the de facto Arab and Muslim world leader today. Impressing on Saudis the importance of free speech and respecting human rights ought to be on top of every bilateral discussion.The Arab world should not be abandoned in favour of business dealings, energy sources or political bartering.Media freedom is a pillar for stable and prosperous nations. Our people deserve stability and prosperity and to live under the rule of law.The Arab world is a promising region with great creatives and talent, and its people should be able to live in dignity and freedom and in their own countries, fully participating in shaping their future and that of their children.Freedom is a chance to be better.
