The debate over the dialogue between civilisations gained significant momentum after the 9/11 attacks.
The chain of events and reactions that followed highlighted the need to engage in a civilised and profound debate that transcends the tensions between the Arab and Islamic world and the Other.
A search quickly began among societies for the roots of the topic and its founding theories, raising the question: Are dialogue between civilisations an exclusively intellectual or political issue?
Some view the debate as attempts by the world’s major powers such as the US and its allies to impose their hegemony on the rest of the world. Some believe that after the US’ Cold War victory, it wanted to settle for nothing less than subjugating other human civilisations to its will. It was in this light that the proponents of this approach understood the ideological background of the neo-conservatives and neo-orientalists who came to prominence under the former US president, George Bush Junior.
Yet this approach fails to acknowledge the fact that no single nation can lay claim to human civilisation and pretend that its own contribution alone matters, sidelining other nations' experiences and participation in the overall human endeavor. Human civilisation is ultimately about the coming together of different cultures and of the experience of different people for the common good of humanity.
The Arab world at the epicentre of tensions
That said, the Arab and Islamic world found itself during the fall out from New York attacks at the epicenter of hard hitting tensions as much as members of these communities were blatantly subjected to accusations which revealed utter ignorance of their culture.
This development imposed a new kind of isolation on the Arab and Islamic world, pushing it to be more inward looking, especially in light of Western terror and extremism accusations.
Coverage of the 9/11 attacks pinpoint to the role the media played in shaping public opinion, promoting theories of clashing civilizations. Stereotypes about other cultures were reinforced. The media contributed a great deal to straining ties between civilisations.
Interfaith dialogue between civilisations were part of an endeavor to boost a sense of togetherness between the West and the Arab and Islamic world and heal the cracks which emerged in their relations. Now, with more and more voices calling for dialogue, the media’s role as a tool for dialogue between people and civilizations cannot be understated.
But do Arab media play a role in enriching the debate on the question of dialogue between civilizations? Do they contribute to redressing negative stereotypes about Arabs and Muslims in the West two decades on from 9/11 attacks?
There are many people who believe that the Arab media has what it takes to play this role, but they blame them for not going that extra mile in getting the message across.
Overcoming obstacles, respecting freedom
Arab media must overcome number of obstacles and address several shortcomings. These include the need to renew Arab media discourse, avoid consumer culture and ambiguity of content as well as overcome the cultural exceptionalism complex.
Arab media should also rid itself of the obsession to safeguard identity because what endangers this is nothing else other than inwardness, isolation and lack of openness and dialogue with the Other.
They also should be free, plural and independent of governments and decision makers, something that will not be possible without the introduction of democracy, respect for difference and freedom of expression.
On the other side of the divide, it does not seem that the image of Arabs and Muslims is getting any better in the West. It is not clear whether the Western media is trying to understand and reach out to the Other.
The incidents of the Prophet cartoons which were published by a Danish newspaper in 2005 and the news file which was run by a French newspaper on the Nahda party following its victory in Tunisian polls are examples of Western media falling far short of their role in bridging gaps between both worlds.
These two incidents point out to the idea that it is media’s choice in deciding whether to promote a dialogue of civilisations, or work towards its destruction.
