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Communication Islamic Countries

Freedom in all its forms is a highly contested topic across all areas of politics, not only in countries where freedom has been traditionally repressed, but even in the most democratic of states, such as the United States and the UK. When freedom extends to the press, the contestability of the topic gains an extra dimension. Some critics, for example, advocate freedom of the press only to such an extent as its ability to promote a peaceful existence and harmony among citizens and their government. Others, however, would see the press gaining complete freedom, regardless of its consequences for personal and collective peace. In Muslim countries such as Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates, freedom extended to the press and the media is yet further muddied by the importance of religious and state rule in these countries. In both environments, Islam remains the main ruling force in many individuals' lives and has thus been used by rulers to maintain not only control, but also power. In this drive, freedom that extends to the press is often overruled by traditionalist norms of a sense of respect required towards the state and Islam. Recently, there have been calls for greater freedom of expression for the media. The question might be posed, however, whether this is possible in the face of traditionalist religious values, and what impact this might have for the entry of Western products and services to these countries.

In Indonesia, the freedom of the media has been relatively free and open. However, cultural and religious beliefs, including Islam, nationalism, and respect for authority have clashed with the freedom provided to the media. This created an atmosphere that could be described as contradictory at best (Freedom House, 2011). In addition to increased acts of violence against journalists, a series of legal rulings have created a conjunctive atmosphere that encouraged such attacks, especially since 2010. One example of such contradictions is that the Constitutional Court found a book banning law to be unconstitutional, but just weeks before upheld a decision to jail Erwin Arnada for public indecency connected to the content of Playboy Indonesia, of which he is the editor. Such laws have created difficulty for media workers, creating an atmosphere of fear and frustration regarding what is allowed and what should be avoided.

Further emphasizing the dichotomy between press freedom and restrictions in Indonesia is Article 19 (2005), according to which the media environment in the country has been healthier since the fall of the Soeharto regime in 1998. This led to the revocation of the Publishing and Printing License law (SIUPP), which meant that licenses were no longer necessary for new media outlets. This further led to the establishment of many new publications, both domestic and foreign. In 1997, for example, an estimated 250 copies of foreign magazines were sold per week in Jakarta, while there were nineteen foreign magazines with Indonesian versions in 2005 (Article 19, 2005, p. 19). The country is therefore relatively open to foreign ideas and products, although the restrictions would have to remain a major factor.

Today, in 2012, press freedom in Indonesia tends to be threatened by extremist visions of loyalty to authority and religion in the country (SEAPA, 2012). The fact is that the country remains contradictory in both its legal, religious, and cultural standing. The violence against representatives of the media, for example, demonstrates a citizenry that tends to be ruled by a primary drive to violence as a method of resolving conflict. This could have dire effects for foreign businesses attempting to enter the country.

Another case in point is the violence in Papua (Human Rights Watch, 2012). This violence, not directly related to press freedom, has not been covered adequately or indeed accurately by the general press as a result of the very tradition of violence that also translates to direct violence against journalists. In other words, a sense of fear has been cultivated among members of the press, discouraging either honesty or accuracy in reporting, especially where culturally or socially sensitive material such as political violence is concerned.

The same is true for the UAE, where the government itself has played an active role in cultivating a fear campaign against journalists (El-Baltaji, 2009). The same ambiguity as that plaguing Indonesia has been prevalent in these countries as well. While the government claims to provide press freedom, it blocks websites and news content that is deemed inappropriate.

According to BBC News (2012), the UAE provides a rich environment for TV and other media, including CNN, Sony, and Fox. Local broadcasters, including MBC, orbit Showtime Network, and Sky News Arabia were all launched from Abu Dhabi in 2012. The BBC also asserts, however, that there is strong regulatory and political control of the content presented by the media, including official guidelines on reporting. There is also significant censorship of foreign publications before these are distributed to the public.