Brussels (November 26-27, 2012): Addressing the ¿EU Workshop on Effective Programming for Countering Violent Extremism– in Brussels (Belgium), CRSS Executive Director Imtiaz Gul said that our point of reference is the electronic media ´ both radio and television ´ which has flourished with astounding pace since former President Musharraf permitted private electronic media in almost a decade ago. Today more than 15 private news TV channels and almost 80 FM radio stations dominate the electronic media landscape in Pakistan.

 

Although most limited to urban and sub-urban centres, the private 24/7 TV channels have assumed an unprecedented role in the Pakistani socio-political context,serving as a)social messenger b)mirror of political happenings and c) a two-way transmitter of state to society and society to state messaging on governance and rule of law.

 

Because of the disconnect between society and the state that had existed for decades the media has done a very good job by transmitting signals to the state on what is happening in the society (crime., social injustices, graft, abuse of power, bad-governance, and excesses by the police, etc). This means acute transmission of negatives, an overdose of the bad around us. And media has facilitated things look more desperate, bred and spread sense of despondency. When it keeps capturing bad/negative, it reinforces the bad, the negative in the society.

This also means that like any other institution, electronic media is reflective of what is happening across the society. If our premise today is that Pak society has become intolerant ´ the narrative or attitude that condones extremist views, or is militant in responses to particular situations, thenwe should also accept if media also reflects that ´ either intentionally or otherwise. It is not its fault: This sensational/juicy side of the 24/7 live TV brings its own problems. The scramble for exclusive/ on the spot coverage ´ is a demand of the owners, who often don–t bother about the lives ofthe staff covering these events. A beast that thrives on live sensational images. But it also whips up a negative hype, often at the cost of morality.

 

On the other hand, today, much of the current affairs private TV shows resemble the American’The Jerry Springer Show,’ which isdistributed by theNBC Universal Television Distributionsince September 1991. In 1997 and 1998, the show reached its ratings peak, at one point becoming the first talk show in years to beatThe Oprah Winfrey Show.

 

Unfortunately, most of the Pakistani TV content in general and talk shows in particular copy the formula of creating brash, in-your-face and emotionally excitable content. While Jerry Springer was flagrantly and self-consciously trash television, Pakistani talk shows reflect self righteousness and suffer from an acute case of a sense of self-aggrandizement.

 

Partially, Pakistani electronic media has assumed the role of a monster ´ with reporters masquerading as police officers, or moral vigilantes and raiding brothels, or factories, or even controlling traffic and checking traffic conditions by impersonating as traffic police.

 

How can it help in countering extremism?

 

Despite its negative, overbearing, intrusive role, the media can still be used as an instrument to counter religious extremist discourseand as amoderating force. The objective can be achieved through following ways:

 

• Through a narrative that is embedded in universally acknowledged democratic values and is conveyed with the help of liberal religious scholars and public intellectuals.

 

• Let them decide what ails the society. What is fundamentalism or violent extremism?

 

• Since Pakistan is crisis-ridden, it is most probably about incremental change and not overnight revolution. That necessitates prioritization of interventions.

 

• Rather than picking up a dozen issues, it would be better to focus on, say three and try fixing them ´ keeping the socio-political make up of the society in mind ´ the LOCAL CONTEXT.

 

• For instance, priority must be given to protect women who wear or don–t wear pants or hijab (veil), rather than advocacy ´ direct or indirect ´ which looks down upon the hijab, or Islam-practicing men and women

 

• Train and educate locals to produce counter-narratives but such counter-narratives ´ if done through overt messaging and in a sporadic way ´ can hardly offset the work being done by several opportunistconservative anchors/senior reporters in electronic media are from Zia era (General Zia-ul- Haq ruled Pakistan from 1977-88) ´ who were right-wing bent of mind,the counter-narrative must bein conjunction with a multi-faceted policy to counter the legacy of that dark era.

 

• For creating and promoting an effective counter-narrative aimed at moderating violent or extremistviews, we must draw on moderate /liberal religious scholars, academiaand intellectuals ´ who cut across the sectarian divide.

 

• Essentially supra-denominational personalities from theology, politics and academia

 

• We must also stop talking about the distinctions between Barelvis and Deobandis (different sects of Sunnis) or Shias. Meanwhile, most religio-political groups and their militant arms, which may be inspired by al-Qaeda ideology.

 

• Find organic channels of funding for countering violent extremism (CVE) programming ´ depending on what we call eventually call such intervention

 

• We must construct the counter-narrative with the help of stories based on actual empirical evidence of the cost of terrorism i.e.produce video, illustrating circumstances and consequences. This narrative must be tailored in a way that the common man relates him or herself to it.

 

• Lastly, we must keep in mind the Pakistanimedia is following the same commercial enterprise as the western and American media did. That is why we have to find ways to create a model that caters to the commercial needs of the media houses on the one hand, and also helps us in sustained, focused, non-commercial programming for the proposed CVE intervention.

 

Tags: counter-radicalization, radicalization, counter-narrative, extremism, terrorism, EU, UN, Wahabbi ideology, Shia, Sunni, anti-Americanism, military solutions, al-Qaeda, democratic values, media, FM radio stations.