Egyptian journalist and columnist Mona Eltahawy, who’s writing was banned from the Saudi-owned Asharq al-Awsat publication, has written an op-ed for the International Herald Tribune explaining her experience with the Arab daily. You can read the whole article here. It’s worth your time. Here is an excerpt:
Writing for an Arab newspaper is like playing hopscotch in a minefield. From January 2004 until early this year I played my game of hopscotch in a weekly column on the opinion pages of Asharq al-Awsat, the London-based, Saudi-owned newspaper that is read across the Arab world. And then I stepped on a mine. Without warning or notice, fewer and fewer of my columns made it into print. Then my articles stopped appearing altogether. I had been banned.
Nobody tells you that you’re banned from an Arab paper — especially a paper that is supposedly the liberal home of writers banned from other papers, which is how Asharq al-Awsat portrays itself. Sadly, my experience is not unique. When I told a veteran Egyptian journalist that I had not been officially notified of my ban, he reminded me that he found out about his removal as editor of a newspaper in Egypt when he read about it in another newspaper.
Asharq al Awsat is a joke anyways. Ever read the “English”(if you can call it that) editorials of the editor in chief Tariq al-Homayed? That is what happens when you let princes appoint the people who lead papers. Second rate rubbish.
Nimr
Here is the link, where you can view the article I’m mentioned and other publications by Ms. Eltahawy:
http://aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=2&id=3367
Regards
Nimr,
It is obvious that you are not familiar with Mona’s work. I do not know what you or Abdl Majeed are talking about. Mona still remains one of my favorite Arab columnists. That’s my opinion.
Nimr
There is nothing wrong with me. If you do not like my opinions, then I advise you to read other blogs whose writers you agree with instead of coming here and insulting the author of the blog. Thank you.
“I was reading an article for Mona praising Ariel Sharon, and calling him the improved image of Arab leaders”
Abdel Majeed, PLEASE POST LINK. THIS IS SERIOUS!!!!
Natasha, What is wrong with you?
“she look like Mariam fares” LOL
You’ve gotta be kidding
Mona
Funny enough, I was reading an article for Mona praising Ariel Sharon, and calling him the improved image of Arab leaders. She talks about how he transformed his image from being a fighter to a politician seeking peace basically.
Does Mona live in the same world we live in?
I won’t add much to this post as Samir has already said it best. Mona is trying to reach the top by pleasing the Western view and getting published and making Arabs look nasty and bad.
Mona Eltahawy is a self hating Arab and a terrible journalist.
If you wan an example of a good Arab journalis, how about Hala Gourani?
Salam
Mona “the site suffered from Yasser Arafat syndrome. Just as the late Palestinian leader’s statements in Arabic and in English were sometimes contradictory,”
Here is a classic act of Mona’s opportunism. She critices Arab media sites that offer different content in English and in Arabic but she makes no mention of US media sites that do the same. What about CNN and CNN International? What about Newsweek and Newsweek internationa? Where is Mona’s criticism of the US media and its double standards?
Conclusion: Mona is a smart opportunist. Like Kamal Nawash if you know him. She wants to rise to the top on our shoulders. And a what a better way to do it than to stay in the good graces of the strong and the powerful. I could care less for Elsharq Elawsat. but I care even less for Mona.
Mona: “Writing for an Arab newspaper is like playing hopscotch in a minefield”
Now Mona we are told is an educated person, right? but here she is condemning ALL arab papers because of her negative personal excpereince with few papers. sounds like an unprofesional thing to do. What a bitter dame.
Natasha: “who’s writing was banned ”
Common guys. There are 10000 writers who don’t write for this paper. Going around and describing them as “banned” is a bit of a stretch. Every newspaper in the world decides to hire and fire peopel they don’t want. The US media has fired some of the best journalists like Peter Arnett and others because they spoke truth to power. What did Mone do to become a hero to you? NOTHING!!! she is a loudmouth. a neo-liberal loudmouth. let her get a job with the Forward or the New Republic. They would love her there.
Craig: “She’s about teh only muslim who did a good job of presenting the Arab muslim world on the American media”
Really? Never heard of her at all. But may you like her because she is willing to feed your need to hear how nasty Arabs are. but after reading some of her posts, she is as good to arab muslims as Bill Oreilly.
She’s very popular in America. She’s about teh only muslim who did a good job of presenting the Arab muslim world on the American media, right after September 11th. I think it’s very foolish for Arab media to write her off, she has a voice here.
I don’t know much about her and it’s the first time I read about her case but you know, she look like Mariam fares, I guess I’ve to stand with her 😀