Original article published on Arab media Report
Al-Jazeera has been, perhaps, the only outlet to give space to the incident. It introduced the public to a victim of Boko Haram’s violence; a woman who lost her husband during fighting with the extremist militia and whose daughters, in spite of wanting to become doctors or lawyers, had to attend the Koranic school in their village after their school had been destroyed. The report said the entire educational system in northern Nigeria has been destroyed by Boko Haram, which has burned down the majority of schools for boys and girls, especially targeting girls’ schools. A teacher was interviewed who said that the entire educational system had been targeted, and this in a country with about 10 million illiterate people.
Al-Jazeera examined the issue in detail in its Al-Marsad programme, where Boko Haram’s barbaric behaviour was discussed in interviews by Ayywu Johnson, the host of the website Viewpoint Africa with the correspondent of the Nigerian TV channel AIT, Mustafa Muhammad, and the expert and political analyst in Nigerian affairs, Andrew Wiker, as well Kumfurt Iru, a young woman working in the international cooperation sector. What was particularly interesting in the programme was the attention paid to the role of journalism and the role played by new media in the kidnapping incident. The Nigerian government was attacked during the programme for delays in searching for the girls, which began only after three weeks, and was accused of mounting a search only after intense international pressure. The panel spoke of problems related to reporting stories from northern Nigeria, which was described as a region almost completely out of government control, and the shortage of experienced journalists now working in what is in effect a war zone. The programme’s guests spoke of Boko Haram’s violence against the media, telling of the recent murder of two journalists and how in the past few months a number of newspaper offices have been set on fire.
The panel also spoke of Boko Haram’s use of the new technology to communicate and proselytize, making frequent use of online videos to counter stories about their activities and posting demands on YouTube, as in the case of the kidnapped school girls. The last part of the programme was dedicated to the campaign to return the girls (#bringbackourgirls), through which millions of people have become involved. Among these are heads of state and numerous entertainment personalities who have helped to make a strong impact on public opinion and apply heavy pressure the Nigerian government. Reflections on how social media has “globalized” the kidnapping and how the new technologies can “revolutionize” any protest, were key in coining the phrase, “global electronic intifada.”
Al-Jazeera’s main competitor, Al-Arabiyya, dedicated less space for the kidnapped girls, mentioning them during the regular news and only as a human interest story, showing an outraged Angelina Jolie criticising the terrorist action and other famous people, from Michelle Obama to Malala, holding up the #bringbackourgirls campaign poster.
Egyptian TV channels gave very little space to the kidnapping and reported the opinion of the Islamic authorities and Al Azhar University. Al Tahrir Channel, quickly reported that Al Azhar had issued a statement saying the kidnappings were contrary to Islam.
The only Arab TV outlet that, along with Al-Jazeera, issued timely daily reports on the events in Nigeria, was the Dubai-based Al-Aan TV, which became famous for being the only station in the entire world to broadcast the funeral of the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gheddafi. It carried the condemnation of the kidnappings by the Muslim sages, the Kibar al Ulema al Muslimiin, and Saudi Arabia’s Fiqh Accademy of Islamic jurisprudence, who declared the action expressly contrary to Islam.
Al-Aan TV also dedicated a broadcast of its Aktar mn ‘anwan programme to the kidnappings. Two noted Islamic sages on the show condemned the crimes of Boko Haram in the name of the main world Islamic organisations saying they were contrary to the values and teachings of Islam. Numerous citations from the Koran were made as well as prophetic sayings. Boko Haram was condemned as damaging to Islam and compared to Al Qaeda. The final message can be summed up in an oft-quoted saying from the Koran; “ … If anyone slew a person unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land it would be as if he slew the whole humanity: and if anyone saved a life it would be as if he saved the life of the whole humanity.” (Al-Qur’an 5:32)
Translated by Francesca Simmons