Forum - View topicNEWS: Al Jazeera English Reports on Otakon, Anime Fandom
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Rubyfulcrum
Posts: 9 |
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From the "/j", I can only guess that this was a joke. For those who may seriously think this... well, Al Jazeera is actually funded by the kindom of Qatar, created by the current Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. Let's be honest: as a king, he's all-powerful and ultimately no different than a dicatator in terms of potential control. However, he was educated in London and seems to be using his power to turn Qatar more democratic and "free', to use an overworn term. Quite a bit different than the other kings/dictators in the area (like Saudi Arabia or Egypt). Also interesting to remember that Qatar is also an important ally... the same year the Emir founded Al Jazeera (1996), he also built the largest airfield in the middle east, Al Udeid Air Base, and has given the US permission to use it indefinitely (which the US currently does). Also, it is interesting to remember that during the Iraq war, Central Command for that operation and all the coalition press briefings and so on was based out of... that's right, Qatar, not far from Al Jazeera's headquaters. Also, I noticed some comments being made about "beheading" videos. I think it is only fair to point out that Al Jazeera may have broadcast tapes that include beheadings, they have never broadcast an actual beheading, always cutting the tape before that happens. It's against their code of ethics to do otherwise. I would highly recommend that if anyone really wants to know more about Al Jazeera beyond the stereotypes, they watch the documentary Control Room, or read the book "Mission Al Jazeera" by Josh Rushing. Or just watching some of the Youtube videos they have posted (I recommend Riz Khan!), or reading their web site. To me, it is frankly fascinating. Ignorance may be bliss, but information is power! |
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Arcwave
 Posts: 246 Location: Seattle |
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Wow, that was very interesting, Rubyfulcrum. Thanks for that!
/j |
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dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor
 Posts: 9902 Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC |
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No, it was (and still is) his pseudo-signature. |
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Carl Horn
Posts: 90 |
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I first saw anime in a Muslim country, Iran. In the 1970s, Iraq was a media center for dubbing anime into Arabic; Arab nations got to see some anime series that were never broadcast in North America. Many of us can Google our way through languages using the Roman alphabet, or Japanese, but lack of knowledge of Arabic script conceals many fan sites in that part of the world.
I often remember a girl in a chador who used to come to the legendary Cal-Animage Alpha meetings in the mid-'90s. She was shy and kept to herself, but still--she did attend each time. Just at this last Anime Expo, I saw a Muslim woman in a black chador, full-length, and her two similarly-dressed daughters, going through the dealer's room--and of course, these examples are only speaking of people you notice because of their traditional clothing. If for some reason people were asked to list their religion on con registration forms, you might be surprised to see how many people in T-shirts and jeans, or cosplay, were Muslim, too. Terrorism is a serious problem of the Muslim world, but naturally non-Muslims worry about it most when it affects them. But the truth is that the people who suffer the most from this terror, by far, are other Muslims. A bomb, or even the threat of one, is a major news story if it occurs in a Western city, but we at home often take for granted such bombs killing dozens, scores, and even hundreds of victims in Iraq every single week. It has been said of the Iraq War that better we fight the terrorists over there than here, but it seems the unspoken corollary to that is, better the terrorists kill people over there than over here. It may make a cold kind of sense, but it's not exactly what you would call idealism. There seems to be a vague and maybe not so vague feeling among many Americans at home that Iraqi victims of terrorism somehow deserve it for belonging to the same religion as their murderers--which is a hell of an attitude to take towards people we were supposed to liberate from tyranny, and give better lives to. |
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GATSU
Posts: 15550 |
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Carl:
They're allowed to have fansites in that part of the world? I hear the Internets are fairly regulated over there. |
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dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor
Posts: 9902 Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC |
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Not at all. I've visited some anime forums in Arabic. While I couldn't read a single Arabic word I managed to decipher some threads by screencaps and Roman alphabets within, and I could tell that they could follow the newest series in Japan just like we did. As far as I know, Middle Eastern countries started watching Captain Tsubasa series way before US started licensing anime. 
(Taken from http://www.cuhkacs.org/~benng/Bo-Blog/read.php?226) |
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Carl Horn
Posts: 90 |
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And the ANN encyclopedia entries, of course, often list the names of anime in their Arabic versions, as well as European languages. I'm surprised more people don't notice that, and realize anime has been around the Arab world for a long time. |
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Redbeard 101
Oscar the Grouch
Forums Superstar  Posts: 16963 |
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You're surprised? I'm not. Please, take a look outside at your common citizen and ask them if they even give a rats ass at all about that part of the world. Then ask them did they know they have anime over there. Your normal Joe Smo has the brain of a peanut and the capacity of thought of half a nut. To the normal citizen Arab or Muslim= terrorist or sand (expletive). Perhaps my opinion is biased since I live in a HEAVILY conservative Christian area. Maybe people elsewhere are more tolerant then by me. Wouldn't surprise me. |
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GATSU
Posts: 15550 |
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But do they get the tittilating titles?
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Abdallah
Posts: 21 Location: Doha, Qatar |
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As Carl Horn said, anime started airing, of course dubbed, in the Islamic world in the 70s. There are many titles that have been dubbed into Arabic, and never dubbed in English. More than half of the World Masterpiece Theater was dubbed and released here in our region. Rose of Versailles aired during the late 1980s, and not to forget Nadia.
You can find online a large number of anime forums, journal, and blogs. I'm an admin in one of'em, and you bet we keep up with the latest news and series coming from Japan. Also there are some anime/manga shops in the area and a couple of online stores that I'm aware about, and they do have some of the ecchi releases, but definitly no adult materials. I wish some would search more before making any statement, not only base what they say only on what they see in Fox news. Just like what Michael Bay did in Transformers, picturing Qatar as a desert with mud houses, and amazingly they have cell phones in such houses lol. Rubyfulcrum:
Just correcting ^^ Qatar is not a kingdom. |
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Vekou
 Posts: 329 |
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Oh, I totally agree. Your example of extremist Christianity, petitioning to have a book banned, is "as bad if not worse" (your words) than extremist Islam which is... well, you know, that whole suicide bombing, killing innocents, converting by force, waging holy war... that whole thing. Yeah, that's a fair statement. Indeed, fundamentalist Christians in this country are truly the "log" to the Muslim fundamentalists' "splinter." Also, why are you assuming that the original poster was Christian in the first place? As for taking "Jesus' own advice," I also don't recall any scriptures ever saying something like "Thou shalt not criticize anything about other religions, because they're all great!" |
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oneguyks
Posts: 4 |
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Suicide bombing is a recent phenomena. It started in the 80s in response to Israeli occupation of Lebanon. More suicide bombings have been done by Tamil Tigers (not Muslim) than all Palestinian and Lebanese combined.
Christianity was spread by force. How do you think indigenous people in South and North America converted to Christianity? It's also interesting to note that no pre-Christian religion survived Christianity in Europe -- but you still have at least 30 million Christians in the Middle East despite 1400 years of Islam.
You mean crusades... And Bush claimed he invaded Iraq because God told him that. Also, most rightwing nuts and evangelicals supported the invasion of Iraq. They were cheering for it and saw it as a wonderful opportunity to spread "Gospel' in Iraq. I listen to Christian radio (and other rightwing nuts). The Christian missionaries saw Iraq invasion as an opportunity to invade Iraq with Bibles (Christianity coming to Iraq on tanks?) That sounds real nice. |
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nooneofconsequence
Posts: 57 Location: WV |
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The real issue with modern Islam is that the radical elements are more vocal than the moderate ones. There was no visible criticism from moderate elements when there were riots and calls for execution a year or so ago when a Danish editorial cartoonist drew some unflattering pictures of Mohammed. Compare in contrast to when there was piece of art - term being used loosely - that was on display that consisted of a crucifix with Jesus in a jar of urine. If I remember correctly at worst the Christian response consisted of an active protest campaign. Were has been the been the criticism of the political and religious leadership of Iran when they have publicly stated they wanted to basically wipe Israel off the map and a host of other anti-semitic comments?
In more traditional Islamic countries, they do imprison and/or execute dissenting journalists and authors. That is a bit worse than wanting to ban a book. Western culture has an incredibly odd double standard of it being OK to incessantly bash Christianity, but it is unacceptable to apply the same amount of ridicule towards Islam. ---
...And you are conveniently looking past the numerous times Israel has been invaded and had its citizens killed. Don't think Israel ever took other nation's Olympic athletes hostages and executed them.
Islam has pretty much followed nearly the same path as Christianity except that certain elements of the former have not matured over the past 600 or so years. At one point Islam controlled a hefty chunk of Southwest Europe that included most of Spain. The Taliban occupation of Afghanistan had some morbid results including the destruction of an old and historically significant giant Buddha statue. Also whatever happened to all of those tribe specific religions in the Middle East? And there are about the same if not more Muslims in Europe. So what?
Right... the same country whose legal system rules against nativity scenes on public property is conducting a crusade.
As opposed to the leftwing nuts who pick up on some impending environmental crisis every decade or so that never happens, have horrific double standards when it comes to the First Amendment, and are as if not more sheepish to their leaders than groups they criticize? ---
And what is your source of news? Every media outlet has political bias established by who they hire and who is in charge. Fox is no worse than CNN, MSNBC, or even Al-Jazeera. Each outlet is going to take a different approach to reporting a story and will its own unique set of faults. Enough of the pointless Fox News bashing people. |
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Abdallah
Posts: 21 Location: Doha, Qatar |
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If you noticed, I did not accuse christianity of anything or mention any piece of information regarding it. All that I posted is a correction of some of what have been said here about anime in the Islamic world, not more, not less. My information comes from the fact that I'm a muslim, living in an Islamic country, and well aware of how's anime going in the region. Got nothing more to say in the main topic, which is not about terrorists, the war, or who's right and wrong between Christians and Muslims. |
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Mohawk52
 Posts: 8202 Location: England, UK |
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