How are you this weekend, Reader?

I've neglected you after not writing a newsletter for two weeks. The picture above is part of why: I was at Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, where I spoke with United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, Francesca Albanese, among other interesting authors and thinkers.

Have a look at the short video interview with her for Cracks magazine on Instagram and keep an eye on our upcoming third digital magazine about media criticism and rethinking journalism.

Six years of this newsletter

This newsletter turns 6 in January, and I'd love to get a better idea of where you'd like it to go in 2027. In the coming weeks, I'll share a few polls. Please answer the question or hit reply to expand; I'm reading and replying to all emails!

Sanne

Complicate the narrative around West Asia (or Middle East)

This week's writing sprang forth from a conversation with a friend about the narrative around Islam in Europe. Right after, I listened to the Dutch De Ongelooflijke Podcast in which journalist and Middle East expert Abdou Bouzerda was invited to speak about the decisive period the region finds itself in.

The conversation has so much depth that I wanted to share it with you this week. It complicates the narrative of how Western media reports on West Asia. Besides that, Bouzerda shows awareness of positionality and is an example of how journalists can do rigorous work for justice while being transparent about their stance.

Below, I list 8 insights from the conversation. You can watch the full conversation on YouTube, using the English automated subtitles (although it might be geo-blocked since it's Dutch public broadcasting content). Title: "The old order tumbles."

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1. The meaning of secularism in West Asia

One of the problems with how Islam is discussed in the West is as if it's a monolith, a single, coherent force. Just like other religions, though, Islam is practiced and interpreted in many different ways. Even every Muslim is a different Muslim, as Bouzerda says.

When understanding the political and social role of religion in West Asia, it's interesting to look at the history of secularism. In the most basic Western explanation, secularism means that state and religious institutions are separate, or that the state doesn't interfere in people's religious lives. It is associated with atheism. In West Asia, it's more complicated because there are forms of secularism more restrictive than in European countries. For example, in Turkey, the state once prohibited women from wearing headscarves in public buildings.

And so, secularism is more associated with something imposed from above or from outside, to weaken Islam. The word carries a heavy meaning. Bouzerda points out that it's important to make the distinction that secularism doesn't have to be anti-religion, and at the same time, being religious doesn't mean wanting religion to control the state. This prevents reducing a complex debate to a simple for-or-against religion discussion.

2. Western news misses the cultural diversity

West Asia is more than a collection of governments, religious movements, and armed conflicts. The creative and intellectual scenes within societies matter as much.

Bouzerda mentioned the young generation in Saudi Arabia, where creative energy and climate activism are very much alive. Societies are not just defined by political issues.

3. Why consuming different news sources matters

The international media landscape in West Asia is diverse. Different countries have heavily invested in Arabic-language broadcasting, documentaries, and other forms of media to reach audiences. It shows how the region is understood differently, depending on the perspectives.

As a news consumer, you need to be aware of where the news comes from, and what is possibly left out. Bouzerda mentioned how well the Russian journalists speak Arabic, and how its media organizations like to work with Syrian journalists. French media collaborate with Tunisia and Algeria, and Chinese media mostly use Chinese presenters who even in voice-overs have a tick accent.

4. The Arab states and Israel relationship

Bouzerda makes an important point about the relationship of Arab states with Israel before October 7 happened. There had been growing willingness in parts of the Arab world to establish diplomatic relations with Israel. Saudi Arabia, however, had one condition: the establishment of a Palestinian state.

In Morocco, part of the South West Asia and North Africa (SWANA) region, the government had signed the Abraham Accords without necessarily abandoning the Palestinian cause.

Now, with the Israeli genocide in Gaza, even people who had supported normalization of Israel were deeply shocked by what that country does. According to Bouzerda, Hamas anticipated this. Its military leader Mohammed Deif sent out a video on the morning of the attack in 2023. He presented the operation as a response to what Hamas saw as the gradual destruction of Palestinian life and territory, the international community's lack of attention, and the normalization of the relationship between the Arab states and Israel.

Hamas wanted the issue back on the agenda and to disrupt the growing acceptance of Israel in the region. Understanding this doesn't justify the atrocity of October 7, but understanding the political context helps to understand why it happened.

5. Journalists need to name what happened

When the presenter of the podcast used passive language around the genocide in Israel, Bouzerda paused and made clear that journalists need to be precise without becoming evasive.

Language can obscure responsibility, and so active verbs and naming the responsible actors are crucial. Journalists can call something a genocide before a formal legal ruling is made. He referred to genocide scholars and professors who have argued that the situation in Gaza meets the relevant characteristics.

He also highlighted the bombing by Israel of the Palestinian National Archives, early on in the genocide. Since an archive holds the history of a people, it must be understood as part of the wider picture. It's not just the number of people being killed that matters.

6. Complicating the narrative beyond religion

The conversation also mentioned the decline of Christian communities in West Asia. Around a century ago, Christians made up a considerably larger share of the region's population than they do today. This is often discussed as a story of religious persecution or displacement of Christian minorities, but Bouzerda points out that it is a loss for societies.

Palestinian Christians, for example, played an important role in the development of the Palestinian political and cultural identity. Christian Palestinians established newspapers and political organizations. In the early twentieth century, Christians were able to access European education during the Ottoman period, which helped create an educated elite who spoke French and had close ties with European society. Yet, it also contributed to the development of Arab nationalism and anti-colonial movements.

The podcast mentions how missionary schools across the world have sometimes become breeding grounds for postcolonial and anti-colonial thought.

The departure of Christian communities from countries such as Iraq and Syria was because of war, the rise of ISIS, and deliberate targeting. Bouzerda describes how it has changed "the mosaic": when you remove several tiles, the fabric is different.

West Asia cannot be understood through a simple division between Muslims and Christians; they've shaped each other over centuries.

7. The journalist's role to inform

Towards the end of the conversation, Bouzerda reflected on his own position as a Muslim journalist. Does his faith influence how he responds to news about West Asia?

His answer was not a simple yes or no. He shared that when he watches the news at home, he does feel solidarity with Muslims and reacts emotionally. At other times, he questions his own reaction and realizes that he should not automatically identify with people who happen to share his religion.

It's this kind of awareness that is necessary when working as a journalist. He emphasized that his role is not to create understanding for Muslims; it's to inform the public.

This means that he is willing to report uncomfortable facts about Muslim communities and movements, including the use of suicide attacks by Islamic groups. These were not part of the original Islamic tradition, Bouzerda says, but have unfortunately become part of the current repertoire and journalists need to be honest about that.

He wants to be transparent because a journalist does not need to pretend to have no personal background or perspective. They do need to be clear about their professional responsibility. Being transparent about who you are and being rigorous in your reporting are not mutually exclusive.

8. What does the future look like?

All of what is happening in the world, related to West Asia as well, can make the future seem bleak. But Bouzerda finds hope in the young and creative people in the region. He rejects the idea that what happens in West Asia should become a culture war in Western societies.

It is one reason to inform yourself better, if you're part of the West. And throughout the podcast he complicates the narrative: instead of reducing people to labels such as pro-Palestinian or pro-Israel, it's important to acknowledge all layers involved. From politics to culture, and from economics to climate change.

What this means for journalism?

• Look beyond religious categories
• Pay attention to what is missing
• Consume news from different source
• Complicate the narrative
• Use language responsibly
• Be transparant about your position

Holistic well-being for storytellers

Professor of Mediastudies Mark Deuze endorsed my well-being program The Human Pace:

You can still make use of 25% off from the Mental Health in Journalism Summit. Use "SUMMIT" as a redeemable coupon at checkout.

See you next week!

Sanne

P.S.: The Inclusive Journalism Weekly is free and reader-supported. If it's useful to you, you can support it on Patreon.