BBC has got Twitter warning all wrong

The BBC recently reported that the head cleric of Saudi Arabia’s religious police denounced Twitter and its users in a scathing sermon. According to the BBC, Shaikh Abdul Latif Abdul Aziz Al Shaikh was reported to have exhorted citizens not to use such media.

His reasoning? According to the BBC, “Shaikh Abdul Latif Abdul Aziz Al Shaikh said that anyone using social media sites and especially Twitter has lost this world and his afterlife. Twitter is the platform for those who did not have any platform”. The BBC then reminded its viewers that this was not an unusual pattern, considering that just last month the imam of the Grand Mosque in Makkah stated in his Friday prayer sermon — one usually followed by millions around the world on satellite television — a warning that “Twitter was a threat to national unity”.

The BBC also alleged that the country’s chief cleric and grand mufti had earlier dismissed Twitter users as “fools”. It was suggested that he claimed that Twitter “has become a platform for trading accusations and for promoting lies used by some just for the sake of fame, and that Twitter and similar websites are founded upon lies and defamation, people who use them are fools and lack modesty and faith, and quackery is clear in their writings”.

There is no question that Twitter is indeed one of the fastest growing social media organs in the country, and its user ratio is superlative to most countries in the world. BBC’s contention is that the religious body, worried by the attraction of such medium by the Saudi masses who embrace these sites, could “use Twitter to discuss sensitive political and other issues”.

The BBC also contends that “these rhetorical attacks are part of a concerted offensive by the Saudi establishment on the social network site”. It cites human rights issues as one arena where Twitter users have been most actively holding discussions with opinions ranging from sympathy to downright disgust for what they contend are rights’ violations.

The BBC in recent years has had a credibility issue, especially in its reporting in Middle East affairs. It is more blatantly evident when the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is discussed, with the BBC invariably taking sides and certainly not with the Palestinians. This has robbed the network its mantle of honest reporting, as it became heavily steeped with bias.

But let’s get back to their more recent statements concerning the Saudi clerics. Understandably, some clerics have grabbed the wrong kind of headlines with outlandish edicts or fatwas. Some of it was seen as a move to increase the number of followers.

But why is Twitter always targeted?

The social medium is today used by many respected clerics to spread the word of humility and acceptance of others; of righteousness and repentance, and not for dissent and disruption. Issues from a broad spectrum within Saudi society are openly discussed with individual tweeters offering their opinions. Government officials have joined the bandwagon of Twitter users to stay connected.

It was recently reported that the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Prince Salman, had generated a Twitter account which quickly drew over 350,000 followers. Another prince, Al Waleed Bin Talal, the business entrepreneur and a global personality is also very active in using this medium. A reformist, he has stated that “attempts to restrict social media will be a losing battle”.

Losing battle

Considering that some 79 per cent of Saudis use YouTube, more than four million use Twitter, and Saudis reportedly occupying the second place in the world in the use of Facebook, it would indeed be a losing battle. Ministries today are encouraged to establish Twitter accounts to keep the public informed and updated on their activities. Some ministries such as health have taken the lead by establishing their sites early. The Saudi minister of culture and information, Abdul Aziz Khoja has even established a personal blog available to all those interested to visit.

Such activities discredit the BBC’s contention that the clerics are indeed up in arms against the widespread use of social media websites. What is true, however, is that they have repeatedly warned against the use of these sites for the malicious spreading of false information and harmful gossip, a warning we could all appreciate.

Social media is a tool to benefit from, and not one to hurt or discredit others. That is what has been their message. The “fools” are those who act otherwise. By such outlandish claims, the BBC is padding up the truth, as no cleric would dare call a member of the ruling family a “fool”.

To many, the world of social media has no boundaries and barriers. There are often no controls. It could be a good thing if used properly. But it could also have negative implications if mishandled. Warnings against such misuse must not be taken as a suppression of the right to free speech. And respected news organisations such as the BBC should verify the accuracy of their reports.

Tariq A. Al Maeena is a Saudi socio-political commentator. He lives in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. You can follow him at www.twitter.com/@almaeena