By Amr Elshobaki Al-Balagh Culture Society, a group known to have close links with the Qatari government, has pulled the plug on IslamOnline (IOL), dismissing the website's founder Sheikh Youssef Al-Qaradawi. IOL was a peculiar phenomenon in the Arab media. Since it was established it has maintained a sober tone, stayed away from confessional debates, and insisted on high editorial standards. It was refreshing to have an Islamic site that didn't belong to the Muslim Brotherhood or the Salafis, that didn't speak for Egypt's Al-Wasat or Morocco's Justice and Development parties, that didn't condone fanaticism, that didn't pick fights with Shias or pose as the guardian of Sunnis, that didn't inspire hatred towards Christians and that avoided sectarian squabbles. IOL criticised Arab regimes without being disrespectful. It took issue with opponents without being vicious and adopted a broad-minded approach to culture and creativity. None of this pleased the extremists of Al-Balagh, who predictably frowned upon the site's broadminded coverage. IOL covered cinema festivals, discussed family problems in the Arab world, offered advice on sexuality and women's issues. None of this went down well with Al-Balagh's hotheads. What Al-Balagh did to IOL is a favour to ill-informed websites in the region. IOL was exceptional in its professionalism. It was also exceptional in the calibre of its workforce, all of whom possessed impressive intellects and commendable media skills. IOL independence from management interference and capital control wasn't going to last for long, not in this part of the world, and not with Qatar holding the purse. Professional success is short-lived in the Arab world, where media organisations find it hard to survive unless they are linked with governments or powerful interest groups. Public opinion alone cannot provide adequate backing to media organisations in a part of the world where ignorance is common and extremists hold sway. This week's Soapbox speaker is a political analyst at Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies.
