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THE ROLE OF ISLAMIC MEDIA IN THE GLOBALIZATION ERA:
BETWEEN RELIGIOUS PRINCIPLES AND VALUES OF GLOBALIZATION,
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THE CHALLENGES AND THE OPPORTUNITIES
By Andi Faisal Bakti, Professor, the Faculty of Dakwah and Communication Studies, State Islamic
University, Jakarta; Dean/Professor, the Faculty of Communication Studies, Pancasila University,
Jakarta.
Summary
Islam is a religion full of principles, stemming from ethical, moral, legal, mystical, and philosophical
teachings, with more than a billion followers across the globe. Muslims believe that because
Muhammad received God’s final and complete revelation to humankind, they have a universal
message and mission, to call the whole humankind to worship the one true God. However, these
principles sometimes collide with modern principles, including the values brought along in the era of
globalization. Islamic principles were initially introduced by the Prophet Muhammad in the seventh
century and have passed through a 14-century long process of (re)interpretations, based on new
localities, system, and context of lives, encountered by Islam. These interpretations are not always
welcomed by the proponents of the so-called Islamic traditions. But others, in particular the
proponents of Islamic modernism, have no problem adopting the new meanings, as they believe
that the Muslims should experience modernization or new life. Conversely, globalization principles
can be perceived as clashing with the Islamic values.
The question is how can Islamic media play a role in the era of globalization for dakwah? In other
words, how do Muslim leaders or scholars perceive the role of Islamic media in the globalization era,
and how do they bridge between the Islamic religious principles and globalization principles? What
are the challenges and the opportunities for the Muslim world, in order to grasp the principles of
globalization? What is the role of Islamic media in the era of digitalization?
The role of Islamic media in the era of globalization on dakwah seems to be weak, as the concept is
still debatable among the Muslims, and among the anti-globalization movements. While only few
Muslims accept the media as part of the Islamic tools (wasilah) for dakwah, some believe it is not
congruent with Islamic values, as the media is seen to be channeling the messages of globalization
(Westernization). Even if they accept the concept, Muslims have a limited capability to maximize the
media for their own dakwah purpose. Some are lacking in facilities and others are low in the knowhow. Most websites on Islam are limited, and there are websites that post negative information
about Islam. Furthermore, many Muslims have not realized the importance, massiveness, and farreaching effects of the media for dakwah. Traditional and conventional dakwah remain the rule of
conduct. Face-to-face dakwah is commonly and widely practiced by Muslims. Only a small number of
Muslims, and only among the elites, have access to the Internet. External or global dakwah through
webs has not been the main target of Muslims.
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Muslims seem to identify three roles for Islamic media. First, modern media associated with
globalization is dangerous as it will destroy the morality of Muslims, so one should keep away from
it. The media can never be Islamized. Islam as a teaching of high dignity can never be associated with
evil teachings. There is no such a thing of an Islamic media. Islam is sacred, media is profane.
It seems that the majority have the same belief as Billig: that the processes of globalization are dealt
in a heavily ideological structure. The hegemonic version stresses globalization as being: such an
enormous process as to be irresistible; associated with instantaneous, global technologies which are
simply baffling and therefore beyond most people’s control; related to theories which anyway urge
that the world cannot be rationally and morally accounted for; implicitly an Americanizing process,
for example in the ways that the words ‘new world order’ or ‘modernity’ are managed (see Billig,
1995). Such emphases encourage the (admittedly complex) processes of globalization to be seen as
utterly beyond the control of human beings, as a force which renders us powerless. This, or course,
is convenient for the corporate multinational companies benefitting from global power, since it
tends to dampen down enthusiasm for attempts to direct, or regulate, them differently (Branston
and Stafford, 2003, 119). For many, “globalization means Westernization; for others it means
Americanization. In both cases the globalization process is seen as acculturation; that is, the
adopting of a new culture (Western or US culture)” (Roy, 2004, 258n).
Second, Islam is a message that can use any kind of media to deliver its message across the globe.
The most important point is that the media can deliver the message of Islam to a receiver in every
nook and cranny of the world. Third, Muslims should be able to establish their own media,
comparable to the secular media of the West today. Muslims should be able to compete and win the
competition against the media that covers and disseminates non-Islamic (evil) messages from nonMuslim countries. Through this Islamic media, Muslims can control the content of messages to be
sent through the channels created by Muslims. In Esposito’s words (2002, 63), “amidst increasing
globalization, Muslims strive to survive and compete, often with limited resources, and to preserve
their identity in a world dominated (culturally, as well as politically and economically) by the West.”
Islam is more than a religion, it is a system of life (Esposito, 2002). However, Islam contains rich
traditions and heritages which need to be protected (Hanafi, 1990). In order to be able to
understand the sacred texts of Islam, one should engage in a process of reinterpretation, as the texts
are culturally bound to where it was revealed. These interpretations might be incompatible with
other localities (Zayd, 1992). Fazlur Rahman (1982), in addition, believes that the texts should be
understood according to a textual approach, examining the reason behind their revelation, the
structure of the words, and texts, and grammar. This should be coupled with a contextual approach,
looking and relating them with the condition and situation of Muslims according to the times and
era.
The role of Islamic media in the era of digitalization is very crucial as it processes technologically the
data on Islam, preserves it, and serves as a channel of information from the sender (dai) to the
receiver (mad’u). Thus seekers of knowledge do not necessarily engage in face-to-face encounters
anymore with their source of knowledge (the ulama). Other questions can also be addressed to the
providers or website owners. The principles of Islamic dakwah are clear and well documented in the
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Qur’anic verses and the texts of the traditions of the Prophet, along with the works of authoritative
scholars uploaded on the web or the latter’s answers to questions about certain issues.
The main values in Islam are the importance of worshipping the true one God, who has revealed his
last messages through revelations (the Qur’an) to his last prophet (Muhammad), who showed the
ideal behavior in his words and deeds (Hadith). Islam teaches the five principles of faith (belief in one
God, His angels, messengers, scriptures, and the day of judgment), and encourages humankind to do
good, to donate to the poor, orphans, and the needy, and to pray, fast in the month of Ramadan,
pay almsgivings, go for hajj, keep one’s promises, be patient, not to commit crimes, adultery,
fornication, not to steal, lie, commit slender, cheat; to respect human beings, care for one’s parents
and elders, neighbors, family members, and others; not to destroy the environment, and to perform
good and stay away from bad deeds. These are, among others, what a Muslim should do and not do.
By respecting this teaching, a Muslim will be rewarded paradise in the hereafter. The deeds are
precisely recorded by angels. Anything that prevents a Muslim from the above is seen as Satan’s, the
enemy of God’s, work, which should be avoided.
As Islam contains principles, globalization also includes values. It links power structures and activities
which go beyond the national boundaries that have existed for centuries, such as the Chinese, Arab,
Indian, Persian worlds, and Roman Empire, as well as the Roman church across medieval Europe and
beyond. Globalization is rather different, and distinctively modern. It grew from the expansion of
trade in the late Middle Ages which itself was accompanied and followed by the growth of Western
imperialist and the post-imperialist powers throughout the world.
Globalization has been said to occur when activities are taking place in the following conditions.
First, they take place not on a national and regional arena but beyond. Second, they are deliberately
organized on a global scale. Third, they involve some interdependency, so that local activities in
different parts of the world are shaped by each other. Forth, they often involve technology which
make possible instantaneous as opposed to simply speedy, communications.
Both Islamic values and globalization principles need to be combined. As Islam is basically a universal
religion, which needs to be addressed and delivered to all human beings, it is absolutely crucial to
employ the media. The Muslims need to use this significantly for dakwah, and not see it as an evil
tool. This is indeed just a tool, which is neutral, can be used for negative or positive purposes. By
using media, the message of Islam can reach the remotest area, rural areas. They enable the
message to cross the borders of countries without visas, passports or exit permits. The new media,
such as “television … now escorts children across the globe even before they have the permission to
cross the street,” says Meyrowitz (1985, 238).
GLOBALIZATION ERA AND ISLAMIC VALUES
Globalization occurs when:
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1. Activities take place in a global, beyond the national and regional arena
Technology of communications is responsible for this process that led to an international economy.
It started with the introduction of the printing on papers in China, sold in Europe, where books and
texts were distributed to wider areas between China and Europe. Underwater cable systems were
invented in Europe and used by European imperial powers and companies such as Cable and
Wireless, which remain the main tools of communication today. Telegraph systems were land-based
and quite useful. By the 1870s, submarine cables had been laid in Southeast Asia and were linked to
the African coast. Later on the link went beyond China and Europe, as far as Australia and South
America. This first global communication system was successfully separated the sending and the
need to ship them physically (Branston and Stafford, 2003, 405).
These local and national boundaries, religions, laws, media institutions, taxation structures, etc., still
exist, and have huge economic and ideological power. National identities seem transformed, but not
obliterated, by globalization.
This crossing-over of national and regional boundaries seems to have created global inequality.
World economy is not global but is centered on regions and networks (see Tomlinson 1999) which
can be categorized as follows: by areas of advanced consumer-capitalist power (North America,
Europe, and East Asia), by language used (Spanish in Latin America, English in many countries), by
religions and cultures (the Islamic Middle East), and by technological factors, such as the ‘footprint’
of a satellite (MTV in Europe, and Star TV in Asia) (Branston and Stafford, 2003, 417-8).
The areas in the Middle East and Southeast Asia as well as South Asia where Muslims live seem to
have been enjoying globalization in terms of religion and cultures, which more often than not tend
to be referring to the temporal (past) elements, as opposed to spatial (present and future)
creativities. As a result people in these areas entertain themselves with an exclusive understanding
of human relations, as opposed to an inclusive comprehension of human communication. They
would not struggle for advanced power, or an advance in technological factors as was the case in
Europe/the West. According to Roy (2004, 24), “globalization has blurred the connection between a
religion, a pristine culture, a specific society and a territory.” For him, “this objectification of Islam is
not only a result of political pressure and events: it is also a mechanical consequence of the delinking
of religion and culture.” Furthermore, he believes that “globalization is a good opportunity to
dissociate Islam from any given culture and to provide a model that could work beyond any culture”
(ibid, 25).
2. Activities are deliberately organized on a global scale
These systems were coupled with the news agencies’ establishment (see Thompson 1997, 152-9).
The four media giants ‒ Reuters, UPI, AP, and AFP soon became the main source of print media in
the world. These news agencies likewise disseminated news well beyond the continents of America
and Europe, and at last in 1869 agreed to split the world into mutually exclusive spheres of
operation. These more or less related to the spheres of influence of the major European imperial
powers.
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Media studies on their own cannot alter these inequalities—but they can point out the images and
words which help sustain them.
On the outset the global spread of media corporations has been intimately related to the imperialist
past. Furthermore, there is adequate evidence of a significantly profitable, mostly one-way flow of
news, information and entertainment from the major Western counties, led by the United States, to
the rest of the world. Significantly, there now exist more regional flows, often dependent on the
global spread of imperial languages such as Spanish, English, French, and Arabic. For example,
Mexico and Chili become important as producers and exporters of tele-novels or soap operas to the
rest of Latin America, as well as parts of Europe and Southeast Asia (Branston and Stafford, 2003,
407-8).
In the case of language, Muslims throughout history have experienced some forms of globalization,
though travel, pilgrimage, or the widespread role of Arabic and of a common teaching curriculum. A
‘community of the learned’ existed, which transcended all linguistic and ethnic divides, using Arabic
as its lingua franca, and traveling from Morocco to India to learn and teach in a network of
comparable and homogenous institutions (akin to medieval European clerks, using Latin and
travelling from universities to monasteries). “This pre-modern globalization was effectively
connected with the attempt to revive, through the medium of Arabic, a common Muslim culture,
although it is an elite phenomenon. The Muslim ‘community of the learned’ no longer circulates in a
purely Arabo-Muslim context, and English is as important as Arabic, if not more so, outside the
Arabic speaking world. In short, the earlier form of globalization did not borrow its linguistic and
technical tools from another culture, as is the case nowadays” (Roy, 2004, 108). Arabic too seems to
become further localized, as local Arabic as opposed to standard Arabic seems to be more
commonly practiced in schools and university as is the case in Egypt. Let alone the Southeast Asia,
South Asia and the Indian sub-continent. “Contemporary globalization is not an elite phenomenon
but a mass one, and it has a backlash at the core of the countries of origin, while traditional society
was left unchanged by medieval globalization” (Roy, 2004, 108).
To theorize the media in fully political ways, the political economy approaches of Armand and
Michelle Matelart, Janet Wasco, Toby Miller and in particular Herbert Schiller have argued that much
of the globalization of communication has been driven, since World War II , by the commercial
interests of the large US-based corporations, in particular those based on oil and arms manufacture.
These often in collaboration with the US state as political and military interests, which have replaced
the British, French, Dutch and other older empires. It is not a giant leap, then, to argue that US
media power is a form of cultural or media imperialism. Traditional local cultures are argued to be
destroyed in this process, and new forms of cultural dependency and colonilism are shaped which
mirror older imperialist relations of power (Branston and Stafford, 2003, 408).
Media conglomerates operate as oligopolies— a few large organizations together dominating the
market. They often work together (like cartels) to co-operate on perpetuating ‘free trade’ treaties
which will further their interests (see Klein 2001). (Though far from being ‘free’ or ‘deregulated,’
these depends on thousands of pages of regulations, and the co-operation of nation states to
implement them) (Branston and Stafford, 2003, 411).
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The media corporations that control the market are mostly owned by America, European and
Japanese capital, though they are usually based in the U.S. and, importantly, tend to use U.S. stars,
highly-paid personnel and consumerist imagery (Australian Rupert Murdoch has had to take on U.S.
citizenship to be able to acquire larger U.S. interests). It is also worth pointing out that the term
globalization makes the process seem like a force of nature’, spread right over the planet. In fact the
multinational corporations divide the world into series of regional markets or territories: 1. North
America (U.S. and Canada); Western Europe, Japan and Australia; developing economies and
regional producers (India, China, and Brazil, and Eastern Europe), the rest of the world (Branston and
Stafford, 2003, 412).
The media in the Islamic world has been initiated by establishing IISNA (International Islamic News
Agency) and the Isnet (Islamic Network), but by these, Muslims also are not able to create their
media giants to counterbalance the four media giants in the West, as planned initially. Al-Jazeera,
which quite shocked the Western media for its capability to provide a perception and coverage of
the Gulf war different from that of Western media such as CNN. According to Esposito (2002, 135136), “globalization of communications has created a situation in which Arabs and Muslims around
the world often see more than we see. Unlike in the past, today’s international Arab and Muslim
media are no longer solely dependent on Western reporters and channels. While America’s overseas
media presence (reporters and overseas posts) and coverage have waned over the past decade,
television stations like Al-Jazeera and others provide daily coverage of the violence and acts of terror
committed by both sides as well as the disproportionate firepower used against Palestinians by
Israelis armed with American-supplied weapons, F-16s, and Apache helicopters.” However, despite
all these, finally Al-Jazeera was weakened by the establishment of an Arabic language sub-division of
CNN called Al-Arabiya. Finally Al-Jazeera was bought by CNN, and of course the news once again is
controlled by the West.
In a different sphere, “the rise of a business-minded Muslim middle-class, quite at home with free
market and globalization (having benefitted from economic protectionism), but unhappy with the
monopolization by non-productive ruling elites of access to international markets, is also a byproduct of this new modern and devout middle class, while legitimizing its wealth” (Roy, 2004, 142).
Using a sociological approach would be to consider the religious market, where the commodities
are, above all, meanings and symbols, such as: halal meat, travel agencies for hajj and umra, Islamic
fashion, banks, tourism, even swimming pools, private schools, sports clubs, charities and
undertakers. This religious market is globalized” (Roy, 2004, 172). Sufi orders too help to create
Black transatlantic identity, which the creation of Liberia and the search for African roots among U.S.
Blacks failed to achieve. Here a neo-brotherhood is part of a global neo-ethnicity. This is the case of
Tijaniya tariqa, a Sufi order emerged in Senegal, and have followers all over the world. Globalization
then turns traditional brotherhoods into neo-brotherhoods by changing the way they operate.
3. Activities are interdependent, so that local activities in different parts of the world are shaped
by each other
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Some reports of globalization classify it as a homogenizing process, “leading to McWorld” (see
Herman and McChesney, 1997; Barber, 1995). Others believe that “local characteristics persist,
sometimes in the form of fierce religious and ethnic loyalties; sometimes in the form of local foods
(McDonald’s), costumes, customs and versions of history” (Branston and Stafford, 2003, 406).
More often than not, there is an interplay of ‘global’ and ‘local’, especially given “the abiding
importance of nation states and their legislation which is needed to help manage global capitalism. It
is true that very often U.S. money and imagery are dominant, and increasingly taken for granted as
part of the ‘local’” (Branston and Stafford, 2003, 407).
The film industry is a good example of the interplay within globalized media. To get a big coproduction financed, there will usually need to be complex pre-production negotiations with
television, video, cable, etc., funders sometimes based in the overseas market where the film will
have to sell to recoup its profits. This means that the resulting film may have unexpected elements
in it which are far from being local, even local to the U.S. However, this limited degree of diversity
will tend to go along with the need for at least one U.S. star, though, again, this may be someone like
Catherine Zeta Jones, or Sean Connery, originally coming from outside the U.S. Then in production,
the global-local logic of selling big-budget blockbusters tends to mean that films, however local the
subject matter, are shot and made globally, across the world. But this is far from a global uniform
process: the global locations of such movies are often used at the cost of some damage to local
environments; damage which is unlikely done at a First World location like Time Square, New York,
for example (see Branston 2000, Chapter 3, and Miller et al. 2001, 197).
Muslim food seems to be unable to become a globally enjoyed meal. Some Arab food, such as
shawarma, baklawa and shish taouk, but these types of food cannot be as popular as McDonald’s
hamburger, Pizza Hut’s pizzas, KFC’s chicken, etc. These Western foods, though originally local, are
unique, and children and adults alike enjoy them throughout the world. Similarly, Chinese food, and
Chinese noodles are found everywhere, more so than Arab food.
The movie industry in the Muslim world is also poor and weak compared to Hollywood. In fact
Bollywood is becoming more popular in some parts of the world as opposed to Arab or Iranian films.
The music industry is also in the same situation. CD’s of Maria Carey, Celine Dion, Brian Adams are
preferred by youths in Southeast Asia as opposed to Arab singers, such as Ummu Kalthum, etc. In
fact, after the latter artist, no Arab singer is probably as widely known in the music industry.
4. Activities often involve technologies which make possible instantaneous, as opposed to simply
speedy, communications.
The electronic demands of supermarket shoppers are scanned instantaneously at checkouts and
relayed to the shop’s storerooms. This has abolished the independence of local growth and
harvesting circle—for some people. For others, agribusiness means near constant labor, oppressive
contracts with supermarket chains, and water dependency. Salads picked and washed in Kenya, on
estates using huge amount of precious water, are air-freighted in forty-eight hours to save time for
British consumers.
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Big news items are now broadcast instantaneously, twenty-four hours each day, globally. They often
have direct, international effects on jobs and sometimes governments, e.g. news of the 9/11
terrorist attacks on the U.S. led to stock market collapses, huge job losses, especially in the air travel
and tourism industries, and so on (Branston and Stafford, 2003, 405).
The electronic demands of supermarket shoppers and chains have been dominated by Western
businessmen, as opposed to Muslim traders. Products might be from the Muslim world, as in
Southeast Asia or in Pakistan, or North Africa or Turkey, but the electronic demands and the
supermarket chains are owned by the advanced consumer capitalist countries. In fact they set prices
for the benefits of the wealthy countries.
DEBATES ABOUT GLOBALIZATION
Debates on the issue of globalization revolve around the following. First, in addition to the media
imperialism model, its ownership emphasis can imply that all U.S. television, for example,
unavoidably express only consumerist values, both in programs themselves and via the advertizing
which finances them. This ignores image, theme, and information diversities. How can the U.S.
television also express production values and Islamic teaching, or how can the Muslim world create
their own programs—which are in accordance with Islamic values and also are interesting for the
West, and finance them? This the fist challenge for Muslims.
Second, the very power of global media, which is actually centralized. Branding can work against the
interest of their owners. Global branding of sports people wearing Nike shoes and others, but
simultaneously ‘high news profile’ of the stories of child labor in Indonesia and Pakistan by the same
corporations (see Klein, 2001). How can the global media cover Islamic issues positively, and remain
decentralized? How can branding of Muslim products be liked globally as with Nike, but not exploit
child labor, among others? This is the second challenge for Muslims.
Third, it is widely believed that consumers make purchases simply as a result of watching such
programs. But Roger Silverstone’s metaphor of translation: ‘globalization is a process of translation.’
We believe that Disney and the news of the world are the same everywhere. ‘But we know that it is
not’ (Silverstone, 1999, 109). How can Muslims become active receivers, so that they can make their
own translation? Thus the meanings are created by the watchers, spectators, and the listeners and
the readers. According to Thayer (1987), the audiences are active; the source cannot control the
meanings it intends to impart. This is supported by Barker, while global television is a form of
cultural power it was suggested that audiences are active creators of meanings and not ‘cultural
dopes.’ … “Television does not operate as a hypodermic injection of meaning (because audiences are
active) and global television is not best thought of as a form of cultural imperialism. Rather, in
contributing to the dislocation of cultural identities from specific places, television is a source for
increasingly complex multiple identities and competing discourses of power” (Barker, 1999, 171).
Thus, McLuhan’s Global Village (1964), which ‘we’ are now living in, is only rhetoric, as who is the
‘we’ that has access to literacy, telephones, let alone the Internet. One, this inequality applies to
part of the First World versus the majority worlds. Thus, how can Muslims play the role of the ‘we’
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as well? How can the Muslim world struggle to become the first world, in order to create the best
technology and develop science?
Two, who controls the agenda of which entries come up first when one types a particular category
into a search engine, for example? Of course it is the Western world. Thus, how can Muslims control
their own Islamic values agenda, so that which pops up first is about Islamic teachings? So Muslims
should create their own search engine, similar to yahoo.com or google.com.
Three, active audiences across the world are argued to be able to construct resistant meanings no
matter what is on their screens. But what about audiences which seem able to be influenced by
unexpected news images, or their favorite fiction? So, Muslims are challenged to make their own
news images, or their favorite stories.
Four, local and national boundaries, religions, laws, media institutions, taxation structures etc., still
exist, and have a huge economic and ideological power. National identities seem transformed, but
not obliterated, by globalization. Then, the challenge for Muslim countries is to embody this truly
global yet great economic and ideological power, without limiting it to the West, but including also
the Muslim world.
Five, some critics of globalization call the third world underdeveloped, i. e. deliberately starved of
investment, and exploited for few materials (food, oil, minerals which are now key to information
technologies) needed by Western powers. Most development always means a move towards
Western capitalist standards of inequality, stress, competiveness, damage to the planet, job
insecurity? How then can the Muslim world exploit/use its own natural resources for its own benefit,
so that development can mean progress towards the Muslim world as well?
REFLECTION
According to Biddle and Thomas (1996), the role theory deals with actors, action/behavior, the
position of the actors, the relation between actors and behavior.
In relation to this issue of globalization and Islamic values, there are four possibilities: first, the
actors are Muslims who serve as recipients, and Westerners as the sources of globalization.
However, it can also be the reverse, as the second possibility: Muslims become the senders, and
Westerners are the receivers of Islamic values. Third, another probability: Muslims are sending the
message of globalization, and Westerners are sending the message of Islamic tenets. The Fourth
possibility is that Muslims and Westerners can serve both the issue of globalization and the Islamic
teachings at the same time.
Based on the discussion above, we can conclude that the first possibility is the most commonly
practiced now in the global world. This means that Muslims become ‘victims’ of the message, when
we refer to the dependency theory approach to development, and they become colonized by the
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imperial rulers, when we refer to cultural imperialism theory (Schiller, 1996). Muslims serve as
targets of domination, when we refer to the theory of dominated code of Hall (1981).
The second possibility seems to be rare, as the messages of Islam are related to religion in the
narrow sense, despite the fact that some non-Muslims have converted to Islam, after reading the
website on Islam.
The third possibility seems to be in fact not yet touched, despite the fact that Islam is a global
religion, and that, from seventh to the 14th century, Muslims contributed to the development of
science and philosophy. But this remains a thing of the past. In addition, some Westerners are
sending the message of Islam on the web. However, some convey a negative interpretation of Islam
or basically an academic critical work on Islam, including some reference work, which are not
intended for dakwah.
The fourth possibility seems to be the ideal role of both actors. This is what Lee Thayer (1987) calls
an interactivity of the senders-receivers. Each can play both roles. The world then will experience an
equilibrium.
In terms of behavior, using Biddle and Thomas (1996), there are five elements: expectation, norm,
performance, evaluation, and sanction. These elements can be seen from the following
understanding about the issue of and their reaction to globalization:
First, those who believe that globalization is dangerous for Muslims: it will destroy Islamic values.
They seem to be controlled by the opinion that globalization is a Western attack on Muslims and
Islam. Since Muslims are weak, they are just victims of globalization. These groups cannot do
anything, but admit they are defeated. They are sometimes victims of globalization. They have no
expectation and admit the norm brought along by Western principles of globalization. They admire
the performance of globalization, do no evaluate let alone sanction it. These are lay persons.
Second, those are from academics, who tend to react critically to globalization, by trying to express
their opinions through writing or speaking. Of course they are not violent, as they are also using an
academic approach to criticism, using data and evidence to back up their arguments. They expect
that the Western globalization should be fair to Muslims, and that Muslims should be selective in
receiving the Western media messages. They are critical about the Western norm and performance
that come along with globalization. They are also worried about the first above. They see (evaluate)
the West being central in destroying the belief of Muslims. And warn Muslims to be critical and
creative of their own media. They call for a sanction of Western domination over Muslims and the
rest of the world. In Roy’s words, what is new in the current wave of globalization is that the making
of Muslim minorities is carried out through a process of deculturation, in which none of the previous
cultural markers is retained” (Roy, 2004, 108). More specifically, ”they fear forces of a globalization
will lead to greater Western economic penetration of Muslim countries. The result, they fear, will be
continued in a Muslim dependence on the West and a free market economy that is geared only
toward maximizing profits, which may increase the growing gap between rich and poor. Finally, they
fear a contagious Western culture whose retail stores, advertising, music, media, and dress can
erode traditional Muslim religious ideals and threaten the identity and values of Muslim youth”
(Esposito, 2002, 162).
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Third, those who are trying to react to globalization by demonstrating, bringing groups of people to
gather in front of Western embassies, or the World Bank, IMF, WTO, APEC conference, and UN
offices. They expect globalization to be stopped, as the norm and principles are not fair to the rest of
the world. They judge (evaluate) the performance of globalization to be enriching themselves while
the rest of the world is poorer and poorer. They see “globalization as de-ethnicizing Islam.” … “The
endeavor to build a community whose sole criterion is religious faith presupposes the negation of
any specific culture and ethnicity” (Roy, 2004, 146). These are usually from among activists of the
civil society organization.
Fourth, small of people who claim to be representing Muslims but they are basically hijacking the
Muslims, by attacking the Western center of power and economy, such as the World Trade Centre,
the Pentagon. The same norm is believed as in the third above, but adding it a fierce sanction with
violence and with a narrow interpretation of Islamic norms, different from the mainstream majority
on the beliefs of Muslims. These minority groups are from al-Qaeda and the like (see Williams,
2002). For Roy, “this jihadist discourses and targets often overlap those of the leftist antiglobalization movement. A Saudi sheikh who supported Osama Bin Laden, al-Hilali, called for attacks
on major symbols of US interest — McDonald’s, a favorite target of anti-globalization militants.” The
means are different but the target — anti imperialism are similar. Halal McDonald’s is fine but not
otherwise (Roy, 2004, 46; Barber, 1995). In addition, for Roy, “neo-fundamentalism, which goes
along with a distrust of state and nationalism, is better adapted to economic globalization and the
free market. A good example for this is again, the Bin Laden family business, which was built on a
close patronage relationship with the Saudi royal family that allowed to develop a supranational
holding)” (Roy, 2004, 173).
Fifth, there is also a group of people who try to compete with the West by trying to master science
and technology, including ICT and nuclear power for human welfare. They act very peacefully, and
expect to be able to compete with the West in making another alternative of globalization that
brings along Islamic values. The norm they are struggling for is science and technology. They believe
that they have to perform well. They tend to adopt self-criticism, by sanctioning themselves to
invent and search for new science. In Roy’s words (2004, 26), “globalization can be accommodated
through a liberal reformist view of Islam, a charismatic and spiritual approach, or a neofundamentalist stress on law and rituals.” For this group, he continues, “globalization is an
opportunity, not a loss. It may also provide an antidote against cultural Westernization, because
when Muslims are cut off from pristine cultures that were for them largely influenced by non-Islamic
customs and traditions, an opportunity presents itself to reconstruct a Muslim community based
solely on Islamic tenets. … The quest for AN explicit formulation is part of individualization” (Ibid,
2002, 29-30). These people are mostly scientists and researchers (see Ramadan, 1999).
Regarding the position of the actors of Islamic values and globalization principles, there are three
factors: first are the characteristics, such as sex, tribe, and nation. In this case, the characteristics are
related to the nation, with the advanced nations on one side and the Muslim countries on the other.
Second is the profession, such as athlete, leader, and villain. In this case Muslims see the West as the
source of negative elements (villains) and as the leader of globalization, and the West sees Muslims
as the source of Islamic values, with leaders are often portrayed as violent and fundamentalists.
Third is the reaction of an actor to another actor. In this regard, Muslims may react to the West, and
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the West also reacts to Muslims negatively, such as after acts of terrorism and the Western
‘invasion’ into Muslim countries.
Actors and behaviors have similarities and differences. Both Muslims and the West are different in
their values. However, we can also see some similarities, for example: both tend to be global, and
want to spread the values and principles of their own to other parts of the world. Interdependency
of both actors is also at work. Thus, Muslims are dependent on the West in the latter’s ICTs, and the
West also is dependent on Muslims to use these ICTs, or to learn their know-how. To do all these,
each needs adjustments, and accuracy.
We also notice that each of the movements is rooted in a particular cultural tradition, and often in
local conditions: they share some features: One, the movements are reactions to the secularization
and the world economy and domination resulting from the expansion of colonial powers. Two, each
is historically oriented and interprets contemporary global events (debt, crisis, war, ethnic strife, and
disease) as divine portents that validate their central doctrines. Each fears decline and lack of faith in
whatever religious principles it espouses. Three, each has designs on state power and have adopted
political structures to attain that end, either to gain control over a nation state, or to establish their
own, independent state (see Hayanes, 1998). Four, all insist that while converting others to their
own, believers should keep themselves separate from non-believers. Five, each makes a strong
appeal to young people, particularly college students, and have developed organization to reach
them. Six, each has a militant segment that challenges the power of the secular state by disobeying
secular laws, a call to higher law. Seven, most stress the importance of family in social life. Some
emphasize that women should stay home. Eight, they feel that the economic problems of today are
caused by moral degeneration (Robbins, 2002, 347).
CONCLUSION
As it is a religion of global audiences, and indeed, it proved to be true in the pre-modern
globalization, Islam should be able to play an important role once again in a global context. Not only
in terms of language (Arabic) and other major Islamic languages, such as Malay-Indonesian, Urdu,
Persian, Turkish, and Swahili, but also in terms of culture and civilization, Islam should be able to
compete in the positive sense with other religions, area, and regions.
Now is the time for Muslims to the comprehensive elements of communication. They see the media
as a tool or channel (wasilah) for Islamic messages. They should be serving as a good source (da’i) of
information about Islam. They should create their own search engines, providers, satellites, blogs or
websites with an excellent performance, attractive, comprehensive information, at least in the form
of mailing lists. The information should be covering all aspects of Islamic messages
(madda/maudu’)), such as philosophy, law, theology, mysticism, arts, humanities, education, and the
modern development of Muslims. Classical, medieval, and modern references should be accessible.
Recent publications should be available. Face-book and Twitter and the like should be used
maximally for the purpose of Islamic dakwah and education. As a result, effective (athar) dakwah
will be achieved. All these elements of Harold Lasswell model of communication (1960) should be
sponsored sufficiently by the Muslims philanthropist and governments.
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Muslims should develop their own film industries, videos, music and arts, which are attractive to the
global audience. Not only to Muslims, but also to anyone interested to access Islamic messages. By
so doing, the negative information about Islam or inappropriate human behavior posted on several
websites should be corrected by these positive postings.
As for being a receiver, the active reception model is more relevant to Muslims, as the effective
message depends on the receivers, who is the one constructing the meanings. Muslims should be
able to use the Western media facilities and know-how to channel their Islamic teachings for
dakwah and education. Thus globalization should be grasped, rather than hated and avoided.
Globalization is indeed an opportunity, a challenge for Muslims to develop their creativity. Creativity
should thus be highly sponsored, not only in broadcasting networks, as the original Al-Jazeera, but
also in other types of media.
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