Abstract
This chapter investigates the case of Muslim internet media outlets in France, with a particular focus on Saphirnews.com, one of the four most visited websites in France, and aims to situate it in the field of media. The analysis shows that this media outlet is a relevant locus of intra-Muslim diversity with a significant capacity for pluralism, like its readership. Its place in the public sphere makes it a specialized rather than an activist or counter-hegemonic media outlet. From a pragmatist point of view, the case presented here is also one of cooperative participation in the ‘rational resolution of common problems’ (Dewey): producing information about current social realities related to Muslims that target both Muslims and non-Muslims (interested in these matters). Various indicators reveal a growing recognition by partners of other media outlets and, more broadly, its assessment as a reliable source of information by general journalists.
Keywords
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- 1.
I am grateful to Sociologie journal for allowing me to publish a slightly modified version of my article (Lamine 2015).
- 2.
The three others are: Oumma, Al-kanz and Islametinfo.
- 3.
“In your opinion, what is Saphirnews’ strong point?” and “In your opinion, what is Saphirnews’ weak point?”
- 4.
Tabligh (Tablighi Jamaat, Society of Preachers in Urdu) is a transnational missionary movement. Its members aim at encouraging Muslims to return to their religion. They emphasize spirituality and religious observance, while imitating the Prophet and the practices of this early period.
- 5.
Muhammad Hamidullah (1908–2002) of Indo-Pakistani origin, a jurisconsult, is known for his French translation of the Koran (1959). Researcher (1954–78) at the CNRS (Centre national de la recherche scientifique), he lived in France from 1948 to 1996. “This association [AEIF] brings together young intellectuals from various Muslim countries, Muslim brothers or not, who discuss certain themes of Islamic thought” (Maréchal 2009, p. 53).
- 6.
The magazine ceased to appear when a crisis occurred within the association, which led to a split in 1978–79 between “those who wanted to do more social work, build mosques, etc.” [H.], who left to form the GIF (Groupement islamique de France) in 1979, and those “who wanted to continue intellectual work like Hamidullah” [H.], who remained at the AEIF. The GIF (with some local associations) would then become the UOIF (Union des Organisations islamiques de France) in 1983 (on GIF, see Maréchal 2009, p. 53).
- 7.
Kechat became involved in the AEIF when he was a student (in linguistics and sociology) at Sorbonne University in the 1970s (Amiraux, 2011); he remained in the AEIF part after the 1979 split [H.]. He was then among the first imams to use French for his sermons. He became the rector of the Addawa Mosque in the 19th arrondissement of Paris (in former warehouses), where Hamidullah gave lectures. Kechat would later organize (in his mosque) round tables on social issues with Muslim and non-Muslim speakers.
- 8.
It differs from other media outlets, almost all of which have purely Arabic names (without any meaning in French) or explicitly refer to Islam and Muslims: Islam de France, Islam et Info, Regards d'islam, Pages hallal, Oumma [community], Al-Kanz [treasure], Sajidine [prostrate].
- 9.
This person encourages them to submit to their NGO a funding request that they will obtain.
- 10.
The Catholic Committee against Hunger and for Development (now called CCFD-Terre solidaire or in short CCFD) is the biggest French humanitarian aid NGO.
- 11.
Data provided by the technical manager (November 2019).
- 12.
The “Books” section also allows the editors to diversify the thoughts presented, and includes works by liberal Muslim thinkers such as Mohammed Arkoun and Rachid Benzine, and by non-Muslim authors.
- 13.
“Juifs et musulmans, frères amis ou ennemis? 1400 ans d'Histoire commune”, H. Trinh Nguyên, 22/10/2013.
- 14.
For example, long articles about the Pew Research Center’s investigations of religious issues.
- 15.
For example, “François: un Pape 2.0, nouvelle star du web”, M. Magassa-Konaté, 31/01/2014.
- 16.
For example, “YUMP [Young Urban Movement Project]: une académie pour les entrepreneurs de banlieue”, M. Magassa-Konaté, 3/10/2013, “Les expulsions de Roms explosent en 2013, ‘la voie au racisme anti-Roms’”, La Rédaction, 14/01/2014 (seven articles about the Roma population during the year).
- 17.
“Une mosquée pour gays et transsexuels musulmans en France”, M. Magassa-Konaté, 6/11/2012; “Les associations de croyants gays condamnent les exorcismes et traitements destinés à ‘guérir’ de l’homosexualité”, M. Magassa-Konaté, 17/05/2012; “Islam, homosexualité et homophobie, Interview de Tareq Oubrou”, H. Ben Rhouma, 29/05/2010.
- 18.
“Mariage pour tous: les cultes auditionnés au Sénat, le CFCM catégorique”, H. Ben Rhouma, 13 /02/2013; “Mariage pour tous: la mobilisation continue, les musulmans à l'offensive”, M. Magassa-Konaté, 14/03/2013, which, despite its title, is devoted to the approach of the founder of the Muslim Homosexuals Association of France (HM2F), one of the personalities interviewed by the Senate.
- 19.
For example, “Malek, Alice, Malika: les 50 prénoms interdits en Arabie Saoudite”, La Rédaction, 17/03/2014.
- 20.
“Théorie du genre: est-on conscient de la mainmise de l’extrême droite? ”, M. Baker, 3/02/2014.
- 21.
“‘Théorie du genre’, homophobie, islamophobie... Lettre à Nabil Ennasri”, J. Salingue, 12/02/2014.
- 22.
This law bans “conspicuous” religious symbols in public schools.
- 23.
Similarly, with Oumma (but not other Muslim media outlets).
- 24.
Which has been the subject of several critical articles in Saphirnews.
- 25.
“In your opinion, what is Saphirnews’ strong point?”, “In your opinion, what is Saphirnews’ weak point?” and “Any other comment?”
- 26.
I have done counts of links from several media websites: in 2013, from France-Culture, four links to Saphirnews (two for Oumma). Between 2010 and 2013, La Croix mentions it 23 times in articles (five: Oumma; three: Al-Kanz); Liberation eight times (eight: Oumma); Le Monde nine times. Compared to other “Muslim” media, Saphirnews is generally used as a source of information and not as a committed position.
- 27.
For example, in one year, the journalist specializing in the religious topics at Le Monde re-tweeted Saphirnews 17 times, Oumma, three times Al-Kanz, twice and UOIF, once.
- 28.
The public is indeed considered here as “all those who are affected by the indirect consequences of transactions to such an extent that it is deemed necessary to have those consequences systematically cared for” (1954, pp. 15f.). An individual can belong to several publics. For a pragmatist, Deweyan approach to religious identities, see Lamine (2018a, 2018b).
- 29.
This event is part of a series of events starting with the Islamic revolution in Iran and contributing to the otherness of Islam.
- 30.
For a discussion of this concept, see Lamine (2013, pp. 159f.).
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Lamine, AS. (2021). Cultivating a Common World from a Specific Place: The Case of Muslim Internet Media Outlets in France. In: Gärtner, C., Winkel, H. (eds) Exploring Islam beyond Orientalism and Occidentalism. Veröffentlichungen der Sektion Religionssoziologie der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Soziologie. Springer VS, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-33239-6_10
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