Revisiting the discourses of the ‘Clash’ for the study of culture in a Muslim television production

Abstract

This article examines the power dynamics that shape the production culture of the Islam Channel, a Muslim television based in London. A study of production culture is critical as it stands to support our understanding of how religious television programming comes to take the form it does. This article adopts the discourses of the ‘clash’ drawn from culturalist Samuel Huntington and reformist Edward Said’s theses to identify the power dynamics facing the Channel. The study employs an ethnographic research design that forms a two-layer analysis that includes the sociocultural environment that the Channel exists and its institutional context. While the first layer of the research design discusses the discourses of the ‘clash’ that exist in the western society, the latter examines the missionary (da’wah) goals of the Channel. The results of the analysis point to the extent to which the missionary (da’wah) goals of the Channel manifest the ‘clash’ that shape its production culture and the ‘clash’ between the western and Muslim cultures. The Channel’s endeavour to seclude itself from ‘a suspect community’ (e.g., fundamentalists and extremists) has nurtured the ‘culture of caution’ among members of the production community at the Islam Channel. Such a ‘culture of caution’ has impacted the production quality and working life of employees involved in the production of magazine talk show Living the Life (2012 – present).

The challenges of execution of Islamic criminal law in developing Muslim Countries: An analysis based on Islamic principles and existing legal system

“…The investigative officers might search the individual, properties, communications, and house if relevant based on the public interest for preserving public order and social security. The evidentiary norms protect the integrity of the Islamic criminal process that affirms that penalties and criminal convictions are implemented in cases of a specific punishment (Karim & Binti, 2017). The presentations of evidence are permitted by Islamic law, which is regarded to have a substantial extent of direct reliability.…”

“…For various Islamic states, Western and Eastern civilisations are seen as ignorant towards the Islamic perspective of politics, religion and cultural aspects. This labelled them as biased, unethical, and deprived of essential Islamic values (Karim & Binti, 2017).…”