Distinctive Production Company of TV Programming for “Freedom” Channel

The Company’s Goal: To produce a program that achieves:

1. Reform and Introducing Reform by education
2. Improving the Image of America in the Arab World
3. Genuine competition to Al-Jazeera Satellite Channel.

The scope of these programs is in the following areas:

First: Reform:

1. Constitutional Reform:

Approximately 200 45-minute episodes are suggested.

This starts with introductory episodes about the history of struggle to achieve the constitution and the condition of the first constitutions in the Arab region. Also, it will discuss the developments that emerged from the current constitutions. It will include a detailed discussion of each constitution one article at a time to demonstrate those that are no longer valid and what can be added. A comparison between the Arab constitutions and the western ones will be conducted. This will propose an Arabic constitution to be the base for a modern and democratic state in which checks and balances prevail. This constitution shall be a foundation for establishing the human rights and citizenship in the presence of a free press and speech. This will also prevent any attempt to override the constitution or create special laws without good reason. It will define the role of the military establishment in protecting the law and citizens and support the laws of autonomy and the local councils. This will prohibit special tribunes of any kind and using military courts for civil trials. It will outlaw the torture and make it a crime that will not be negated by the expiration status. Mostly, it will prohibit the establishment of religious authority and the clergymen from interfering in the governmental and political affairs.

1. Reforming Al-Azhar:

Approximately 200 45-minute episodes are suggested.

To reform the Arabs and the Egyptians, it is imperative to reform Al-Azhar. To do so, it is essential to reform Al-Azhar basic law and its educational programs.

Al-Azhar is the oldest educational institution in the world. It is over a thousand years old. It includes seven universities in Egypt and it has its own educational system from the elementary level to the Secondary level. Al-Azhar wields huge authority on the religious life in Egypt from the mosques to the religious and educational programs in press and drama. It is as the Vatican status for one and quarter billion people.

The clergymen in the USA and the west come from Al-Azhar. Its culture is the one that is influential in these societies. Currently, Al-Azhar is under the influence of the extremist Wahhabi culture. So, it has a huge role in spreading extremism in the world. In reforming Al-Azhar, it is possible to halt and eliminate the danger of extremism. The start shall be in the form of preliminary episodes about Al-Azhar historical role in Egypt and the Arab world. Also, to include the reform movements in 150 years and why it ceased to exist. Episodes will discuss the development that carried out by late Nasser to reform Al-Azhar and why it ceased and Al-Azhar remained with its cultural syllables without reforms and how the Wahhabis took over through the Sadat-Brotherhood alliance. After that, a discussion can be conducted for the required reform on both legal and methodological levels. As far as the legal aspect is concerned, the discussion of Al-Azhar law (Number 103/1961) would be conducted on the basis of developing the positive articles and eradicating the ones that do not match modernization and reform.

The executive order that issued by Sadat shall be discussed. This order emerged as prejudiced, backward and allows Al-Azhar to interfere in the freedom of speech and thinking.

The discussion of the laws that give Al-Azhar graduates special privileges shall be explored in demand for change. One of these laws is the one that allow Al-Azhar clergy to retire at the age of 65 while the rest of the civil servants at 60. This is unfair and unconstitutional. By equating Al-Azhar clergy with the rest of the State civil servants, it will be possible to furlough a whole generation of extremists between 60 and 75 years old who are a stepping-stone in the way of reform.

Currently, the educational process at Al-Azhar and at the graduate level produces generations of ignorant graduates. Promotions depend on the professor’s opinion that is keen to make his student more ignorant than him. These processes need to be discussed and new regulations to be adopted for promotions and research. These should be under the supervision of neutral committees formed from professors outside Al-Azhar in order to graduate adequate Masters and PhD holders. In addition to the legal and rules issues, there come the education syllables. These can be explained as follows:

A full revision for the educational syllabuses in Al-Azhar of all levels is needed. This shall concentrate on the reform of the religious, interpretation, narrations, biography, history and belief items. At the university level emphasis shall be on the faculties of the religion fundamentals, legislations, Islamic studies and history.

Alternative syllabuses at all levels shall be proposed based on this revision exercise. These alternatives shall shed the light on true meaning of Islam including democracy, human rights, justice and absolute freedom in belief and the opposition of the terror and extremist intellect.

Also, a legal revision for the rest of Al-Azhar establishments, the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Religious Decree Committee and the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs is required. The objective is to make Al-Azhar the citadel that protects the human rights and the freedom of religion. Also, the other objective is to make Al-Azhar the patron of spreading the culture of tolerance and peaceful relationship among sects and religions.

1. Reforming Higher Education in the Arab World starting with Egypt

The education in the Arab World is suffering from the Wahhabi influence. Not only in the historical and religious material but also in the methodology of education itself. This methodology is based on recital and retention without innovation and invention. Even the concept of “fabrication” is not accepted religiously. Reforming education in the Arab World requires continuous episodes that deal with the following example:

1. Concepts Correction:

The Wahhabi medieval affected the common syllabuses that form the mentality of the students. Some of the concepts that need to be discussed are: fabrications, Sunnah, Islam, infidel, Shiite, Sufis, Moslem Brotherhood, Wahhabism, Jihad, education, people of the book, Jews, Israelites, Christians, dictation/eradication and several hundreds more of these concepts. These concepts have different perception and interpretation based on the sects and groups. However, the most dominant perception of all these concepts is the Wahhabi one. So, it is required to discuss these concepts and show the original Quranic meaning of them and how these concepts were modified through history and dominated by the Wahhabi interpretation as we see now. It is imperative to cleanse these concepts to match the principles of human rights, democracy and justice and deploy them in the essence of the civil education.

1. Reforming the Religious Education Material:

It’s imperative to clarify the elements of extremism that encourages terrorism and the hate of the other who is different in belief, sect, sex and national origin. This is in addition to the disrespect of the women.

1. Deploy alternative religious syllabuses that emphasize the human rights and democracy:   

This would lead to the abandonment of the beliefs that are controversial and leads into the freedom of religion and the respect of the right of every human being to choose his religion. It is an emphasis on human rights, freedom of belief, justice, peace, compassion, bravery and pardon.

1. Reforming the History Material:

The current material concentrates on the Moslems’ positives and makes the Prophet companions sacred in addition to the important leaders. It prevents the discussion in their negatives or their roles in the civil strive. So, it is important to introduce new material that based on subjective discussion and discusses all the historical events.

The reform would be extended to the contemporary Arab history in the second half of the twentieth century. In these materials, it praises the founding fathers of the governing regimes and curses their opponents locally and internationally. They represent an unfair image of the west and non-Moslems. They are not fair to the Arab-Israeli conflict and the history of Jews in the Arab World. The alternative syllabuses need to be based on facts without camouflage.

1. Reforming the National Education Material:

This is a brainwashing material for the students to enhance the image that the ruling regime represents the country and the ruler represents the people. An alternative syllabus is needed that emphasizes the human rights, the citizenship and the minorities’ rights. The alternative would enhance the justice and tolerance instead of consolidating the tyranny of the ruling regime.

1. Discussion of the International Human Rights Charters in the Light of Islam:

The ironic thing is that the International charters of human rights are the closest human scripts to the Islamic law in Qur’an that had been distorted by the Moslems’ sects. It is sad to point out that the Saudi Wahhabism and Shiite rule in Iran and all the secular constitutions in Egypt and other countries are farthest from the Qur’an charter.

It is also, ironic that the Arab rulers and their opposition from Moslem Brotherhood are rejecting the International charters and treaties and stick with their rules that contrary to Islam under the Islamic banner. Clearly, their laws permit the oppression, corruption and persecution and the International ones are Islamic in essence.

This program shall provide discussions of all the articles of the International charters and treaties in the light of the true Quranic laws to prove that they are in synchronous with Islam. This will lead us to adopt the International Human Rights charters in the Arab constitutions or to replace the articles that state Islamic law is the source of legislation where the distorted Wahhabis and Shiites were meant to be their interpretation of Islamic Law that enhances corruption and totalitarianism.

1. Legislative Reforms in the Arab World:

These reforms include the following:

1. Reforming of the Elections Law in the Arab World:

The fairness and transparency of the elections need to be quarantined against forging. Also, the follow up on the election process from advertising to voting to votes counting and publishing the results. It is imperative to have an independent establishment to supervise the elections at all levels. The existence of international supervision is essential. Omission all the laws that facilitate the government control shall be abolished.

1. Reforming the laws of Liberties:

These include the religious, civil, intellectual and civil liberties. This reform will prohibit the interference in the freedom of speech and opinion including religious and artistic aspects. Reforms will prohibit prosecution of the opinion or research in the fields of religion, intellect and politics and to decide the difference between free opinion and defaming without proof.

1. Reforming the Criminal Law in the Arab legislation:

This reform will protect the individual’s rights in himself, his wealth and his honor. All the punishments that relate to the political , intellectual and religious activities shall be abolished. New laws shall be enacted that do not carry the possibility of double interpretation.

1. Reforming the Islamic Societies in America:
2. Reforming the mosque to defend America in the name of Islam
3. Reforming the Islamic schools.
4. Reforming the research centers of Islam in the American academia. This is essential to discuss Wahhabism and face its terrorism and extremism.

Second Reform: Here in the USA

This reform has two parts:

First: American Part:

This part depends on descriptive non-critique programs. It includes an informative description of America for the Arab viewer from old and contemporary history. Also, recognizing the American geography and philanthropy. This shall provide documentary movies after translating them to Arabic and give explanations suitable to the Arab viewer perception to satisfy his eagerness about the America: the dreamland.

Here are some details:

1. The indigenous inhabitants of the new world and their origin.
2. The old civilizations in the Americas before the Geographic expeditions.
3. The original geographic explorations, their motives, Christopher Columbus, the Spanish expansion, European competition in settlements between Spain and Portugal, the French and English conflict and their competitions and wars with the indigenous populations, the importing of   Negros from Africa, the revolutionary War, Civil War, Monroe Doctrine, American social conflicts that gave women the right to vote and the civil rights movement, League of Nations, United Nations, Vietnam’s War, Iraq’s War,..etc.
4. Major American landmarks such as the American Constitution, the Presidents, Type of Government, Congress, Supreme Court, Hollywood, economy, American society… and so on.

Second Part: Arab Americans:

This part concentrates on the Arab Americans and includes the following topics:

1. The beginning of the Arab migration to USA and its relation with the Christian massacres in Levant in the middle of the 19^th century.
2.  The most dominate nationalities of Arab immigrants.
3. Distinctive Arab intellectuals in America.
4. Diaspora Arab poets in North & South America.
5. The current distribution of Arab population in America.
6. The Arab & Islamic Museums in America.
7. The departments of Arabic & Islamic Studies in American Universities.
8. American Embassies in the Arab countries and the Arab embassies in America.
9. Type of visas for American entry.
10. Lottery system.
11. Immigration laws in America.
12. The political and non-political asylum in USA and the chances of Arabs in them.
13. Citizenship laws and its withdrawal.
14. Is there persecution of Arabs & Moslems after September 11?
15. Alien’s rights in America.
16. Most famous Arab events and cases in America.
17. Academic scholarships for Arabs in America.
18. Summary of Arab news in America.
19. The freedom of religion privileges for Arabs. 
20. The famous rich Arabs in America.
21. Arab politicians & princes living in America.
22. The Arab students and their unions.
23. The Arabic clubs.
24. The Arab ethnic & sectarian concentrations (Egyptians, Syrians, etc).
25. Arab refugees.
26. Arab political refugees.
27. Illegal Arab Aliens.
28. Stories of Arabs obtaining US citizenship through marriage.
29. Arab & Moslem cases in the international tribunes.
30. Arab in American Jails.
31. Moslems & Arabs in the US Armed Forces.
32. Moslems & Arabs in the Congress.
33. Arab delis and cafes.
34. Upbringing of Arab children.
35. The social acclimation of first and second Arab generations.
36. Mixed marriages among Arabs and Americans, Moslems & non-Moslems.
37. Marriage of Moslem Arab women to non-Moslem.
38. Arab girls and American social habits (e.g. boyfriend).
39. Head cover for Moslem women in America.
40. Education of Arab Moslem children in private schools.
41. Problems faced by the immigrant Arab families.
42. Connection between Arab Americans and their relatives in their original countries.
43. Arab celebrations.
44. Arab cab driver interviewing a passenger.
45. Most famous Arab newspapers/magazines.
46. Churches converted to mosques.
47. Christians converted to Islam and the rationale behind it.
48. Arab relations with Jews in America.
49. American dream in Arab conscience.
50. The songs, movies and Arab channels available to the Arab communities.
51. The Arab American visits to their original homes and their impressions.
52. Bringing relatives to America.
53. Difference between “Arab Town” and “China Town”.
54. Differences between Arab communities and other communities (Africans, Chinese, Indians, etc)
55. Are there differences between the Arab communities such as the Lebanese, Syrians, Egyptian, etc?
56. The pilgrimage of the Arab Americans and their difficulties from Arab and American prospective.
57. The beliefs and habits of Arab Americans such as Prophet Birthday celebration or Shiites Ashoora, Ramadan, in addition to social beliefs like weddings, circumcision and virginity.

The third  subject: The Victims in the Arab World:

The sympathy of “al-Horrah” Freedom channel with the victims in the Arab World would increase its respect with the number of those victims and the sympathizers with them. The programs here are varieties depend upon the situation of the victims, for example:

• The victims of torture in the police stations.
• The victims of the psychological torture because of terrorism.
• The victims of torture because of opinion and belief.
• Victims of torture for no reason.
• Most famous cases of torture.
• Torture cases in courts.
• Most famous accused torturers
• Treatment of torture victims
• Most famous Centers for treatment of torture victims.
• Most famous websites that expose the torture practice.
• Victims of false accusations
• Victims of administrative detention.
• Victims of employment dismissal.
• Street children.
• In-house victims: Housekeepers, wives, orphans.
• Victims of medical malpractices (dirt, contaminated blood and medicine, organs trading, greed, massage for sexual advances and advantages, bribery, etc.)
• Victims in rural and poor popular areas (contaminated infrastructures, poverty)
• News of the Human Rights organizations
• Interviews with the most human rights activists.

The Fourth Subject: Free Tour in the Arab Art:

Arab Cinema and Television

• Discussion of Censorship in light of freedom of opinion.
• Most distinctive victims of censorship of Arabic films.
• Most famous Arab directors and analysis of their works.
• Most famous stunts/extras.
• Genius Arab actors disappeared early in their careers.
• Famous Arab documents and their directors. 
• Movies with history in the Arab Egyptian cinema.
• Political opportunism in the Arab cinema.
• Wahhabi effect on critique writing for Arab and Egyptian Cinema.
• Egyptian cinema industry between the foreign production and Arab brilliance.
• Brief history of Arab & Egyptian cinema.
• Egyptian movies copied from Hollywood.
• Is there a distinctive Egyptian or Arabic specialty for the Egyptian or the Arab cinema?
• The Soviet and communist effect in the Egyptian cinema during Nasser’s reign.
• The Jew’s image in the Egyptian cinema before and after 1952 revolution.
• The Israeli-Arab conflict in the Arabic drama.
• Most famous Arab comedians.
• The western and American images in the American cinema.
• Egyptian cinema between reform and popular satisfaction.
• Egyptian movies that caused change in the Arab and Egyptian societies (Cairo 30, The Innocent, etc)
• The image of the Coptic and the terrorist in the Egyptian cinema.
• The influence of Wahhabism on the Arabic Drama and society.
• The influence of the heritage of Islamic drama in spreading extremism and terror.
• The methodology of the historical cultural drama and its superficial political handling in the TV works.

 The Fifth Subject: The Enlightened Arabic Heritage:

Regrettably, Wahhabism reverted the modern Arab and Moslem life back to the worst and bloodiest extreme dogmas and beliefs in the age of human rights and democracy. More regrettably, Wahhabis is a mere school of thoughts belongs to the Sunni sect. However, it monopolized not only the Sunni sect, but also the whole Islam and Moslems.

In fact, the medieval had witnessed many Islamic sects that were more civilized than the contemporary Wahhabism. There was a reform movement that called for human rights. It’s imperative to shed the light on such movements after the Wahhabis tried to overshadow them.

This subject shall handle these dogmas and their patrons who called for liberty and human rights like Abu Haneefah and Mohammad Abdo who was the most famous reformer. He died a hundred years ago and tried to reform Al-Azhar. He also founded a first civil party that separated religion from politics. This subject shall also demonstrate the most important books that were written by this enlightened group and discuss them based on our time requirements and convention. Some of these scripts were ahead of their time such as the books of Al-Jahedh in Abbasid, Ibn Khaldoun Epilogue in Mamluk and the books of Taha Hussein, Ahmad Amin, Sheikh Shaltout and Mohammad Abdo in the last century. It’s also possible to produce documentaries about these personalities and discuss the subject after viewing the films.

This subject can include Arabic anecdotes either old from the heritage books or new from whatever published on the Internet. It’s possible to produce them as short documentaries and comment on them later.