"The most mentioned religious groups include Muslims (Sunnis and Shiites). This is logical given that Islam is the majority religion in the three monitored countries. There is also a fair amount of content mentioning Christians in each country as well as Shiites and Sunnis in both Lebanon and Iraq. The report provides a first analysis of the nature of the conversation, while understanding the limitation of this research in providing a comprehensive overview of the narrative. Also, sectarianism and components were among the most popular concepts mentioned, often in claims that there are attempts at minimizing sectarian strife and appeasing the diverse segments of the population. The minimal coverage of certain topics pertaining to law, gender, the environment, science, and technology in their relationship with religion reflects the interests of the region and its governments. Social and political turmoil are perceived as more crucial for survival and worthy of attention. Social and political topics are more present in the public debate. As for the general discourse and tone of the narrative, they were mostly neutral if not even positive at times. Though it’s important to note that whatever points the authors aimed to make, they were rarely ever explicit." (Some of the key findings, p.8-9)
Contents
Executive Summary, 7
Methodology, 11
Presentation of the Media Outlets, 15
Data Analysis: Iraq, 19
Lebanon, 31
Sudan, 45
Conclusion, 57