新媒體對宗教傳播的影響：以埃及為例

The Impact of New Media on the Transmission of Religion: the Case of Egypt

本篇論文的主旨在於探討埃及作家易卜拉欣‧以薩（Ibrahim Essa）2012年出版的小說《佈道大師》（Mawlana）當中所呈現的一個最顯著的主題：伊斯蘭傳播的媒體化對宗教和政治的影響。以薩是埃及當代的小說家、報社記者、總編輯和電視節目主持人，他的出版品和媒體言論經常性地直接或是間接抨擊政府和宗教團體，充滿了爭議性，他也因此常常受到各方的質疑和壓力，其中尤其是來自政府的威脅和宗教界的攻擊。他的小說《佈道大師》是一本以一位伊斯蘭電視佈道者的生涯為主軸，其中同時質疑和批判宗教人士與政府之間糾結複雜的共生關係。本研究首先將針對《佈道大師》書中所描述的宗教媒體化的現象來做分析，追溯在埃及的伊斯蘭傳播途徑：從1970年代開始，伊斯蘭的宗教學者運用錄音帶作為推廣訊息的媒介，到21世紀所謂的「新佈道者」的崛起。這些新佈道者運用衛星電視頻道和網路宣教，成為受到百萬信眾追隨的超級宗教巨星。本論文然後研究並分析伊斯蘭佈道者如何運用最新科技來傳播宗教訊息、操作政治社會輿論，進而達到他們多重的宗教的、政治的或是經濟上的目的。這些新佈道者的出現使得埃及政府對新媒體所展現的動員和操控民眾的能力必須積極地做出回應，否則他們所代表的分歧和對立的意見將持續惡化國家已經分裂和動亂的狀況。

This paper aims to discuss the transmission of Islam, as portrayed in one of Ibrhiam Essa's recent novels Mawlana, in the media in Egypt. Published in 2012, Mawlana depicts, among other things, the impact of the “mediatization” of Islam on religion and politics in Egypt. Essa is a contemporary Egyptian novelist, journalist, newspaper editor, and TV host, his publications and comments in the media have often directly or indirectly criticized the Egyptian government and various religious groups, and thus he has received much pressure and threat from them in return. His novel Mawlana is a book centered on a media preacher's life, it also questions and criticizes the validity of the entangled symbiotic relations between religious preachers and the Egyptian government. This research will first focus on the “mediatizaion” of religion, as described in the novel, and trace back the history of media as a tool in the transmission of Islam: from the 1970s, the Islamic scholars' frequent use of audio tapes as an effective channel for the spread of Islamic messages, to the 21st century, which witnesses the rise of the so called “new preachers,” who employ satellite televisions and the internet as the most powerful vehicles to preach, and become superstars revered by millions of followers. This paper will then discuss and analyze how Islamic preachers use the most state-of-the art technology to spread religious messages, to manipulate social comments, and therefore achieve their political, religious and economic goals. The new preachers' ability to manipulate and mobilize crowd has forced the government to actively respond to their influences. Otherwise the already divided and confrontational situation in the Egyptian society will definitely continue to deteriorate.