Aljazeera Publishing

Aljazeera Publishing first published a monthly magazine in 1992 called Al Jazeera Al Arabia. From its start to 1993 the magazine was published by Shiite opposition groups exiled in London.{{cite journal|author=Madawi Al Rasheed |title=The Shi'a of Saudi Arabia: a minority in search of cultural authenticity|url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/13530199808705657|journal=British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies|date=1998|volume=25|issue=1|pages=121–138|doi=10.1080/13530199808705657}} Since then it has adopted a shortened version of the name as simply Al Jazeera Magazine.

The shortening of the title occurred after an external investment by a Saudi Arabian investment company. Al Jazeera Publishing was highly critical of the Saudi Arabian government’s human rights records and published a number of critical reports in 1993, 1994 and 1995.

These human rights reports raised Al Jazeera Al Arabia’s profile on the Middle East stage. Extracts of such reports were used in a Human Rights Watch report [https://www.hrw.org/reports/1994/WR94/Middle-09.htm Middle] as published in 1993, as well as the Islamic Research and Information Center.{{Cite web |url=http://www.iric.org/f1t3.asp |title=www.iric.org |access-date=2007-01-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927223142/http://www.iric.org/f1t3.asp |archive-date=2007-09-27 |url-status=dead }}

Since 1996 no more anti Saudi Arabian stories appeared in any of Al Jazeera Publishing titles, rather the attention appeared to have turned against the Qatari ruling family with a string of hostile articles such as "Egypt arrests Qatari prince over illegal car race",{{Cite web |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/news_service/middle_east_full_story.asp?service_id=9821 |title=Egypt arrests Qatari prince over illegal car race - |access-date=2007-01-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051229213147/http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/news_service/middle_east_full_story.asp?service_id=9821 |archive-date=2005-12-29 |url-status=dead }} "Qatari prince convicted of abusing girls",{{Cite web |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/news_service/middle_east_full_story.asp?service_id=9380 |title=Qatari prince convicted of abusing girls - |access-date=2007-01-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051111060040/http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/news_service/middle_east_full_story.asp?service_id=9380 |archive-date=2005-11-11 |url-status=dead }} "First church in Muslim Qatar risks backlash" {{Cite web |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/news_service/middle_east_full_story.asp?service_id=9901 |title=Archived copy |access-date=2007-01-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051225151700/http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/news_service/middle_east_full_story.asp?service_id=9901 |archive-date=2005-12-25 |url-status=dead }} and "Qatar finances sports centre in Israel".{{Cite web |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/news_service/middle_east_full_story.asp?service_id=9603 |title=Qatar finances sports centre in Israel - |access-date=2007-01-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051221072217/http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/news_service/middle_east_full_story.asp?service_ID=9603 |archive-date=2005-12-21 |url-status=dead }}

Until March 2011, aljazeera.com was an English language website for Al Jazeera Magazine, which was unrelated to the Arabic satellite TV channel Al Jazeera and Al Jazeera English; the latter operated websites in both Arabic ([http://www.aljazeera.net www.aljazeera.net]) and English ([http://english.aljazeera.net english.aljazeera.net]). It was also unrelated to Al Jazirah Newspaper of Saudi Arabia. According to Alexa, there were fewer visitors to aljazeera.com in comparison to aljazeera.net.{{Cite web |url=http://www.alexa.com/data/details/traffic_details?site0=aljazeera.net&site1=aljazeera.com&site2=&site3=&site4=&range=6m&size=Medium&y=r&z=1&url=aljazeera.com&x=22&y=15 |title=Alexa traffic comparison between aljazeera.net and aljazeera.com |access-date=2012-01-29 |archive-date=2007-03-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070312081422/http://www.alexa.com/data/details/traffic_details?site0=aljazeera.net&site1=aljazeera.com&site2=&site3=&site4=&range=6m&size=Medium&y=r&z=1&url=aljazeera.com&x=22&y=15 |url-status=dead }} The former website was operated by Aljazeera Publishing, described as an "independent media organisation."

In 2005, the Al Jazeera Media Network owner of Al Jazeera English attempted to obtain the aljazeera.com domain name{{cite news |title=Al-Jazeera in fight for Web site name. |url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-11651603_ITM |work=UPI International Intelligence |date=2005-11-21 |accessdate=2008-07-04 | first=Roland | last=Flamini}} but failed.[http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/decisions/html/2005/d2005-0309.html WIPO Domain Name Decision: D2005-0309]

In the Administrative Panel Decision, the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center found the TV Channel to have brought the proceedings in bad faith and found it had abused the administrative proceedings.

As of 2006, Aljazeera.com wrote on their About page:

:''"Important note: Aljazeera Publishing and Aljazeera.com are not associated with any of the below organisations:

:1. Al Jazeera Newspaper, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia whose website is al-jazirah.com

:2. Al Jazeera Satellite Channel whose website is aljazeera.net.

:3. Al Jazeera Information Centre who website is aljazeerah.info

:Aljazeera Publishing disassociates itself from the views, opinions and broadcasts of these titles."{{Cite web |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/about.asp |title=About Aljazeera.com |access-date=2007-01-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061019013451/http://www.aljazeera.com/about.asp |archive-date=2006-10-19 |url-status=dead }}

Views presented by Aljazeera.com are frequently misattributed to the Al Jazeera TV channel,{{cite news |title=Between the Lines |url=http://www.mywire.com/pubs/FastCompany/2006/04/01/1721086?extID=10051 |work=Fast Company |date=2006-04-01 |accessdate=2008-07-04 }} including one case in which The Times criticised the channel in its leader column based on material published on Aljazeera.com, for which the newspaper later apologised.{{cite news |title=Times apologises to al-Jazeera |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/feb/16/iraqandthemedia.pressandpublishing |work=The Guardian |date=2006-02-16 |accessdate=2008-07-04 | location=London | first=Stephen | last=Brook}} The magazine's editorial slant appears markedly different than that of the Al Jazeera TV channel, with the former far more critical of U.S. and Israeli policy than the latter.

In April 2011, the domain aljazeera.com directed to Al Jazeera English, and the domain ownership as listed on WHOIS records was updated from AlJazeera Publishing to Al Jazeera Media Network. At the time of the purchase, a simple page stated "Moving to Doha", leading to certain long-time readers initially suspecting a hack of the website. No public details regarding the purchase of the domain has been made public by either parties.

The content on the former Aljazeera.com was organized by section. The following sections existed:

'Middle East News' contained the latest breaking Middle Eastern news. A number of their stories were accused of reported bias against Israel, Europe and the United States, and even against Latin American countries, such as Mexico and Brazil. News articles often contained paraphrased quotes from familiar news outlets such as Associated Press and the BBC.

'Review Articles' contain longer pieces about recent events. The editorial stance was one of rigorous opposition to the Iraq War, and the articles were usually reported to contain strong condemnations of American involvement in the Middle East and are accused of often reflecting anti-Zionism in describing the state of Israel. One article (entitled "Latest of US lies: Iraqis killing Iraqis" claimed that the sectarian violence occurring in Iraq was supported by CIA and Mossad agents: "It was the U.S.'s 'debaathification' of Iraq that eventually let [sic] to the current death squads, supported by the U.S. and the Mossad agents."{{Citation needed|date=April 2007}}

'Let's Talk' was a section hosted by Dr. Kareem Bin Jabbar and Sheikha Sajida. Readers sent in questions or topics for discussion, which were published at the discretion of the site. Sajida's theories (such as the notion that the kidnapping of Westerners in Iraq was carried out by agents of the US){{Cite web |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/news_service/article_full_story.asp?service_id=10434%2F |title=Let's Talk Topic on Western Hostages |access-date=2018-10-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319151942/http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/news_service/article_full_story.asp?service_id=10434%2F |archive-date=2012-03-19 |url-status=dead }} frequently stirred up heated debate.

Readers could leave comments in all areas except for the Conspiracy Theories section. These comments could be rated from 'Excellent' to 'Very Bad' at the discretion of readers.

Besides Aljazeera Magazine, Al Jazeera Publishing produces [http://islamonline.com IslamOnline.com], which is an English-language Islamic site on the Internet. Since 1998, Al Jazeera Publishing has been involved in a dispute with Islamonline.net. According to whois, the Islamonline.net domain name was registered after IslamOnline.com. IslamOnline.net is much more popular based on statistics from Alexa.[https://web.archive.org/web/20241226045737/https://www.alexa.com/data/details/traffic_details?site0=islamonline.net&site1=islamonline.com&site2=&site3=&site4=&range=6m&size=Medium&y=r&z=1&url=islamonline.net&x=26&y=14 Alexa traffic comparison between islamonline.net and islamonline.com] Al Jazeera Publishing owns trademark rights[http://www.patent.gov.uk/tm/t-find/t-find-number?detailsrequested=C&trademark=2378643 Trade marks – find by number] for IslamOnline in Europe.

In March 2011 Al Jazeera Media Network acquired Aljazeera.com. Al Jazeera Publishing's other main digital titles including IslamOnline.com, alJazeera Jobs and alJazeera Capital were also sold off as separate individual entities.

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Category:Publishing companies of the United Arab Emirates

Category:Mass media in the United Arab Emirates

Category:Publishing companies established in 1992

Category:Magazines established in 1992

Category:Magazines published in London

Category:Arabic-language magazines

Category:Defunct political magazines published in the United Kingdom