The Debatability of Islam in Late-Ottoman Serials and Censorship

Abstract

The Hamidian cheap illustrated press was a highly productive arena for debate on Ottoman identities, including discussions of Muslim inflections of daily life, and of patriotic duties and responsibilities. By the end of the century, this debate involved not only hundreds of new professional journalists, but also readers who responded critically to editorials, articles, and advertisements. In addition, the several branches of the Hamidian bureaucracy which participated in censorship – Ministries of Education, Interior, and Police, and other inspection and judiciary offices competed against each other to promote or delimit client publications and journalists.