Monday 21 December 2009

Punishing Al-Manar, Al-Aqsa: Another Proof of US Democracy!

Silver Lining

Posted on December 21, 2009 by realistic bird

by Khaldun Ghraybeh

by Hussein Assi, Al Manar
 
21/12/2009 Democracy and Freedom of Expression are two “slogans” that have always been used by the United States in its “campaign” against the Arab world…

Yet, democracy and freedom of expression seem to be just another American “illusion” and “fantasy.”
As a matter of fact, the American democracy doesn’t find it strange to punish and shut down a complete TV station just because it criticizes the American policy in the region…

Thus, Al-Manar and Al-Aqsa TVs seem to be ‘threatened’ by the American prominent ‘democracy,’ a democracy that doesn’t hesitate to punish complete satellite networks because of their ‘opinions’ in a country that claims to be the protector of the ‘freedom of expression’.

Nothing strange…The US House of Representatives has adopted a bill asking the US president to report to Congress on incitement to anti-American violence on television networks in the Middle East. Lawmakers adopted the measure in a decisive 395-3 vote.

The bill asks the US president to report, six months after the text has passed, on what it called “anti-American incitement to violence in the Middle East,” and for other purposes. “For years, media outlets in the Middle East have repeatedly published or broadcast incitements to violence against the United States and Americans,” the bill claimed.

“Given the dangers such incitement poses to American soldiers and civilians in the … region and at home, it is long past time for the US and other responsible nations to stop this growing threat,” Republican Gus Bilirakis, author of the bill, said.

The bill calls for punitive measures for networks deemed to be fueling terror. Among the networks mentioned are Al-Aqsa, Hamas’ television station, which broadcasts from Gaza, and Hezbollah’s Al-Manar.
While the US Senate has yet to weigh in on the issue, Lebanon and the Arab world decided to “raise the voice” against the awaited move.

In this context, the Arab League General Secretariat criticized the bill threatening to punish satellite networks under the pretext that they sign contracts with channels broadcasting “incitement” against the United States.
AL Secretary General advisor for information affairs Ambassador Mohamad Khamlishi said that the institutions that own the satellites are not responsible of the content all TV channels broadcast, noting that the TV channels don’t sign contracts with the satellite networks unless they have the needed license from their countries.

Khamlishi pointed out that the Arab League was holding discussion over the issue with the Information ministries as well as concerned sides in the Arab World.

In Lebanon, the American bill was discussed by the Information and Telecommunication parliamentary commission in its weekly meeting headed by MP Hasan Fadlallah and attended by Information Minister Tarek Mitri and a number of media representatives.

Following the meeting, Fadlallah told reporters that all the committee’s members believe the US bill was political, not legal. He said that the Lebanese cabinet would discuss the matter and issue a united stance over it.
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