The Associated Press finally picked up the story about Jordan’s banning "Al Shatat" program. This particular paragraph caught my eye:
Waleed al-Hadidi, Mamnou’s board chairman, stated that the series "was stopped for technical, not political reasons." He declined to say if the Jordanian government had pressed him to stop broadcast, but maintained that the series, which his firm had bought for $1.25 million and aired as part of an experimental broadcast, is likely to be shown again following the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when the station goes into regular broadcast.
It seems Mr Al-Hadidi is insisting that the show was stopped for "technical reasons," although the official Jordanian statement pointed out that the show was stopped after the intervention of "responsible Jordanians."
I think it’s about time that officials in Jordan stop giving contradictory, illogical statements. After all, we are supposed to be living in the age of transparency. In this global age, nothing can be kept secret, as average citizens have access to alternative media sources like the internet, international publications and satellite dishes. Relying merely on the government-controlled press is becoming a thing of the past. So Mr Al-Hadidi, a message: Please don’t underestimate our intelligence.
The point is this so-called program presented “information” that is false and a libel. It is based on “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion” a forgery written some time in the 18th (I think) century, plus the blood libel of Jews using Christian blood to make matzos!! Sometimes it’s Hamentashen for Purim! It amazes me that this is alive and well in the Arab world. Or maybe it shouldn’t amaze me. But it has to be fought and exposed. Muslims get all bent out of shape and start rioting whenever someone makes a negative comment about Islam or Mohammed. What does Israel do? Expresses its dissatisfaction.
Dear Hamzeh,
I believe Aljazeera copied the article directly from AP. Here is a link to Haaretz’s story
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/639414.html
I think AP made a mistake by not quoting the official Jordanian statement. They said “Jordanian officials remained tightlipped on the ban” which is not true since the Jordanian embassy in DC released an official statement. They should have included it to show both sides of the story.
Natasha, have you been able to find the story on the Associated Press web site? Because it bothered me when I read Al Jazeera’s report on it [Al Jazeera sited AP as the source], the report was clearly made so as to portray the incident as the government directly interfering and banning the show by force. They even went as far as quoting an Israeli official commending the government’s “action” and saying “Jordan is a friendly nation, blah blah blah” which to me clearly represents an attempt [on Al Jazeera’s part] to entice hate towards the Jordanian government among Arabs.
I can’t believe an Arab TV channel paid $1.25 million for this show, what a waste of money!