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| '''Al Manar''' (المنار; ] for ''Beacon'') is the television station of the controversial ] organization ]. In the United States, Al-Manar was categorized as a terrorist organization by Executive Order 13224, and many European countries have also prohibited its broadcast. | '''Al Manar''' (المنار; ] for ''Beacon'') is the television station of the controversial ] organization ]. In the United States, Al-Manar was categorized as a terrorist organization by ], and many European countries have also prohibited its broadcast. | ||
| == Content == | == Content == | ||
Revision as of 03:24, 17 June 2006
Al Manar (المنار; Arabic for Beacon) is the television station of the controversial Lebanese organization Hezbollah. In the United States, Al-Manar was categorized as a terrorist organization by Executive Order 13224, and many European countries have also prohibited its broadcast.
Content
Al-Manar is a TV channel, dedicated to promoting Hezbollah's views and interests. It serves to convey official statements by Hezbollah and broadcasts Hassan Nasrallah's speeches.
In addition to news, speeches and religious viewing, Al-Manar became famous for its broadcasts of battles between Hezbollah and Israeli soldiers in south Lebanon. The withdrawal of Israeli troops in 2000, while hailed by the station as a great success, left a gap in its programming.
Critics claim that Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV channel airs anti-Semitic broadcasts, blaming the Jews for a Zionist conspiracy against the Arab world, as well as airing excerpts from the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Al-Manar officials deny broadcasting anti-Semitic incitement and state that their position is anti-Israeli, not anti-Semitic. However, the EU has also decided to block Hezbollah's Al-Manar television from European satellites due to its anti-Semitic content.
Al-Manar aired a drama series, called The Diaspora, which Jewish groups and European observers say is based on historical anti-Semitic allegations. BBC correspondents who have viewed The Diaspora note that "it quotes extensively from the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a notorious 19th Century publication used by the Nazis among others to fuel race hatred." (BBC)
Litigation
The broadcasting of Al Manar in France has been forbidden by the French authorities. Al-Manar was accused of promoting religious and racial hatred (more specifically, against Jews), which is a criminal offense in France. On December 13, 2004, the French Conseil d'État, acting on the request of the French TV authorities, issued an injunction ordering Eutelsat to cease broadcasting Al Manar in France. (full text of the decision, press release (in French); BBC report).
Following the French court ruling, the United States added on December 17, 2004, Al-Manar to the U.S. State Department list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations. The Netherlands and Spain took similar actions against Al-Manar shortly after France did.
See also
- Hizbullah
- Arabs and anti-Semitism
- Antisemitism in Al-Manar
- U.S. State Department list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations
- Israeli-Arab conflict
- al-Manar (journal) (for the early 20th century journal of the same name)
References
- Tatham, Steve (2006), 'Losing Arab Hearts & Minds: The Coalition, Al-Jazeera & Muslim Public Opinion' Hurst & Co (London) Published 1 Jan 06
- Kilpert, Daniel. Tödliche Sendung in Jungle World January 11, 2006 ISSN 1613-0766
- Jorisch, Avi. Hezbollah Hate with a U.S. Link in Los Angeles Times, October 13, 2002.