The Hezbollah-run Lebanese TV station slammed the French order to ban its programs, saying that the decision was politically motivated.
| Most countries are run by people who make political decisions. |
Al Manar TV officials also promised that they will pursue the case to have their programs broadcasted again. On Monday, the French Council of State, the country's highest administrative court, ordered the French satellite company, Eutelsat, to end the broadcasts by Al Manar TV in France and Europe within 48 hours, claiming that the channel violated a ban on hate speech.
In response, Al Manar TV said Tuesday that the decision was taken under pressures from Israeli and Jewish lobbies.
| ... thereby proving their point. |
Head of news at Al Manar, Hassan Fadlallah, said that it was unfair to halt programs by a channel because of one incident.
| Okay, then. What's the cutoff? |
In November, one guest at Al Manar said while on air that Israel is trying to spread dangerous diseases such as AIDS in Arab countries, comments that prompted the French court order. "This is a political decision, not a legal decision," Fadlallah said. "How is it possible in a country that proclaims freedom and says its laws and constitution uphold the right to free speech, that they shut a TV station on the basis of one person speaking on the telephone?" he added. |