France’s media regulator issued a warning to the Saudi-owned Islamic television channel Iqra over controversial statements that were broadcast calling for the destruction of the state of Israel. The Conseil superieur de l’audiovisuel, or CSA, has the right to assign or withdraw licenses that could affect Iqra’s ability to broadcast not only to France but also across the European Union. In the bureaucratic language that typifies a government bulletin, the CSA issued the following warning: “The council (i.e., CSA) has issued a warning to the Iqra Channel, established in Saudi Arabia and broadcast in France by way of satellite and ADSL, against the making of statements capable of inciting (racial) hatred or violence, such as those (statements, i.e.) made on April 2, 2006, at 7.30 in the morning, which called for the destruction of the state of Israel.”Saudis from various sectors viewed the warning as a double standard and a contradiction of Western values of freedom of press and expression, which were controversially championed earlier this year in the highly publicized publication of cartoons in the European press that profoundly offended Muslims worldwide. Columnist Mohammad Salahuddin described the CSA warning directed at Iqra Channel as “double-standard behavior.” He called for a unified Muslim Arab front to combat such behavior with an eye-for-an-eye strategy. “We should treat them the same way and stop their channels,” he said. “We must take all legal measures as well to defend our right to present our point of view. This is a war against freedom of speech.”
“Personally I don’t agree with any call for destruction,” said Qenan Al-Ghamdi, a former editor in chief of Saudi daily Al-Watan. “However, I totally don’t agree with the warning issued by the French.” He added that “Paris has always called for freedom of speech” and this calling “does not go along with their condemning of Iqra.” When asked whether this move would affect the relationship between Saudi Arabia and France, he stated that, “among civilizations, ideologies should face one another” and that the warning would not affect the Saudi-French relationship. “Iqra is not a governmental channel. A Saudi investor owns it but it does not represent the official point of view,” said Al-Ghamdi.
Hasan Al-Nimer, a Shiite scholar from the Eastern Province said that it’s not right to judge any broadcast organization that airs its programs live on the basis of its viewers’ reactions. “In general Westerners have their own red lines that don’t take other cultures red lines into consideration,” said Al-Nimer.