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The following article was published by the German "Christian Media Magazine" on November 22, 2005. It is by courtesy of "Christlicher Medienverbund KEP" (Christian Media Association of the Conference of Evangelical Publicists).

Islamist Broadcast Stations Call For Terror - even in Europe

B r u s s e l s (KEP) - It is already largely known that Arab TV stations publicly incite to terror actions. Yet via satellite, those terror callings are even reaching Europe meanwhile. Based on new studies, the Transatlantic Institute in Brussels is now demanding a more intense monitoring of those broadcasting stations as well as stronger guidelines by the EU.

Take the Libanese TV station "Al-Manar" of the radical islamist terror organization Hisbollah as an example. This station, founded in 1991, airs its program since 2001 also in Europe. They show video clips that call on young people for suicidal and terror attacks, glorifying them. The center of this propaganda is hatred toward Jews and Israel, according to German daily newspaper "Die Welt" (The World). Thus showing on those videos Palestinian children throwing stones on israeli cars or poeple chanting verses like "Jerusalem belongs to us Arabs and damned Zion will be demolished". By their own account, "Al-Manar" reaches more than ten million viewers and is one of the most popular TV stations. Yet also Saudi TV station "Iqra" or Qatar station "Al-Jasira" are in no way inferior to "Al-Manar". A preacher of "Iqra" demands believers "not only to pray", but they "must fight against the enemies of Islam", even if it "costs their own lives".

The Transatlantic Institute in Brussels had programs of almost all Arab TV stations examined. They are demanding an Inspection Authority of the European Commission who will then have to observe the channels and, if necessary, ban them, according to "Die Welt". Although guidelines for programs are existing, they seem to be insufficient. Yet a ban on non-European satellite stations doesn't prove to be easy, as they are not subject to European law. The Association of broadcasting corporations, however, wants to agree on "common ethics". In the meantime, the station "Al-Manar" has been banned on European satellite providers. Yet Arab providers like Arabsat or Nilesat are still having those TV stations on their schedule. The EU doesn't have any judicial influence on those stations as yet.

EU Justice Superintendent Franco Frattini told "Die Welt" that he expects a "code of behavior for self regulation" by the European media. "Journalists have the responsibility to inform the public, but not to boost the goals of terrorists at the same time", he said.

Logo of the Arab TV station "Al-Manar"

Written by Christiane Leuckhardt | www.medienmagazin-pro.de,
translated by Birgit Barandica Eichberger

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