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| Al-Jazeera Interview on ichannel |
| Posted
on Tuesday, October 07, 2003 - 09:19 AM |
Hafez al-Mirazi, Al-Jazeera's Washington Bureau chief, had some sharp exchanges with Bernard Ostry, the former Chair of TV Ontario on a controversial program airing on ichannel. Mr al-Mirazi, broadcasting from the US capital, claimed that Al-Jazeera's role was to show "the point of view and the other point of view." The 24 hour news service was from an Arab perspective but tried to avoid bias. Mr Ostry said it was therefore the first broadcaster without a bias anywhere in the world.
Professor Amir Hassonpour of the Middle East Department of the University of Toronto said that there was no media in the world who could claim absolute objectivity. Al-Jazeera was the first Arab network that follows the code of objectivity and most of their staff previously worked with the BBC. It was the first Arab television network not controlled by an Arab government.
Mr Ostry claimed that there was a huge cultural difference beginning with a very different approach "with what I would describe as the sanctity of life as opposed to the sanctity of death". Mr al-Mirazi, speaking from Al-Jazeera's Washington studio, took sharp issue with Mr Ostry's characterization of the Muslim world. He stated that the Arab societies were as well diversified as Canadian society which Mr. Ostry characterized as "rubbish".
Ray Heard asked about the Canadian Jewish Congress claims that Al Jazeera had broadcast a Muslim cleric stating that "Jews were the most despicable people... that they were worms... that they only understood the language of killing and blood". Mr Ostry said that not Al-Jazeera but the people it puts on spread hatred which was, in his view, illegal under Canada's laws. They were being sensational. Mr. Al-Mirazi said extremists who are heard do their cause harm even with most Muslims just as Southern U.S. Christian extremists attacking Muslims do in North America. But it was important to hear what was being said.
The explosive program an Al-Jazeera is to be broadcast on i on media with Ray Heard on ichannel on Wednesday, October 15th at 8pm. The "Arab CNN" has been much in the news with its application to be carried in Canada but there has been very little examination of what it was broadcasting.
Professor Hassonpour said that the American media sanitized the Iraq war but Al-Jazeera was guilty of overplaying it. Although the US Fox news channel overplayed from a US point of view more than Al-Jazeera.
Al-Jazeera's harassment started in autocratic Arab countries, claimed Al Jazeera's Washington chief, where it was accused it of being pro-Israeli because it aired both points of view. Al-Jazeera is freely seen in Israel with a large Israeli-Arab audience, and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak broadcast to the Israeli Arabs over the channel. Professor Hassonpour said most of the Arab countries' governments were put into power by Imperialist powers and there was now a thirst for democracy there and Al-Jazeera was airing debate for the first time.
Many Arab governments had banned Al-Jazeera at one time or another and many do today. Professor Hassonpour felt it was on balance a cause for good there and should, as a secular channel, be allowed to be broadcast in Canada as the country has legislation to prevent racism or hate propaganda and it may have an effect on Al-Jazeera. In the Middle East knowledge of anti- Semitism is very limited and he would see it as a force for change there because of the Canadian history of tolerance.
The Washington Bureau chief said any media network has to be careful how they address their diverse audience. "For Example in Al-Jazeera many of our anchors are Christian Arabs ... and what you need to judge us is by a content analysis and if Al-Jazeera present all points of views. Have they been fair?" He said "as we speak Al-Jazeera is airing a program as to whether Arafat should go or stay."
Mr Ostry felt the problem of allowing Al-Jazeera to be carried on cable in Canada was that there could be a lot of problems in running afoul of the Canadian laws.
The entire broadcast can be seen on ichannel Wednesday night on i on media with Ray Heard October 15 at 8pm.
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