|
Shiite TV channels grow to 10 in total
"Bahraini-based Al-Maarif TV Channel will go on air soon, Al Arabiya has learned, joining a growing number of Shiite religious TV channels which have emerged since the fall of Saddam's regime in 2003.
"The first Shiite channel to launch was Kuwait's Al-Anwar in 2004, with the stated aim of 'promoting freedom and brotherhood, abolishing extremism and violence, and introducing a moderate form of Islam.'
"Later, Bahrain came to be the most popular base for the channels, followed by Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan, with a total of 10 Shiite channels currently operating in the Middle East.
|
"The owner of one of the channels, Hussein al-Mahdi, said that the reason for the launch of the channels is to correct misrepresentations, similar to Sunni religious channels. [...]
"Tunisian media expert Jamal al-Zarn attributes the boom in Shiite channels to the oppression Shiites suffered under the regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq: 'The current disintegration in political ethics is a fertile soil for such a media scene that implies exclusion rather than interaction.'
"On the other hand, media expert Adnan Boumoteia says the channels are an Iranian infiltration that aims to promote the concept of Supreme Guardianship, which, he argues, is a Persian concept and not really popular amongst Arab Shiites: "Iran takes advantage of Shiites love for Ahl al-Bayt [prophet's descendants] to propagate their doctrine." [...]
"Shiite channels broadcast in Arabic, English, French, Persian, Urdu and Thai."
Source: Al-Arabiya.net (Saudi-owned, Dubai-based), March 17, 2008 |
Posted at: 2008-03-17
| 
