Doha – In a controversial move that has ignited widespread anger across the Arab world, Saudi-owned television channel MBC aired a report on Friday, October 18, that described Palestinian resistance leaders as “terrorists.”
The segment, titled “Millennium of Deliverance from Terrorists,” was prepared by Mohammed Al-Mshari as part of the program “MBC in a Week” and has led to severe backlash.
The report, which aimed to showcase “how the world got rid of these villains,” listed prominent figures from Islamic armed movements who have been killed since 2000.
It included leaders from what is known as the “axis of resistance,” such as Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy head of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces, alongside Al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden.
The segment specifically highlighted Hamas leaders, referring to Yahya Sinwar as “a new face of terrorism” and mentioning his predecessor Ismail Haniyeh.
It also featured Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah and Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani.
In response to the outcry, the Saudi General Commission for Audiovisual Media announced an investigation into MBC officials responsible for the report, stating that it violated Saudi media regulations and policies.
The commission further emphasized its commitment to monitoring media compliance and promised strict enforcement of regulations against any violations.
The Iraqi Communications and Media Commission took more drastic action, canceling MBC’s operating license in Iraq.
The decision came after a violent protest at MBC’s Baghdad office early Saturday morning.
According to an official from the Iraqi Interior Ministry, between 400 and 500 demonstrators, supporters of armed factions, stormed the office shortly after midnight.
The protesters destroyed computer equipment, set fire to parts of the building, and caused extensive damage estimated at 60 to 65% of the facility.
They were seen carrying flags of Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces while chanting slogans such as “No to Al Saud” and “No to America.”
Hamas also condemned the MBC report in a statement, calling it “a slanderous and inciting report against the movement and its leaders.”
The Palestinian resistance group further demanded that MBC management immediately retract the report, delete it from their platforms, and apologize for what they described as “journalistic and moral downfall.”
Hamas also criticized the report as “dark and inciting” against the movement and its leaders, accusing it of “professional, media, and moral fall” that aligns with “Zionist propaganda and narrative that seeks to demonize the resistance and its symbols.”
Some journalists, including Tunisian reporter Jihan Nasri, went as far as to announce their withdrawal from working with MBC-affiliated platforms in protest.
In September 2023, Saudi Arabia and Israel were reportedly close to normalizing their relationship under US mediation.
However, the outbreak of Israel’s genocide in Gaza led Saudi Arabia to suspend these negotiations.
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