Al Jazeera journalists have demands too.
When the diplomatic row between Qatar and the neighboring Gulf States erupted in June, the state-sponsored international news network, Al Jazeera, found itself at the . Qatar has been accused of supporting the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, as well as funding terrorist groups, causing Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to cut diplomatic and commercial ties on June 5, 2017. The Gulf States have issued a list of 13 demands against Qatar that include limiting diplomatic ties to Iran and to “terrorist organizations” such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah, expelling Turkish troops stationed in Qatar and the shutdown of Al Jazeera.
How did the network become a prime target for the Arab coalition? Broadcasting to over , with over 70 bureaus around the world, Al Jazeera is a renowned global outlet and the . The state-owned media organization, which translates as 鈥淭he Island,鈥� was launched in 1996 with the financial backing of the country鈥檚 ruling Al Thani family. Unlike other government news agencies in the region, Al Jazeera allowed open, critical debate about its authoritarian neighbors 鈥� albeit with the exception of Qatar itself 鈥� and came to be seen as a threat to the status quo and a medium for Qatari soft-power influence.
The United Nations human rights chief said the Arab nations鈥� aims to close down Al Jazeera an “.” Its journalists have released a video calling for defense of press freedom with the message that journalism is not a crime.
The views expressed in this article are the author鈥檚 own and do not necessarily reflect 51吃瓜鈥檚 editorial policy.
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