So, if I've got this story right (or, I suppose, if Elaph has this story right), our good friends in the thriving democracy of Libya have demonstrated their commitment to free speech yet again. According to the story, Dr Abu al Qassem Samidah, who had been president of the Libyan Press Institute, editor in chief for various Libyan newspapers, and a frequent contributor to Arab newspapers, got himself fired and reprimanded (at the least) the other day. His crime? Appearing on a talk show on Abu Dhabi TV, where the journalist Jihad al Khazen leveled some withering criticisms against Libya and Colonel Qaddafi in the course of discussing the rumours about the Libyan plot to kill Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah. Samidah, apparently, is being punished for association with this insulting and irresponsible talk show.
Elaph, for its part, takes the story as an opportunity to attack Abu Dhabi TV for "clear deterioration" in the quality of its programming. Given Elaph's relentless criticism of the Arab media, especially Al Jazeera, this probably means that Abu Dhabi TV has been getting better. It's odd that the ostentatiously liberal Elaph was, in effect, endorsing Qaddafi's denunciation of the satellite television station for its irresponsibility - the title of the article is "Another victim of Arab satellites.. Jihad Al Khazen and Layla al Shaykhli get a Libyan official fired for participating in a program on Abu Dhabi TV" - note how it is Al Khazen and Al Shaykhli to blame, not Qaddafi. The folks at Elaph were driven a bit batty by Faisal Al Qassem's show on Arab "neo-liberals" - yes, the same one that Mamoun Fandy misrepresented - but I've got to say, ya ikhwan, that when you're taking Qaddafi's side, you may have overreacted.
Comments