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Retreat on demands to shut down Al Jazeera

UAE now seeking "fundamental change and restructuring" of Al Jazeera rather than shut down.

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Saudi Arabia and three other Arab countries will no longer demand a shutdown of Al Jazeera as part of a 13 point list of demands of Qatar.

But they will seek change.

In an interview published by The Times newspaper on Wednesday, Noura al-Kaabi, the UAE minister for the federal national council, said the Emirates sought “fundamental change and restructuring” of Al Jazeera rather than to shut it.

“The staff at the channel can keep their jobs and Qatar can still fund a TV channel but not one which provides a platform for extremists and where the English channel is a protective shield for the much more radical Arabic one,” Kaabi told The Times.

She also said that the Saudi-led group was ready to negotiate with Qatar.

“We need a diplomatic solution. We are not looking for an escalation.”

But Al Jazeera Media Network said in a statement, “Al Jazeera Media Network rejects any external intervention pertaining to its organisational structure or journalistic mission, and reiterates its independence & professional editorial stance.

“Al Jazeera continues to stand by journalists and media institutions globally for their right to practise journalism without fear or intimidation. One of the cornerstones of free media is ensuring its ability to operate independently, without interference or censorship from governments or any other party.”

“Over the past 20 years, Al Jazeera has demonstrated its editorial independence and refusal to bow down to pressures from anyone, serving as a testament to our commitment to the universal values of journalism.”

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt imposed a land, sea and air blockade on Qatar on June 5.

2 Responses

  1. I like Al Jazeera English….watch it most nights…(early mornings)…
    I wonder how we would react if countries around us suddenly tried to tell us how to run our country….I do not understand it all….??

    1. Al Jazeera English (and America) are targeted at a Western audience so has become more moderate, though several high profile journalists who joined them have resigned in protest at the biased editorial positions it has taken by Middle Eastern staff on the network.

      Al Jazeera (Arabic), as the article states, is less moderate and has been involved in many controversies in the Middle East including formenting unrest during the Arab Spring, backing The Muslim Brotherhood, attacking the Palestian Authority and providing a platform for people with Anti-American and racist views.

      It’s not hard to see why regimes that control their own media and use them for propaganda, are opposed to Qatar’s media who are making trouble for them. But shutting it down entirely even they have come to see would just look repressive.

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