Der Chefredakteur der moderaten arabischen Zeitung Al Hayat, Ghassan Charbel, macht sich Sorgen wegen der Kultur des Hasses in den arabischen Medien:
A few days ago, a satellite channel talk show on Iraq caught my attention. Two Iraqi men, one Sunni and one Shiite, were discussing the developments in Iraq. A few moments later, the atmosphere clouded over. I expected the anchorman to intervene to enforce the rules in a show of respect for the viewer. I was wrong: he added fuel to the fire to the extent that I felt the dialogue would be continued with a fistfight, sharp tools or guns. There were accusations without limits or evidence. There were accusations of conspiracy, blatant sectarian talk and calls for revenge.
At the end of the dialogue massacre, one question struck my mind, about what the impact might be of such talk on youths, who are in the prime of their lives and who belong to this or that camp. The program was like the ambushes we see in Iraq.
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Although I am pleased with freedom, I am compelled to ask about responsibility. Some of what we hear on our satellite channels causes fear, and probably terror. Is it appropriate to put these channels at the disposal of ignorant people who claim to be analysts or experts? Is it appropriate to grant the ‚knights of darkness‘ the chance to transform TV screens into platforms for their fanaticism, without refuting their words or halting their disarray? We are not calling for restraining freedom, but rather for thwarting the attempts to exploit it in the service of its foes.
I am actually worried about the boys that can be misguided by the satellite channels if they allow their guests to strike a chord of hatred and fanaticism and promote the idea of canceling the ‚other‘, who has a different ideology, or district, or a nation.
It is our right to demand those responsible for the visual media to pay heed to this sensitive issue, at a time when our societies witness a worrying upheaval of feelings of discord and the temptations of divorce and cancellation. Pending this development, I advise you, dear viewer, to vaccinate your children against these feelings before exposing them to some of the programs and types of experts and analysts.