Twenty-two staffers for the Doha-based Al-Jazeera news network resigned this week following complaints of “biased coverage” of recent protests in Egypt. The shakeup could undermine faith in Al-Jazeera as a major news agency viewed by millions across the Middle East. For media watchdog groups, Al-Jazeera remains hindered in its coverage of human rights violations in Qatar, as well as sensitive regional issues.
Since its creation by royal decree in 1996, Al-Jazeera has been labeled by critics as a biased PR machine run for the benefit of the Qatari government. The news agency is making inroads into English-speaking markets but remains a go-to source for Arabic-speaking audiences throughout the Middle East. Internal statistics indicate that Al-Jazeera now reaches 260 million households in 130 countries.
Recent controversy
The spate of resignations began Monday when the Gulf News network reported that Cairo anchor Karem Mahmoud quit, claiming that he and 21 other colleagues were required to broadcast “biased coverage” of recent events in Egypt.
Mahmoud says that he was given clear instructions from his superiors “to telecast certain news” favorable to ousted President Mohammed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood. Morsi was removed by the military following millions-strong protests in Cairo that called for his resignation just over a year after he became the first democratically elected president in Egyptian history.
The ensuing violence has seen Morsi supporters clash with the military and members of the political opposition, resulting in the deaths of 51, according to a recent BBC report.
Similarly, Haggag Salama, a correspondent for Al-Jazeera in Luxor, Egypt, resigned on Sunday, accusing his former employer of “airing lies and misleading viewers.”
This is not the first time Al-Jazeera has been embroiled in controversy. The spate of resignations in Egypt occurs just months after Ali Hashem resigned from his position as a Beirut correspondent in March. Hashem expressed frustration with the “biased and unprofessional” coverage of the Syrian uprising, a 2 ½-year-old war that has resulted in the deaths of 100,000 people.
The Beirut-based Al-Akhbar news agency reported that pro-Assad hackers leaked emails showing disapproval among Al-Jazeera’s staff over the network’s “biased and unprofessional” coverage of the Syrian uprising.
“Hashem’s misgivings are clear and well-known, and are no longer a secret to anyone,” one anonymous source told Al-Akhbar.
Monarchy dictates coverage?
The Qatari monarchy has publicly supported the Syrian rebels by sending light arms and humanitarian aid to those fighting to overthrow President Bashar Assad.
As Al-Jazeera’s viewership rises steadily, so rises Qatar, which has become a major international player in recent years. Unlike neighboring countries, such as Oman and the United Arab Emirates, the Qatari monarchy has taken bold, public positions on divisive regional issues.
In recent months, the Gulf state has agreed to host an office for the Afghan Taliban while encouraging peace talks with the U.S. and the Karzai government.
The former emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, tried to revive the defunct Arab Peace initiative, calling for new talks between the Israelis and Palestinians based on a two-state solution in accordance with international law. This occurs as the monarchy has cultivated close ties with Hamas, the ruling government in the Gaza strip. Israel and the U.S. consider Hamas to be a terrorist organization.
The sheikh abdicated the throne to his son, Crown Prince Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, last month after an 18-year rule. Tamim is expected to continue official Qatari support for the Syrian rebels. Many foreigners representing al-Qaida and other terrorist organizations are believed to be on the ground in Syria, raising the prospect of arms being given directly or indirectly to terrorists.
All of these strong positions have been amplified by Qatar’s vast oil reserves. Despite being smaller than the state of Connecticut, Qatar boasts proven oil reserves exceeding 25 billion barrels, according to the CIA World Factbook. This will allow the Gulf nation to continue its current 1.6 million-barrel-per-day output for 57 years. Additionally, Qatar’s proven reserves of natural gas exceed 25 trillion cubic meters, more than 13 percent of the world total and third-largest in the world.
Human rights violations in Qatar
These conditions have emboldened the monarchy, allowing the government to act unilaterally. Recent history has shown that those who have attempted to criticize government policies have either been censored or punished harshly for taking outspoken, critical positions.
Amnesty International reports that Muhammed ibn al-Dheeb al-Ajami, a Qatari poet, was handed a life sentence in 2012 for writing a poem. He was charged with “insulting the emir” and “incitement to overthrow the ruling system” after he recited verses of his poem “Tunisian Jasmine.”
“We are all Tunisia in the face of repressive” authorities, al-Dheeb’s poem said.
“A life sentence handed today to a Qatari poet has all the hallmarks of an outrageous betrayal of free speech,” Amnesty International wrote following the sentence.
Cases like al-Dheeb’s imprisonment and other human rights violations have scarcely been covered by Al-Jazeera.
Accuracy In Media, a nonprofit citizen watchdog group, reports that Al-Jazeera has previously been embroiled in controversy.
“Notorious for ignoring human rights problems in Qatar, Al-Jazeera has been forced reluctantly to briefly cover the case of a Qatari blogger imprisoned and possibly being tortured by security forces in that Arab country,” the group wrote.
Cases of press censorship like these have been lambasted by human rights organizations, including Freedom House, which listed Qatar as “not free” during its recent annual human rights report.
“In 1996, Hamad permitted the creation of Al-Jazeera, which has become one of the most popular Arabic-language satellite television channels in the Middle East. However, Al-Jazeera generally does not cover Qatari politics and focuses instead on regional issues,” Freedom House reports.