Qatari broadcast triggers Egyptian anger

By Amira Ibrahim

The programme, the Opposite Direction, broadcast early this month, was devoted to a debate of US attempts to impose its hegemony over Arab and Muslim countries.

The debate pitted a Kuwaiti university professor advocating American presence in the region against Abdel-Meguid.

Abdel-Meguid, believed to be a close associate of Jihad leader Ayman El-Zawahri, was sentenced to death in absentia last year by a military court for his involvement in a conspiracy to bomb Cairo's Khan Al-Khalili tourist bazaar.

"Allowing a person who had been condemned to death in a terrorism-related case to enter an Arab country and appear on a television programme is a serious development that should be confronted firmly," said a security source, who spoke to Al-Ahram Weekly on condition of anonymity. "The spirit of the treaty clearly prohibits terrorists from using the media to propagate their poisonous ideas."

But because the incident may have an impact on relations with another country, it is better left for the politicians to handle, the source added.

The incident is not the first of its kind. After last November's Luxor massacre, Yasser Serri, who tops the list of London-based, Egyptian terrorists, appeared in a talk show also broadcast by Al-Jazeera.

According to the source, there were "contacts" between Egypt and Qatar over the incident at the time. "But now that Arab governments have signed an agreement to combat terrorism, the development should be viewed with concern," the source said.

The anti-terrorism pact does not spell out the action that should be taken against violators.

Abdel-Meguid, speaking to the Weekly on the telephone from London, said he travelled to Doha, Qatar, using his passport. "I am free to go anywhere," he said. "Whenever I want to leave Britain, I do." But he refused to specify whether he had received security guarantees before travelling to Doha.

Officials at Al-Jazeera also refused to disclose whether security arrangements had been made for Abdel-Meguid's visit. "We asked the authorities for an entry visa for him and we got it," said Mohamed Jassem Al-Ali, Al-Jazeera's director, "but we are not authorised to discuss security matters."

Al-Ali defended the appearance of Islamist militants on the channel's programmes as an "exercise of impartiality in news coverage." He added: "These people live in London freely. They left Britain for Qatar in broad daylight and returned in broad daylight. We do not work in darkness. We merely act as the Western media do. So why are we blamed?"

Al-Jazeera was launched in 1993 as the first Arab news channel. It is known for its irreverent talk shows, on which many political and social taboos are shattered.

The channel has come under fire from several Arab governments that accuse it of bias and trying to distort their image.

"We have been accused of being hostile to many Arab governments, not only Egypt," Al-Ali said. "But we are only concerned with professional standards."

He said the channel is independent and is not controlled by the Qatari government. Al-Jazeera is run by a board of directors led by Sheikh Hamad bin Thamer Al-Thani, head of the Qatari Information Institute. Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jabr Al-Thani also sits on the board.

"We just use Qatar as a base for the channel," Al-Ali said. "But we have our own policies and views which focus on professional requirements. We deal with any Arab issue the same way we deal with Qatari issues."