Morocco suspends Aljazeera broadcast operations
2008-05-09
The Moroccan government has told Aljazeera to cease broadcasting from the satellite channel's Rabat bureau until legal issues are resolved. Press freedom groups say the issue is about politics, not administrative technicalities.
Sarah Touahri contributed to this report for Magharebia in Rabat – 09/05/08
 [Sarah Touahri] After broadcasting news to the Maghreb for more than a year, Qatari channel Aljazeera's Rabat bureau received a fax from Moroccan authorities suspending its land and satellite transmissions beginning Tuesday (May 6th). |
Qatari satellite TV news channel Aljazeera was ordered by Moroccan officials on Tuesday (May 6th) to cease broadcast operations from its Rabat studios. The pan-Arab news station aired daily news bulletins on the Maghreb.
Aljazeera's Rabat bureau chief Hassan Rachidi said he received a fax from the National Agency for Telecom Regulation (ANRT) announcing the ban on the use of all land and satellite transmitters. "There had been no indication that such a ban was on its way. We had never received a single official warning about what we were doing," he said.
According to Communications Minister Khalid Naciri, the channel's broadcast has been suspended pending the regularisation of the channel’s legal status. He went on to explain that the television channel’s bureau will remain open and its correspondents will continue to work freely.
"The reason behind the suspension is technical. Aljazeera must regularise its legal and technical position with the High Authority for Audiovisual Communications. Broadcasting of this Maghreb news bulletin from Rabat will start up again once the specifications have been clarified with the HACA," he said.
After being granted accreditation under Morocco's system for foreign correspondents and press agencies, Aljazeera opened its Rabat bureau in 2003. Three years later, it began broadcasting a television news programme for Maghreb countries from the Moroccan capital.
To the Moroccan government, the action changed the channel's status in the Kingdom from a simple news bureau to a broadcast entity in its own right. The Rabat-originated news also triggered questions about Aljazeera's compliance with Moroccan laws on the audiovisual industry. The channel has been issued a series of three-month provisional licences but has yet to definitively sort out its position with the HACA.
Administrators at Aljazeera's Rabat bureau expressed their surprise at the government's decision.
"We created a new space for news reporting where none existed before," Rachidi told Reporters Without Borders. "Thanks to this daily news programme, the public in the Maghreb began taking an interest in what is going on in neighbouring countries," Rachidi added.
In statements issued on Wednesday (May 8th), press freedom organisations suggested that Aljazeera operations were suspended because the station aired comments from Egyptian journalist Hassanein Heykal about Morocco's late King Hassan II.
"Aljazeera has been broadcasting its special program on the Maghreb for the past year and a half without any difficulty. The suddenness of this measure and the lack of a valid reason suggest that it was a political decision," Reporters Without Borders wrote.
The Committee to Protect Journalists concurred, stating, "This sudden decision without any semblance of due process is of great concern. We urge Moroccan authorities to allow Aljazeera to broadcast from Rabat without interference."
International relations professor Mourad Berrada said the ban on the news bulletin is the result of growing attention being paid to the way in which Morocco is covered in the media: "Morocco is under the microscope, since the channel’s bureau is on Moroccan soil. Sometimes, they cross the line, and the authorities don’t like that. The technical aspect is just an excuse to put pressure on the channel."
Many Moroccan viewers have expressed disappointment that the much-watched news programmes have been banned.
"We were proud when Morocco allowed an Aljazeera bureau to open in Rabat when the other Maghreb countries had refused. This was a sign of freedom and openness to the media. But I can’t understand this recent decision," student Amine Benabbou told Magharebia.
"Moroccan officials must realise that the Moroccan people know how to sort through the news they hear on the different channels," he added.
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Adil Posted 2008-05-09
This is a channel for terrorists who have a gained a foothold in Morocco. Congratulations Morocco!
bensaid Posted 2008-05-09
I am strongly against this decision, but that does not mean that I venerate Aljazeera. I reproach it for its arrogance while it has Moroccans on its staff. I reproach it for representing Moroccan territory as being segmented by the Western Sahara. I reproach it for its negative view of Morocco, especially with regards to this cretin of an Egyptian expert who is out of line. Morocco could have acted otherwise and put pressure on the people in charge of Aljazeera. In any case, I would prefer to see the entirety of Morocco on satellite media instead of being cut off from Aljazeera.
صالح محد جامع Posted 2008-05-09
The Al Jazeera network, which broadcasts the news bulletin to the Arab Maghreb directly from Morocco, isn’t up to the expectations of the people of the Arab Maghreb, it isn’t concerned about restoring relations between Morocco and Algeria to overcome the Sahara issue which was fabricated by the latter against the territorial integrity of Morocco after it recovered it from the oppressive Spanish colonizer. This was for a political interest sought by the Algerian government. The media role of this channel should have shed light on this conflict in favour of the Arab Maghreb Union on the aftermath of the report of the UN mediator in which he referred to a mediated political solution in the framework of the extended autonomy presented by Morocco to the United Nations in order to stop the illegal blockage against Moroccan Sahraouis in the hell of Tindouf camps which lack the most basic human rights and also bring to light the project of the Arab Maghreb Union which is now depending on opening borders between Algeria and Morocco. This is a European decision in order to create big economic worksites in the region of the Arab Maghreb and its main centre is Morocco in view of its geographic position and its proximity. These big economic worksites aim to develop the African continent to enhance stability and fight illegal immigration which is seeking jobs in the European shores onboard illegal death boats as well as fighting terrorism, drug smuggling, illegal trade of slaves and weapons, armed putsches against the blacks which are the main cause of the underdevelopment of the African continent. All these issues weren’t tackled by this channel, it is just making a media fuss causing conflicts between the two neighbouring states which need someone to restore their relations to the warmth of the Arab Maghreb unity expected by its people. Finally, I say to the officials of Al Jazeera to go back to their reason in order to unite the Arab Maghreb instead of dividing it.
omar Posted 2008-05-10
Moroccans know how to sort through this information, but Algeria is still just a channel that tries to sow discord and divide people— even the people of a single country. Rare is it that the information this channel reports is without deformation. It would be better if they were to pitch their tent; our private press is enough for us. The Maghreb has no use for them. They play too much with our susceptibility and, frankly, the Maghreb does not need what they are offering.
Anonymous Posted 2008-05-10
That's the liberty of oppression against the liberty of expression. Aren't Al Jazeera staff only guests and Mr Naciri their host?
saidani miloudi Posted 2008-05-10
Aren't Al Jazeera staff only guests and Mr Khalid Naciri their host? He has shown the powerful liberty of oppression against the deliberate liberty of expression,hasn't he?
chihab-25 Posted 2008-05-10
This is not censorship, not at all! This is an act of maintaining standards. Hassan Errachidi, the Moroccan head of the local Aljazeera office knows more than anyone else the unmentioned reasons that led to the prohibition the High Authority of Audio-Visual Communication (HACA) introduced against land and satellite broadcasting of Al Jazeera after having found that those responsible did not respect the local legal standards. The content of this case’s charges no matter how you look at it are that the channel lent itself to humiliating the Moroccan viewer through Hassanine Haikal’s defamation of the late Hassan II. In spite of everything, Morocco has its sacred national values to defend. It is in this sense that the Moroccan governmental authorities were acting normally. Being that Al Jazeera’s reporting is known throughout the Arab world, Morocco allowed Al Jazeera to establish itself here under reservation, attracting its attention to the necessity of respecting to a 'T' the standards as outlined in this case’s charges to this end. Broadcasting its news from Rabat after the refusal of Tunisia and Algeria to allow it do so, this channel’s local management is content to consider this as an incontrollable gain against the welcoming country, as if it can say whatever it wants about Morocco from Doha. No! Being a functionary and a regional head of the channel does not mean that throwing your citizenship in the mud and following the channel's platform at all costs, especially if that brings prejudice against Moroccan dignity! Morocco is governed by laws that everyone must respect. The oil money that is Al Jazeera’s life source cannot change these laws. The freedom of expression will always reign supreme. -Chihab
Solution Posted 2008-05-11
So long as Aljazeera gave an image of Morocco that corresponded to the government’s aims, it was welcome here. Now that the Qatar channel wants to do news — a show about what is going on behind the scenes, that is — it is no longer accepted. Morocco, which prides itself on being a democracy, a country of freedom—even loving to dream itself up as an exception to an Arab world that is allergic to democracy and liberty—ends with a grade of being just like everyone else: not liking to be poked in its sore spots. There is a theory going around that this shut-down is due to Egyptian intellectual Haykal’s criticism of Hassan II. If anybody has any information about this, I kindly ask that he/she lets me know of the source.
marocain ong Posted 2008-05-12
Here is the truth about why Morocco has suspended Aljazeera’s broadcasting. Several NGOs reacted to the cruel acts committed in El Hoceïma, wherein 30 Sub-Saharan emigrants, four of whom were children, were drowned over two weeks ago. They condemned en masse this appalling act. In unison, they asked for the opening of an investigation in order to determing the exact reasons for this drowning, “The Moroccan authorities need to correctly conduct an investigation in order to discover what really happened,” declared Bill Frelik to the Human Rights Commission. With regards to the investigation these several NGOs called for, Mr. Frelik specified that “any investigation worthy of being so named should include the testimonies of all available eye-witnesses, including those of the survivors.”
slim16 Posted 2008-05-12
Aljazeera is a very free television station with regards to the way in which it offers us the news. This is why it hits at so many governments in throughout the world. It is very rich. It is able to provide itself with possibilities throughout the entire world because of its impressive number of correspondents, who make up its principle strike force. Its programmes are very striking and, more importantly, its guests are always governmental opposition. This is why it transgresses the red tape the powers that be place upon it. This channel plugs the terrorist entities more than any other in the world. This is why, at the same time it is loved for its technology and its opportunism, it is disliked for its incendiary subjects. This is a form of media that scares us! Long live censorship!!!
boras Posted 2008-05-13
There is almost a blind acceptance amongst many Arabs that Al Jazeera are beyond reproach and whatever they report as news must be accepted as the truth simply because they were one of the first and certainly the most successful Arab news broadcasting company but that widespread acceptance has without doubt led to a decline in reporting standards within Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera need to be honest and proactive so they don't decend to become the Fox News channel of the Arab world.
momo-marseille Posted 2008-05-13
We would like Al Jazeera to establish itself in Algiers, that way we would better know what is going on here. We are tired of the government’s El-Mhatma channel. Is it true that we do not even have a correspondent in Algeria???
MUSTAPHA Posted 2008-05-13
The Egyptian also said that the Algerians betrayed Emir Abdelkader. There were even some a few years back, if you remember, that wanted to dig him up and burn his bones. This is serious!
kamel Posted 2008-05-13
I agree that Al Jazeera should not be censored, but it should be impartial in its programming, reporting and treatment of topics dealing with Arab countries, which does not exclude the countries of the Maghreb and Western Arabia.
Ahmed Posted 2008-05-13
Being a given that you are familiar with Aljazeera’s news, you need to look for the reason why your government agreed to offer it an office in Rabat when it well knew that the Algerian and Tunisian governments were against this. Only, this time, in the absence of Aljazeera, it is the very professional Spanish newspaper, “El Pais” that so humanely denounced the nefarious actions that led to the drowning at sea of poor innocents, some of whom were African babies, near the cost of El Hoceima. The Moroccan government tried to cover up the affair. Officially, the military in Morocco is untouchable. “Sniper Maroc” made tangible evidence of this on the Internet; you can see corruption at its fullest there. It is like this every day and they are becoming billionaires from it. The victims are only the Africans, not the Europeans. You speak about being open, hospitable and welcoming and having sacred values. This is all just song and dance. Your government does not want its people to have the more credible news from the outside. You are still living Soviet-style; you are just unaware of it. You are not objective. Recently, you government received a $500 million grant from Saudi Arabia and another $16.5 million from Belgium. The former was to face up to its oil bill, the latter was to fight against poverty. You are still a country largely dependent on aid from Europe and the Gulf countries, yet you affirm that Morocco is an emerging country. Keep on rowing, because you are far from this shore. Logically, you belong to the least advanced countries. So, stop with your bragging. Thank you, Magharebia. No censorship, please: I respected your rules.
EL JAZZEROPHILE Posted 2008-05-14
There are a lot of journalists at Aljazeera. Why don’t they like Algeria and are they competing here with our freedom of expression? Aren't they? Do you somehow see this as an inconvenience?
marocain Posted 2008-05-14
Amnesty International is demanding that an investigation be opened into the case of the Moroccan army’s drowning of illegal immigrants.
mehdi touirtou Posted 2008-05-15
This has become normal because this is Morocco. Just look and keep quiet and my brother Rachid Nini will complete the discussion.
slim16 Posted 2008-05-15
You know, despite the freedom of expression it invokes on the subjects it addresses, this Qatari channel always avoids news about the mode of governance in the Gulf countries. In sum, it reports CNN-style!!! This Egyptian knows more about the history of the Pharaohs than the Emir, so let them keep on rambling. He earns a bounty from lies.
Anonymous Posted 2008-05-15
Mr. Ahmed; First of all, we were never communist or socialist such that we could preserve its aftermath. In spite of this aid to partially cover our oil bill, it must be admitted that we are buying oil at a high price and we are still doing better than countries producing it themselves. It must not be forgotten that we are developing the provinces in Southern Morocco. Have you asked yourself the same question? What would happen if you didn’t have oil? Remember that Iraq was one of the largest producers and look at its current situation. So, you need to stay modest: nobody knows what the future has in store.
marocain pauvre Posted 2008-05-15
Bravo Ahmed!!! You are truly right! I am Moroccan and I completely agree with you. We are only able to talk while our king, Mohamed VI, minds his fortune and his families.
ahmed Posted 2008-05-16
What I want to say is that Aljazeera is a channel unlike any other. This is a channel that thinks it is doing good work, but is wrong. Tell me one good think that it has done! Has it put a stop to malaria or famine? It does not stop sowing discord between Muslims and even between the people of the press. Moreover, it is able to direct its weapons against countries that do not want it there, such as the countries of the Maghreb. It does this with programmes like “Al Ittajih Al Moakiss”, where the opponents invited on—because they have never shared the stage with someone of the same opinion—have to put on boxing gloves in order to face the director, Mr. Joker, who always takes a blow at them. And, also, why doesn’t Aljazeera say something about Qatar, for example, or Kuwait or the oil??? It’s because that is where the money is. The time of a neutral, objective press that took part in actions that did the people some good is over. The press of our time is a weapon used to do bad. And, as you know, they represent different weapons. If you compare them, Aljazeera is like one of the US’s weapons, shoot to kill. To tell you the truth, I prefer to watch the local channels: they have become more open in terms of information. As for Aljazeera, I would rather be watching documentaries.
hayat tifariti Posted 2008-05-16
It is too late: all Algerians, having seen this famous report, now know the first hijacking in history was when France hijacked a plane of Algerian political leaders. This hijacking was done in collusion with the former King of Morocco, Hassan II. Algerian people do not have short memories; they will never forget what this channel had been broadcasting since it opened.
Ahmed -maghrebin Posted 2008-05-16
Aljazeera is a station of Jews and terrorists. Why are there never bombings in this country? It is because they negotiate and make arrangements with the terrorists and the terrorists then leave them alone. You were right to remark that these journalist people are pro-terrorist and pro-Israeli: not a single journalist has passed judgement on the terrorist bombings or the Jews. So, wake up and open your eyes wide to the reality of the Qatari station.
mohamed azzouz Posted 2008-05-17
The alleged space for freedom, Al Jazeera, distinguishes itself only in its disinformation and collusion with the terrorists, for whom it acts as a forum, without ever offering information about Qatar or the American bases located in this country.
tunisian Posted 2008-05-18
Kicking aljazeera out was long overdue by the moroccans ... Its the main machine behind hatred and extremism recruitment... thats why we closed their offices and even consulate in tunisia .... putting north africa under the microscope while largely ignoring their qatari pre-historic regime, with NON existing women rights, denying the existence of their heavy underground gay population from kings to princes, human slavery ( philipinos, indian and paki maids and workers with no rights and can't leave that hell because their masters keeps their passports)...aljazeera never brings up the saudi royal trash nor the uae because there will be no money funneled in, while they can trash north africa with no consequences.. GOOD MOVE MOROCCO let these [expletive deleted] go back to their desert and wait til the oil dries out...
sousou Posted 2008-05-18
It is truly stupid to say that Algeria wants to destabilise Morocco. What does it have to win from Morocco afterwards? Be more logical than that. We are a people who were colonised for a 130 years, and that is a legitimate enough reason to say that we are against colonisation, no matter the country!!! We have nothing against our neighbour countries. It is quite the contrary. As for Aljazeera, given that I am Algerian, I think that this channel is in one way or another a source of terrorism and conflicts between all countries. I think that the Moroccans did right by closing their office. May God protect and unite all the Maghreb. And, may God protect all the Palestinian and Lebanese people. Amen!
SIMOHAMED Posted 2008-05-23
Aljazeera is always looking to get in the spotlight instead of being a constructive form of media. It promotes egoism. Democracy is a big lie that the Europeans and Americans want to have the Arabs believe in. It is pointless to go searching, real democracy only exists in Islam. Do not forget the Si Omar Bnou Khattab’s adage: “We are a nation that God has glorified with Islam.” I would just like to say a Moroccan proverb that holds a lot of significance for Sheikh Hamad from Qatar: “The camel only looks at his friend's hump.”
hassan Posted 2008-05-24
I find that some of their topics did in some way touch upon what is really going on. As a Moroccan hoping for a better future, what I am wishing for is that we multiply our efforts in our to create a Maghreb channel. How do we do this? It is, and I stress, in bringing the two brotherly peoples, the Algerians and the Moroccans, closer. The Tunisians, Libyans and Mauritanians are waiting on us. Our common history, geography and languages (both Amazigh and Arab) are facts that we cannot ignore, no?
محمد من المغرب Posted 2008-05-26
This is one of the forms of closing and silencing voices. Morocco is our country and we know it better than anyone else. Authority is very weak and hesitant in its decisions. There is no freedom and no expression.
عمر المغربي Posted 2008-05-26
In the name of God most gracious most merciful. Firstly we thank Al Jazeera channel for the work it does including the huge efforts even if is under international and Moroccan pressures. We always blame the channel and we forget that we see through the channel what we don’t see in the Makhzen (state) Moroccan channels. They show us festivals and popular women singers and other things so that we always remain in a deep sleep and not see the contradictions of the Makhzen, poverty, marginalization and silencing voices under the title of freedom of expression and sanctities.
dinosorus men Posted 2008-06-04
The Al Jazeera channel is in the service of international terrorism. It is financed by Arabs from another age, who are motivated by the spirit of destruction and who have taken to the murderous culture of their ancestors. This channel publicises Arab despots and everything that derives from them. This is nonsense, people of the Arab world. It is better to believe in the Devil than these television dictators.
Youssef Posted 2008-07-03
This is a hateful populist channel. It is negative towards Morocco. According to this channel, in Morocco there are just shantytowns and poverty. Do we not have any tourism in Morocco!? Do we not have any economy!? Are there no multinational corporation scrambling to get into the off-shore zone so as to benefit Morocco’s engineering? According to this channel, the most beautiful country is Qatar, followed by Libya and Syria. Are these real examples of democracy!!!??? Frankly, do we really need such a channel in Morocco!?
hassan Posted 2008-07-03
The freedom of the press has declined in Morocco.
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