September 21, 2005 | Press Release

CATM Praises European Commission for Urging Ban of Hezbollah’s Al-Manar Television

“This is a clear recognition that terrorist media, especially Hezbollah's al-Manar television, is just as deadly as those who make the bombs and plan the attacks,” said Roberta Bonazzi, the executive director of the European Foundation for Democracy, a Brussels-based think tank and advocacy group, and a member of CATM.  “Terrorist propaganda that encourages children to strap on suicide belts and slaughter innocents must never be tolerated.” 

The Guardian reported today that the office of Franco Frattini, vice president of the commission, confirmed that an earlier report was modified to single out al-Manar as a purveyor of terrorist propaganda.

Hezbollah launched al-Manar in 1991 as an operational weapon to recruit suicide bombers, spread hatred and incite violence.  Its programming includes videos glorifying terrorism to children, calls for Jihadists to attack coalition soldiers in Iraq, and virulently anti-Semitic propaganda, including the infamous blood-libel falsely accusing Jews of killing Christian children to use their blood in food for Passover.

The Coalition Against Terrorist Media is an organization of Muslim, Christian, Jewish, and secular organizations working to end al-Manar's broadcasts around the globe.  It has been instrumental in removing al-Manar from seven satellite providers, including four in Europe:  Eutelsat and GlobeCast in France, Hispasat in Spain, and New Skies Satellite in the Netherlands.  Al-Manar is still broadcast into Europe, as well as in the Middle East and North Africa, by two remaining satellites:  ARABSAT, based in Saudi Arabia, and Nilesat, based in Egypt.

For more information on al-Manar and CATM's work to remove al-Manar, please visit www.stopterroristmedia.org.  CATM is a project of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.