London Three months after 14 Arab countries stopped broadcasting Pixair’s Buzz Lightyear show because of the kissing scene between women, Netflix has become the new target of restrictions on freedom of expression and entertainment in Middle Eastern countries, raising questions about the risk of being banned.
In a joint statement released last week by the Gulf Cooperation Council Electronic Media Committee, six countries in the region are demanding that Netflix remove some of its content from the streaming service, arguing it “violates its values”.
The note claims that some shows and movies on the platform “violate Islamic and societal values and principles.” It urges the streaming service to remove content that “targets children and aims to ensure compliance with the law.”
Can Netflix be banned?
In the memo, which did not detail what the sanctions would be, the countries continued: “If the infringing content remains available, necessary legal action will be taken.”
Netflix did not comment.
The countries that have signed the statement to Netflix are Qatar itself, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman.
The governments of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have also issued individual statements calling for the removal of titles from Netflix that “conflict with Islamic and societal values and principles” but do not directly address the possibility of being banned. ignores the request.
Saudi state broadcaster Al Ekhbariya TV showed a report with blurred footage of productions broadcast by the streaming platform, such as the animation Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous and the French movie Cuties, in which the two teenagers confessed to having loved and kissed.
The report claims that Netflix is ”a cinematic cover of immoral messages that threaten the healthy upbringing of children.”
In another post, the public TV network speculates on what could be the emergence of threats made in the official memo.
فيديو | غطاء سينمائي برسائل لا أخلاقية #نشرة_النهار#الإخبارية pic.twitter.com/X9sFxak3q9
— قناة الإخبارية (@alekhbariyatv) 6 September 2022
The video shows that Netflix could be banned with two hashtags related to a possible ban in the kingdom ruled by Prince Mohammed bin Salman, notorious for authoritarianism, press censorship and freedom of expression.
The crown prince, who commands the country, is accused of ordering the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi embassy in Turkey; This is a crime that has drawn international condemnation, but does not impose sanctions from Western countries, as demanded by press freedom organizations.
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The country has also invested in people accused of disrespecting traditional values. An Egyptian Tiktoker has been arrested for showing a report on social media to law enforcement that it violates religious standards.
Also Read | Saudi Arabia arrests Egyptian TikToker for ‘immoral’ video allegedly implying LGBT
source: Noticias
