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Original poster

Al-Jazeera

148 replies

LondonGirl1968 · 12/10/2023 20:08

I was in the office this week and noticed that instead of BBC or Sky News as usual someone had turned on Al Jazeera. I have to say I was taken aback. It felt like a bit of a slap in the face. Felt very pointed in a week where such brutality has taken place.

OP posts:
laladoodoo · 13/10/2023 07:01

LondonGirl1968 · 12/10/2023 20:18

Fair enough. I don’t really know about them but am very happy to be told I’m unreasonable!

Why comment if you don't know?

Why not educate yourself before you do?

Quick lesson.

  1. Not all Palestinians are members of Hamas. That's like saying all Northern Irish Catholics are in the IRA.
  2. A TV channel with an Arabic name does not mean it is not legit or valid.
  3. Mass killing of human beings IRRESPECTIVE of their religion or race by terrorist groups OR by governments is wrong.
Fifireee · 13/10/2023 07:06

How odd you are.
Would you be freaked out to find a copy of The Daily Mail or Telegraph in the office? Or someone watching GB News? These are much more partisan and dangerous media outlets than Al- Jazeera

emilysquest · 13/10/2023 07:48

Genuine question. I do read/watch Al Jazeera, along with a variety of other sources (yes, including the Guardian and the BBC, also Irish News and others). I agree with everyone saying you need a breadth of information. And AJ appears to have high quality factual reporting. But on threads on MN I have also seen AJ described as the "media wing of Hamas". How fair or unfair is this?

anythinginapinch · 13/10/2023 08:10

And anyway why should every Tv news station in the UK be BBC news only? We are free to watch what we want - not yet living in a dictatorship iirc, with state sponsored news.

Noname99 · 13/10/2023 08:35

emilysquest · 13/10/2023 07:48

Genuine question. I do read/watch Al Jazeera, along with a variety of other sources (yes, including the Guardian and the BBC, also Irish News and others). I agree with everyone saying you need a breadth of information. And AJ appears to have high quality factual reporting. But on threads on MN I have also seen AJ described as the "media wing of Hamas". How fair or unfair is this?

AJ is fully funded and owned by Qatar Government. Qatar has been accused by many mainly western countries of supporting Hammas. The Emir has previously stated (although a while ago) that he does not consider them a terrorist organization. Qatar are accused of allowing many of the Hamas leadership to live covertly in Qatar - Im not sure anyone has any proof of that.
Interestingly, many news outlets suggested that the US and Qatar have blocked Iran’s access to 6 billion dollars worth of funds recently paid to Iran for their oil but held in Qatar as part of the sanction conditions however Reuter’s are reporting that Iran have stated they have full access 🤷‍♀️

Zarah123 · 13/10/2023 08:37

Shame on everyone using this tragedy as an excuse to celebrate the deaths of Muslims.

This only brings Muslims together. 💕

Tartareistasty · 13/10/2023 08:42

Zarah123 · 13/10/2023 08:37

Shame on everyone using this tragedy as an excuse to celebrate the deaths of Muslims.

This only brings Muslims together. 💕

Who on here is celebrating the death of Muslim? Confused

CampsieGlamper · 13/10/2023 08:43

Al Jazeera is pretty good, France 24 is very good.

BBC is useless - the "news" is a mixture of terminally ill celebrities, kiddies wot are sick and celebrity worship.

Puddycatfan · 13/10/2023 08:52

I often watch Al Jazeera. More of a world view and without the bias!

Introduced my partner to it and now he won't watch any other news outlet.

TigerQueenie · 13/10/2023 08:56

Asthebellcurves · 12/10/2023 21:07

Because they are well known for their anti-semitic coverage and are a funded by the state who is the biggest funder of Hamas (yes, much more than Iran). In particular, Al Jazeera Arabic is overtly anti-Semitic and has a history of praising violence ('martyrs' and 'resistance'). You can look up the controversies, and also spot that many reputable journalists resigned after being forced to push Muslim Brotherhood content.

OP, I would find this horrific too. I've been listening to AJA for work, and I feel actually quite sick at some of the grotesque defences I've seen of the Hamas terrorism on there. And before someone starts, I work and live in a Muslim country very happily with no issues at all - and no one here watches Al Jazeera because it's known to be extremist.

Show quote history

OP had never even heard of Al Jazeera. She heard/saw Arabic words and brown people on TV and assumed her office are supporting Hamas so wind your bloody neck in 🙄

frenchnoodle · 13/10/2023 08:56

CampsieGlamper · 13/10/2023 08:43

Al Jazeera is pretty good, France 24 is very good.

BBC is useless - the "news" is a mixture of terminally ill celebrities, kiddies wot are sick and celebrity worship.

They've stopped the feed now but BBC world, the news service for the rest of the world outside the UK was brilliant. The stark contrast to the dumbed down "BBC News" broadcast to the UK was amazing to see.

Shows what they are doing and focusing on here is dilibrate.

emilysquest · 13/10/2023 10:28

Some very diametrically opposite views of AJ here...

quiteoldad · 13/10/2023 15:39

I listen to a lot of radio and the BBC world service used to be excellent. I remember 40 years ago doing some research in Peru and campesinos telling me how much they admired the BBC world service. That was when the BBC used to earn more respect and admiration than it does today. World service is still good, and you can hear other perspectives on current affairs that you may not necessarily hear on our domestic BBC. I've got the feelng World service hasn't quite got the edge it used to have though. Due to cutbacks ? It gets transmitted on the R4 frequencies between about 01.00 and 05.00,

Dweetfidilove · 13/10/2023 15:48

LondonGirl1968 · 12/10/2023 20:18

Fair enough. I don’t really know about them but am very happy to be told I’m unreasonable!

Slapped in the face - don’t really know them 🤔.

Make it make sense

Dweetfidilove · 13/10/2023 15:51

LivingDeadGirlUK · 12/10/2023 20:43

It's a good job Al Gore isn't running for president at the moment.

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😀😀

Pix56 · 13/10/2023 15:51

Ironically, AJ has a better grasp of English compared to outlets like GB news.

Lampzade · 13/10/2023 15:59

Pix56 · 13/10/2023 15:51

Ironically, AJ has a better grasp of English compared to outlets like GB news.

I agree

Dweetfidilove · 13/10/2023 15:59

BennyBlancofromtheBronx · 12/10/2023 20:19

I'm so sorry you went through the trauma of seeing brown people on TV

The travesty!

Dweetfidilove · 13/10/2023 16:10

MaydinEssex · 12/10/2023 21:20

I mean it's a news channel that OP isn't familiar with, but it's a middle east channel and it could come across as supportive to the atrocities that have played out this week, especially if it's a channel they don't usually have on. Sounds a reasonable assumption to me, and when it was explained to OP that it was in fact a reputable channel, then OP was happy to admit she wasn't aware. No need for sarcastic comments over a misunderstanding.

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This is where you engage your sense before assuming.

Stop, take a minute and listen, then decide it’s a slap in the face/not.

Anything else is just foolery.

CHIRIBAYA · 13/10/2023 16:20

Why don't you have a look and give them a try? They run excellent features on all sorts of things; the disappearance and murder of indigenous women and girls in Canada was shocking. Another was called 'What's Your Money Worth' which explored the everyday lives of people across the globe living on the breadline; a taxi driver in Iraq, a street vendor in Lima...It opens your eyes to the world in so many different ways and helps you to develop compassion; imagine if there was a lot more of that to go around?

FlagFatigue · 13/10/2023 19:36

You were taken aback and it felt like a slap in the face to watch something you knew nothing about? 🧐

Sausagenbacon · 13/10/2023 19:40

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MyCircumference · 13/10/2023 19:40

i have seen this news channel,
they cover a lot of the world, far more than the bbc does

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