Saudis fed up with any voice reflecting reality: Commentator

Press TV has interviewed Ibrahim Mousawi, a political commentator in Beirut, to discuss the suspension of providing services to Lebanon’s al-Manar television channel by satellite communications operator, Arabsat.

Following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: I imagine there is not too much surprise here that the Saudis would act this way.

Mousawi: Absolutely you are very true. No one is surprised about the decision taken by the Saudi leadership. When you talk about the Arabsat, you are talking about organization that is being directed by the Saudi authorities and it seems that they have now become fed up with all of the broadcasting, with all of the realities that is surrounding them, maybe because of their disappointments and misfortunes and all of the adventures that they are taking whether in Syria, whether in Iraq, and recently in Yemen, the kind of oppression and aggression and invasion for the Yemeni territories and the oppression and aggression against the Yemeni people, the massacres that are being perpetrated on a daily basis there. 

They are fed up with any voice, with any image, with any message that brings reality to the people. They want to continue this war of mass deception, if you want. It is not only a war of annihilation of people. There is also a lot of deception, they are deceiving the people so when you have channels that are designed, that have pledged to support the people’s right, the people’s causes, especially the Palestinian cause, by the way, then they are not in a position to accept that.

This is why we were not surprised at all, because we saw that they did the same with other channels, with al-Alam at one stage, and then with al-Mayadeen. We expect that they should have done something against those channels that incite hatred and animosity but it is a pity, it is another adventure, it is another blackmail, it is another disappointment by them. I do not know where it is going to lead them but I can assure you that al-Manar is going to continue to be and this is going to put al-Manar in the right position to continue its message. No one is going to be able to silence al-Manar at this point.

Press TV: And I want to pick up on the last point you just made, because in a sense aren’t the Saudis proving that channels like al-Manar or even al-Mayadeen are having an impact, and that is why it is banning them from its own satellite operator like Arabsat?

Mousawi: Absolutely. I mean why would they silence them, why would they want to shut them up if they are not causing any disturbance for the Saudis? They are doing a lot of job, a very important job - al-Mayadeen, al-Manar, al-Alam, Press TV - all of these free media outlets that are not being dictated by the authorities, by certain authoritarian regimes and dictatorships, they do not want them to come and bring their messages but I can assure you there are alternatives and I believe with the advancement of the Iranian technology, with the advancement of the front and the Axis of the Resistance, alternatives are going to be secured and insured and people will always communicate and will come together around the [right causes and right issues] of the Ummah in Palestine, in Iraq, in Syria and in Yemen.

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