Iraqi Kurds urge shutdown of two Arab TV channels

Al Jazeera TV and al Hadath TV networks face closure bids over anti-Kurdish content

ERBIL,— A group of lawyers and university professors in Erbil in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region have formally requested the closure of two Arabic television channels, Al Hadath and Al Jazeera, citing what they say is hostile coverage against the Kurdish people, Rojnews reported.

The group submitted their request to the Erbil Public Petition Office on Wednesday, arguing that the channels’ broadcasts promote Syrian Islamist armed groups and undermine Kurdish society.

Asso Hashim, speaking at a journalists’ conference in Erbil, said the channels “spread harmful content against the struggle of the Kurdish people and openly support Syria’s Sharaa Islamist armed groups aiming to destabilize Kurdish communities.”

Officials from the Public Petition Office confirmed that they have received the request and will review it according to legal procedures. Appropriate measures will be taken against the Arab channels if the allegations are substantiated.

“The two channels clearly support groups opposed to the Kurdish struggle and our martyrs,” the group added, emphasizing their responsibility to act against what they describe as hostile media.

The lawyers and academics also appeared before the Erbil court as part of their effort to raise awareness about the channels’ coverage.

Al Hadath TV and its sister channel Al Arabiya are Saudi Arabian Arabic-language satellite news channels. Their official headquarters and main broadcast operations are based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

In contrast, Al Jazeera is a Qatari Arabic-language satellite news channel, headquartered in Doha, Qatar, and is known for its wide-reaching international coverage and influence across the Arab world.

Political analyst, Henase Karim, speaking to iKurd News, sharply criticized Syrian government militias and the role of Arab media.

She said Syrian government Islamist forces have carried out brutal attacks against Kurds in Syria’s Kurdish regions, including mass killings of civilians, rape, arbitrary arrests, and the posting of abuse videos on social media.

She said the tactics mirror those used by the Islamic State in the past, arguing that most of fighters within Syrian government forces are former members of ISIS and al Qaeda.

Karim sharply criticized Arab satellite channels based in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, accusing them of deliberately ignoring what she described as crimes against humanity committed by Syrian government forces against the Kurds. She added that the channels instead praise these forces while echoing Damascus’ narrative.

“These networks spread the Syrian government’s lies, branding Kurds as terrorists while concealing shocking facts about massacres and systematic abuses,” she said, adding that the coverage focuses solely on what it calls jihadist ‘victories.’

Qatar, a small but wealthy Gulf state, hosts the political leadership of Hamas and has repeatedly been accused of supporting Islamist extremist groups, including Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood, and the Islamic State (IS).

Over the years, Qatar has reportedly provided financial backing to organizations such as Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. Its state-backed broadcaster, Al Jazeera, has also been criticized for giving a platform to clerics who have called for attacks against Americans, Europeans, and Israelis.

As a Salafi Muslim country, Qatar’s alleged ties to extremist groups have drawn scrutiny from governments and analysts worldwide, raising concerns about its role in regional conflicts.