Reports: Al-Manar Director General Resigns after Bahrain Apology Controversy
Abdullah Qassir, the director general of Hizbullah's al-Manar television, has submitted his resignation, media reports said on Wednesday, in the wake of the latest controversy over the TV network's “apology” to Bahrain.
“Qassir left for Iran after his resignation was accepted,” As Safir newspaper said in a terse report on its website.
Meanwhile, LBCI television said the man had submitted his resignation a week ago, adding that it was accepted on Wednesday and denying reports that he was “sacked” over his move.
On December 8, Qassir confirmed to LBCI that the Hizbullah-owned TV network had apologized to Bahrain over its coverage of the Shiite-led protests in the Gulf kingdom.
“The Lebanese Communication Group (parent company of al-Manar and al-Nour) has officially apologized to the Information Affairs Authority in the kingdom of Bahrain over its coverage of news related to the kingdom in the previous period,” Bahrain's state news agency BNA reported on Dec. 7.
“In its statement which was published and announced during the 90th general assembly of the Arab States Broadcasting Union's executive council … (LCG) extended its apology to the kingdom of Bahrain and stressed its commitment to objectivity in covering the news of Arab countries in the future,” BNA said.
The agency said Bahrain had submitted to the Arab League's general-secretariat a request to revoke LCG's membership in the ASBU, adding that the request was referred to the union's general assembly since it is the highest authority concerned with looking into the issue and ruling on it.
Hizbullah, however, has distanced itself from LCG's apology, describing the move as the delegation's “own evaluation” of things and noting that al-Manar's representatives did not consult with Hizbullah's leadership before making the decision.
"Our stance which supports the cause of the aggrieved Bahraini people has not changed at all and we consider that the injustice practiced by Bahrain's authorities against their people is still enormous and ongoing,” the party said in a statement.
Shiite-majority Bahrain has blacklisted Hizbullah and banned Bahraini opposition groups from having contact with the Lebanese party over allegations it was interfering in the kingdom's internal affairs.
The opposition, which is battling for democratization, insists that its political agenda is Bahraini and not linked to Iran or other Shiite sides.
Despite the March 2011 deadly crackdown on protests, Shiites continue to demonstrate in their villages, triggering frequent clashes with police. A total of 80 people have been killed since the protests erupted, according to the International Federation for Human Rights.
Hizbullah and its media outlets had voiced strong support for the protest movement in Bahrain and criticized the heavy-handed crackdown on the Arab Spring-inspired demonstrations.
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