Banned TV program elicits angry response about PA TV censorship
“Viewers of the Palestinian [TV] comedy Homeland on a String waited for last Thursday’s episode… but the episode was not broadcast…. [The series’ creator] and star [Imad] Farajin publicized on his Facebook page… “Palestinian TV prohibited the episode on [Libya's] Gaddafi” … Responses to this statement [on Facebook] came one after another. Some spoke of the policy of suppression adopted by PA TV, about the range of freedoms which is being diminished instead of broadened, and some demanded [of Imad Farajin, creator and star of the program] to seek alternative satellite channels and to broadcast the episode on Facebook and YouTube. Some of the angry responses on the [program’s Facebook] page even read, ‘The people want to bring down PA TV and the PA TV administration.’
In an interview with Al-Hayat (i.e., the London-based Arabic language paper)… Farajin expressed fury over the ban on broadcasting the episode, especially since it had been filmed after the script had been shown to the PA TV administration and approved by the chairman of the Board of Directors of the PBC, Yasser Abd Rabbo....
Farajin revealed that the PA TV administration had used the interests of Palestinians in Libya as an excuse for banning the broadcast of the program. He said, ‘I am amazed at this illogical excuse. I told them that there are more than a million and a half Egyptians there, and yet the Egyptian channels are broadcasting satirical programs against Gaddafi. Likewise other Arab channels.’
He added: ‘An episode of a Palestinian satire on the subject of Gaddafi and the Libyan revolution will not cause the Libyan leader to lose any sleep, but the PA TV inspectors insisted on banning it.’
He said that a decision had been taken ‘to execute [the program]’ following the episode that dealt with the resignation of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, for political reasons, but he did not mention the source of the decision. … [The program] is greater than all of them [the political establishment] and it is impossible that we should agree to directives from anyone. Watch it on other satellite channels that do not contradict themselves, talking about giving broader freedom while at the same time they are the first to limit it.”
In an interview with Al-Hayat (i.e., the London-based Arabic language paper)… Farajin expressed fury over the ban on broadcasting the episode, especially since it had been filmed after the script had been shown to the PA TV administration and approved by the chairman of the Board of Directors of the PBC, Yasser Abd Rabbo....
Farajin revealed that the PA TV administration had used the interests of Palestinians in Libya as an excuse for banning the broadcast of the program. He said, ‘I am amazed at this illogical excuse. I told them that there are more than a million and a half Egyptians there, and yet the Egyptian channels are broadcasting satirical programs against Gaddafi. Likewise other Arab channels.’
He added: ‘An episode of a Palestinian satire on the subject of Gaddafi and the Libyan revolution will not cause the Libyan leader to lose any sleep, but the PA TV inspectors insisted on banning it.’
He said that a decision had been taken ‘to execute [the program]’ following the episode that dealt with the resignation of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, for political reasons, but he did not mention the source of the decision. … [The program] is greater than all of them [the political establishment] and it is impossible that we should agree to directives from anyone. Watch it on other satellite channels that do not contradict themselves, talking about giving broader freedom while at the same time they are the first to limit it.”