A top government official slammed the subversive role of the Qatari information policy.
“Bahrain has long been suffering from the Al Jazeera Satellite Channel ever since it was established twenty years ago”, said Information Affairs Minister Ali Mohammed Al-Romaihi.
In a statement to Bahrain TV, he said that the Qatari channel aired more than 900 reports and news, painting a negative image of Bahrain.
“The Qatari citizens who feel the brunt today due to the accusations targeting their country have to realize the daily accusations leveled against Bahrain over twenty years”, he said.
He said that the media has become part of the problem, fanning the flames of the crisis, rather than part of the solution, adding that the crisis with Qatar has been simmering long before the quartet decided to sever diplomatic relations with Doha.
“The history of the crisis with Qatar is rooted in the Doha-run media policies which paid no heed to kinship relations bonding the Arabian Gulf countries.
The ministry outlined the Qatari information policy which has been targeting Bahrain and interfering in its internal affairs blatantly – through its media arm-Al Jazeera channel.
“When Bahrain expressed displeasure at hosting outlaws and branding them as the opposition, Qatar claimed that Al Jazeera is an independent channel”, he said.
The minister said that Qatari people have nothing to do with his country’s subversive media role which does not represent the Qatari people.
He said that Qatari people did not benefit Aljazeera channel which was launched some twenty ago as an big media investment project and training centre.
“Qatari national barely make up 5 per cent of he overall Aljazeera personnel and most of them play a secondary role away from the limelight”, he said.
He said that Al Jazeera provides intensive media coverage for the smallest incident in the farthest country and turns it into a big sensational event while ignoring the tragic death of 13 children in a blaze which gutted a shopping mall in the vicinity of the channel.
He concluded by saying that the media policies, however subversive, will never succeed in sparking divisions and driving wedges between people, adding that Arabian Gulf nationals are keen on protecting the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
He said that the crisis would continue brewing as long as Qatar pays no heed to the steps taken against its subversive policies. He pointed out that Al Jazeera officials benefit the most from the simmering GCC crisis.

Source: BNA