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Wed, Sept 01, 2010 | The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center

The Iranian series "The Christ," broadcast by Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV and the Lebanese Shi’ite channel NBN-TV, affiliated with the Amal movement (Picture from the Al-Manar TV website, August 13, 2010).

For the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV and the Shi’ite Amal NBN-TV broadcast “The Christ,” an Iranian-produced series rife with an anti-Christian anti-Semitic expressions. The Lebanese Christians protested the program’s airing and it was taken off the air

Overview

The series “The Christ” (Al-sayid al-masih in Arabic) was broadcast at the beginning of August 2010 in Lebanon both by Al-Manar TV, Hezbollah’s satellite channel, and the Shi’ite Lebanese channel NBN-TV, affiliated with the Amal movement and Nabih Berri. It was broadcast for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, a time when the rate of television viewing is particularly high in the Muslim world. It was also broadcast by the Iranian Arabic-language channel Al-Kawthar TV.

The Christian community in Lebanon strongly protested the program, and after broadcasting the first few episodes Al-Manar TV and NBN TV were forced to announce they were taking the series off the air. Despite the storm raised by the broadcasts in Lebanon, the Iranian channel Al-Kawthar TV continued airing it.

This is not the first time that Hezbollah has broadcast a blatantly anti-Semitic series for Ramadan. In November 2003 it broadcast the Syrian-produced series Al-Shatat (“Diaspora,” i.e., the exile of the Jewish people from their homeland), and from Lebanon it was distributed to many other countries. The series presented an anti-Semitic, pseudo-historical survey of the history of the Jewish people and Zionism, and included the anti-Semitic blood libel (i.e., that Jews baked the Passover matzo with the blood of Christian children).[1]

Al-Manar TV is very popular in the Arab world. Arab satellite companies (dominated by Egypt and Saudi Arabia) and others (European and Indonesian) provide the channel with technical services, allowing it to be received by many target audiences in the Middle East and throughout the world (including Muslim communities in the West). The United States and European countries recognized the negative influence Al-Manar TV’s hate propaganda and incitement programs had on their Muslim communities (the religious incitement in “The Christ” illustrates that well) and so far imposed limitations on its broadcasts. The limitations are ineffective and both Hezbollah and Hamas circumvent them.[2]

The subject matter of “The Christ”

Produced in Iran in 2008, the series tells the story of the life of Jesus. The plot of the story shows the Muslim point of view that he was a prophet, but not the most important one (that distinction is reserved for Muhammad). In addition, according to Islam, there is no foundation for the Holy Trinity.[3]
Examples follow of offensive elements (from the first two episodes, which were uploaded to YouTube):

1. In the first episode Satan appears before Jesus and tries to keep Him from fulfilling His mission as prophet. He tells Jesus that He is the son of God, but Jesus “passes the test” and does not accept what Satan says.

The figure of Jesus in the series (From Al-Kawthar TV)

2. In the same episode Jesus says “I am far less important than [others who] serve God” [which infers that Jesus has less stature than other prophets, especially Muhammad].

3. At the end of the first episode one of His disciples asks Him, “Shall we go catch fish?” and Jesus responds, “No, we’ll go hunt men.”

In addition to the offensive treatment of Jesus, in the first two episodes there are clear examples of anti-Semitism. The Jews are depicted as conspirators, liars, traitors, cowards, evil, ugly greedy and Satanic. The Jewish residents of Jerusalem are represented as crooked merchants. [Note: This analysis is based on the first two episodes of the series. It is reasonable to assume that later episodes, which deal with the betrayal of Jesus to the Romans, contain similar and more blatant examples of anti-Semitism]. For example:

Left: Jews in the series: A Jew informs on plotters againt the Roman authorities. Right: Jews in the series: Jews counterfeit coins to build the next Temple

Left: Jesus calls the Jewish priests "sons of snakes" several times (the snake is a familiar anti-Semitic motif). Right: A priest says the Israelites have sunk to the depths.

Left: The Jews are worried by Jesus' success, and one says, "This may destroy our profits." Right: Jesus again calls the Jews "sons of snakes."

Jesus to his disciples on the shore of the Sea of Galilee: "Among the Israelites are many devils who stir up terrible civil wars."

Broadcasts stopped in Lebanon following strong Christian protests

The first episodes of the series broadcast in Lebanon were perceived as insulting Christianity and led to strong protests by Christians. The Catholic Information Center said that the series contained “offensive deception.” The pastor of the Maronite Church in Byblos (Jbeil), Beshara Raii, called the series a sectarian civil war violating the National Pact[4] and the [principle of] living in cooperation (Dostor.org).

It was reported that following the protests, Lebanon’s general security apparatus, which is responsible for censorship, ordered Al-Manar TV and NBN-TV to stop broadcasting the series because if infuriated the country’s Christians (Nowlebanon.com and Al-Nahar, August 13, 2010). In response, on the same day the two channels said in a joint announcement that they had decided to stop broadcasting the series “in respect of some sensitivities and to avoid any attempt for negative exploitation.” However, they said, the series “reflects, with full honor and glorification, [Jesus’] life, picture, role, pain and sacrifices.”

Al-Manar TV and NBN-TV announce they are stopping the broadcasts (Al-Manar TV, August 13, 2010)

Despite the protests in Lebanon which led to ending the broadcasts, the Iranian Arabic-language channel Al-Kawthar TV continued airing the series. It even used its website to ask viewers what their opinion of it was. The responses posted praised it.

From the Arabic-language website of the Iranian Al-Kawthar TV; the surfers considered it an excellent series.


Notes:

[1] At the time the United States protested the program. Following the protest the Lebanese foreign minister defended Al-Manar TV’s right to broadcast it as “freedom of expression.” This time, when “freedom of expression” offended the Christians in Lebanon, the Lebanese took the series off the air.

[2] For further information see the August 18, 2010 article, “Hezbollah and Hamas Television”.

[3] Dostor.org.

[4] The National Pact was an unwritten agreement forged in Lebanon in 1943 among the various ethnic sects which divided positions of political power and determined the modus vivendi for the internal Lebanese arena and the principles of the country’s foreign policy.


6 Comments to “Hezbollah and Shia Lebanese TV Channels Broadcast Anti-Christian and Anti-Semitic Series”

  1. Hezbollah and Shia Lebanese TV Channels Broadcast Anti-Christian and Anti-Semitic Series #lebanon http://j.mp/9YV1CO

  2. avatar Elisabeth says:

    RT @CrethiPlethi: Hezbollah and Shia Lebanese TV Channels Broadcast Anti-Christian and Anti-Semitic Series #lebanon http://j.mp/9YV1CO

  3. avatar David says:

    Lol, this is not an anti-christ film at all… it is a simple film about the life of the prophet Jesus. On the picture, you can see ”The Christ” with the letter ”ain” that means ”peace be upon him”. Its a beatiful film about the life of Jesus, it have anything anti-christ, in contrairy…

  4. avatar David says:

    NOTHING IS ANTI-CHRISTIAN HERE, ITS ALL ABOUT A SIMPLE FILM OF THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET. IN THE PICTURE OF AL-MANAR, YOU CAN SEE ”THE CHRIST PEACE BE UPON HIM” WRITTED ON THE PHOTO. AL KAWTHAR IS A RELIGIOUS SHIITE CHANNEL THAT HAVE ANY LINKS WITH IRAN EVEN IF IT IS SHIITE. ITS A PEACEFUL SERIES, LIKE THE SIMPLE FILMS OF JESUS YOU SEE IN TV IN EASTER !
    ALMANAR AND NBN STOP TO DIFFUSE IT BECAUSE SOME CHRISTIANS WERE NOT ABLE TO ACCEPT IT BECAUSE OF THEIR DIFFERENT RELIGION.
    THAT SHOWS HOW HEZBOLLAH RESPECT THE PEOPLE OF LEBANON, RESPECT CHRISTIANS, AND DON’T THINK ONLY FOR THEIRSELF.

  5. @David

    Although I understand what you’re trying to explain, I do not agree with you on all points. Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV has a record of broadcasting anti-christian and anti-Jewish propaganda programs and this Iranian Christ series is more or less part of Hezbollah’s negative influence on Lebanon’s society.

    This said, I also don’t believe in Hezbollah’s respect for the people of Lebanon and the Lebanese Christians. If Hezbollah was in the position to overthrow the March 14 alliance and Hariri government they would do so and they would impose a shi’ite (Iranian-styled) government and society in Lebanon with all the limiting effects on the Lebanese Christians. If Hezbollah would respect their Christian neighbours, they would have not broadcast the Christ series in the first place. And they did not stop broadcasting the series voluntarily as you suggested, but only after the general security apparatus, which is responsible for media censorship, ordered Al-Manar TV and NBN-TV to stop broadcasting the series. Note also that the Tehran-based Iranian Arabic-language channel Al-Kawthar TV continued airing the series.

    The only reason Hezbollah stopped broadcasting the series was because they don’t have the majority and strenght to impose their will on Lebanese society (yet). They still have to take the fragile balance and reality of today’s Lebanese society into account.

    But I do agree with you that Muslims are entitled to have their own beliefs of who Jesus was based upon their religion (Islam). But I also want to point out that when you consider it legitimate to broadcast a series about Jesus Christ based upon this Islamic image of Christ, than it would also be legitimate to broadcast a series about the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) based upon the Christian image of Muhammad (anti-Christ, violent imposter). Usually, this is not accepted by Muslims as they consider such a portrayal of Muhammad (pbuh) blasphemy of the Prophet himself and it would spark disproportionate outrage in the Muslim world as we have seen with the Muhammad cartoons/Denmark case.

  6. avatar andrew says:

    @ crethi plethi

    you don’t even know what you’re talking about because you have obviously never been to Lebanon to see the political views and who “respects” who there. they aired the show not cause any controversy but to just show the life of Jesus (as). you’re fooled by what the media says about Hezbollah. They are in no place to take over the government and they were not even planning on taking it over. I also want to comment on one thing about the series. “2. In the same episode Jesus says “I am far less important than [others who] serve God” [which infers that Jesus has less stature than other prophets, especially Muhammad].” That is COMPLETELY wrong. How do they even know that they were comparing him to other prophets to begin with? He said “others who follow god”. I didn’t see prophet in there at all, so where do they begin to twist the words and say “less stature than other prophets, especially Muhammad (as)? We view Jesus (as) just as important as Muhammad (as). No profit is more important than the other, they are all viewed in equal importance and holiness.


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