Unplugging Al-Manar

They are not even a dozen strong, but the Islamic activists (mostly Shiah women) who spoke up at Houston's IndyMedia website Friday morning say they are backed by principles found in the First Amendment to the Constitution of the USA, Article 19 of United Nations Declarations of Human Rights, and Islamic principles, "which call for the pursuit of knowledge throughout one's life and the dissemination of knowledge."

At the time their statement was posted Friday morning, the State Department had not yet announced its decision to place Hezbollah-backed television station Al-Manar on the terrorist watch list. But within hours, the decision had been announced and the Intelsat satellite company had stopped relaying the station's signal to USA audiences.

In anticipation of state-led censorship, the year-old association known as Texas Muslims for Islamic Change said they were "dismayed at this development and considers it to be part of the American government's assault on Constitutional rights."

A State Department spokesperson on Friday explained that "terrorist activity" by Hezbollah was linked to "incitement" by Al-Manar.

"The designation is to put Al-Manar Television on the terrorist exclusion list because of its incitement of terrorist activity. Our law says that the organization can be put on the list if it commits or incites to commit any terrorist activity, and that is what we've found them," said Richard Boucher. Journalists in the room were alert to the effects that such principles might have on Americans.

One journalist attempted a follow up question: "What about any Americans in this country that provide programming or things like that? Are..." The spokesperson interrupted, insisting that, for the time being, we should remain focused on foreigners, not legal principles.

"I don't know what the legal implications might be," said the spokesperson who had earlier begged journalists to bear with him while he looked up the exact State Department language concerning the Al-Manar decision: "Let me look it up because it is a legal matter and I want to get it right."

"I think this list, in particular, only has to do with the exclusion of aliens from the United States," said the spokesperon. "So whether there are other designations that might imply something for Americans, I don't know. I'm not aware of any restrictions at this point on finance or things like that."

The US Treasury could also further decide to include Al-Manar on its terrorism blacklist, freezing its assets and making any financial dealings with the channel illegal.

What about Americans who help to distribute Al-Manar in the USA?

"I've given you the criteria," said the spokesperson. "We will be examining people and activities to see whether they fall within that criteria."

Does the move by the State Department reflect undue influence by Israeli lobbyists? The spokesperson denied it by spinning Hezbollah's terror as an interference in Palestinian affairs. Palestinians, said the spokesperson, were trying to win peace by peaceful means.

"It's not a question of freedom of speech. It's a question of incitement to violence, and we don't see why, here or anywhere else, a terrorist organization should be allowed to spread its hatred and incitement through the television airwaves."

In Beirut, meanwhile, Al-Jazeera reports that 50 cable operators have cut signals from French TV5 in retaliation for France's decision last week to suspend Al-Manar's signal there. An analysis of the French initiative by New York Sun staff writer Eli Lake gives credit to former Soviet dissident Natan Sharansky for leading the campaign against Al-Manar. In America, too, says the report, Sharansky showed videotapes of Al-Manar clips to members of Congress.

Meanwhile, the satellite company, Intelsat, that quickly pulled the plug on Al-Manar's signal, is undergoing a stormy year of privatization. An Initial Public Offering has been delayed several times. In October, the company announced that it would sell itself to a coalition of venture capitalists operating out of Bermuda under the name Zeus.