AIJAC lobbies on Hezbollah TV
THE Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) this week lobbied the federal Government to reconsider its decision to permit al-Manar to broadcast into Australia. AIJAC'S Mark Leibler and Dr Colin Rubenstein met with Communications Minister Senator Stephen Conroy.
AJN STAFF
THE Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) this week lobbied the federal Government to reconsider its decision to permit al-Manar to broadcast into Australia.
AIJAC’S Mark Leibler and Dr Colin Rubenstein met with Communications Minister Senator Stephen Conroy.
The pair informed Senator Conroy the decision to allow the station, which is run by Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah, to broadcast was problematic because the regulatory authority had relied on one week of programming to determine its ruling.
“We received a very sympathetic hearing and we are confident our concerns will be forwarded to the Australian Communications and Media Authority, and that the federal Government is open to having another look at the current regulations for terrorist-linked media in Australia,” Leibler told The AJN.
Their meeting echoed the request of shadow communications minister Senator Nick Minchin, who on Sunday called for the anti-terrorism broadcasting services standard to be reviewed.
“This case demonstrates that the anti-terrorism broadcasting standards appears to be far too narrow in its focus and applications,” Senator Minchin said. “I call on Senator Conroy to assure Australians that the Government, and its relevant agencies, will take all necessary steps to ensure that viewers are not exposed to content that in any way promotes radicalism, including terrorism.”
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