Popular Arab TV Program Exposes the Real Al Qaeda

Fox News ^ | 9/2/2009 | Amy Kellogg

[markomalley]

The show is called "Death Making" in Arabic, hardly the way Al Qaeda probably wants itself described.

But that is how the powerful pan-Arabic satellite channel Al Arabiya casts the terror organization and its foot soldiers in its popular television program.

Hosted by female correspondent Rima Salha, the Dubai-based show is heading into its third year on Al Arabiya and aims to influence how the Arab world views Al Qaeda.

"As we know, there are lots of Muslims who are brainwashed so they believe in terrorism but there are also big sections of Muslims who sympathize with terrorists," says Salha. "We are targeting those people and trying to explain to them that terrorism is not a good thing."

It is a unique program that lets jihadists tell their stories, and then shows the results of their actions.

"It's not enough to tell you that Al Qaeda is a terrorist organization. You have to understand why, what it means, how everything works, and what the end goal is for them," Al Arabia's general manager Abdul Rahman al-Rashed explains.

[markomalley]

About time

[Buckeye McFrog]

pray for her safety

[kenavi]

Amen!

[Uncle Miltie]

"there are also big sections of Muslims who sympathize with terrorists," says Salha. "We are targeting those people and trying to explain to them that terrorism is not a good thing."

Gee, what is it about Islam that makes terrorism a good thing until well explained? Because Mohammed was a terrorist?

And why is it "About time"? Why not in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, or 2008? Were those bad years in which to recognize terrorism is a bad thing?

Just sayin'.

[Alas Babylon!]

Amen! From the story: For her work, Salha, who is Lebanese, gets death threats, including when Osama bin Laden's number two, Ayman al Zawahiri, singled the show and Al Arabiya out, by weaving video of both into one of his multi-media diatribes against mass media.

[G8 Diplomat]

Wow, good news!

There was a TV show in Saudi Arabia of all places called Tash wa Tash (I think) and one episode involved a “terrorism school” and its brainwashed graduates; the point was to denounce terrorism. Tash was a popular program but it was eventually cancelled.

[markomalley]

And why is it "About time"? Why not in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, or 2008? Were those bad years in which to recognize terrorism is a bad thing?

What do you think "about time" means?

[dervish]

Good first step.

Let me know when they let Israelis and Jews in.

[Pyro7480]

The woman in question:

[kenavi]

You are most kind!

[reagan_fanatic]

Wow! Arab women are absolutely stunning in their beauty.

[Steve Van Doorn]

WOW! She is great looking with no headdress!

She needs a ton of security and our support.

[Dajjal]

Despite the threats, Salah is undeterred. She goes to the jihadists, where they are: in refugee camps off limits even to security forces and to Iraq. She and her team convince subjects to talk to them. It's not easy, but some of these militants apparently think they stand to benefit from a bit of publicity.

She's interviewed the family of the late leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq Abu Musab al Zarqawi and Kamal Habib who was one of the organizers of the assassination of Egyptian president Anwar Sadat. Habib has since renounced violence and went on Salha's show critical of his old associate al Zawahiri's continued use of violence.

Kudos to her, and her staff.

[forkinsocket]

Tash Ma Tash is a Ramadan series that comes on every year. It’s on right now. It was only missing for one season.

Best series this year is Bab al 7ara as always & 3Albi Dalili, which is a series on Layla Murad, but dealing with Arab Jews in general. The actress kinda sucks & of course the only reason it’s acceptable to make this series about her is because she converted to Islam, & everyone refuses to see that she converted to get the Jew-haters off her back. People act like she suddenly came to believe in Islam. Please. Not saying that no one converts to Islam legitmately, but this is not the case here. But anyway, besides that, the series portrays Jewish Arab life positively. So all in all, it’s a humanizing & rehabilitating step that many are watching.

[G8 Diplomat]

Wow, nice. That sounds interesting. I hope the show does well.