France moves to ban al-Manar TV station in the EU

The French minister of culture and telecommunications Rino De Fiber said on Monday that Paris which had four month before banned the broadcasting of al-Manar TV programs has called for banning it in all countries of the European Union.

On the sideline of a meeting with his counterparts in Brussels, De Fiber commended the EU council discussions of this subject for the first time, considering that "the phase achieved today ( yesterday) is the political gear up of the EU 25 member states to prevent the existence of TV channels broadcasting racist statements in the European lands."

De Fiber noted that he had proposed "the EU to be provided with its special means to prevent violations made by such channels which after being banned in a EU member state ( France) is seeking to move into another member state to continue broadcasting its programs."

Replying to a question on the possibility of banning the broadcasting of the channel's programs, De Fiber said "yes, no member states refused the French proposal." The state council, the highest French administrative judicial commission, ordered four months ago halting the broadcasting of al-Manar programs which uses Satellite "Utilsat" Under the accusations it broadcasts anti-Semitic programs.