Egypt’s musicians guild has decided to expel any member who works with the Qatari-based al-Jazira television channel after it allegedly sullied Egypt's reputation, the government daily Al Akhbar said Thursday.
In a meeting late Wednesday, the guild decided that "any singer, musician, or composer working with Jazira will be struck from the list of the union, which will stop dealing with this person permanently," Al Akhbar reported.
Guild chairman Helmi Amin also warned "any singer, Egyptian or Arab, who is a guild member or benefits from a work permit or agreements between the guild and its colleagues in other countries, against working with the channel."
The guild will stop dealing with people who work with "this Zionist and dubious channel, which has no other goal than to harm the reputation of Egypt and the Arab world," Amin warned, according to the newspaper.
Arab and foreign singers must obtain a permit from the guild in order to perform in Egypt.
It was the second reprisal taken in Egypt in the last week against the satellite channel which broadcast interviews of people criticizing Egypt and President Hosni Mubarak for taking too soft a stand on Israel.
On Thursday, the Egyptian authorities deported the 30-year-old Syrian singer Majd al-Quassem, who is the brother of the channel's anchorman Faisal al-Quassem.
Earlier the same day, Egyptian Information Minister Safwat al-Sherif threatened to pull the plug on al-Jazira's operations in Egypt unless it stopped its attacks on Mubarak.
Sherif said he could forbid the channel from "having studios and correspondents in Egypt, and even ban this channel from broadcasting by satellite from Egypt."
Jezirah offers air time to opposition members in Arab countries.
Recently, several opposition commentators and Palestinian Islamists appeared on the channel accusing Egypt of helping orchestrate "too moderate" a stand against Israel at the October 21-22 Arab summit -- CAIRO (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
