Alwaght- A prominent journalist was banned from his profession in Saudi Arabia after his remarks about the US president-elect Donald Trump was considered troubling.
The pro-government Jamal Khashoqji, the head of al-Arab TV channel was banned from publishing his statements and articles both online and in the printed media.
The Ray al-Youm news site said Khashoqji had also been banned from attending key conferences and gatherings that are covered by the mainstream media. Key TV stations have also been ordered to stop conducting interviews with the journalist.
Even news channels in other countries, including the Qatar-owned Al-Jazeera, have been warned against inviting the Saudi journalist to their programs.
The ban reportedly came after Khashoqji made a recent interview with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, where he said Saudi Arabia was deeply worried by the election of Trump as the US president. He said Trump’s harsh rhetoric against Muslims during his election campaign had alarmed the Saudi government.
The Saudi regime is known for its lack of tolerance for freedom of speech. Many activists have been jailed or handed down draconian sentences in the country for expressing their views on social media. However, Khashoqji’s case is a rare one involving a pro-government figure who has a long record of serving the kingdom in various media outlets.
