Media and the responsibility of its producers

Sheikh Omar Abdelkafy criticises programmes and channels that present superstition, fortune-telling and frivolity. He holds that those who make, present and sponsor such programmes are answerable before God and people, and he calls on viewers to leave them. ¹²³

The speaker says that fortune-tellers and practitioners of astrology now buy advertising with sums said to run into the millions, in order to mislead people (needs_source: the figure is not sourced in the recording). ⁴ He says that the word is a trust before God and before people, and he criticises those who spend their money on the forbidden without bearing its responsibility. ⁴ He says these channels should be shut because their presence is harmful, that Muslims should not engage with them, and that the world advances in research while the nation falls behind. ¹

He tells those who make, direct and present such programmes to fear God, since whatever leads to the forbidden is itself forbidden, and since nations advance while the Muslim nation falls behind. ² He says the buffoonery shown on screen has no connection with religion. He holds that a scholar may be frank like a surgeon, but may not mock people. ⁵ He calls on sponsors and presenters to fear God, since they will be asked about the money and about the trust of the media, and he says the media must not mock people. ⁶ He holds that honesty in the media is one of the gravest trusts, and that those who host programmes should invite people who protect nations and who do not stir up sects; he says they should unite rather than divide. ⁷

He praises channels that spread good speech and sound creed, and says that channels which spread what corrupts harm society and its values and faith. ⁸ He says that corruption through the media can take on the garb of religion and harm identity and children, and he gives the example of a telephone call-in trick that claims a man has no children. ⁹ He calls on those who run channels that broadcast superstition to fear God in their religion, their homeland, their children and the minds of the nation's young. ¹⁰

The speaker's view is that a Muslim's time is precious and must be spent on good, and that people should leave these channels unwatched and not call them. ³ He holds that such channels should not be in a Muslim home, that boycotting them is the strongest sermon, and that people call them rather than avoid them; he urges calling scholars instead. ¹¹ He holds that private family disputes should not be exposed to neighbours, the press or the state, and that a home's faults should remain covered. ¹² He criticises children who sit before the television for hours. He says that eye doctors hold that an hour before a screen equals eight hours of reading (needs_source: the figure is not sourced in the recording). ¹³

He dislikes bringing scholars onto satellite channels to argue in public, and says that scholarly disagreement belongs in scholarly gatherings. ¹⁴ He says God forbids insulting what others worship, so programmes that provoke such insult should not be held. ¹⁵