By Ahmed Al-Jarallah
Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times

MOST Arab satellite channels practice brainwashing. They do not represent the ideology of a religious regime of believers, but rather an image of 'belonging to the past.' They also defend their existence amid revolutionary principles, which today affect the entire world.

The satellite channels must present hard and clear facts to their viewers and permit the audience to decide for themselves. These channels, however, have deviated from their main purpose by forcing their point of view in on their audience, thus denying them their right and freedom of choice. Psychologically the Arabs have been affected by what they are seeing. They are ashamed of the truth, deny weaknesses, have surrendered themselves to fate and do not intend to react in any manner.

Arab satellite channels have declared animosity against the Americans without giving any reason. As an audience, people are confused how to react to this phenomenon which only shows footage of American soldiers being killed, US military vehicles going up in flames, destruction of oil wells or water pipelines in Iraq.

This naïve reflection of hatred will neither affect the US plan nor the American existence in Iraq because these channels have no alternate solutions to offer. Do they look forward to the return of Saddam Hussein and his regime? Will this be in the interest of the Iraqi people?

These channels do not really care for the Iraqi people, because they have never talked about the freedom of the Iraqi people. They have also not shown mass graves in Iraq nor the number of people found buried inside them. The satellite channels have not spoken about suppression by the regime or the inability of people to protest without being assassinated or an ear or tongue being cut off.

It seems whoever is in charge of these channels is closing the door in the face of democracy. It does not matter how long this nonsense is transmitted to the viewers, it does not result in the Americans looking down on Arabs or hating them. Neither will the Americans quit Iraq leaving behind the Iraqis to their fate as they did in Somalia.

Should this come true, the Iraqi people won't be happy, but the satellite channels and some Arab regimes, which are afraid of ending up like Saddam Hussein, certainly will.