Saudi government-controlled television incites Jihad, violence against U.S.

According to a special report released on Thursday by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), three Saudi government-controlled television channels routinely air programs that feature "leading Saudi religious figures, professors, members of the royal family, government leaders and intellectuals." Rather than use their exposure to teach moderation and tolerance, however, these Saudis propagate ideas with consistent themes: "calls for the annihilation of Christians and Jews, rampant anti-Americanism and antisemitism, support for Jihad, incitement against U.S. troops in Iraq, and the coming Islamic conquest of the U.S."

This evidence indicates that the Saudi government continues to spread and encourage radical Islamic ideology; a fact that sharply contradicts analysis provided by the U.S. State Department in its recently released Patterns of Global Terrorism. For example, the State Department lauded Saudi efforts to crack down on terrorism: "On both the domestic and international fronts, Saudi Arabia initiated an ideological campaign against Islamist terrorist organizations, using its unique credentials as the custodian of Islam’s two holiest shrines. Senior Saudi Government and religious officials espouse a consistent message of moderation and tolerance, explaining that Islam and terrorism are incompatible."

At a minimum, the U.S. State Department needs to acknowledge what Steven Stalinsky notes in this report: "The Ministry of Culture and Information’s website indicates that it is responsible for the Kingdom’s television and radio broadcasting and publication of printed material, and one of its defined roles includes the undertaking of information campaigns for the Kingdom. Therefore, the Saudi royal family can end its support for Jihad programming at any time."