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Qatari PM jokes about throwing a party when AlJazeera is closed

Categories: Middle East & North Africa, Qatar, Freedom of Speech, Governance, International Relations, Media & Journalism, Politics

jane01 [1] is uneasy about the Qatari Prime Minister's recent “joke” about throwing a party when AlJazeera is closed down because of the headache it has caused him as Foreign Minister. She says that “…the closing down (or even reining in) of AlJazeera would be a travesty for freedom of the press, free speech and democratic values of the region. It would also be the biggest PR mistake that Qatar could make. It is currently known as progressive and principled. God knows what the world would think if it stifled one of the most important global journalistic institutions over a couple of barrels of oils and a few unhappy diplomats.”