Doha-based news channel under fire over doc-umentaryshowing how Facebook was used to target pro-democracy activists

Guardian
Ian Black

Bahrain has protested to its neighbour Qatar about a film produced by al-Jazeera, the Doha-based satellite TV channel, which highlights continuing anti-government protests by Bahraini Shias. Bahraini papers attacked "lies and slanders" in the 50-minute doc-umentary, which shows how Facebook was used to target pro-democracy activists – "unmasking Shia traitors" – and catalogues human rights abuses by the regime.

The film was shown on al-Jazeera English, not its sister Arabic channel, which has been attacked for pulling its punches in coverage of the unrest in Bahrain compared with its sympathetic approach to revolutions in Egypt, Tunisia and Syria.

Khamis al-Rumaihi, a pro-government Sunni MP, alleged a "hidden agenda" and accused al-Jazeera, owned by the emir of Qatar, of trying to foment unrest and undo the benefits of Bahrains national dialogue. Qatar, like the other members of the Gulf Co-operation Council, supported the Saudi-led Peninsular Shield military intervention in March, but unlike Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates did not send any troops.

Matar Matar, an al-Wifaq MP interviewed in the film and later jailed, was released from prison on Sunday pending his trial in a civilian court.

Until now the Bahraini government has been far more exercised by al-Alaam, the Iranian governments Arabic-language channel, which is widely watched by Bahraini Shias and makes no secret of its hostility to the Al Khalifa dynasty. Bahrain has also attacked al-Manar, the TV channel of Lebanons Hezbollah, for broadcasting propaganda.

Bahrains foreign minister, Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmad Al Khalifa, denied reports on Gulf websites that Bahrain was being urged by Saudi Arabia to sever diplomatic relations with Qatar. "Relations between Manama and Doha are larger and deeper than a negative television programme," he wrote on Twitter.