Gulf countries demand Netflix remove content deemed ‘un-Islamic’

Gulf countries demand Netflix remove content deemed un Islamic

The Gulf countries have asked the Netflix streaming platform to remove from its catalog in the region content deemed “ contrary to Islamic and societal values “, without giving details, in a joint statement by the gendarmes of the telecommunications of Saudi Arabia and the five other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) published Tuesday, September 6. The American streaming giant has not yet reacted.

With our correspondent in Dubai, Nicolas Keraudren

The news was made public yesterday by the Saudi media regulator. Saudi Arabia and its five Gulf neighbors have asked Netflix to remove from its catalog in the region certain content deemed ” contrary to Islamic and societal values “. ” The necessary legal measures will be taken “, adds the press release, if this content continues to be broadcast by the American streaming giant, in particular “ those for children “.

The scenes where the offending films have not been specified. But to illustrate this request, a Saudi state media broadcast animated images, blurred and taken from the online video platform, appearing to show two young girls kissing.

In the Gulf, same-sex relationships are criminalized. Recently, a film containing a kissing scene between two women has also sparked controversy. The Media Regulatory Office in the United Arab Emirates then banned the screening of the animated film Buzz Lightning.

Read also : “Perfect strangers”, the Netflix box that shakes the Arab world

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