WASHINGTON, DC / ACCESSWIRE / September 17, 2020 / MEMRI's extensive study Al-Jazeera Unmasked: Political Islam As A Media Arm Of The Qatari State, by Amb. Alberto M. Fernandez, published August 12, 2020, revealed that the channel serves the Qatari government and the Muslim Brotherhood.
This week, the U.S. Department of Justice ordered AJ+ - the digital media outlet owned by Al-Jazeera and based in the U.S. - to register as a foreign agent under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
The September 14 letter from the Department of Justice, which was obtained by The New York Times and other news organizations, said that AJ+ "engages in 'political activities' on behalf of Qatar's government" and added: "Journalism designed to influence American perceptions of a domestic policy issue or a foreign nation's activities or its leadership qualifies as 'political activities' under the statutory definition."
According to The New York Times, a spokesman for the Department of Justice had "declined to confirm the letter's existence but said, referring to the group responsible for enforcing the foreign agents law, 'FARA Unit's enforcement activities are based on following the facts where they lead and the applicable law.'"
The MEMRI study, which was based on MEMRI's 22-year unmatched database on the channel, examines Al-Jazeera's editorial slant and coverage over the past two decades years, looking at questions of editorial independence, at its coverage of global jihadi movements, of the U.S. and Israel, and at the issue of antisemitism on the channel.
Media can submit requests to receive the full report and index of primary sources by emailing media@memri.org.
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SOURCE: Middle East Media Research Institute
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https://www.accesswire.com/606628/US-Department-Of-Justice-Orders-AJ-To-Register-As-Foreign-Agent-For-Its-Political-Activities-On-Behalf-Of-Qatars-Government-On-August-12-MEMRI-Released-In-Depth-Study-Al-Jazeera-Unmasked-Political-Islam-As-A-Media-Arm-Of-The-Qatari-State
