33.2 C
Delhi
Friday, July 11, 2025

Saudis warn Netflix for violating ‘Islamic values’

Date:

Share post:

Donate-GC-Razorpay

Riyadh: Gulf states have demanded Netflix remove all content deemed to violate “Islamic and societal values and principles”, Saudi media reported.

Recent material, including those made for children, contravened regulations, Saudi and Gulf Co-operation Council media watchdogs warned in a statement. It did not provide any further details, the BBC said.

Saudi state TV showed blurred clips from animated show “Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous”, in which two teenage girls confess they love each other and kiss.

Footage from the controversial French film “Cuties” also featured in the report by Al Ekhbariya TV, along with a caption accusing Netflix of using “cinematic cover for immoral messages that threaten the healthy upbringing of children”.

Another video on Al Ekhbariya’s website alleged that the streaming service was “promoting homosexuality by focusing excessively on homosexuals”.

“[Netflix] was contacted to remove this content, including content directed at children, and to ensure adherence to the laws,” the BBC quoted the joint statement from the Saudi General Commission for Audiovisual Media and the GCC Committee of Electronic Media Officials as saying.

Authorities would follow up on compliance with the directives, and “in the event that the infringing content continues to be broadcast, the necessary legal measures will be taken”, they warned.

There was no immediate response to the accusations from Netflix, the BBC added.

Although Sunni Muslim-ruled Saudi Arabia has no laws regarding sexual orientation or gender identity, sexual relations outside marriage, including homosexual sex, are strictly prohibited.

Under the country’s interpretation of Islamic law, consensual same-sex sexual conduct is punishable by death or flogging, depending on the perceived seriousness of the case.

In April, cinemas in Saudi Arabia did not screen the film “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” after Disney refused a request from Saudi authorities to cut what they called “LGBTQ references”.

And the animated film “Lightyear”, which featured a same-sex kiss, was reportedly banned in the kingdom and the UAE in June.

YouTube was accused last month by Saudi authorities of permitting “inappropriate adverts” that violated Islamic values.

Related articles

Confidence of New India Will Lead to Viksit Bharat: ‘Viksit Bharat: India @ 2047’ Author Aditya Pittie

Timely and meticulously researched, ‘Viksit Bharat: India @ 2047’, by author and thought leader, Aditya Pittie, provides a...

Voice of a Nation, Voice of the World: PM Modi’s Historic Addresses to Foreign Parliaments

An Unprecedented Journey of Words and WillIn the grand halls of parliaments across continents, where voices echo...

The Emerging Axis: Turkiye-Pakistan Bonhomie and Its Implications for India

The Ankara-Islamabad TangoIn the simmering July heat of Islamabad, the red carpet was rolled out for two...

SSI MantraM “Made in India” Surgical Robot Yatra Kicks Off India Tour, First Leg to Cover 1500 km Across Rajasthan

 ● In the first phase of the roadshow, SSI MantraM will cover key medical institutions across Jaipur, Jodhpur,...