Riyadh, February 16: The Saudi-owned satellite television channel, al-Arabiya, has fired one of its high-profile anchors for wanting to discuss the impact of the Egyptian revolution on Saudi Arabia.
Hefez Al Mirazi was sacked after threatening to quit if he was not allowed to speak about the Kingdom’s political situation during the next episode of his program.
Mirazi questioned the Saudi media’s ability to do anything about King Abdullah or the Saudi government. He said if al-Arabiya let him do so, it would prove that it was an independent channel.
Al-Arabiya’s management, however, refused his request and fired him, instead. Mirazi says he has not yet been officially notified about his sacking. He found it out after his show was aired and rumors filled cyberspace.
Mirazi had been al-Jazeera’s correspondent in Washington before moving to al-Arabiya, where he presented the “Cairo Studio” program from the Egyptian capital.
——–Agencies