Pro-Muslim Brotherhood channels take bait, publish fabricated video of protests in Egypt

CAIRO - 27 September 2020: Being hungry for a political turmoil in Egypt, Qatari state-owned Al Jazeera and other pro-Muslim Brotherhood channels have forced themselves to abandon the fact-checking process and publish a video fabricated by a famous Egyptian firm of alleged protests in Giza, west of the capital.

The Muslim Brotherhood organization has been designated by the Egyptian state as terrorist since late in 2013, after the ousting of the group’s leader, Mohamed Morsi, only one year after he took post as president.

Fake protests were filmed by the United Company for Media Services led by Tamer Morsy, an Egyptian businessman and media producer, in a filming location. It was sent on purpose to these channels, known for hostile reporting against the Egyptian state, to test the degree of their professionalism.

TV presenters and public figures were shocked as Al Jazeera decided to publish the video as showing real protests without checking the source or treating the video with skepticism and citing unknown sources.

Khaled Salah, Editor-in-chief of the private newspaper and news website Youm7, brought down the curtain on these channels’ dream of chaotic protests in the country, as he revealed that the video, claimed to be of protests in Giza’s Nazlet El Semman village, is fabricated.

A special episode on Extra News channel has hosted Salah together with TV presenter Youssef Al Hosseini, to show how the video was made up to uncover the unprofessional attitude of Qatari and Turkish funded channels.

The video shows a number of youth filmed in the Media Production City in Giza, while receiving instructions from a film director, just before they started to chant slogans against the Egyptian state as part of a scene.

A single short video caused you to take your biggest slap, Salah said, addressing Al Jazeera, Mekameleen, Al Sharq and Rassd news outlets. You pay fabulous sums of money to spread lies and deceive people, he said, mocking them by saying: “Thank you for your cooperation.”

TV presenter Amr Adib called on Al Jazeera to publish an apology for publishing a fake video without verification. He also referred to a number of similar faults committed recently by the channel.

Earlier in September, Al Jazeera published a fake video claiming that dozens of people chanted against President Abdel Fattah El Sisi. AFP reported that that video is an old one and dated back to 2013, adding that the sound of the video was inserted. The fabricated video went viral on pro-Muslim Brotherhood trolls’ accounts on social media platforms and their channels.

 

 

During the special episode, Salah said that Youm7 has sent the 2013 video for Al Jazeera as a bait.

Egypt has been one of four Arab countries boycotting Qatar for many reasons including funding and sheltering terrorists and interfering in the Arab countries’ affairs.

Among a list of demands by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE and Egypt in order to return ties with Doha was a call to close Al Jazeera office and related channels for inciting violence and chaos in the region and the Arab world.