An article in the Saudi Gazette of June 21 titled “Saudi Suicide Bomber was a Comedian” reported that one of its on-air employees was martyred in a terror attack in Iraq: “Al-Majd channels acknowledged this week that Saudi suicide bomber Mohammed Shathaf Al-Shehri, who attacked the Al-Hamra Oasis Village compound in Riyadh on May 12, 2003, was a math teacher and a hired comedian for the television station.”

It further stated, “Just as the Ministry of Education was shocked to be informed that one of their own mathematics teachers was a suicide bomber and just as King Saud University was also shocked that one of its former students and associates was a suicide bomber, Al-Majd channel also is shocked that one of its freelance comedians was a suicide bomber.”

Responding to claims that Al-Majd is a “hatching ground for terrorists,” a statement by the network defending the channel’s integrity as reported in the Saudi Gazette explained: “The programs on the TV screen will speak out our innocence.”

Yet many influential Saudi religious figures frequently appear on the channel calling for jihad against the U.S. Saudi law professor Saleh bin Muhammad Al-Sultan was interviewed on March 6, 2005, discussing how Muslims should view the events in Iraq from the perspective of Islamic law and why it is correct “to wage jihad against the occupation.”

He added: “The U.S. itself admits it is occupying Iraq. If it is an occupier, the people of Iraq have an individual duty to fend off this occupier … Therefore, the jihad of the Iraqi people must target this occupier.”

On December 21, 2004, Saudi professor Abd Al-Aziz Al-Fawzan explained: “Jihad is an individual duty applying to the Iraqi people. They need to wage this jihad against this enemy until it leaves their country.”

The channel is incredibly anti-American. One of many examples includes Saudi professor Nasser Bin Suleiman Al-Omar, who appeared on a June 13 program.

Mr. Al-Omar, who runs a popular Islamic Web site, www.almoslim.net, discussed the approaching collapse of America, aided by the Muslim-American community: “America is collapsing from within … Islam is advancing according to a steady plan, to the point that tens of thousands of Muslims have joined the American army and Islam is the second largest religion in America. Today, America is defeated. I have no doubt, not even for a minute, that America is on its way to destruction.”

The Saudi Gazette of June 21 provided details about the programming of Al-Majd: “Saudi-owned and marketed to be an Islamic alternative to media broadcasting. The channels are very popular among religious Saudis and Arab Muslims. They appeal to many religious Muslims because they do not broadcast music or uncovered women.”

One Islamic program included an interview by Saudi cleric Saleh Al-Munajd on October 25, 2004. The sheik explained that globalization really meant converting the world to Islam: “It is our duty to globalize the world around Islam and call the world to join Islam: ‘You may warn the Mother of Cities and those around her.’ This means the entire world. This religion was sent to the entire world, globalization, in principle.”

Another religious program on Al-Majd included an interview with Saudi professor Walid Al-Shuzi from Al-Riyadh University on March 18. The sheik explained that Islam teaches Muslims that they have a religious duty to hate Jews and Christians: “Some people say that when you leave a mosque you must love the Jews and Christians … We are forbidden to attack them, but we have a duty to hate them, as is written in the Koran and the Sunna.”

Following last year’s tsunami, many notable Saudi religious figures appeared on Al-Majd with anti-Christian comments. Saudi Sheik Fawzan Al-Fawzan, who taught at the Saudi Supreme Court of Justice, said on December 31 that Allah’s destruction of these countries was timed to coincide with Christmas – a time of rampant fornication and perversion.

It should be noted that after NBC aired statements from his Al-Majd appearance, which were provided by MEMRI TV, the London Arabic daily Al-Hayat interviewed the director general of Al-Majd. He confessed that Mr. Al-Fawzan’s statement was “met with great displeasure in American circles.”

Following other channels already available in America, including Saudi TV 1 and 2, as well as Iqra TV, a January 26 article on Magnaquest.com reported that Al-Majd is in the process of trying to expand to America.

To view segments of Al-Majd TV, visit www.memritv.org.

Mr. Stalinsky is the executive director of the Middle East Media Research Institute.