(MEE) A Saudi television channel apologized on Wednesday after a reality show in the strict Islamic kingdom featured a scene that critics denounced as “pornographic”.
Online users posted a purported clip from the Bedaya TV program, which appeared to show men dancing. One stood closely behind another, held the man’s hips, and appeared to mimic a sexual act.
فيديو..
.
.
لقطة غير أخلاقية على “#قناة_بداية” تثير غضب المغردين، مطالبين الجهات المعنية بمحاسبتهم .
.
.#لقطة_إباحية_بقناة_بداية
– pic.twitter.com/cJDegITwVn— أخبار السعودية (@SaudiNews50) January 3, 2017
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Social media users created an online storm over the scene from the show called Increase Your Credit.
With the hashtag “Pornographic scene on Bedaya channel”, they called for punishment of the “molester” and for the closure of the channel which was founded in 2005.
“A dirty scene and broadcast on a highly viewed channel,” wrote Twitter user @mkhawe15. “The Ministry of Information must immediately stop the channel.”
A post from @alamih42 said Bedaya had presented itself as an Islamic station “yet insults religion”.
TV station apologizes
Bedaya apologized on Twitter, saying mistakes can happen during live broadcasting.
“The act that took place by one of our contestants, an act which is not accepted by any logic, any religion, or moral values, was apologised for by the contestant,” the channel stated.
“The act was unintended by him, and he has repented to God.”
Bedaya added that the contestant had been disqualified and his act does “not represent the channel or its goals to spread values and morals”.
It said the Increase Your Credit show aims to promote a culture of earning and saving, while preparing youth for the job market.
On Wednesday afternoon Bedaya TV showed a live Quran reading from a mosque, and then a food show.
Saudi Arabia is founded on ultra-conservative Wahhabi thought and forbids mixing of the sexes in many public places.
But more than half of the kingdom’s citizens are under the age of 25 and there are pressures for social change despite the kingdom’s strict foundations.
This article (Saudi Arabia: ‘Gay Porn’ on TV Show Sparks Twitter Storm) by MEE and agencies originally appeared on MiddleEastEye.net and was used with permission. Anti-Media Radio airs weeknights at 11pm Eastern/8pm Pacific. If you spot a typo, email edits@theantimedia.org.