Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV got permission to broadcast in Australia. According to The Age, this is a great example of the lunacy of distinguishing between Hezbollah's so-called military and political wings.
Hezbollah, a militant Lebanese Muslim party, is banned in the United States as a terrorist organisation, but only its armed wing is proscribed in Australia. Its TV programs endorse suicide bombers, call for Israel’s annihilation, and refer to Jews as the offspring of pigs and apes.
Why is such disgusting programming being allowed to air down under? Because the Australia Communications and Media Authority only monitored Al-Manar for violations of narrow anti-terror laws. ACMA said in a statement:
The Anti-terrorism Standard prohibits the broadcast of programs which could reasonably be construed as directly recruiting a person to join, or participate in the activities of, a terrorist organisation or as soliciting funds for a terrorist organisation.
While the ACMA found references in some program content to a designated terrorist organisation (Hezbollah), there was no content that could reasonably be construed to directly recruit people to join or participate in the activities of Hezbollah, or to solicit funds for (or assist in the collection or provision of funds for) Hezbollah. As a consequence, no breach of the Anti-terrorism Standard was found.
What makes the Australian distinctions even more insane is that Hezbollah itself doesn't differentiate between its own "wings." Hezbollah's no. 2 man Naim Qassem told the LA Times:
"All political, social and jihad work is tied to the decisions of this leadership," he said. "The same leadership that directs the parliamentary and government work also leads jihad actions in the struggle against Israel."
Come to think of it, Top Gun boosted Navy and Air Force recruiting without directly soliciting viewers either.
