The Gulf Arab states chaired by Saudi Arabia have demanded for popular streaming service, Netflix, to delete all content deemed to violate the “Islamic and societal values and principles” after the streaming giant released a new animation movie showing teenage girls kissing each other.
A statement which the Saudi and Gulf Co-operation Council media watchdogs had released on Wednesday, September 7, had warned that a just-released material by Netflix including the ones made for children, contravened regulations in their territory.
The announcement is coming after Saudi state TV displayed blurred clips from an animated show; Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, in which two teenage girls confessed their love to each other and shared a kiss.
Additionally, a clip from the controversial French film Cuties was also highlighted in the report by Al Ekhbariya TV, along with a caption criticizing Netflix for being a “cinematic cover for immoral messages that threaten the healthy upbringing of children.”
A video of a Saudi Arabian, heavily criticizing Netflix through Al Ekhbariya’s website has claimed that the streaming service was “promoting homosexuality by focusing excessively on homosexuals”.
Authorities would monitor for compliance with the directives, and “if the infringing content keeps on broadcasting, the necessary legal measures will be taken”, the cooperation council had warned.
In Saudi Arabia, sexual relations outside of the institution of marriage, including homosexual sex, are strictly prohibited and illegal. Under the country’s Islamic law interpretation, consensual gay sexual conduct is punishable by either death or flogging, depending on the perceived seriousness of the crime.
