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Gulf Arab states have asked Netflix to remove “offensive content” on the streaming service, apparently targeting shows showing gays and lesbians.
The request was made in a joint statement issued on behalf of a committee of the Gulf Cooperation Council, saying the unspecified plans “contradict Islamic and social values and principles”.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also issued the statement through their respective governments. Together with Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar, they formed the six-nation committee.
While the statement did not elaborate, Saudi state television also aired a video of its interview with a woman identified as a “behavioral consultant” who described Netflix as an “official sponsor of homosexuality.”
It also showed footage of a cartoon featuring two women embracing, although the footage was blurred.
Saudi state television also aired a segment suggesting that the country may ban Netflix because the show is aimed at children.
Los Gatos, California-based Netflix did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The move comes after countries in the Muslim world banned public screenings of Disney’s latest animated film “Light Years” in June, showing two lesbian characters kissing in a moment.
Afterwards, the company’s Disney+ streaming service said its “available content should comply with local regulatory requirements in Gulf Arab countries.”
Many Muslims consider homosexuality to be sinful. In some parts of the Arab world, members of the LGBTQ community have been arrested and jailed. Some countries even maintain the death penalty.
The move also comes at a time when regional streaming services, including Shahid, operated by Saudi-owned MBC Group, are trying to eat into Netflix’s revenue.
The Saudi government is believed to have a controlling stake in MBC Group after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered a series of arrests in 2017 on corruption charges that concentrated his power in the kingdom.
Netflix previously had limited content in Saudi Arabia.
In 2019, activists slammed the streaming service for canceling an episode of comedian Hassan Minhaj’s “Patriot Act,” which criticized Prince Mohammed for killing and dismembering Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi, and the country’s involvement in the Yemen war.
Netflix said at the time that the series had been removed from the kingdom due to a legal request by authorities, not because of its content.
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