(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - This is the second attempt by the South African pay-TV service to launch three pornographic TV channels as a separate bouquet on its platform. TopTV's first porn attempt was denied by South Africa's broadcasting regulator Icasa a year ago.
"As an Islamic judicial body, the Muslim Judicial Council objects to TopTV's application and intention to introduce three 24-hour pornographic channels in South Africa," the MJC said.
"We thus fully support the call for a boycott made against TopTV, its advertising agents and sponsors. We further condemn TopTV for promoting destructive material in order to save itself from impending financial ruin," the MJC continued.
"As a community, we have a responsibility to protect our mothers, fathers, daughters and sons from destructive material which could inadvertently lead to them being the victims of society's failure to maintain the dignity, respect and honour of central figures in society, our women," the MJC added.
'Porn is counterproductive'
TopTV's proposed porn plan has already been met with opposition from groups such as Women and Men Against Child Abuse (WMACA), Doctors for Life and a national boycott of TopTV and its advertisers called by the Family Policy Institute (FPI).
The national boycott of TopTV, which has about 400 000 subscribers, is supported by the Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa, Assemblies of God of South Africa, the Baptist Union of South Africa, the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference, the Church of England in South Africa, the Dutch Reformed Church, the Full Gospel Church of South Africa, the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, the Evangelical Alliance of South Africa, and the Association of Vineyard Churches in South Africa.
In their statement the MJC added: "Women play a fundamental role in society; therefore the well-being of a woman is directly linked to the progress and cultivation of every member of that society.
"Pornography is counterproductive to values promoted in civilised democratic societies that promote the rights of child equality and preservation of the dignity of all members belonging to that society."
Deen TV, an Islamic TV channel on TopTV's bouquet, added their voice to the porn protest.
Deen TV is not in favour of an outright ban on TopTV, since it offers a platform for the channel, but Deen TV is against the possible introduction of a separate porn bouquet on TopTV.
"We have advised them that this is not where we want to be going. TopTV is an operation of its own that houses these channels and we have related to them that we do not support their decision to do so."
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