Top Header Banner

Qatar

Al Sharq editor resigns after explicit photo published in Doha newspaper

  • Read 116 times
  • Comments::DISQUS_COMMENTS
One of Qatar’s most well-known and respected editors has resigned after his newspaper unintentionally published a sexually explicit photo alongside a story about henna tattoos.

Jaber Al Harmi, editor-in-chief of Al Sharq, announced his departure on Twitter yesterday afternoon, in response to a growing online furor about the photo, which appeared on page 29 of yesterday’s daily.

The article contained health warnings about the use of certain types of henna.

It was accompanied by a stock image that showed a woman’s palms decorated with henna designs illustrating various sexual positions from the ancient Indian sex manual Kama Sutra.

In an apology published on the front page of today’s Al Sharq, Al Harmi called the mistake “the worst” he’s seen in his 25-year journalism career. He continued:

“I take full responsibility in front of God before everything and in front of Qatar, the country and people…

This painful incident has shown us, how much the people of our society hold on to religion, values and ethics and that is something delightful.”

In response to the situation, Al Sharq has fired the journalist who published the photo.

Additionally, the journalist’s direct supervisor has been warned and fined part of his salary, and stricter editing measures are being implemented to ensure such mistakes do not happen again, the apology states.

Bindu

More in this category: « Qatar stores told to offer discounts on 400 items during Ramadan Qatar’s Souq Ahmed demolished to make way for new hotel »
Tweet