Critics of the Qatar-owned network often allege that it is the voice of the Muslim Brotherhood. Perhaps by hiring striking new anchors, there is an effort to change that perception.
Or perhaps Qatar’s support for the battle against the Syrian or Egyptian governments is more about geopolitics than ideology.
On the other hand, voices seen as supporting the ‘secular’ Syrian regime may be pushing in the opposite direction. Al Mayadeen, which is harshly critical of the Islamists forces fighting the Assad government, has introduced a veiled anchor, among a largely unveiled staff.
More reason to question the convenient leap that is often made between geopolitical support and piety or religiosity.
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As disclaimer, I’m not sure exactly when these anchors were hired as I haven’t been watching a lot of Al Jazeera Arabic lately, but I would say they are relatively new compared to previous faces. Maybe someone out there has more details on that.
