Rima Karaki tells London-based Sheikh Hani Al-Siba’i: ‘In this studio, I run the show,’ during tense exchange on al-Jadeed TV about Islamic State

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

A video has gone viral of a Lebanese television presenter who cut short an interview with a London-based Islamist scholar after he told her to “shut up”.

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Rima Karaki, a TV host and university professor, told the scholar: “In this studio, I run the show.” .



During the discussion about reports of Christians joining Islamic State (Isis), which aired on Al-Jadeed TV on 2 March, Sheikh Hani Al-Siba’i, an Egyptian scholar, told Karaki: “Are you done? Shut up so I can talk.”

The presenter responded by saying: “How can a respected sheikh like yourself tell a TV host to shut up?”



Siba’i then said: “It’s beneath me to be interviewed by you. You are a woman who ….” His microphone is then cut off.

Karaki stopped the interview after just three minutes, saying: “Just one second. Either there is mutual respect or the conversation is over.”



Lebanese TV Host Rima Karaki. Photograph: screengrab

The argument began when Karaki interrupted the scholar, who said Christians joining Isis was “nothing new” and was similar to people joining the “leftist revolutionary movement” in the 1970s, such as the Red Brigades in Italy and the Baader Meinhof group in Germany.

The host asked him to focus on the question instead of going on a historical tangent, and asked: “At present, what slogans are used to attract [Christians] to these groups?”



Siba’i said: “Listen, don’t cut me off. I will answer as I please,” adding: “I will not answer the way you like, because I’m here to to serve the idea in which I believe.”

Kiraki explained that there was limited time and said: “Please don’t get all worked up. We respect you and know you want to give a complete answer.”



Siba’i said: “You think you are so high and mighty?” To which Kiraki said: “Go on. But do not call me names.”

She added: “If we start discussing history, we won’t have enough time for our topic.”

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The video clip shared by MEMRI, a US-based Middle East media watchdog, has been viewed on YouTube more than 2.3m times since it was posted last week.