Lebanese TV Host Shuts Down Disrespectful Islamic Guest

By Alison Lesley --
12 Mar 2015 --

Lebanese TV Host Rima Karaki went viral after shutting down a guest for making disrespectful, sexist comments during an interview.

Lebanese host Rima Karaki stopped her interview with Islamist scholar Sheikh Hani Al-Siba’i shortly after his insulting comments during their interview on Christians joining Islamic groups, such as ISIS. Hani Al-Seba’i was getting off topic, Karaki reminded him to stay on track.

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

The Lebanese TV host responded that she respected his opinion, but that there was limited time available for the interview.

The argument continued as Sheikh Hani Al-Siba’i interjected, “Are you done? Shut up so I can talk.”

Karaki asked him, “How can a respected sheikh like yourself tell a TV host to shut up?”

Al-Siba’i responded, “It’s beneath me to be interviewed by you. You are a woman who…” and then his microphone was cut. Karaki demanded mutual respect or the interview would be ended. She stopped the interview after that.

Rima Karaki is a Lebanese TV program designer, presenter, author, and university professor. She has over 10-years of experience in the industry, and is the co-host and producer of Personal Matters. The Sheikh Hani Al-Siba’i is the Director of London’s Al-Maqreze Centre for Historical Studies. He has made bold claims in his controversial past such as stating that “Anyone who is not a Muslim is a criminal.”

Karaki did not expect the video to go viral and attract so much attention. However she accepts it as a positive outcome in a society where female journalists struggle in comparison to their male colleagues.

“Some people think men have a birthright to exert control over women, but there are a lot of women now who are breaking this image and a lot of men who support this, although more so for women because we have a patriarchal society,” said Karaki. “I don’t feel like a hero, I feel like any man or woman with self-respect.”

Rima Karaki says she would have hated herself had she not responded the way she did. She told the Guardian in an interview “When he said shut up, it was no longer possible to shut up because I would be insulting myself and would lose everything.”