Dig past the surface and explore the ongoing debate of how the Canadian Arab and Muslim populations are represented in mainstream media when OMNI Television presents the English broadcast premiere of Guilty Until Proven Innocent, a controversial documentary airing Sunday, July 17 at 9pm on OMNI.2.
Guilty Until Proven Innocent investigates how media coverage of conflicts in the Middle East can shape popular perception towards Arabs and Muslims in Western society, focusing on the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian dispute and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Through interviews with a variety of experts, Guilty Until Proven Innocent explores the roots of these conflicts, including the often-disputed area of death toll coverage and the issue of security certificates used to detain suspected terrorists. The documentary also looks into the story of Mahmoud Jaballah, an Egyptian religious teacher, who spent seven years behind bars in Canadian prisons for being an alleged terrorist.
“It is important to remain honest and transparent in today’s media landscape, and OMNI Television recognizes the value of fair and balanced coverage across all cultural boundaries,” commented Madeline Ziniak, National Vice President, OMNI Television. “Guilty Until Proven Innocent is a powerful depiction of what is at stake when those ethics are not adhered to.”
Produced in association with OMNI Television, Guilty Until Proven Innocent is executive produced and directed by Gaby Andraos. In 1995, Andraos directed his first documentary Hopes and Memories on the Lebanese immigrant experience in Canadaé
