A United Kingdom-based media organisation ‘OpenDemocracy’ has claimed responsibility for the suspension of Prophet TB Joshua’s popular YouTube Channel Emmanuel TV.
OpenDemocracy explained in an article how the American video-sharing site terminated Emmanuel TV “in response to our enquiries about TB Joshua’s controversial exorcisms”, published on their website titled, ‘YouTube closes African channel promoting televangelist’s violent conversion therapy’.
The LGBTIQ group alleged that Emmanuel TV posted at least seven clips showing “the charismatic Christian televangelist engaging in exorcism to ‘cure’ gay and lesbian congregants of their sexual orientation by casting out ‘the demon of homosexuality’.”
The writer, Kerry Cullinan however, acknowledged that after the Nigerian cleric’s prayers, the individuals concerned all testified that they no longer experienced same-sex attraction.
“YouTube’s Community Guidelines prohibit hate speech and we remove flagged videos and comments that violate these policies. In this case we have terminated the channel,” a YouTube spokesperson told OpenDemocracy after they reported Joshua to the social media giant.
OpenDemocracy, which describes itself as an “independent global media organisation” whose projects include championing “women’s and LGBTIQ voices”, also revealed they reported Joshua’s activities to Facebook and DSTV, which hosts Emmanuel TV on satellite in Africa.
Joshua’s Facebook Page, which has over 5.6 million followers, remains active although the company stated certain videos had been removed after openDemocracy’s queries.
Emmanuel TV had over 1,800,000 subscribers and 600,000,000 views on YouTube.
WITHIN NIGERIA recall that TB Joshua announced the suspension of Emmanuel TV on YouTube via his Twitter handle, stating that the suspension was based on “hate speech”.
According to him, the channel was suspended over a video said to contain hate speech.
“Emmanuel TV YouTube suspension: Our mission is to share the love of God with everyone – irrespective of race or religion – and we strongly oppose all forms of hate speech! We have had a long and fruitful relationship with YouTube and believe this decision was made in haste,” he tweeted.