Mazen Abdul Jawad, the divorced Saudi father of four who was arrested for appearing on Lebanese television describing his sexual exploits, has told Okaz newspaper his version of the controversial events, describing himself as “set up” and the victim of selective editing. According to Abdul Jawad, his involvement in LBC's “Red Lines” program, which has led to complaints against him by around 200 persons, first began a year ago when the presenter contacted him asking him to discuss sexual relations in a marital context on air. “I agreed, as I'd gone through a 16-year marriage,” Abdul Jawad said. “I thought it would be of help to people getting married in the future.” The resulting program, however, was not what Abdul Jawad expected to see. “The channel took only about five percent of the interview we did and got rid of the other 95.” Abdul Jawad also claims some of the scenes were misrepresented. “The director came to my apartment and looked around and asked me to talk,” he continued. “He pulled out some sex toys and asked me to hold them up to the camera as if I had them in my flat.” “I told a few stories, the sort of stories most young guys tell, and didn't know they were still filming. I only knew about it when I saw the episode.” Abdul Jawad is the father of four children, the oldest of whom is 14, and sees them at weekends and during school holidays since he divorced their mother four years ago. “You've no idea how upset the family was, particularly my brothers, relations and friends, some of whom were extremely angry with me and even thought I was drunk or that the people from the television channel had drugged me to make me talk in that awful way, and I've gone hoarse trying to explain the truth to them.” “The worst part was when my son saw my picture in a newspaper and came to me with the paper in his hand crying. He hugged me and said he was scared I would be put in prison.” Abdul Jawad added that all sorts of false suggestions had been circulating. “Rumors that my father has kicked me out of the house are untrue,” he said. “My father died 22 years ago and my mother is seventy now. If she found out what has happened she might have a heart attack.” Abdul Jawad said that he was assured by the program-makers from the beginning that he would have the right to approve the content of the recording to be shown. “The idea was that my face wouldn't appear on the screen, from near or far, as if I were someone else,” he said. “But they lied to me when they said they'd let me see and approve the film before showing it. I waited for several months and never heard from them so I just presumed they'd decided to cancel the episode.” He later found out that the program was going to be shown when his brother saw an advertisement on the television. “I tried calling the presenter and the director dozens of times to try and get them to stop the show, but they didn't answer my calls or messages once.” “I have asked my lawyer Ashraf Al-Sarraj to take the television channel to court to clear up all the facts of the case and get compensation for everything it has brought on me and my family.” The case was scheduled to be filed Sunday. As for the cases brought against him, Abdul Jawad said he had no specific knowledge of them, but had merely “heard about them”. “I don't blame the people who have made the complaints,” Abdul Jawad said, “as they are only going by what they saw and don't know how the channel went about it or about the large parts they left out.” Some 200 persons have made complaints against him based on the events of the program, including the display of sexually-related objects and images, and his explanation of how he, in his own words “went out on the pull.” “I made one mistake after another,” Abdul Jawad said. “I admit that, and I offer my apologies to everyone, and am ready to take the consequences. I am confident the facts will come out in my case against the television channel.” Abdul Jawad's lawyer Al-Sarraj said, however, that his client would have to prove his claims to him before he could represent him in court. “I've said I'll represent him if he can prove he was set up,” Al-Sarraj told Okaz. “Everyone is responsible for their words and deeds, and his open statements about sinful acts on satellite television angered society, and he must be prepared for punishment.” Al-Sarraj said that no charges had yet been made against Abdul Jawad, contrary to media reports, and that he had also received no summons from any judicial authority.
