More Good Publicity for Qatar & Al Jazeera

When seasoned television journalist Jo Burgin accepted a job at Al Jazeera, she was the most senior woman to work at the controversial Arabic station.

The Briton was promised Western-style working conditions in the Gulf and threw herself into her role as head of planning at the service's 24-hour English language channel.

It was launched in November 2006 with a host of big names including Sir David Frost and Rageh Omar lured from the BBC.

But today Miss Burgin, 49, told an employment tribunal that her Arab bosses had 'publicly humiliated' her and eventually sacked her for being a 'white, Christian, British female'.

Launching a £1million compensation claim for race, sex and religious discrimination, Miss Burgin said the station's deputy managing director Ibrahim Helal 'harboured anti-Western sentiment', could not relate to women and rolled his eyes whenever she spoke.

Previously an executive at ITN and Sky News, Miss Burgin told Central London Employment Tribunal that he shouted her down in meetings and ignored her in favour of her male deputies.

'It left me publicly humiliated, deeply hurt and professionally smeared to the extent that one year later I am still struggling to find suitable employment,' she said.

'There are no longer any women, let alone Western women, in senior management at the station.'

And while a blind eye was turned to Muslim couples working together at Al Jazeera, Miss Burgin claimed her relationship with director of news Steve Clark - who is now her husband - was given as the reason for her sacking in April last year.

Even though they were an item when Al Jazeera hired them, Miss Burgin claimed the policy was changed 'overnight' by the Arab station's chiefs.

She denied claims that she let her relationship interfere with their work, including interrupting important meetings to deliver Mr Clark his packed lunch.

In April 2005, Miss Burgin was among scores of British journalists who made the move to Doha, Qatar, where Al Jazeera is based.

She said when she was interviewed for the job she was promised the channel was committed to launching a service that was 'politically neutral and editorially autonomous', a rival to CNN and the BBC.

She said: 'I had worked diligently and successfully in broadcasting for 24 years. This was especially so at Al Jazeera where I nurtured and appointed editorial teams.

'However, I had never before encountered such inefficient, inconsistent and malicious management as that practised by the managing director and his deputy.'

She said of Mr Helal: 'Almost immediately I clashed with him. It was obvious to me Mr Helal harboured an anti-Western sentiment which he expected to be reflected in the channel's coverage.

'His approach was condescending and confrontational. Mr Helal would simply ignore me in my role as head of department and discuss matters with my male deputy or Arabic speaking men.

'Mr Helal would regularly shout over me at meetings and roll his eyeballs.'

As for the managing director, Briton Nigel Parsons, she claimed he drunkenly approached her at Doha's golf club after she was sacked and claimed: 'It wasn't me, I didn't want you to go.'

She also claimed Mr Parsons had told her husband that the station's Arab director, Wadah Khanfar, 'discriminates against Westerners'.

The station's human resources director Wendy Fagan had admitted that, 'she had been told to get rid of me', said Miss Burgin. But Miss Fagan had warned her not to complain.

'She said my employment was governed by Qatari law and that if I took legal action my salary would be frozen,' she said.

However, as her employment contract was with Al Jazeera's UK arm, she can sue in Britain.

Miss Burgin denied claims by Al Jazeera that her work was not up to scratch and said she had maintained excellent relationships with all her colleagues in the news department.

Earlier this year, the troubled English news channel was said to facing a 'serious staffing crisis' after scores of journalists either left or did not have their contracts renewed amid claims of a revolt over working conditions.

After she left, Miss Burgin's husband, who was director of news and programmes, did have his contract renewed but left the channel of his own accord several weeks ago.

Sam Neaman, for Al Jazeera, has suggested Miss Burgin's discrimination claim is 'north of £1million'.

Jonathan Cohen, for Miss Burgin, said no figure had been decided upon, but it was a 'high value' case because she had not yet secured a new job.

The hearing continues.