Jordan has summoned the Qatari ambassador to express anger at a broadcast by the popular Qatari-based TV channel al-Jazeera.

Foreign Minister Marwan Moasher told Ambassador Abdel Rahman bin Jassem that his country was "deeply offended" by the material shown.

This censorship is unacceptable for a country that seeks to be seen internationally as respecting freedom of expression

Reporters Without Borders

Jordan banned al-Jazeera from its territory on Wednesday after it aired a talk show in which speakers criticised King Abdullah's moderate policy on the Middle East.

The Jordanian media has savaged both the TV channel and the Qatari state, but al-Jazeera received strong support on Thursday from an international journalists' organisation.

"Once again Al-Jazeera has been silenced in the Arab world," said Robert Menard, head of the Paris-based organisation Reporters Without Borders (RSF), in a press release.

"This censorship is unacceptable for a country that seeks to be seen internationally as respecting freedom of expression."

The RSF general secretary urged Jordanian Information Minister Mohammad Adwan to restore the accreditation of al-Jazeera journalists working in Amman.

'Seeds of sedition'

The Jordanian foreign minister denied the issue was one of press freedom, a government source told the AFP news agency.

Mr Moasher accused al-Jazeera's programme of "willingly falsifying" the history of his country and its royal family.

Both Jordan and Qatar are US allies

Jordan's Senate added to the official condemnation, issuing a statement accusing the "destructive" al-Jazeera of seeking to "sow the seeds of sedition among the Arabs".

The Jordanian press has been attacking both al-Jazeera and the Qatari state over the programme.

"The leaders of Qatar and the staff of al-Jazeera TV are very mistaken if they believe that they can propagate their lies and provocation," said an article in al-Ray by its political editor.

Jordanian newspapers also ran stories on Thursday connecting al-Jazeera and Qatar with Israel.

One paper, al-Arab al-Yawm, also referred to Qatar's ties with the US, describing the peninsula as a "United States aircraft carrier".