A lawmaker’s threat to wage jihad against the media in Parliament has evoked sharp reactions from liberal Members of Parliament (MPs) and journalists’ associations.
A lawmaker’s threat to wage jihad against the media in Parliament has evoked sharp reactions from liberal Members of Parliament (MPs) and journalists’ associations.MP from Parwan Abdul Satar Khawasi said in Parliament on June 16 that he would call for a jihad against the media for breaching rules of Islam and Afghan culture.
His attack seemed to echo Minister of Culture and Information Sayed Makhdoom Rahin who said some media were “broadcasting programmes that are against national and Islamic values” but he did not reveal names.
“Insulting tribal leaders and individuals in the media, broadcasting of programmes against national and Islamic values, naked pictures in some media publications – these are transgressions and a breach of law, which continue despite frequent warnings to the owners of the media,” he told Parliament.
He cautioned that “one day” people of this nation might rise up against freedom of expression.
Khawasi, the MP from Parwan, endorsed the culture and information minister’s pronouncements, and called for jihad.
Khawasi claimed there were tens of instances of anti-nationalism and cultural abuse. As an example he targeted programmes when “an Afghan son, Afghan daughter and Afghan woman are encouraged to dance on TV screens”. He thundered, “We will not let the vulgar media lead our country into a deviated path.”
Condemnation by Parliament
The call for jihad on the media was immediately condemned by parliamentarians.
Siawash Baktash, representative from Kabul, said, “If someone wants to do jihad the door of Parliament is open (which means he can leave Parliament and start jihad.) No one has prevented anyone from doing jihad.” In his opinion lawmakers should not misuse freedom of expression to “create negative sensitivities” or they should leave Parliament and join the Taleban who are fighting the government in the mountains.
He added, “If MPs say jihad against the current order is an obligation, the salary they are taking (as MPs) is illegal.”
MP from Faryab Naqibullah Fayeq also defending liberty and the media said the media publishes “reality” and “what the people need”. He pointed to the difficulties the media faces in performing their work. “Media people are harassed for publishing news reports; not just them but their families face harassment. No pressure is put on the media that fan tribal differences (internal differences) in Afghanistan.”
Uproar in Senate
Reactions in the National Assembly followed a day later. Dismissing Khawasi’s comments as “irresponsible”, Senator Nesar Ahmad Hares said, “The order (call for jihad) is made by a competent religious authority when religion is at risk. But now neither religion nor the Afghan people are at risk.”
Hedayatullah Rehayee, another senator, said he saw no reason to declare jihad on journalists.”How has Khawasi dared to call the generation that he is also from rogues? How is it that when the clergy is silent about the issues that are telecast on TV Khawasi calls for jihad?” he said.
Khawasi’s statements were the subject of much discussion on social network sites like Facebook with people both defending and attacking him.
Nai, which supports open media in Afghanistan, said the call for jihad was “tyrannical”. At a press conference, Tauhidi Seddiqullah, Nai’s advocacy manager, told Killid: “Jihad has a religious value, it should not be used as a tool. The more such statements there would be an increase in demands for censorship of the media. The government would itself censor and limit the freedom of the media, which would be anti-constitutional.”
He warned irresponsible statements like Khawasi’s that claim some media are anti-religion and nation could spark violence against journalists and the media.
Tauhidi said the minister of information and culture was trying to change two articles of the Law on Mass Media and continue the activities of the illegal Media Violations Investigation Commission (MVIC).
Meanwhile, the Afghanistan National Journalists Union (ANJU) issued a statement saying “no individual and group can take action against the media that is beyond the law”. It has blamed the minister of culture and information for “most of the problems related to media”. The union believes the minister has not let the important articles of media law be put in practice.
For the government, media freedom has been one of the most important achievements of the last 12 years.
Currently there are 55 TV stations, 170 radio stations, 1,500 publications, 9 news agencies and thousands of registered media organisations in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, Parliament has given the Information and Culture minister one month to rein in media that are abusing national culture and religion.
Journalists are worried by the MP’s call for jihad. One journalist who did not want to be named was speaking up for his fraternity when he said, “We journalists wherever we go are at risk. We face the violence. But tomorrow if we are beaten or killed the person who issued the fatwa of jihad will be responsible for the death.”
