Freedom of expressionDemocracy … not tolerance [Archives:2005/828/Opinion]
By Mohammed al-Qadhi
[email protected]
Yemen Times Staff
I remember once writing a column for The Yemen Times in 2002 under with the same headline as this article. I cannot really explain why all this hostility the government and the political regime has towards the press.
Our colleague Abdulkareem al-Khaiwani was put in jail for over seven months. Regardless whether we agree or disagree with what he writes, we do not find any justifications to the humiliations and harassments he went through since then.
He was badmouthed, beaten up and harassed in various ways. Other journalists faced harsh court sentences which actually showed this hostile attitude towards journalists and writers.
There have been over 100 violations registered against the journalists last year, making it a dark year for the media freedom. However, we started this year with a number of court verdicts against journalists, including imprisonment.
It's really crazy that journalists go to court because they criticize corrupt crooks who have been in office for ten of years without any accountability despite people complaints.
The political regime always shrugs its shoulders of pride that Yemen is becoming a model of democracy in the region. What is democracy for our officials? Is it something that exists in the clouds only? Democracy is not merely elections and parliament only that some Arab governments are using to decorate their already tarnished image.
Beware guys! Democracy means accountability, transparency and responsibility. Democracy flourishes when there is accountability. Accountability exists when there is free press and investigative journalism which matters because of its great contribution to good and democratic governance.
In a democratic society, journalism should play a watchdog role. That is, democracy means free press that should hold governments accountable by publishing information about matters of public interest even if such information reveals abuses or crimes perpetrated by the big guys in authority.
The government is mistaken when it thinks that such harsh and ruthless attacks against the media professional and democrats might threaten and silence them. Such hostility makes journalists feel they are doing the right job and that they are becoming influential enough to afflict the corrupt crooks and comfort the afflicted.
In fact, media has started hitting the nail on the head. What media needs now is enhancement of its professionalism and institutionalization which would make more and more powerful.
Now al-Khaiwani is back to his kids who missed him for seven months. Still, he is guilty if we take the law into consideration as he just received a presidential “gift” or “makramah”. The primary and appeals court verdicts indicted him and other seven writers and journalists.
We still remember that the President interfered in July 2002 to get the two journalists, Abdulraheem Mohsen who were jailed on charges of ” inciting sectarianism” released.
That is kind of him. But we do not need this kindness. We need our democratic rights to be respected. We do not need the rulers' tolerance, but the implementation of law and order. We need this to become an institutionalized culture we exercise and practice as a daily routine. This is because tolerance of the rulers is different from democratic rights ensured by the law and constitution. The first can be usurped; it is like a gift.
To drive the point home, we need to be equal before the law that should be respected and be made a terrace that cannot be surpassed by anyone despite his rank in the society. But, if things continue to run loose, we feel scared and concerned over the deterioration of the freedom of expression in the country.
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[archive-e:828-v:13-y:2005-d:2005-03-28-p:opinion]
