Soon to be launched Elan: a magazine of contemporary Muslim culture, is on the lookout for talented journalists! Our start-up four-color glossy magazine is scheduled to launch Fall 2007, and we need a few good writers to work on short topical pieces 200-300 words) as well as longer, investigative features (2,000-3,000 words). The topics range from Music and Fashion to Media and Culture—all with an American Muslim focus.
Elan is dedicated to quality reporting on the current trends in the arts, business and contemporary Muslim lifestyle. We will also provide a public forum for the young professional community in print and on the web. Elan represents, embraces and commemorates the unique and distinct lifestyles of American Muslim, making Elsan a handbook for the chic Muslim. Our cosmopolitan publication is committed to incorporating all interpretations of Islam, realizing unity within our diversity.
For more information, please submit a resume and writing samples (pasted into the body of the e-mail---no attachments, please!) to: elan@elanthemag.com
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Friday, February 23, 2007
Jordanian group urges protections for journalists and free speech
Jordanian group calls for banning arrest of journalists
By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Friday, February 23, 2007
AMMAN: A Jordanian rights group urged Parliament Thursday to adopt "clear and frank" legislation banning the arrest or imprisonment of journalists. The appeal came in a report on the National Center for Human Rights (NCHR) Web site detailing the state of political, economic, social and environmental rights issues in Jordan in 2006. The NCHR "recommends the adoption of a clear and frank legislation that prohibits arrests or imprisonment in issues related to the press and publication," it said. The report also urged the government to scrap legislation allowing it to own shares in newspapers. "The government controls, through its funds, 60 percent of shares in Al-Rai newspaper, and 35 percent in Al-Dustour newspaper and interferes in their editorial policies," it said. The NCHR also called for legislation "guaranteeing the right to information" and pleaded for journalists on trial for perceived publication offenses to be heard by civil courts instead of the state security court. On Wednesday, journalists observed a one-hour work stoppage to protest a bill that would allow them to be jailed for publication offenses. Parliament later indefinitely postponed its deliberations on the bill until the government reinstates the Information Ministry, which was scrapped by royal decree in 2001. - AFP
By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Friday, February 23, 2007
AMMAN: A Jordanian rights group urged Parliament Thursday to adopt "clear and frank" legislation banning the arrest or imprisonment of journalists. The appeal came in a report on the National Center for Human Rights (NCHR) Web site detailing the state of political, economic, social and environmental rights issues in Jordan in 2006. The NCHR "recommends the adoption of a clear and frank legislation that prohibits arrests or imprisonment in issues related to the press and publication," it said. The report also urged the government to scrap legislation allowing it to own shares in newspapers. "The government controls, through its funds, 60 percent of shares in Al-Rai newspaper, and 35 percent in Al-Dustour newspaper and interferes in their editorial policies," it said. The NCHR also called for legislation "guaranteeing the right to information" and pleaded for journalists on trial for perceived publication offenses to be heard by civil courts instead of the state security court. On Wednesday, journalists observed a one-hour work stoppage to protest a bill that would allow them to be jailed for publication offenses. Parliament later indefinitely postponed its deliberations on the bill until the government reinstates the Information Ministry, which was scrapped by royal decree in 2001. - AFP
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Committee to Protect Journalists condemns arrest of blogger critical of Egypt
CPJ Condemns Blogger’s Conviction for Insulting Islam
Committee to Protect Journalists
330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001 USA
Phone: (212) 4651004
Fax: (212) 4659568 Web: www.cpj.org
E-Mail: media@cpj.org
http://www.cpj.org
Contact: Abi Wright
e-mail: info@cpj.org
Telephone: (212) 465-1004 x-105
EGYPT: CPJ Condemns Blogger’s Conviction for Insulting Islam, President Mubarak
New York, February 22, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists released the following statement in response to today’s conviction of Internet writer Abdel Karim Suleiman, who was found guilty of insulting Islam and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and sentenced to four years in prison by a court in Alexandria.
“With this verdict, Egypt has opened up a new front in its efforts to stifle media freedoms,” said CPJ Middle East Program Coordinator Joel Campagna. “It sets an alarming precedent for the criminalization of online expression and will surely have a debilitating effect on an all independent media in Egypt. Abdel Karim Suleiman should be released immediately.”
According to CPJ research, Internet writers and editors are the fastest growing segment of imprisoned journalists worldwide, with 49 behind bars as of December 2006. CPJ is a New York–based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit www.cpj.org.
Committee to Protect Journalists
330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001 USA
Phone: (212) 4651004
Fax: (212) 4659568 Web: www.cpj.org
E-Mail: media@cpj.org
http://www.cpj.org
Contact: Abi Wright
e-mail: info@cpj.org
Telephone: (212) 465-1004 x-105
EGYPT: CPJ Condemns Blogger’s Conviction for Insulting Islam, President Mubarak
New York, February 22, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists released the following statement in response to today’s conviction of Internet writer Abdel Karim Suleiman, who was found guilty of insulting Islam and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and sentenced to four years in prison by a court in Alexandria.
“With this verdict, Egypt has opened up a new front in its efforts to stifle media freedoms,” said CPJ Middle East Program Coordinator Joel Campagna. “It sets an alarming precedent for the criminalization of online expression and will surely have a debilitating effect on an all independent media in Egypt. Abdel Karim Suleiman should be released immediately.”
According to CPJ research, Internet writers and editors are the fastest growing segment of imprisoned journalists worldwide, with 49 behind bars as of December 2006. CPJ is a New York–based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit www.cpj.org.
Egypt blogger jailed for "insult"
Egypt blogger jailed for 'insult'
BBC News Feb. 22, 2007
An Egyptian court has sentenced a blogger to four years' prison for insulting Islam and the president.
Abdel Kareem Soliman's trial was the first time that a blogger had been prosecuted in Egypt.
He had used his web log to criticise the country's top Islamic institution, al-Azhar university and President Hosni Mubarak, whom he called a dictator.
A human rights group called the verdict "very tough" and a "strong message" to Egypt's thousands of bloggers.
Soliman, 22, was tried in his native city of Alexandria. He blogs under the name Kareem Amer.
A former student at al-Azhar, he called the institution "the university of terrorism" and accused it of suppressing free thought.
The university expelled him in 2006 and pressed prosecutors to put him on trial.
'Slap in the face'
During the five-minute court session the judge said Soliman was guilty and would serve three years for insulting Islam and inciting sedition, and one year for insulting Mr Mubarak.
Egypt arrested a number of bloggers who had been critical of the government during 2006, but they were all subsequently freed.
Hafiz Abou Saada of the Egyptian Human Rights Organisation called the sentence "a strong message to all bloggers who are put under strong surveillance".
The UK-based organisation Amnesty International said the ruling was "yet another slap in the face of freedom for expression in Egypt".
Fellow blogger Amr Gharbeia told the BBC it would not stop Egyptian bloggers from expressing opinions as "it is very difficult to control the blogosphere".
There have been no reported comments on the sentence from the Egyptian authorities.
BBC News Feb. 22, 2007
An Egyptian court has sentenced a blogger to four years' prison for insulting Islam and the president.
Abdel Kareem Soliman's trial was the first time that a blogger had been prosecuted in Egypt.
He had used his web log to criticise the country's top Islamic institution, al-Azhar university and President Hosni Mubarak, whom he called a dictator.
A human rights group called the verdict "very tough" and a "strong message" to Egypt's thousands of bloggers.
Soliman, 22, was tried in his native city of Alexandria. He blogs under the name Kareem Amer.
A former student at al-Azhar, he called the institution "the university of terrorism" and accused it of suppressing free thought.
The university expelled him in 2006 and pressed prosecutors to put him on trial.
'Slap in the face'
During the five-minute court session the judge said Soliman was guilty and would serve three years for insulting Islam and inciting sedition, and one year for insulting Mr Mubarak.
Egypt arrested a number of bloggers who had been critical of the government during 2006, but they were all subsequently freed.
Hafiz Abou Saada of the Egyptian Human Rights Organisation called the sentence "a strong message to all bloggers who are put under strong surveillance".
The UK-based organisation Amnesty International said the ruling was "yet another slap in the face of freedom for expression in Egypt".
Fellow blogger Amr Gharbeia told the BBC it would not stop Egyptian bloggers from expressing opinions as "it is very difficult to control the blogosphere".
There have been no reported comments on the sentence from the Egyptian authorities.
CAIR Video contest to promote understanding: deadline April 15, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CAIR ANNOUNCES $10K VIDEO CONTEST TO PROMOTE MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING
Two $5,000 prizes to be awarded for 'Let the Conversation Begin' digital videos(WASHINGTON, D.C., 2/22/2007) - A prominent national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group today announced an online digital video contest designed to help promote mutual understanding between Muslims and people of other faiths in America and worldwide.
The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said it will offer two $5,000 prizes for videos up to one minute long that are the most effective in promoting interfaith understanding and communicating the contest theme of "Let the Conversation Begin." (The videos are limited to one minute in length because they may be used as television public service announcements.)"Our video contest theme is a reflection both of CAIR's mission and of our belief that people of all faiths in America and around the world must begin talking to each other to help build trust and respect for differences," said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad. He added that the contest is also designed to identify and recognize talented video producers in the American Muslim community.
Awad said one prize will be awarded to a member of America's Islamic community whose video is deemed most effective at promoting mutual understanding between American Muslims and people of other faiths. The other prize will be awarded to a person of any faith, anywhere in the world, whose video is most effective at promoting mutual understanding between the Islamic World and America.
Video submissions will be accepted between February 23 and April 15, 2007. Audio (if any) must be in English or with English sub-titles, and the videos must be submitted in .avi, .mov, or .mpg using .zip format.All CAIR video contest submissions will be evaluated for originality and creativity, production quality and effectiveness in promoting mutual understanding. Winners will also have their videos posted on www.YouTube.com and on www.cair.com.
SEE: CAIR 'Let the Conversation Begin' Video Contest RulesCAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 32 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
- END -
CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Rabiah Ahmed, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441, E-Mail: rahmed@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com
-----
CAIRCouncil on American-Islamic Relations453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.Washington, D.C. 20003Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726Fax: 202-488-0833E-mail: info@cair.comURL: http://www.cair.com
CAIR ANNOUNCES $10K VIDEO CONTEST TO PROMOTE MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING
Two $5,000 prizes to be awarded for 'Let the Conversation Begin' digital videos(WASHINGTON, D.C., 2/22/2007) - A prominent national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group today announced an online digital video contest designed to help promote mutual understanding between Muslims and people of other faiths in America and worldwide.
The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said it will offer two $5,000 prizes for videos up to one minute long that are the most effective in promoting interfaith understanding and communicating the contest theme of "Let the Conversation Begin." (The videos are limited to one minute in length because they may be used as television public service announcements.)"Our video contest theme is a reflection both of CAIR's mission and of our belief that people of all faiths in America and around the world must begin talking to each other to help build trust and respect for differences," said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad. He added that the contest is also designed to identify and recognize talented video producers in the American Muslim community.
Awad said one prize will be awarded to a member of America's Islamic community whose video is deemed most effective at promoting mutual understanding between American Muslims and people of other faiths. The other prize will be awarded to a person of any faith, anywhere in the world, whose video is most effective at promoting mutual understanding between the Islamic World and America.
Video submissions will be accepted between February 23 and April 15, 2007. Audio (if any) must be in English or with English sub-titles, and the videos must be submitted in .avi, .mov, or .mpg using .zip format.All CAIR video contest submissions will be evaluated for originality and creativity, production quality and effectiveness in promoting mutual understanding. Winners will also have their videos posted on www.YouTube.com and on www.cair.com.
SEE: CAIR 'Let the Conversation Begin' Video Contest RulesCAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 32 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
- END -
CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Rabiah Ahmed, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441, E-Mail: rahmed@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com
-----
CAIRCouncil on American-Islamic Relations453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.Washington, D.C. 20003Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726Fax: 202-488-0833E-mail: info@cair.comURL: http://www.cair.com
Monday, February 12, 2007
ADC 2007 Shaheen Mass Communications Scholarship applications open
2007 Jack G. Shaheen Mass Communications Scholarship
Purpose: To recognize Arab-American students who excel in Media Studies. Amount: $1000 Eligibility: Juniors, Seniors, or Graduate Students. Must be attending college in the 2007-08 academic year. Must be majoring in Mass Communications, Journalism, Radio, Television, and/or Film. Must have at least a 3.0 GPA and be a U.S. citizen of Arab heritage Applicants should send the following to the ADC Research Institute: A one-page statement stating that you are a US citizen, explaining your goals and why you merit the scholarship. Copies of articles, videos, films, etc. Official academic transcripts including your GPA. Two letters of recommendation from Mass Communications professors. Permanent home address, phone number, email address; also address, phone number, and email address during the school year. Deadline: April 12, 2007 Awards will be announced and presented during ADC's Annual Convention in Washington, DC. Send materials to: Attn: Nawar Shora ADC Research Institute (ADCRI) 1732 Wisconsin Ave, NW Washington, DC 20007 Tel: 202-244-2990 Fax: 202-244-7968
To donate or become a member of ADC click here:
https://www.adc.org/membership/
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination CommitteeOrganizing Department1732 Wisconsin Ave NW.Washington, DC. 20007, U.S.A.Tel: (202) 244-2990
E-mail: organizing@adc.org
Web : http://www.adc.org
Purpose: To recognize Arab-American students who excel in Media Studies. Amount: $1000 Eligibility: Juniors, Seniors, or Graduate Students. Must be attending college in the 2007-08 academic year. Must be majoring in Mass Communications, Journalism, Radio, Television, and/or Film. Must have at least a 3.0 GPA and be a U.S. citizen of Arab heritage Applicants should send the following to the ADC Research Institute: A one-page statement stating that you are a US citizen, explaining your goals and why you merit the scholarship. Copies of articles, videos, films, etc. Official academic transcripts including your GPA. Two letters of recommendation from Mass Communications professors. Permanent home address, phone number, email address; also address, phone number, and email address during the school year. Deadline: April 12, 2007 Awards will be announced and presented during ADC's Annual Convention in Washington, DC. Send materials to: Attn: Nawar Shora ADC Research Institute (ADCRI) 1732 Wisconsin Ave, NW Washington, DC 20007 Tel: 202-244-2990 Fax: 202-244-7968
To donate or become a member of ADC click here:
https://www.adc.org/membership/
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination CommitteeOrganizing Department1732 Wisconsin Ave NW.Washington, DC. 20007, U.S.A.Tel: (202) 244-2990
E-mail: organizing@adc.org
Web : http://www.adc.org
Saturday, February 03, 2007
CPJ: Journalists in Iraq still missing one year later
Iraq: Journalists still missing one year on
New York, February 2, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned that more than a year after Iraqi journalists Marwan Ghazal and Reem Zaeed were abducted by gunmen in Baghdad they remain missing.
“The plight of Marwan Ghazal and Reem Zaeed underscores the enormous dangers faced by all journalists covering this conflict, but especially those largely anonymous, local reporters who are most at risk,” CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon said. “Alive or dead they must not be forgotten. If they are still being held, Iraqi authorities should do everything to find them.”
Ghazal and Zaeed, who worked for the Iraqi satellite channel Al-Sumaria, were seized by several gunmen driving a blue Opel car outside the offices of the Iraqi Islamic Party in Baghdad’s Yarmouk district at midday on February 1, 2006, according to a family member of one of the journalists and a news editor at Al-Sumaria.
The abduction occurred when Zaeed went to pick up Ghazal from a press conference at which the Iraqi Islamic Party had accused Iraqi police and security forces of human rights abuses, according to a source at Al-Sumaria. Zaeed had been coming from her own assignment, reporting on a meeting at the Baghdad offices of the Red Crescent. CPJ sources said that the gunmen ordered Zaeed and Ghazal to get out of the car, assaulted one of Zaeed’s cameramen who resisted, and drove off with the two journalists.
Journalists from Al-Sumaria say there has been no news of Ghazal and Zaeed’s whereabouts and that their captors have made no effort to contact Al-Sumaria or the journalists’ families. They also expressed the concern of journalists that the authorities had failed to take action, noting that a description of the kidnappers and their vehicle was provided to the interior ministry.
Ghazal and Zaeed, both in their early 20s, had started out at Al-Sumaria less than five months before their abduction. Al-Sumaria is a privately-owned Iraqi Satellite TV Network established in 2004.
According to CPJ research, at least 43 journalists have been abducted since 2004. CPJ is investigating the circumstances behind the abductions of five other journalists seized in the last year to determine if their abduction was related to their work.
CPJ is a New York–based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit www.cpj.org.
New York, February 2, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned that more than a year after Iraqi journalists Marwan Ghazal and Reem Zaeed were abducted by gunmen in Baghdad they remain missing.
“The plight of Marwan Ghazal and Reem Zaeed underscores the enormous dangers faced by all journalists covering this conflict, but especially those largely anonymous, local reporters who are most at risk,” CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon said. “Alive or dead they must not be forgotten. If they are still being held, Iraqi authorities should do everything to find them.”
Ghazal and Zaeed, who worked for the Iraqi satellite channel Al-Sumaria, were seized by several gunmen driving a blue Opel car outside the offices of the Iraqi Islamic Party in Baghdad’s Yarmouk district at midday on February 1, 2006, according to a family member of one of the journalists and a news editor at Al-Sumaria.
The abduction occurred when Zaeed went to pick up Ghazal from a press conference at which the Iraqi Islamic Party had accused Iraqi police and security forces of human rights abuses, according to a source at Al-Sumaria. Zaeed had been coming from her own assignment, reporting on a meeting at the Baghdad offices of the Red Crescent. CPJ sources said that the gunmen ordered Zaeed and Ghazal to get out of the car, assaulted one of Zaeed’s cameramen who resisted, and drove off with the two journalists.
Journalists from Al-Sumaria say there has been no news of Ghazal and Zaeed’s whereabouts and that their captors have made no effort to contact Al-Sumaria or the journalists’ families. They also expressed the concern of journalists that the authorities had failed to take action, noting that a description of the kidnappers and their vehicle was provided to the interior ministry.
Ghazal and Zaeed, both in their early 20s, had started out at Al-Sumaria less than five months before their abduction. Al-Sumaria is a privately-owned Iraqi Satellite TV Network established in 2004.
According to CPJ research, at least 43 journalists have been abducted since 2004. CPJ is investigating the circumstances behind the abductions of five other journalists seized in the last year to determine if their abduction was related to their work.
CPJ is a New York–based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit www.cpj.org.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
JOB, UNIVERSITY:Dept Creative Writing Uni of California, Riverside
UC-RIVERSIDE - OPEN POSITION IN NONFICTION/FICTION
The department of Creative Writing at the University of California, Riverside, invites nominations and applications for a faculty member (rank open) in writing of the Middle East and/or the Islamic world and their diasporas. The succesful candidate will have published nonfiction, with additional expertise in fiction, screenwriting, or poetry desirable.
Additional expertise in new media, new media technologies and nontraditional ways of disseminating writing would be an advantage, as would prior professional experience in journalism. Successf ul applicants will demonstrate a commitment to continuing their professional writing and publishing activities and have a broad knowledge of applicable literatures. Teaching duties will include undergraduate and graduate courses and the mentoring of MFA students and supervision of their theses.
The candidate will be appointed to the faculty at the Riverside campus but will teach up to two courses per year in the MFA program at the Palm Desert Graduate Center. Starting date for the position is July 1, 2007. Review of applications will begin March 1, 2007 and position will remain open until filled. Prerequisites are prior academic teaching experience, and a record of scholarly and/or professional publication. Ph.D., MFA, MA in the relevant field or professional equivalent.
For more information, contact the department 1607 HMNSS Building Department of Creative Writing University of California, Riverside 900 University Avenue Riverside, CA 92521 Phone: (951) 827-3615 Fax: (951) 827-3619 Charles Whitney, Chair & Professor Office: 2612 HMNSS Building Phone: (951) 827-6076
E-mail: chuck.whitney at ucr.edu
http://www.creativewriting.ucr.edu/index.html
The department of Creative Writing at the University of California, Riverside, invites nominations and applications for a faculty member (rank open) in writing of the Middle East and/or the Islamic world and their diasporas. The succesful candidate will have published nonfiction, with additional expertise in fiction, screenwriting, or poetry desirable.
Additional expertise in new media, new media technologies and nontraditional ways of disseminating writing would be an advantage, as would prior professional experience in journalism. Successf ul applicants will demonstrate a commitment to continuing their professional writing and publishing activities and have a broad knowledge of applicable literatures. Teaching duties will include undergraduate and graduate courses and the mentoring of MFA students and supervision of their theses.
The candidate will be appointed to the faculty at the Riverside campus but will teach up to two courses per year in the MFA program at the Palm Desert Graduate Center. Starting date for the position is July 1, 2007. Review of applications will begin March 1, 2007 and position will remain open until filled. Prerequisites are prior academic teaching experience, and a record of scholarly and/or professional publication. Ph.D., MFA, MA in the relevant field or professional equivalent.
For more information, contact the department 1607 HMNSS Building Department of Creative Writing University of California, Riverside 900 University Avenue Riverside, CA 92521 Phone: (951) 827-3615 Fax: (951) 827-3619 Charles Whitney, Chair & Professor Office: 2612 HMNSS Building Phone: (951) 827-6076
E-mail: chuck.whitney at ucr.edu
http://www.creativewriting.ucr.edu/index.html
Friday, January 26, 2007
NAAJA urges release of Bilal Hussein, AP Photographer from US detention in Iraq
THE DETENTION OF AP PHOTOGRAPHER BILAL HUSSEIN
The U.S. military in Iraq has imprisoned Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein since April 12, 2006, accusing him of being a security threat but never filing charges or permitting a public hearing.
"We want the rule of law to prevail," says AP President and CEO Tom Curley. "He either needs to be charged or released. Indefinite detention is not acceptable." Military officials say that Hussein was being held for "imperative reasons of security" under United Nations resolutions. A Pentagon spokesman reiterated that stance Sept. 18.
Hussein is a 35-year-old Iraqi citizen and a native of Fallujah. AP executives said an internal review of his work did not find anything to indicate inappropriate contact with insurgents, and any evidence against him should be brought to the Iraqi criminal justice system. Hussein began working for the AP in September 2004. He photographed events in Fallujah and Ramadi until he was detained.Bilal Hussein is one of an estimated 14,000 people detained by the U.S. military worldwide -- 13,000 of them in Iraq. They are held in limbo where few are ever charged with a specific crime or given a chance before any court or tribunal to argue for their freedom.
In Hussein's case, Curley and other AP executives say, the military has not provided any concrete evidence to back up the vague allegations they have raised about him. More information is contained in the news stories and press materials at:
http://www.ap.org/response/response_092006a.html
NAAJA Statement Jan. 26, 2007
The National Arab American Journalists Association members have unanimously agreed to support a call for the release of Bilal Hussein. We support the position taken by the Associated Press in calling for Hussein's release and urge other journalism associations to join in this callf or his release.
On behalf of NAAJA by Ray Hanania
END
The U.S. military in Iraq has imprisoned Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein since April 12, 2006, accusing him of being a security threat but never filing charges or permitting a public hearing.
"We want the rule of law to prevail," says AP President and CEO Tom Curley. "He either needs to be charged or released. Indefinite detention is not acceptable." Military officials say that Hussein was being held for "imperative reasons of security" under United Nations resolutions. A Pentagon spokesman reiterated that stance Sept. 18.
Hussein is a 35-year-old Iraqi citizen and a native of Fallujah. AP executives said an internal review of his work did not find anything to indicate inappropriate contact with insurgents, and any evidence against him should be brought to the Iraqi criminal justice system. Hussein began working for the AP in September 2004. He photographed events in Fallujah and Ramadi until he was detained.Bilal Hussein is one of an estimated 14,000 people detained by the U.S. military worldwide -- 13,000 of them in Iraq. They are held in limbo where few are ever charged with a specific crime or given a chance before any court or tribunal to argue for their freedom.
In Hussein's case, Curley and other AP executives say, the military has not provided any concrete evidence to back up the vague allegations they have raised about him. More information is contained in the news stories and press materials at:
http://www.ap.org/response/response_092006a.html
NAAJA Statement Jan. 26, 2007
The National Arab American Journalists Association members have unanimously agreed to support a call for the release of Bilal Hussein. We support the position taken by the Associated Press in calling for Hussein's release and urge other journalism associations to join in this callf or his release.
On behalf of NAAJA by Ray Hanania
END
Friday, January 19, 2007
CPJ: Turkish Armenian Journalist Murdered
Committee to Protect Journalists
330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001 USA Phone: (212) 4651004 Fax: (212) 4659568 Web: www.cpj.org E-Mail: media@cpj.org
http://www.cpj.org Contact: Abi Wright e-mail: info@cpj.org Telephone: (212) 465-1004 x-105
Turkish-Armenian editor murdered in Istanbul
New York, January 19, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the murder today of a prominent Turkish-Armenian editor outside his newspaper’s offices in Istanbul. Hrant Dink, 52, managing editor of the bilingual Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos, was shot three times in the neck, according to the Turkish television channel NTV.
Dink had received numerous death threats from nationalist Turks who viewed his iconoclastic journalism, particularly on the mass killings of Armenians in the early 20th century, as an act of treachery. In a January 10 article in Agos, Dink said he had passed along a particularly threatening letter to Istanbul's Sisli district prosecutor, but no action had been taken.
“Through his journalism Hrant Dink sought to shed light on Turkey’s troubled past and create a better future for Turks and Armenians. This earned him many enemies, but he vowed to continue writing despite receiving many threats,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. “An assassin has now silenced one of Turkey’s most courageous voices. We are profoundly shocked and saddened by this crime, and send our deepest condolences to Hrant Dink's family, colleagues, and friends.”
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned Dink's death as an attack against Turkey's unity and promised to catch those responsible, according to international news reports. Police identified the assailant as a young man dressed in a white hat and a denim jacket, and they detained two people as part of their investigation, NTV reported.
“This murder must not go unpunished as have previous slayings of journalists,” said CPJ’s Simon. “We call on the Turkish authorities to do all in their power to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice swiftly.”
In the last 15 years, 18 other Turkish journalists have been killed for their work, many of them murdered, making it the eighth deadliest country in the world for journalists, CPJ research shows. The last killing was in 1999. More recently, journalists, academics, and others have been subjected to pervasive legal harassment for statements that allegedly insult the Turkish identity, CPJ research shows.
Dink, a Turkish citizen of Armenian descent, had been prosecuted several times in recent years—for writing about the mass killings of Armenians by Turks at the beginning of the 20th century, for criticizing lines in the Turkish national anthem that he considered discriminatory, and even for commenting publicly on the cases against him. His office had also been the target of protests.
In July 2006, Turkey’s High Court of Appeals upheld a six-month suspended prison sentence against Dink for violating Article 301 of the penal code in a case sparked by complaints from nationalist activists. His prosecution stemmed from a series of articles in early 2004 dealing with the collective memory of the Armenian massacres of 1915-17 under the Ottoman Empire.
Armenians call the killings the first genocide of the 20th century, a term that Turkey rejects.
Ironically, the pieces for which Dink was convicted had appealed to diaspora Armenians to let go of their anger against the Turks. The prosecution was sharply criticized by the European Union, which Turkey is seeking to join. Dink said he would take the case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, to clear his name.
Dink was one of dozens of writers who have been prosecuted in the past two years under controversial penal code provisions that criminalize statements deemed as insulting to the Turkish identity, particularly in regard to the Armenian killings, CPJ research shows. The local press freedom group Bia said at least 65 cases have been launched against journalists, writers and academics. The EU has urged Turkey to reform its laws to eliminate such prosecutions.
Dink edited Agos for all of the newspaper’s 11-year existence. Agos, the only Armenian newspaper in Turkey, had a circulation of just 6,000 but its political influence was vast. Dink regularly appeared on television to express his views.
In a February 2006 interview with CPJ, Dink said Turkish nationalists had targeted him for legal harassment. “The prosecutions are not a surprise for me. They want to teach me a lesson because I am Armenian. They try to keep me quiet.” Asked who “they” are, Dink replied, “the deep state in Turkey”.
He was referring not to the Islamist-based government of Prime Minister Erdogan, but to the secular nationalist forces supported by sections of the army, security forces, and parts of the justice and interior ministries. The nationalists, political heirs of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, still exert considerable influence in Turkey.
Dink said in the CPJ interview that he hoped his critical reporting would pave the way for peace between the two peoples. “I want to write and ask how we can change this historical conflict into peace,” he said.
In the interview, Dink said he did not think the tide had yet turned in favor of critical writers—“the situation in Turkey is tense”—but he believed that it ultimately would. “I believe in democracy and press freedom. I am determined to pursue the struggle.”
CPJ is a New York–based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit www.cpj.org.
330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001 USA Phone: (212) 4651004 Fax: (212) 4659568 Web: www.cpj.org E-Mail: media@cpj.org
http://www.cpj.org Contact: Abi Wright e-mail: info@cpj.org Telephone: (212) 465-1004 x-105
Turkish-Armenian editor murdered in Istanbul
New York, January 19, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the murder today of a prominent Turkish-Armenian editor outside his newspaper’s offices in Istanbul. Hrant Dink, 52, managing editor of the bilingual Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos, was shot three times in the neck, according to the Turkish television channel NTV.
Dink had received numerous death threats from nationalist Turks who viewed his iconoclastic journalism, particularly on the mass killings of Armenians in the early 20th century, as an act of treachery. In a January 10 article in Agos, Dink said he had passed along a particularly threatening letter to Istanbul's Sisli district prosecutor, but no action had been taken.
“Through his journalism Hrant Dink sought to shed light on Turkey’s troubled past and create a better future for Turks and Armenians. This earned him many enemies, but he vowed to continue writing despite receiving many threats,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. “An assassin has now silenced one of Turkey’s most courageous voices. We are profoundly shocked and saddened by this crime, and send our deepest condolences to Hrant Dink's family, colleagues, and friends.”
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned Dink's death as an attack against Turkey's unity and promised to catch those responsible, according to international news reports. Police identified the assailant as a young man dressed in a white hat and a denim jacket, and they detained two people as part of their investigation, NTV reported.
“This murder must not go unpunished as have previous slayings of journalists,” said CPJ’s Simon. “We call on the Turkish authorities to do all in their power to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice swiftly.”
In the last 15 years, 18 other Turkish journalists have been killed for their work, many of them murdered, making it the eighth deadliest country in the world for journalists, CPJ research shows. The last killing was in 1999. More recently, journalists, academics, and others have been subjected to pervasive legal harassment for statements that allegedly insult the Turkish identity, CPJ research shows.
Dink, a Turkish citizen of Armenian descent, had been prosecuted several times in recent years—for writing about the mass killings of Armenians by Turks at the beginning of the 20th century, for criticizing lines in the Turkish national anthem that he considered discriminatory, and even for commenting publicly on the cases against him. His office had also been the target of protests.
In July 2006, Turkey’s High Court of Appeals upheld a six-month suspended prison sentence against Dink for violating Article 301 of the penal code in a case sparked by complaints from nationalist activists. His prosecution stemmed from a series of articles in early 2004 dealing with the collective memory of the Armenian massacres of 1915-17 under the Ottoman Empire.
Armenians call the killings the first genocide of the 20th century, a term that Turkey rejects.
Ironically, the pieces for which Dink was convicted had appealed to diaspora Armenians to let go of their anger against the Turks. The prosecution was sharply criticized by the European Union, which Turkey is seeking to join. Dink said he would take the case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, to clear his name.
Dink was one of dozens of writers who have been prosecuted in the past two years under controversial penal code provisions that criminalize statements deemed as insulting to the Turkish identity, particularly in regard to the Armenian killings, CPJ research shows. The local press freedom group Bia said at least 65 cases have been launched against journalists, writers and academics. The EU has urged Turkey to reform its laws to eliminate such prosecutions.
Dink edited Agos for all of the newspaper’s 11-year existence. Agos, the only Armenian newspaper in Turkey, had a circulation of just 6,000 but its political influence was vast. Dink regularly appeared on television to express his views.
In a February 2006 interview with CPJ, Dink said Turkish nationalists had targeted him for legal harassment. “The prosecutions are not a surprise for me. They want to teach me a lesson because I am Armenian. They try to keep me quiet.” Asked who “they” are, Dink replied, “the deep state in Turkey”.
He was referring not to the Islamist-based government of Prime Minister Erdogan, but to the secular nationalist forces supported by sections of the army, security forces, and parts of the justice and interior ministries. The nationalists, political heirs of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, still exert considerable influence in Turkey.
Dink said in the CPJ interview that he hoped his critical reporting would pave the way for peace between the two peoples. “I want to write and ask how we can change this historical conflict into peace,” he said.
In the interview, Dink said he did not think the tide had yet turned in favor of critical writers—“the situation in Turkey is tense”—but he believed that it ultimately would. “I believe in democracy and press freedom. I am determined to pursue the struggle.”
CPJ is a New York–based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit www.cpj.org.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Muslim Writers Competition information Jan. 17, 2007
AN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION FOR MUSLIM WRITERS
The headquarter of celebration of esfahan (IRAN) is going to launch an international competition for Muslim writers with cooperation of child and teenage council and by participation of activists in child and teenage literature In the year of prophet by internet due to the attribution of thiscity as the capital city of culture in Islamic world by ISESCO.
Hence, we hereby invite all writers who are professional in child literature to present their works entitled by" MOHAMMAD PROPHET".
The purpose of this international competition is to encourage writers to create written works with great quality and to set up a basis to present their works in the realm of child and teenage literature.COPMPETITION CONDITIONS:
1-Title of competition: Holy prophet life (MOHAMMAD P.B.U.H), his characteristics and features, prophet and children and prophet's miracles
2-Each writer is allowed to send three stories.
3-Published and unpublished stories are acceptable.
4-Published works should have be written after January1st 2006
5-Story text should be presented and typed in the size of A4 paper.
6-Stories should be written for child and teenage interlocutors (between 6 to 15 years old).7-
Stories can be written in Persian, Arabic or English.8-There is no geographical and age limitation for participants.9-It is necessary to write: name of the writer, title of the story, complete postal address and telephone number at the beginning of each story.10-Volunteers must fill an application form carefully.11-The application form is available in www.icow-esfahan.comThe last legal time to send works is 04/02/2007Result proclaim date: 05/04/2007
COMPETITION GIFTS:Great gift: inscription, inlayed badge and $3000 for the best storySecond gift: inscription, inlayed badge and $1000Third gift: inscription, inlayed badge and $1000Persuasive gift: inscription, inlayed badge for 10 peopleFor more information call :( +98)9131082054
The headquarter of celebration of esfahan (IRAN) is going to launch an international competition for Muslim writers with cooperation of child and teenage council and by participation of activists in child and teenage literature In the year of prophet by internet due to the attribution of thiscity as the capital city of culture in Islamic world by ISESCO.
Hence, we hereby invite all writers who are professional in child literature to present their works entitled by" MOHAMMAD PROPHET".
The purpose of this international competition is to encourage writers to create written works with great quality and to set up a basis to present their works in the realm of child and teenage literature.COPMPETITION CONDITIONS:
1-Title of competition: Holy prophet life (MOHAMMAD P.B.U.H), his characteristics and features, prophet and children and prophet's miracles
2-Each writer is allowed to send three stories.
3-Published and unpublished stories are acceptable.
4-Published works should have be written after January1st 2006
5-Story text should be presented and typed in the size of A4 paper.
6-Stories should be written for child and teenage interlocutors (between 6 to 15 years old).7-
Stories can be written in Persian, Arabic or English.8-There is no geographical and age limitation for participants.9-It is necessary to write: name of the writer, title of the story, complete postal address and telephone number at the beginning of each story.10-Volunteers must fill an application form carefully.11-The application form is available in www.icow-esfahan.comThe last legal time to send works is 04/02/2007Result proclaim date: 05/04/2007
COMPETITION GIFTS:Great gift: inscription, inlayed badge and $3000 for the best storySecond gift: inscription, inlayed badge and $1000Third gift: inscription, inlayed badge and $1000Persuasive gift: inscription, inlayed badge for 10 peopleFor more information call :( +98)9131082054
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Reporters without Borders issues new report on risks facing Palestinian journalists
Palestinian journalists caught in the Gaza crossfire
Report of fact-finding visit
View article:
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=20262
Reporters Without Borders today released the report of a visit it made to Gaza and Israel from 4 to 7 December to investigate the disturbing situation of journalists working in the Gaza Strip, to meet with the authorities and to propose ways of improving the security of the media.
Palestinian and foreign journalists working in the Palestinian territories are exposed to two different kinds of threats, one from the Israeli army, which has been responsible for many acts of violence against the press since 2000, and more recently from the various Palestinian factions that do not hesitate to target media that criticise them.
The Gaza Strip has become the scene of especially violent inter-Palestinian clashes this year. The tension between Hamas, the ruling Islamic party that won the elections at the start of the year, and Fatah, President Mahmoud Abbas’ party, has led to a political stalemate that has paralysed Palestinian institutions. The split within the government has inevitably had repercussions on the street, and journalists are no longer safe.
Representatives of all the Palestinian factions and the Israeli army profess a desire to respect press freedom and the work of journalists, but the statistics belie their claims. This year alone, the Israeli army attacked or threatened 16 journalists and wrecked the premises of three news media, while Palestinian militants caused damage to seven news media by setting them on fire or smashing equipment, and attacked at least four journalists. Six foreign journalists have also been kidnapped by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Reporters Without Borders believes that the safety of journalists will never be taken seriously until the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli army decide to apply the law by bringing those responsible for crimes against journalists to justice. Systematic investigations must be carried out, the findings must be published and those found guilty must be punished.
Reporters Without Borders also proposes the creation of a distinctive sign so that journalists can be more easily identified. The organisation is normally opposed to the use of signs that could mark journalists out as targets. Identifying oneself as a journalist in Iraq or Afghanistan significantly increases the risks to which one is exposed. But in some cases it could provide additional protection in the Palestinian Territories, where journalists face a regular and professional army.
Reporters Without Borders therefore proposes to rapidly bring together Palestinian and Israeli journalists, politicians from both camps and Israeli military officials to discuss this question and find a solution that would reduce the risks to which journalists working in the Palestinian territories are exposed.
It is also vital that all Palestinian factions should quickly agree on a joint statement calling for both local and foreign journalists to be respected. The opening-up of the state-owned media - the news agency WAFA and the radio and TV broadcaster PBC - to all Palestinians regardless of their political affiliation are also essential conditions for improving press freedom.
Lastly, the creation of a regulatory body would help control the excesses of media used as propaganda outlets by certain factions. Professionalising the media and giving them a universally-recognised status would also help to combat the stigmatisation of journalists, who are often branded as “traitors to the nation” as soon as they try to stand back and put some distance between themselves and the political parties.
Entitled “Palestinian journalists caught in the Gaza crossfire,” the report is available on the Reporters Without Borders website (www.rsf.org).
Report of fact-finding visit
View article:
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=20262
Reporters Without Borders today released the report of a visit it made to Gaza and Israel from 4 to 7 December to investigate the disturbing situation of journalists working in the Gaza Strip, to meet with the authorities and to propose ways of improving the security of the media.
Palestinian and foreign journalists working in the Palestinian territories are exposed to two different kinds of threats, one from the Israeli army, which has been responsible for many acts of violence against the press since 2000, and more recently from the various Palestinian factions that do not hesitate to target media that criticise them.
The Gaza Strip has become the scene of especially violent inter-Palestinian clashes this year. The tension between Hamas, the ruling Islamic party that won the elections at the start of the year, and Fatah, President Mahmoud Abbas’ party, has led to a political stalemate that has paralysed Palestinian institutions. The split within the government has inevitably had repercussions on the street, and journalists are no longer safe.
Representatives of all the Palestinian factions and the Israeli army profess a desire to respect press freedom and the work of journalists, but the statistics belie their claims. This year alone, the Israeli army attacked or threatened 16 journalists and wrecked the premises of three news media, while Palestinian militants caused damage to seven news media by setting them on fire or smashing equipment, and attacked at least four journalists. Six foreign journalists have also been kidnapped by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Reporters Without Borders believes that the safety of journalists will never be taken seriously until the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli army decide to apply the law by bringing those responsible for crimes against journalists to justice. Systematic investigations must be carried out, the findings must be published and those found guilty must be punished.
Reporters Without Borders also proposes the creation of a distinctive sign so that journalists can be more easily identified. The organisation is normally opposed to the use of signs that could mark journalists out as targets. Identifying oneself as a journalist in Iraq or Afghanistan significantly increases the risks to which one is exposed. But in some cases it could provide additional protection in the Palestinian Territories, where journalists face a regular and professional army.
Reporters Without Borders therefore proposes to rapidly bring together Palestinian and Israeli journalists, politicians from both camps and Israeli military officials to discuss this question and find a solution that would reduce the risks to which journalists working in the Palestinian territories are exposed.
It is also vital that all Palestinian factions should quickly agree on a joint statement calling for both local and foreign journalists to be respected. The opening-up of the state-owned media - the news agency WAFA and the radio and TV broadcaster PBC - to all Palestinians regardless of their political affiliation are also essential conditions for improving press freedom.
Lastly, the creation of a regulatory body would help control the excesses of media used as propaganda outlets by certain factions. Professionalising the media and giving them a universally-recognised status would also help to combat the stigmatisation of journalists, who are often branded as “traitors to the nation” as soon as they try to stand back and put some distance between themselves and the political parties.
Entitled “Palestinian journalists caught in the Gaza crossfire,” the report is available on the Reporters Without Borders website (www.rsf.org).
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
CPJ: Sudanese journalists convicted for column on government perks
Committee to Protect Journalists
330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001 USA Phone: (212) 4651004 Fax: (212) 4659568 Web: www.cpj.org E-Mail: media@cpj.org
http://www.cpj.org
Contact: Joel Campagna e-mail: mideast@cpj.org Telephone: (212) 465-1004 x104
Sudanese journalists convicted for column on government perks
New York, December 27, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned by the criminal convictions on Tuesday of two Sudanese journalists in connection with a column critical of government perks.
A criminal court in the capital, Khartoum, ordered Zuhayr al-Sarraj, former columnist for the private daily Al-Sahafa, to pay a fine of 5 million Sudanese pounds (US$2,500) or spend one year in jail, according to the newspaper’s former editor, Noureddin Madani. Madani was also convicted in the case and ordered to pay a fine of 2 million Sudanese pounds (US$950) or spend six months in prison.
The two journalists were charged two years ago in connection with an al-Sarraj column criticizing perks that parliament and President Omar Bashir had approved for high-level government officials. The journalists were charged under the Sudanese criminal code and press law with slander and inaccurate editing, according to Sudanese journalists.
“It’s alarming that the Sudanese government treats journalists as criminals for scrutinizing official actions,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon said. “This spurious case speaks volumes about the government’s stance on press freedom.”
The Sudanese Council of Ministers initiated the charges, claiming that al-Sarraj had exaggerated in the column, “Dividing the Spoils.” Madani told CPJ that the government had never contacted the journalists to point out any errors.
“This verdict is meant to silence journalists,” Madani told CPJ. “Why does the government take a journalist to court? Does the government need money? Two million [Sudanese] pounds does not benefit the government; it is about pressuring journalists.”
Madani, is now deputy editor-in-chief of the Arabic language daily Al-Sudani, and al-Sarraj is a columnist for that paper. Both plan to appeal Tuesday’s verdict, Madani told CPJ.
Al-Sarraj still faces trial for a January 2006 column in Al-Sahafa, which criticized Bashir for failing to address the many problems facing the Sudanese people. He was arrested by Sudanese security forces and held for 60 hours at Kober jail in Khartoum on January 3 and later charged by the national security prosecutor with “insulting the president.” If convicted, al-Sarraj risks losing his license to practice journalism in Sudan.
Press freedom has been heavily curtailed in Sudan in recent months. On October 15, Abu Obeida Abdallah, a reporter for the pro-government daily Al-Rai al-Aam, was released after being held incommunicado without charge for more than two weeks by security forces. In September, several opposition and independent newspapers were seized or heavily censored, among them Rai al-Shaab, an opposition Arabic-language daily for the Popular National Congress party, and Al-Sudani.
CPJ is a New York–based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit www.cpj.org.
330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001 USA Phone: (212) 4651004 Fax: (212) 4659568 Web: www.cpj.org E-Mail: media@cpj.org
http://www.cpj.org
Contact: Joel Campagna e-mail: mideast@cpj.org Telephone: (212) 465-1004 x104
Sudanese journalists convicted for column on government perks
New York, December 27, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned by the criminal convictions on Tuesday of two Sudanese journalists in connection with a column critical of government perks.
A criminal court in the capital, Khartoum, ordered Zuhayr al-Sarraj, former columnist for the private daily Al-Sahafa, to pay a fine of 5 million Sudanese pounds (US$2,500) or spend one year in jail, according to the newspaper’s former editor, Noureddin Madani. Madani was also convicted in the case and ordered to pay a fine of 2 million Sudanese pounds (US$950) or spend six months in prison.
The two journalists were charged two years ago in connection with an al-Sarraj column criticizing perks that parliament and President Omar Bashir had approved for high-level government officials. The journalists were charged under the Sudanese criminal code and press law with slander and inaccurate editing, according to Sudanese journalists.
“It’s alarming that the Sudanese government treats journalists as criminals for scrutinizing official actions,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon said. “This spurious case speaks volumes about the government’s stance on press freedom.”
The Sudanese Council of Ministers initiated the charges, claiming that al-Sarraj had exaggerated in the column, “Dividing the Spoils.” Madani told CPJ that the government had never contacted the journalists to point out any errors.
“This verdict is meant to silence journalists,” Madani told CPJ. “Why does the government take a journalist to court? Does the government need money? Two million [Sudanese] pounds does not benefit the government; it is about pressuring journalists.”
Madani, is now deputy editor-in-chief of the Arabic language daily Al-Sudani, and al-Sarraj is a columnist for that paper. Both plan to appeal Tuesday’s verdict, Madani told CPJ.
Al-Sarraj still faces trial for a January 2006 column in Al-Sahafa, which criticized Bashir for failing to address the many problems facing the Sudanese people. He was arrested by Sudanese security forces and held for 60 hours at Kober jail in Khartoum on January 3 and later charged by the national security prosecutor with “insulting the president.” If convicted, al-Sarraj risks losing his license to practice journalism in Sudan.
Press freedom has been heavily curtailed in Sudan in recent months. On October 15, Abu Obeida Abdallah, a reporter for the pro-government daily Al-Rai al-Aam, was released after being held incommunicado without charge for more than two weeks by security forces. In September, several opposition and independent newspapers were seized or heavily censored, among them Rai al-Shaab, an opposition Arabic-language daily for the Popular National Congress party, and Al-Sudani.
CPJ is a New York–based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit www.cpj.org.
Friday, December 22, 2006
Morocco Magazine banned for publishing religious jokes
Committee to Protect Journalists
330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001 USA
Phone: (212) 4651004
Fax: (212) 4659568
Web: http://www.cpj.org
http://www.cpj.org/
Contact: Abi Wright
e-mail: info@cpj.org
Telephone: (212) 465-1004 x-105
MOROCCO: Magazine banned over religious jokes
New York, December 22, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the banning in Morocco of an independent magazine and the charges brought against its director and a reporter for publishing an article analyzing popular jokes about religion, sex, and politics.
Driss Ksikes, the publisher and director of the weekly magazine Nichane, and reporter Sanaa al-Aji, were charged with denigrating Islam under Article 41 of the Press and Publication Law 2002. The charges stem from a 10-page article examining how popular humor reflects issues in society.
“We tried to understand society through jokes,” Ksikes told CPJ. “What we did just reflects what is there in society.”
Ksikes and al-Aji face three to five years in prison and fines ranging from 10,000 to 100,000 dirhams (US$1,100 to 11,000) under the press law. Their trial has been set for January 8.
“We understand that Nichane may have offended people by publishing these jokes,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. “But that cannot be a justification for banning a magazine and threatening its journalists with jail. We call on the Prime Minister to rescind the ban and on the legal authorities to halt the prosecution at once.”
Nichane was banned by Prime Minister Driss Jettou late on December 20. Authorities informed the publication of the order early the following morning. Its Web site has also been closed. Nabil Benabdellah, minister of communication, said at a press conference that Nichane would remain shuttered until the outcome of the trial, the state news agency Maghreb Arabe Presse reported.
The news agency quoted Benabdellah saying the article “harm[s] the fundamental values of the Moroccan society, all the more reason that these values constitute the basis of cohesion between the various components of the Moroccan people.”
The Arabic-language magazine is a sister publication of the independent French-language weekly TelQuel. Both magazines are owned by the TelQuel Group headed by Ahmed Reda Benchemsi.
Benchemsi told CPJ that staff at Nichane had received death threats via phone and e-mail since the government made the charges against the publication. He said that the religious jokes involved God, angels and prophets as characters, but did not make fun of them. He added that Nichane staff did not write any of the jokes.
The magazine apologized on public television for any offense caused. “We were not trying to offend any of our Muslim readers, and if anyone thought so then we strongly apologize, especially because we have a respectful relationship with our readers,” the magazine said in a statement.
In February, another weekly came under fire for offending religious beliefs. Le Journal Hebdomadaire accused the authorities of orchestrating protests against it for publishing a photograph of a French newspaper showing one of the controversial Danish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad that triggered widespread anger in the Muslim world.
CPJ is a New York–based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.cpj.org/.
330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001 USA
Phone: (212) 4651004
Fax: (212) 4659568
Web: http://www.cpj.org
http://www.cpj.org/
Contact: Abi Wright
e-mail: info@cpj.org
Telephone: (212) 465-1004 x-105
MOROCCO: Magazine banned over religious jokes
New York, December 22, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the banning in Morocco of an independent magazine and the charges brought against its director and a reporter for publishing an article analyzing popular jokes about religion, sex, and politics.
Driss Ksikes, the publisher and director of the weekly magazine Nichane, and reporter Sanaa al-Aji, were charged with denigrating Islam under Article 41 of the Press and Publication Law 2002. The charges stem from a 10-page article examining how popular humor reflects issues in society.
“We tried to understand society through jokes,” Ksikes told CPJ. “What we did just reflects what is there in society.”
Ksikes and al-Aji face three to five years in prison and fines ranging from 10,000 to 100,000 dirhams (US$1,100 to 11,000) under the press law. Their trial has been set for January 8.
“We understand that Nichane may have offended people by publishing these jokes,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. “But that cannot be a justification for banning a magazine and threatening its journalists with jail. We call on the Prime Minister to rescind the ban and on the legal authorities to halt the prosecution at once.”
Nichane was banned by Prime Minister Driss Jettou late on December 20. Authorities informed the publication of the order early the following morning. Its Web site has also been closed. Nabil Benabdellah, minister of communication, said at a press conference that Nichane would remain shuttered until the outcome of the trial, the state news agency Maghreb Arabe Presse reported.
The news agency quoted Benabdellah saying the article “harm[s] the fundamental values of the Moroccan society, all the more reason that these values constitute the basis of cohesion between the various components of the Moroccan people.”
The Arabic-language magazine is a sister publication of the independent French-language weekly TelQuel. Both magazines are owned by the TelQuel Group headed by Ahmed Reda Benchemsi.
Benchemsi told CPJ that staff at Nichane had received death threats via phone and e-mail since the government made the charges against the publication. He said that the religious jokes involved God, angels and prophets as characters, but did not make fun of them. He added that Nichane staff did not write any of the jokes.
The magazine apologized on public television for any offense caused. “We were not trying to offend any of our Muslim readers, and if anyone thought so then we strongly apologize, especially because we have a respectful relationship with our readers,” the magazine said in a statement.
In February, another weekly came under fire for offending religious beliefs. Le Journal Hebdomadaire accused the authorities of orchestrating protests against it for publishing a photograph of a French newspaper showing one of the controversial Danish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad that triggered widespread anger in the Muslim world.
CPJ is a New York–based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.cpj.org/.
Sunday, December 17, 2006
ICJ Book on Arab and American Journalists can fight media bias
Press ReleaseDecember 8, 2006
ICFJ Publishes Arabic Version of “Fighting Words”
Our practical handbook on how to fight stereotypes, loaded language, and other biases in media coverage now available free for journalists
Contact:
Dawn Arteaga, ICFJ Communications Manager
202.349.7624
darteaga@icfj.org
(Washington, D.C.) – “Fighting Words: How Arab and American Journalists Can Break Through to Better Coverage,” published by the International Center for Journalists in Washington, D.C., is now available in Arabic. The manual, the offshoot of a no-holds-barred conference between American and Arab journalists, identifies sources of bias in media coverage and ways to prevent it.
Coauthored by an American, Lisa Schnellinger, a media consultant in the Middle East, and an Arab, Mohannad Khatib, general manager of Jordan’s ATV, Fighting Words examines misperceptions on both sides and suggests how journalists can avoid stereotypes and other pitfalls.
“With the U.S. engaged in wars in two Muslim nations, it’s more essential than ever that the Arab and American public get the depth and nuance they need from the news media to make good judgments—rather than flip the page or turn the channel,” said ICFJ President Joyce Barnathan. “Superficial, biased and wildly provocative coverage, from both regions, only fans the flames.”
The manual, first published in English in September, was primarily sponsored by the Carnegie Corporation of New York. To order a copy in either language, contact publications@icfj.org, or visit www.icfj.org.
####
The International Center for Journalists , a non-profit, professional organization, promotes quality journalism worldwide in the belief that independent, vigorous media are crucial in improving the human condition.
In the past 22 years, ICFJ has worked directly with more than 20,000 journalists from more than 176 countries. Aiming to raise the standards of journalism everywhere, particularly in areas with little or no tradition of a free press, ICFJ offers hands-on training workshops, seminars, fellowships and international exchanges to reporters and media managers around the globe. For further information, visit www.icfj.org.
ICFJ Publishes Arabic Version of “Fighting Words”
Our practical handbook on how to fight stereotypes, loaded language, and other biases in media coverage now available free for journalists
Contact:
Dawn Arteaga, ICFJ Communications Manager
202.349.7624
darteaga@icfj.org
(Washington, D.C.) – “Fighting Words: How Arab and American Journalists Can Break Through to Better Coverage,” published by the International Center for Journalists in Washington, D.C., is now available in Arabic. The manual, the offshoot of a no-holds-barred conference between American and Arab journalists, identifies sources of bias in media coverage and ways to prevent it.
Coauthored by an American, Lisa Schnellinger, a media consultant in the Middle East, and an Arab, Mohannad Khatib, general manager of Jordan’s ATV, Fighting Words examines misperceptions on both sides and suggests how journalists can avoid stereotypes and other pitfalls.
“With the U.S. engaged in wars in two Muslim nations, it’s more essential than ever that the Arab and American public get the depth and nuance they need from the news media to make good judgments—rather than flip the page or turn the channel,” said ICFJ President Joyce Barnathan. “Superficial, biased and wildly provocative coverage, from both regions, only fans the flames.”
The manual, first published in English in September, was primarily sponsored by the Carnegie Corporation of New York. To order a copy in either language, contact publications@icfj.org, or visit www.icfj.org.
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The International Center for Journalists , a non-profit, professional organization, promotes quality journalism worldwide in the belief that independent, vigorous media are crucial in improving the human condition.
In the past 22 years, ICFJ has worked directly with more than 20,000 journalists from more than 176 countries. Aiming to raise the standards of journalism everywhere, particularly in areas with little or no tradition of a free press, ICFJ offers hands-on training workshops, seminars, fellowships and international exchanges to reporters and media managers around the globe. For further information, visit www.icfj.org.
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Interview with publisher/editor of Chicago's Arab Horizon Arab Newspaper
Amani Ghouleh, the publisher and editor of al-Offok al-Arabi (The Arab Horizon) and her husband, Abder Ghouleh, English section editor of the newspaper, are the guests on the most recent edition of 30 Minutes broadcast live on the Internet and also every Friday evening in January on Comcast Cable TV Channel 19 (8:30 PM).
30 Minutes is hosted by journalist Ray Hanania, who is also managing editor of Arab American TV Online (www.ArabAmericanTVOnline.com) which offers a wide variety of online TV programs and programming featured exclusively on Comcast Cable TV in 140 Chicagoland suburban communities.
END
30 Minutes is hosted by journalist Ray Hanania, who is also managing editor of Arab American TV Online (www.ArabAmericanTVOnline.com) which offers a wide variety of online TV programs and programming featured exclusively on Comcast Cable TV in 140 Chicagoland suburban communities.
END
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Arab Journalism Scholarship launched
AAIF Launches Scholarship for Arab American Journalism Students
The Arab American Institute Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of the Al Muammar Scholarships for Journalism, the most generous scholarship program of its kind offered to Arab American students.
Beginning in 2006, up to four scholarship grants, valued at $5,000 each, will be awarded to eligible Arab American college students who are majoring in journalism, as well as college seniors who have been accepted to a graduate journalism school. Awardees will be selected by a panel of judges drawn from the print and broadcast media in the United States. The initial scholarships will be for the 2006-2007 academic year with funds paid directly to the schools designated by the awardees.
The Al Muammar Scholarships were established this year by AAIF supporter Mashael Moamar in honor of her parents, Zakia and late Abdulaziz Al Muammar, who have always been strong advocates of educating women. Also noteworthy, is that Ms. Moamar’s late grandfather, Ibrahim Al Muammar, was a journalist in Egypt.
The scholarships are consistent with the goals of the AAI Foundation which include aiding Arab American youth with leadership and service programs, including awards for public and community service and Washington, D.C. internships. Therefore, the Foundation is proud to administer the Al Muammar Scholarships and thanks Mashael Moamar for her generosity.
“We are honored to have this opportunity to help channel financial aid to deserving Arab American journalism students,” AAIF Executive Director Helen Samhan said. “Our young generation has so much talent, energy and cultural perspective to offer,” Samhan continued, “that the country at large will benefit from more Arab Americans entering careers in journalism and public affairs. Mashael Moamar’s generosity could not have come at a better time.”
To be eligible, applicants of Arab descent must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents enrolled full-time in an accredited college or university in the United States. They must have a current grade point average of 3.3 or higher, and a demonstrated commitment to the field of print or broadcast journalism. An applicant’s sensitivity to Arab American issues and record of social advocacy and community involvement will also be important considerations. Applications must be postmarked by Wednesday, February 15, 2006. Awardees will be announced in May 2006.
Visit our student’s page for additional information and applications or contact AAI Program Coordinator Sabeen Altaf at (202) 429-9210. To learn more about the programs of the AAI Foundation, visit AAIF’s homepage.
The Arab American Institute Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of the Al Muammar Scholarships for Journalism, the most generous scholarship program of its kind offered to Arab American students.
Beginning in 2006, up to four scholarship grants, valued at $5,000 each, will be awarded to eligible Arab American college students who are majoring in journalism, as well as college seniors who have been accepted to a graduate journalism school. Awardees will be selected by a panel of judges drawn from the print and broadcast media in the United States. The initial scholarships will be for the 2006-2007 academic year with funds paid directly to the schools designated by the awardees.
The Al Muammar Scholarships were established this year by AAIF supporter Mashael Moamar in honor of her parents, Zakia and late Abdulaziz Al Muammar, who have always been strong advocates of educating women. Also noteworthy, is that Ms. Moamar’s late grandfather, Ibrahim Al Muammar, was a journalist in Egypt.
The scholarships are consistent with the goals of the AAI Foundation which include aiding Arab American youth with leadership and service programs, including awards for public and community service and Washington, D.C. internships. Therefore, the Foundation is proud to administer the Al Muammar Scholarships and thanks Mashael Moamar for her generosity.
“We are honored to have this opportunity to help channel financial aid to deserving Arab American journalism students,” AAIF Executive Director Helen Samhan said. “Our young generation has so much talent, energy and cultural perspective to offer,” Samhan continued, “that the country at large will benefit from more Arab Americans entering careers in journalism and public affairs. Mashael Moamar’s generosity could not have come at a better time.”
To be eligible, applicants of Arab descent must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents enrolled full-time in an accredited college or university in the United States. They must have a current grade point average of 3.3 or higher, and a demonstrated commitment to the field of print or broadcast journalism. An applicant’s sensitivity to Arab American issues and record of social advocacy and community involvement will also be important considerations. Applications must be postmarked by Wednesday, February 15, 2006. Awardees will be announced in May 2006.
Visit our student’s page for additional information and applications or contact AAI Program Coordinator Sabeen Altaf at (202) 429-9210. To learn more about the programs of the AAI Foundation, visit AAIF’s homepage.
Chicago Headline Club/SPJ Journalism Awards announced
Greetings from the Chicago Headline Club chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
We are now accepting nominations for our 30th annual Peter Lisagor Awards for Exemplary Journalism, the Chicago area's premier local journalism honors.
You should soon receive a nomination packet in the mail. You may also download an entry form that can be saved, filled in and printed from a computer by visiting
http://data.memberclicks.com/site/chc/lisagors07.pdf
This year, in-depth reporting prizes for daily newspapers will be issued in pairs, for circulation more and less than 300,000. Review the contest rules and categories, along with lists of past winners at
http://www.headlineclub.org/mc/page.do?sitePageId=22756
The deadline for entries is January 19, 2007. Chicago Headline Club members may submit their own work for half-price. Questions can be directed to Pat Kosar, (630) 681-9212 or
lisagor@mail.headlineclub.org.
Nominations are also open for our Ethics in Journalism Award. We encourage you to let us know if you've seen a reporter, editor or news organization performing in an ethical manner: taking personal risks by taking a stand or refusing to follow the pack. Download the nomination form at
http://data.memberclicks.com/site/chc/ethicsform.pdf
and return it to us care of our partners, Business & Professional People for the Public Interest, by February 10, 2007.Winners of the Lisagor Award and Ethics in Journalism Award will be honored at an April 27th banquet, along with the receipient of our second annual Watchdog Award for Excellence in Public Interest Reporting.
This honor, which comes with a $3,500 cash prize funded by the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, replaces our traditional "public service" Lisagor award.
More details are coming soon.
We are now accepting nominations for our 30th annual Peter Lisagor Awards for Exemplary Journalism, the Chicago area's premier local journalism honors.
You should soon receive a nomination packet in the mail. You may also download an entry form that can be saved, filled in and printed from a computer by visiting
http://data.memberclicks.com/site/chc/lisagors07.pdf
This year, in-depth reporting prizes for daily newspapers will be issued in pairs, for circulation more and less than 300,000. Review the contest rules and categories, along with lists of past winners at
http://www.headlineclub.org/mc/page.do?sitePageId=22756
The deadline for entries is January 19, 2007. Chicago Headline Club members may submit their own work for half-price. Questions can be directed to Pat Kosar, (630) 681-9212 or
lisagor@mail.headlineclub.org.
Nominations are also open for our Ethics in Journalism Award. We encourage you to let us know if you've seen a reporter, editor or news organization performing in an ethical manner: taking personal risks by taking a stand or refusing to follow the pack. Download the nomination form at
http://data.memberclicks.com/site/chc/ethicsform.pdf
and return it to us care of our partners, Business & Professional People for the Public Interest, by February 10, 2007.Winners of the Lisagor Award and Ethics in Journalism Award will be honored at an April 27th banquet, along with the receipient of our second annual Watchdog Award for Excellence in Public Interest Reporting.
This honor, which comes with a $3,500 cash prize funded by the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, replaces our traditional "public service" Lisagor award.
More details are coming soon.
Monday, December 04, 2006
Baghdad Radio editor murdered
Committee to Protect Journalists
330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001 USA Phone: (212) 4651004 Fax: (212) 4659568 Web: www.cpj.org E-Mail: media@cpj.org
http://www.cpj.org Contact: Abi Wright e-mail: info@cpj.org Telephone: (212) 465-1004 x-105 IRAQ: Radio station editor killed in Baghdad
New York, December 4, 2006—Unidentified gunmen killed Nabil Ibrahim al-Dulaimi, 36, a news editor for the privately-owned station Radio Dijla, shortly after he left his home in Baghdad’s al-Washash neighborhood for work today, sources at the station told the Committee to Protect Journalists.
“We offer our condolences to the family of Nabil Ibrahim al-Dulaimi,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. “He was a member of what has become one of the deadliest professions in Iraq. Iraqi journalists and media staff are constantly being targeted with impunity,” he said.
Murder accounts for 69 percent of work-related deaths among journalists and media support workers in Iraq, with crossfire accounting for the rest. In all, 89 journalists, including al-Dulaimi, and 37 media support workers have been killed for their work since the the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, making it the deadliest conflict in CPJ’s 25-year history.
Radio Dijla has been targeted previously. On September 13, unidentified gunmen kidnapped Muhammad Abdul Rahman, 55, a former broadcaster for the station. He is still missing and the identity of the kidnappers is not known, according to CPJ sources.
CPJ is a New York–based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit www.cpj.org.
330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001 USA Phone: (212) 4651004 Fax: (212) 4659568 Web: www.cpj.org E-Mail: media@cpj.org
http://www.cpj.org Contact: Abi Wright e-mail: info@cpj.org Telephone: (212) 465-1004 x-105 IRAQ: Radio station editor killed in Baghdad
New York, December 4, 2006—Unidentified gunmen killed Nabil Ibrahim al-Dulaimi, 36, a news editor for the privately-owned station Radio Dijla, shortly after he left his home in Baghdad’s al-Washash neighborhood for work today, sources at the station told the Committee to Protect Journalists.
“We offer our condolences to the family of Nabil Ibrahim al-Dulaimi,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. “He was a member of what has become one of the deadliest professions in Iraq. Iraqi journalists and media staff are constantly being targeted with impunity,” he said.
Murder accounts for 69 percent of work-related deaths among journalists and media support workers in Iraq, with crossfire accounting for the rest. In all, 89 journalists, including al-Dulaimi, and 37 media support workers have been killed for their work since the the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, making it the deadliest conflict in CPJ’s 25-year history.
Radio Dijla has been targeted previously. On September 13, unidentified gunmen kidnapped Muhammad Abdul Rahman, 55, a former broadcaster for the station. He is still missing and the identity of the kidnappers is not known, according to CPJ sources.
CPJ is a New York–based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit www.cpj.org.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
CPJ: Yemeni Reporter jailed in Cartoon flap
YEMEN: Editor jailed for one year over Prophet cartoons
Committee to Protect Journalists
New York, November 28, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the one-year jail sentence handed down to a Yemeni editor for reprinting Danish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. A court in the capital Sana’a sentenced Kamal al-Aalafi, editor-in-chief of the Arabic-language weekly Al-Rai Al-Aam, on November 26. It also banned him from practicing journalism for six months after he leaves prison, and it suspended his newspaper for six months.
Three other Yemeni journalists are on trial for reprinting the cartoons in February.
Al-Aalafi was taken to prison after the hearing but released eight hours later on bail pending
appeal.
“We are deeply troubled by this harsh sentence,” CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon said.
“Journalists should never be imprisoned for what they publish. While we recognize these cartoons may have caused offense, there can be no justification for jailing a journalist because of what he published. We trust that the court of appeals with dismiss this conviction of Kamal al-Aalafi.”
According to CPJ research and local news reports, al-Aalafi published the cartoons to accompany articles saying how offensive the caricatures were to Muslims.
The cartoon controversy began in September 2005 when the Danish daily Jyllands-Posten published 12 caricatures of Muhammad, one of them depicting the Prophet wearing a bomb-shaped turban with a lit fuse. The publication caused anger in the Muslim world, where many consider depictions of Muhammad to be blasphemous. The cartoons gained increased attention after they were reprinted in the January 10 edition of Magazinet, a small Christian evangelical weekly based in Norway.
Yemeni authorities filed criminal charges against three other journalists in February for republishing the drawings: Abdulkarim Sabra, managing editor and publisher of Al-Hurriya Ahliya; Yehiya al-Abed, a journalist for Al-Hurriya Ahliya; and Mohammed al-Asaadi, editor-in-chief of the English-language Yemen Observer. A Sana’a court is expected to issue its verdict in the Yemen Observer case on December 6 and a decision in the Al-Hurriya case is expected mid-December, according to local news reports.
CPJ is a New York–based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit www.cpj.org.
Committee to Protect Journalists330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001 USA Phone: (212) 4651004 Fax: (212) 4659568 Web: www.cpj.org E-Mail: media@cpj.orghttp://www.cpj.org Contact: Abi Wright e-mail: info@cpj.org Telephone: (212) 465-1004 x-105
Committee to Protect Journalists
New York, November 28, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the one-year jail sentence handed down to a Yemeni editor for reprinting Danish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. A court in the capital Sana’a sentenced Kamal al-Aalafi, editor-in-chief of the Arabic-language weekly Al-Rai Al-Aam, on November 26. It also banned him from practicing journalism for six months after he leaves prison, and it suspended his newspaper for six months.
Three other Yemeni journalists are on trial for reprinting the cartoons in February.
Al-Aalafi was taken to prison after the hearing but released eight hours later on bail pending
appeal.
“We are deeply troubled by this harsh sentence,” CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon said.
“Journalists should never be imprisoned for what they publish. While we recognize these cartoons may have caused offense, there can be no justification for jailing a journalist because of what he published. We trust that the court of appeals with dismiss this conviction of Kamal al-Aalafi.”
According to CPJ research and local news reports, al-Aalafi published the cartoons to accompany articles saying how offensive the caricatures were to Muslims.
The cartoon controversy began in September 2005 when the Danish daily Jyllands-Posten published 12 caricatures of Muhammad, one of them depicting the Prophet wearing a bomb-shaped turban with a lit fuse. The publication caused anger in the Muslim world, where many consider depictions of Muhammad to be blasphemous. The cartoons gained increased attention after they were reprinted in the January 10 edition of Magazinet, a small Christian evangelical weekly based in Norway.
Yemeni authorities filed criminal charges against three other journalists in February for republishing the drawings: Abdulkarim Sabra, managing editor and publisher of Al-Hurriya Ahliya; Yehiya al-Abed, a journalist for Al-Hurriya Ahliya; and Mohammed al-Asaadi, editor-in-chief of the English-language Yemen Observer. A Sana’a court is expected to issue its verdict in the Yemen Observer case on December 6 and a decision in the Al-Hurriya case is expected mid-December, according to local news reports.
CPJ is a New York–based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit www.cpj.org.
Committee to Protect Journalists330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001 USA Phone: (212) 4651004 Fax: (212) 4659568 Web: www.cpj.org E-Mail: media@cpj.orghttp://www.cpj.org Contact: Abi Wright e-mail: info@cpj.org Telephone: (212) 465-1004 x-105
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