(RSF/IFEX) – In response to a new wave of pressure from conservatives, RSF has urged President Hamid Karzai to take a clear public stance in support of cable television and diversity in the broadcast media. The Ulema Council, led by Supreme Court President Fazl Hadi Shinwari, has called for a ban on “anti-Islamic” television stations. […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In response to a new wave of pressure from conservatives, RSF has urged President Hamid Karzai to take a clear public stance in support of cable television and diversity in the broadcast media. The Ulema Council, led by Supreme Court President Fazl Hadi Shinwari, has called for a ban on “anti-Islamic” television stations.
RSF fears the democratically-elected president will be swayed by Supreme Court judges whose legitimacy is widely challenged. “It is up to the public to make decisions about television programmes. It is certainly not up to the government to determine what is ‘good’ and ‘bad’. Such an attitude runs counter to Afghanistan’s Constitution and its press law,” the organisation said in a letter to President Karzai
On 13 March 2005, the Ulema Council asked the government to force the country’s state and privately-owned television stations to cease broadcasting “immoral and anti-Islamic” programmes. Around 100 of the council’s members, meeting in Kabul, singled out Tolo TV, the country’s only privately-owned broadcast station, for criticism.
“We have decided this in accordance with the Constitution, and we have also called for a ban on telecasts that feature dancing, as this is absolutely contrary to the Sharia,” a council representative told the Pajhwok Afghan News agency. Article 3 of the Constitution says no law can be contrary to the Sharia, while Article 34 protects freedom of expression.
Those in charge of the targeted television stations have denied broadcasting anti-Islamic programmes. The head of Tolo TV said the mullahs were voicing “personal views.” He criticised the actions of the commission set up in November 2004 to control television programming. On 16 February, the commission summoned him and asked that he make changes to a music programme and replace a presenter. The commission’s members also accused certain Tolo TV journalists of being “disreputable.”
The current wave of conservative pressure follows an earlier campaign which led to a temporary ban on cable television at the end of 2004 and the commission’s creation.
On 7 November, the information minister asked the directors of state and privately-owned television stations to stop broadcasting “Islamically incorrect” programmes, especially Indian and western films showing unveiled women behaving in a way that would shock Afghans. The next day, at a meeting chaired by President Karzai, the cabinet decided to ban cable television and threatened to withdraw Tolo TV’s licence if it was found that the station was broadcasting programmes contrary to Islam and Afghan culture.
The Supreme Court’s conservative judges waged a campaign against cable television during the Ramadan, and on 10 November, Supreme Court President Shinwari ordered the closure of 10 cable operators. At the same time, the information minister announced that President Karzai had agreed to the creation of a commission to evaluate television stations’ programmes and to authorise those that did not broadcast “anti-Islamic” and “immoral” films and songs to resume operating.
The commission reached its decision on 23 November. The cable television operators were allowed to resume operating, but they were ordered to drop 10 foreign stations from the selection of stations they offered, notably those that broadcast Indian and western films.
Tolo TV is Afghanistan’s first and only privately-owned broadcaster. Launched by the Australian-Afghan media group Moby Capital Partners, it is known for broadcasting western films such as “The Ten Commandments” and music videos of performers such as Madonna. The same group also transformed local radio broadcasts by launching the first commercial radio station, Arman FM, which in just a few months became Kabul’s most popular station.
In January 2003, the Supreme Court banned cable television throughout Afghanistan, but new cable television licences were issued in May of that year after the government drew up a programme code and a list of permitted television stations (see IFEX alerts of 6 October, 11 February and 22 January 2003).
