How freedom of speech and citizens are victims in the Arab states
Regional, Analysis, 6/23/2008

The Arab League information ministers said at the conclusion of their session in Egypt that the Arab media should focus on fighting terror and helping the Palestinians in their cause.

While this objective sounds noble, it is not, even when couched in terms such as "fighting terrorism" and "helping the Palestinians." The reason such objectives are suspect, is that the role of those who care about the media and press should be to promote a healthy media and press, and not to promote causes outside their specialty. This means, that the objective of such officials should be to promote freedom of the press and freedom of speech.

However, since the Arab states governments in general tend to be very allergic to free speech, and try hard to suppress it, their meeting conclusion can be considered as a ploy to distract the public from what most desire from such ministries of information: freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

Terrorism in the abstract is bad, most can agree to that. Helping the Palestinians out of their miserable situation sounds like something very desirable. However, the Palestinian cause has been abused greatly by many Arab governments for internal domestic consumption to distract their own citizens by giving them a cause to focus on other than freedom of speech and to provide their citizens an outlet to their frustrations from being suppressed to seek democracy and freedoms, such as freedom of the press and freedom of speech.

So maybe in their next meeting, the ministers of information would surprise everyone and declare that the leaders of their countries have decided to give their citizens something that they have been deprived from for long, and is most basic and most precious: the ability to speak their mind, freely, and without fear. That would be news to report about.

By,
Jamil Kazoun


Author of the book: A Second American Revolution: Creating Rational Government
and the book: A Third American Revolution: A New World Government . A Plan for Liberty, Justice and Peace"

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