Azizullah AzizAzizullah Aziz
May 25, 2013
Warlord Media
Media in Afghanistan is under pro warlord government official’s influence. And this causes the country turn to a chaos. The only way of desiring to release this from ex warlord’s influence is the Afghan youths! Unfortunately most of the youths do not know their rights, and responsibilities because of the influence caused during the last four decades by ex warlords in the government the youths have been isolated from learning. Consequently, the only possibility to awaken the youths is when the social media tools are accessible to people.
Kabul, Afghanistan – Journalists threatened, disrespected, and warned by Afghan warlords say media used as a secondary weapon and influenced by warlords in many segments in Afghanistan during the last decade and now.
throughout a few interviews with Journalists recently threatened, disrespected, offended and warned in Kabul province of Afghanistan reveals an Afghan based reality and discovers an inventory of ferocious realities and an outline of abuses by the Afghan pro warlord government officials, who work shoulder to shoulder with international community regardless of, international community‘s declaration that the freedom of speech is respected and the rights of the people is protected.
The international community repeatedly helps the Afghan pro warlord government officials in varieties of social segments for the purpose of protections of the peoples’ rights, justices, security and motivation of people to precisely participate in building their country and saving it from insurgent’s brutalities. In spite of, the international community’s trust that the “media” freedom of speech is protected, warlords, abuse journalists and influence media directly and indirectly pressuring the Ministry of Culture and Information. By taking the opportunity of their positions in government, the Afghan pro warlord government officials also steal, most of the financial aids. “Journalists explained.”
SadeqTorabzoy, a privileged freelance Journalist, said he was jailed, tortured and embarrassed for writing news articles about everyday unfair and injustices activities of the Afghan pro -warlord government officials for six days at NDS department in mid July 2012. And when his family came to visit him, were not allowed to visit him vice versa, they were treated worse than animals, he said. The soldiers at national department of security told me “swear and promise in written form that you will not repeat such writings or we will kill you.” Torabzoy said.
The freelance journalist said he is released, from the blessing of the international community’s presence in Afghanistan; otherwise, he would be killed by warlords long ago.
Some other Journalists who didn’t want to mention their names say warlords knowingly impose themselves as national heroes of Afghanistan throughout their influence over media. Journalists add, most of them own TV channels,
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An Afghan police officer aims his weapon at two photographers covering pre-election violence in Kabul. (AFP/Pedro Ugarte)(Dietz, 2010)
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Newspapers, and even electric –
outlets, and by the use of this opportunity they insist, inflict and force journalists to write clothed, attired, well-mannered, honorable, suitable, and wholesome articles about them and failure to do so results of firing journalists from their positions.
A couple of those journalists jailed indirectly by warlords, said. Warlords want to sanitize their robberies, kidnappings, and their involvement in the devastation of the country, through their personal owned media channels and instead get the heroic nicknames of Jihadi for saving their country from terrorism.
Although media has rapidly grown in private sectors since the collapse of Taliban regime but still is witness of dictatorship and sacrificed over warlords’ unethical influence in varieties of segments, restrictions, censorship and probation of the freedom of speech, MujeebLehaz a Journalist at Zhowandon TV said. “Most of the pro warlord government officials have stolen thousands of meters of national property inside and outside the capital, as a journalist I made a report and broadcasted through Zhowandon TV, a program called people and authorities, right after the broadcast I have had guns pointed into my face and got warned that my family and I will be killed if I don’t stop broadcasting such reports.” Lehaz added.
Nonetheless, whether directly or indirectly the media has been under the influence of warlords during the last decade and now, they have been much more dangerous to media than Taliban or the insurgents, according to Abidullah Ehsas a news reporter for SHAMSHAD TV “most of the broadcasts of news or any other reports that contains something about the unfair warlords daily’s activities of corruption miss use of their powers and break of rules and regulations is prohibited, because they have found a really decent defensive address “the ministry of culture and information.” Furthermore, the ministry of culture and information in Afghanistan has been the only responsible source of media who issues the license for private sector of media and controls the activities of media based on the Islamic and Afghani rules and regulations for many years in the history of Afghanistan, that means anything that contradicts with Islamic rules and regulations or Afghani cultures is forbidden. Unfortunately, that source has been also under the influence of warlords.
According to different reports by Nai an NGO meaning flute, is an essential figurative channel for media and tracks violence both –
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Fixer: The Taking of Naqshbandi(MPS, 2009)
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Against media and journalists with its media watch data, states, in last 11 years journalists have been highly threatened and targeted as army soldiers by different instances of kidnappings, killings and death threats.
Although most of the warlords refuse all the allegations against them, one of their spokesperson who didn’t want to mention his name, said, “all the warlords know what they are doing is in contradiction with the constitution of Afghanistan, but, this is Afghanistan if they don’t create such a situation, the journalists will barely make them naked like a chicken with no features and that is when the people of Afghanistan will expel these warlords by rocks and sticks, not only from their positions but, from this country. Therefore, as we have an Afghani Slang no stick no politeness.”
Mass Media (Medium) is source/ sources of communication channels such as televisions, radios, newspapers and magazines through which people get information about various activities of day-to-day businesses and the outcome of it leads the society to social changes such as education, politics, economics, entertainments and many other social activities that concerns people in societies. Hence, the people or beats involved in the media channels are ethically impartial because that is the only way of trust and support of social integrity – which is an inner sense of keeping one’s impartiality. Furthermore, that is how most of the people compare and contrast good versus bad or fact verses fiction. And that is when social professional active groups of people act based on the information and awareness they get from media for their further improvements of businesses in their Societies. Unfortunately, in Afghanistan this is not
the same. In Afghanistan most of the media channels are under the control and influence of warlords and the other some which are impartial are not accessible to the people due to the financial issues.
Because of various issues people do not have access to some of the real impartial media channels such as lack of electricity, insecurity, not enough support of media in most of the provinces in Afghanistan due to the financial issues. However, according to the reports from different foreign channels 65 percent of the Afghanistan population is the Adults this accountability of population is as bulk because Afghanistan does not have clear or standard population accountability yet. And this 65 percent of adults are either lacking education, busy with their intermediate hopeless activities, or some don’t know what their social responsibilities in their society are? Or even some are under the guidance and influence of the political parties (warlords) that uses them by different psychological ideologies such as religious, tribal, racism, or language. A familiarized example of those group adults will be those working with Taliban, that group of ignorant Afghan adults have been brain washed by some regional and global intelligence organizations, since the Red Army of USSR’s Invasion and that group of people are used by the reason of Afghanistan is invaded! there are infidels, killing of any local who is working for Government and any foreigners, Military or Nongovernmental Organizations is a pride for them because they are told if they kill one of them they will
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Afghan Media Freedom Under Threat: CPJ (Junbesh, 2012)
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be GHAZIs a local term which means an Islamic defensive hero in doomsday – (end of the world) and if he gets killed by foreigners he will be a SHAHEED a local term which means martyrs. Whereas, according to real Islamic believes
SHAHEED is a person who gets killed innocently, he will be straightly gone to paradise and in the doomsday he can take 7 members of his family with him to the paradise even if they are sinful as long as the SHAHEED vouch for them. The other radicalism or ignorant part in their brain washed minds is that even if a person is Muslim, but, if he is a foreigner they call him infidel! The illiteracy and ignorance or lack of awareness causes massive destruction to Afghanistan and to its international colleagues. On the other hand the only source “Media” which should lead people from ignorance to Social Change and prosperity is also under the control and influence of some political parties that are dramatically affected in destroying the credibility and reliability of media by their powers and excessive laundry washed money. As an obvious example in Afghanistan would be more than 40 TV –
Channels, radios, and news agencies, who are straightly working for their ethnic groups, languages, cultures and their favorite warlord leaders, Whereas, in journalism ethically that is unacceptable as (JONATHAN DONLEY) says “For a journalist, a conflict of interest occurs when he has a connection to the story subject or issue that might influence how he writes the story, or might cause people to distrust the writer or the news organization”. That means the journalists must totally keep their impartiality based on any story writing or presenting any news story.
However, Afghanistan is a rich and beautiful country with an impressive
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3D Animation of Social Networking. (View, 2012)
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history of thousands of years. But, because of less care and less social professional participation of the adults or advancement of social media which is the basis for social change especially the young generation in last three to four decades the country with all its beauty has burned in imposed fires.
Corruption non-transparent elections, kidnappings, lack of people s’ awareness from their rights and many other issues are as a result of all those different crucial segments everyday lives, with their beautiful homeland gives sacrifices, whether financially, reputational, or to their life costs. Therefore, this essay is developed as mixture of narration, argument and analytical based on the past realities, experiences, facts and some details in order to awaken the young generation s’ minds in Afghanistan from the bottomless sleep which as a result of their calmness they give sacrifices every day in many aspects of their lives. And also this writing may re mind them about their social professional participation in professional social media which is the mother of social changes, such as fight for your rights criticize as a whole on many issues like gender based violations, immoral or unaccepted conducts of the corrupted leaders, parliament, government or any other violated branches in Afghan society which affect the society entirely. In addition, this writing will remind the Afghan adults that from the blessing of the international community they have the opportunity of freedom of speech to express their voices and be part of the professional social changes educationally, politically, and economically and in many other aspects which concerns the society.
Based on the 2012 researches in many universities around the world it is obvious that 3 quarters or 73 percent of the adults in developed countries not only are involved in social changes but they also take it as a personal professional responsibility because the rapid advancement and growth of social channels such as Twitter, Facebook, Tumbler, Scoop.it and many others has had dramatic effects on people’s personal professional lives, therefore, adults have been empowered to advance social changes in education, politics, and economic issues which affects their society in many phases. As an example, we can say the Arab Spring was one of the adults’ social acts and perceive of responsibility for their society. However, in less developed countries which the coverage of electricity is not enough in all the provinces such as Afghanistan, limited access to social media channels have caused lack of adults awareness from their rights and also this issue causes the lack of adults gatherings, which plays a very important role in a society, for example by social gatherings adults can share their minds, ideas, and information in many different outlooks or concerns in their societies, educationally, politically, economically or religiously.
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Kunar Afghanistan,1985(Ansar1, 2009)
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Consequently, the outcome of those gatherings can play a really important and positive role on brightening the minds of those adults who are getting used negatively against Afghanistan and their international colleagues. Moreover, the less participation of adults in social changes, has led the country to a chaos, which is burning in fire the last four decades. The only solution to this ambiguity is that the adults needs to be awaken from this bottomless sleep through the impartiality of media and advancement of social media, in order to lead them into social changes by educating and understanding their rights and also taking active parts in political, economical or social issues, such as comparing the past with the current, evaluation of the income and outcome of every single issue and finally that will lead them into solutions. With all that in mind the last decade totally turned a new page into Afghanistan’s history and this page could led the country into its real destination of humanity, stability, and overall peace and prosperity, but, unfortunately, the international community has committed an unforgivable crime by giving the full and sole political power into the hands of a specific group of warlords who are ignorant, illiterate, corrupted and thirsty of political power, who only cares about their personal benefits than national benefits. The international community didn’t learn from the collapse of the communist regime before 1992 when the last Russian backed president Dr. Najibullah announced the national reconciliation after the withdrawal of the Red Army for these warlords and all the other revolutionary parties who were destroying the country for the reason of “Jihad” an Islamic term when Islam is in danger from any type of people religiously than Jihad is legitimate to fight, kill, even if someone loses his whole family, property, leave or any other things in the process of Jihad does not matter Allah – (God) will compensate him in doomsday. The only thing that matters for mujahidin – (the people involved in Jihad) is to save Islam and defeat the enemies of Allah.
In Afghanistan because of the full ignorance of illiteracy Islam has been misused in other words Islam has been used into the interest of some foreign intelligence organizations regionally and globally for their strategic goals because neither do than and nor do now there is such a prove to declare Afghans couldn’t/ can’t meet the worship of their Allah or people couldn’t/ can’t go to the mosques, to put it differently, neither do than and nor do now Islam is in danger. In addition, to the national reconciliation during the regime of Dr. Najibullah when Jihad was over or the Red Army left Afghanistan, this country had an Army that none of the regional countries had! such as, half million soldiers, seven hundred Russian fighter Jets, many Helicopters, more than four thousand Armor Tanks and many other military equipment and also most of the country’s infrastructure sources were active where people had jobs. The one and only purpose of the national reconciliation at that time was that everyone from any party whom the name “Afghan” is refer to could come and join the government by the free votes and independent elections. But, these warlords didn’t accept to join the national reconciliation and as a result of their fight continuation they did not only destroy the whole country but also created another group of mujahidin named Taliban against themselves.
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Taliban Police hitting Afghan Women in Kabul.(Glick, 2011)
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Because in every single spot of the country there were killings, kidnapping, gang bangs, robberies, night raids into civilians houses, rapes and many other crucial things. As a result of all those different hateful actions of the warlords who named themselves mujahidin or the fighters against the Russian intervention, another group of strict youngsters under the leadership of Mullah Mohammad Omer started from Pakistan’s Islamic religious Madrasas and fought against these warlords, as result they cleaned 95 percent of Afghanistan out of the warlords within very less time because all the people were tired of all those crucially conducts of warlords and instead welcomed the Taliban with a warmly embrace, at first people loved the Taliban because their dictatorship regime brought in action the enforcement of the law, peace, stability, and totally all the crucially conducts came down by once like when water drops on fire. Later on when the Taliban started bothering people, such as, grow beards, go to the mosques five times a day, don’t walk with your wife closely or hand to hand outside of your house, cover the women when coming outside, listening to the music is prohibited and many other personal disturbances, people started hating them. And finally, today the misuse of Islam or lack of literacy people are even blowing themselves up for the false purpose of saving Islam which is totally radicalism and a new trick of the regional and global intelligence organizations. The only solution to end this radicalism in Afghanistan would be the advancement of mass media,
I think The enforcement of law can release the media from the influence of warlords that is not easy to enforce law in my opinion it is the responsibility of the youths to put law into force and by caring for their future they can do it. As we have learned several useful skills in digital media literacy course the use of those skills in most cases can play a positive role in the process of awaking, and understanding people from what Islam is, what is their rights and what a good Muslim is supposed to do for others or how someone as Muslim should be part of social changes. In conclusion using the tools of digital media in a campaign all over Afghanistan would save the country from destruction that have caused by warlords.
Works Cited
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An Afghan police officer aims his weapon at two photographers covering pre-election violence in Kabul. . (2009). Retrieved from http://cpj.org/attacks/2010/
Ansar1. (2009). Ansar Al-Mujahidin. Retrieved from http://www.ansar1.info/showthread.php?t=10606
Dietz, B. (2010). Retrieved from Committee to Protect Journalists: http://cpj.org/attacks/2010/
Glick, C. (2011). Retrieved from CarolineGlick.com: http://www.carolineglick.com/e/2011/04/obamas-altruistic-foreign-poli.php?pf=yes
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JONATHAN DONLEYCOMMUNITY JOURNALISM 101: WHAT IS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST? 1
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By: Azizullah Aziz.
Azizullah Aziz 