|
IFEX Members
Criticize New Arab Charter for Satellite TV
Several member organizations of the
International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) including the
Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS), the Arabic Network for
Human Rights Information (HRInfo), and ARTICLE 19
have criticized the new Arab "charter" for satellite TV saying it will
restrict independent news and information for people across the Middle
East and North Africa.
The charter was adopted at a meeting
convened in Cairo on February 12, 2008 by all
member states of the Arab League with the exception of Qatar and Lebanon
The non-binding charter titled: “Principles regulating Radio and
Satellite TV Transmission and Receiving in the Arab Region” requires
satellite TV broadcasting not to offend leaders in the Arab world,
damage "social peace and national unity and public order," or call into
question God or the monotheistic religions.
The charter also requires that programmes should conform to the
religious and ethical values of Arab society, and protect Arab identity
from the harmful effects of globalisation.
It urges member states to introduce all necessary measures in their
national legislations to ensure that the document's principles are fully
implemented. And if media groups do not adhere to the principles, they
can have their licences suspended, withdrawn or not renewed, and even
have their equipment confiscated.
ARTICLE 19, the London based Global Campaign for Free Expression
observed that: "The provisions, if implemented, will inevitably mute and
hinder the only avenue for free expression in the region: satellite TV,"
pointing out that they directly contradict international and regional
covenants that guarantee the right to information and freedom of
expression, including Article 32 of the Arab Charter on Human Rights.
The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) condemning the
document said: “the document disguised by media professional ethics
rhetoric aims primarily at providing a fake national and ethical cover
to limit the freedom margin exercised by the media outlets in some of
the Arab countries”. CIHRS pointed out that the said “margin of freedom
was allowed either due to the influence of the global communications and
information revolution or the internal and external pressures for
democracy”.
It said if the Ministers genuinely wanted to restructure and regulate
the media outlets within a framework promoting freedom of expression and
media freedom, they should convince their governments to adopt some of
the recommendations made in its recent study entitled “The Arab Media:
Liberation and Re-defining Hegemony’, which among other things
recommended the review of all ambiguous legislation allowing chances to
criminalize opinion, publication and circulation of information; revisit
the various legislative restrictions hindering freedom of circulation
and access to information; and promote the right of media professionals
to syndicate protection and enable them the key role in developing and
monitoring abidance by codes of ethics.
Reemphasizing these positions, the Arabic Network for Human Rights
Information said the document will restrict freedom of circulating
information and impose tough restriction upon freedom of satellite
transmission in the Arab region on the basis of empty claims &
irrational reasons. These, it said, aim to impose restrictions on the
Arab citizens right to knowledge & information on from different sources
and opinions
|
