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"Self-Censorship" - The New Ghoul Haunting
Palestinian Journalists
Khalid Amayreh, Jerusalem
If is often argued that democracy in any country is measured in proportion
to he amount and quality of press freedom available. Hence, it can be
safely said, that a "democracy" that seeks to muzzle journalists (e.g. in
the name of responsibility and /or "paramount" national interest) is a
sham democracy, or ad despotism in disguise.
Despotic regimes everywhere routinely evoke the flimsy excuses of
responsibility and national interests mainly to silence the press and ,
therefore, prevent the publication and dissemination of nonconformist news
and views which the executive authority deems "harmful". The real reason
for fettering the press however, lies, almost always, in the all-too real
assumption that the regime has something to hide from the people and that
it is afraid of the masses knowing the truth. In other words, it is the
enemies of truth who resort to silencing the press and muzzling
journalist.
Now how does this relate to the state affair of Palestinian journalists in
the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem? ( I have
opted to se the term "occupied territories" rather then "autonomous
enclave" or "PNA-controlled areas" because the real control in the West
Bank and Gaza Strip still leis in Israel's hands as consistently shown by
events).
It is a lamentable, though insufficient known fact, that the "margin of
freedom" available to Palestinian journalists has become slimmer since the
Palestinian Authority (PA) assumed limited power in parts of the West Bank
and Gaza Strip. Thus, in addition to the national Israeli restrictions on
Palestinian press freedom ( e.g. newspaper closure, detention of
journalists without charges or trial, denying journalists essential press
cards, travel permit and even telephone and fax machines), new and often
more insidious control methods have found their way to newspaper rooms and
especially to journalists' mind.
Self-censorship has in effect become the new ghoul haunting Palestinian
journalists. The red lines are too clear, the taboos to numerous, and the
risks very real. There are no 'censorship officers "standing threateningly
over editors' heads, ordering them what and what not to print. Yet, "a
mean-looking officer "lurks constantly in each journalist's mind; a
continual nightmare that forces every conscientious journalist to choose
between bearing the full consequences of his 'Follies and smartness" or
betraying his conscience by demonstrating national "responsibility".
Today the list of "sensitive subjects" though unwritten, is required
reading for all Palestinian journalists interested in staying within the
"safe" or, at least the "innocuous" margin. The list includes, inter alia,
publication of anything, explicit or implicit, that would present
Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat and his family in bad light.
In other words, the Chairman is above criticism.
Recently the editor of one of the newly founded Arabic dailies, complained
that "while there are a thousand subjects Palestinian journalists could
write about, there are twice as many subjects off-limit to us." The editor
intimated that he had been warned by Preventative Security agents against
joining a new human rights group on the assumption that the new body would
be inimical to the Palestinian Authority and to the national aspiration of
the Palestinian people. Sadly, the editor cowered back and apologized for
being unable to join the group "for reasons beyond my control."
Another daily's editor from the Nablus area sought to rid himself of the
specter of Force-17's raids (Force-17 is Arafat's own guard) by including
a PA minister on his paper's board of directors. The feat was an attempted
emulation of the Ramallah based daily Al Hayat Al Jadida, whose publisher
and editor-in-chief, Nabil Amre, as well as Editorial Consultant, Hasan al
Kashef, are PA officials. (Amre is Director of PA Radio and Television
Authority, and al Kashef is Director-General of the PA Ministry of
Culture.)
Last year, an editor of the East Jerusalem based Arab daily 'al Quds,'
Maher al Alami, was abducted by Preventative Security agents to Jericho
where he was subjected to harsh interrogation because he had relegated a
story about Arafat's Christmas visit to Bethlehem to an inside page. The
petty "offense" actually epitomizes the manner in which PNA security
apparatus views the press (e.g. as a subservient tool in the hands of the
regime.) So, the message is unequivocal: The pettiest slight to the
Chairman can land a journalist in prison.
Even Palestinian journalists working for foreign media are often subjected
to intimidation. A Reuters correspondent in Gaza told this writer that
following the Palestine Mosque bloody clashes in Gaza on 18 November 1994,
he received a telephone call from PA Police Chief Ghazi Jabali advising
him "...to shut up and not to expose us to the world, or else I'll smash
your head."
It is not enough, though, that Arafat instructed PA censors to adopt a
"policy" to that effect. Arafat himself often quotes an oft-quoted saying
by the 2nd Caliph Omar Ibn al Khattab: "May God's mercy fall on whomever
makes me aware of my faults." Understandably, this indicates that Arafat,
at least ostensibly, would welcome criticism and tolerate critics.
Unfortunately, however, this doesn't seem to be the case, as no
Palestinian newspaper has so far dated publish the slightest criticism of
Arafat or his policies.
Police "excesses," nepotism, cronyism, favoritism, and corruption among
senior Palestinian officials are also off-limit to most Palestinian
journalists. Furthermore, a journalist, and especially an editor, would
have to exercise utmost caution when dealing with such matters as the PA
"judicial" system, lack of political, administrative and especially
financial accountability and the patronage system through which most
appointments in civil service are made.
Other sub-themes are too numerous to mention, as clan-relationships and
other forms of relationships peculiar to the Palestinian society make a
journalist calculate the number of people he would displease when deciding
what to publish and how to publish it. For example, when the risk is
absolutely certain, the story from which some essential information is
deleted may be sufficient in a kind of a fifty-fifty risk situation.
Palestinian Authority officials recognize, though grudgingly, the
"shortcomings and blemishes" relating to press freedom under their rule.
However, when they are confronted with the fact that these "flaws"
actually fly in the face of the press law which itself was promulgated by
the PA, they simply shrug and say "well, we are not in Sweden or
Switzerland."
Several months ago, a high-ranking PA official attending a lecture on
press freedom under the PA in the town of Beit Sahur, protested with
marked exasperation the "excessive talk about press freedom." He said
press freedom was a luxury befitting countries like Germany and Japan, but
not Palestine. The officer, who assumed an important position in the PA
Department of Political Orientation, said Palestinians had better think
about bread not press freedom. However, when a journalist retorted that
"man doesn't live by bread alone," the officer didn't hesitate to tell him
"you can search for another country where you can have these freedoms
readily available."
Self-censorship is the worst kind of censorship because it thrives on
hypocrisy, sycophancy, and mendacity. And a press whose modus operandi is
this trio of immoralities will never be able to help create a healthy
society. The opposite is true. The real task of any journalist worthy of
the name must be the pursuit of truth, and a journalist's responsibility
should be first and foremost to his conscience. This can be, and it should
be reached in a gentle, polite, and effectively manner.
Notwithstanding, the situation of press freedom in the occupied
territories, e.g. the autonomous enclaves, is not utterly hopeless. There
have been of late certain improvements in the field of human rights.
Furthermore, there is now relatively more receptiveness and responsiveness
on the part of some PA officials to complaints and grievances pertaining
to human rights violations. It is hoped that this improvement, however
modest it may be, will eventually become a sweeping and long lasting
trend. It is also hoped that it will eventually allow for a free,
independent, and responsible press in Palestine.
Unanswered Letters
Reporters Sans Frontieres, a Paris based organization that defends
imprisoned journalists and press freedom in many countries has been
concerned with the safety of journalists in Palestine for many years.
Since 1994, twenty-two protests letters have been sent to president Arafat
regarding violations of the rights and safety of journalists operating
within the areas of the Palestinian Autonomy. Only one letter has been
answered so far by the Palestinian Authority.
y years. Since 1994, twenty-two protests letters have been sent to
president Arafat regarding violations of the rights and safety of
journalists operating within the areas of the Palestinian Autonomy. Only
one letter has been answered so far by the Palestinian Authority.
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