Repressing the Truth: The Deterioration of Press Freedom, Madina Mujadidi
After the removal of the Taliban regime came the time for new beginnings, including the creation of a successful media scene in Afghanistan. Since 2001, there are today around 1,879 active media outlets in Afghanistan which includes 96 TV channels and 65 radio stations in Kabul. The numbers speak for itself on how popular the media outlet is amongst the people of Afghanistan. There are a wide variety of shows being broadcasted which includes internal and external affairs to entertainment.
However, in recent years, especially in the news segment, there seems to be a blur between journalism and propaganda as journalists cover contentious issues including the Taliban’s activities and the actions of prominent Afghan politicians. Considering how the majority of the population of Afghanistan still remain conservative, the socio-cultural challenges pose a threat to the media scene. The questioning and holding the government and politicians accountable in rigorous interviews does definitively come at a cost because of the self-centred attitudes many people still hold; the loss of a human life.
It is estimated that 50 journalists have been killed for asking information from politicians as well as being subject to verbal harassment, at times even physical harassment on air. The deadly assassination of the former TOLO News TV presenter, Yama Siawash, in Kabul on 7th November 2020, is an example of journalists being targeting and attacked on exercising their freedom of expression, backed by Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Mr Siawash was a very prominent voice in Afghan media who represented hope and resistance of the people of Afghanistan as he continued to work under pressure. He broke the ice for future journalists in Afghanistan to challenge government officials and politicians, to open the doors for a move towards democracy and accountability. Without people like Yama Siawash, it leads the country in becoming a barbaric state resembling the pre-2001 period of Afghanistan when the Taliban ruled, silencing people and placing restrictions on airing material on taboo topics.
The constant cycle of ruthless violence and killing on the people of Afghanistan does not stop there. In the same week, a Radio Azadi (Liberty) reporter, Aliyas Dayee, was killed by a bomb attached to his car after being threatened by the Taliban for investigating and reporting on their attacks. This chilling message the Taliban are reverberating across the country is severely impacting the future of Afghanistan.
What this could ultimately lead to is the deterrence of free media. The Afghan government is continuously failing, over and over again, in protecting the freedom of press and expression as these attacks become more common. It’s seeming to become a trend almost in depriving Afghanistan of its talented and educated individuals which should be an alarming concern for everyone invested in a stable and peaceful Afghanistan. It has led the young generation of Afghanistan, the future of Afghanistan, to sacrifice their life to receive an education, become the voice of the voiceless and help their country prosper. But why should anyone do this? Why does one have to become self-less in order to live a peaceful life that others outside of Afghanistan do not have to worry about?
Education: An Instrument of Resistance, Tahmena Joyan
The cornerstone of a healthy and equal society is the quality of education its citizens receive. Through acquisition of knowledge, Afghanistan’s youth can hope to foster the skills and critical consciousness required for positive socio-political changes our country so desperately needs. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that students and educated individuals in Afghanistan have become targets of violence. The recent attacks and indiscriminate slaughter of students and learners at Kawsar-e Danesh, Kabul University, or the killing of school staff in provinces, such as, Nangarhar, are an attempt at deterrence of students from seeking education. Moreover, the deadly attacks on high-profile media figures – recent cases of Yama Siawash and Aliyas Dayee – have strived for media workers to potentially self-censor in order to survive, putting Press Freedom at risk. The attack on educational institutions and the assassination of high-profile media personalities spring from the same source. The common ground between both targeted groups is that the victims tends to be politically active and conscientious members of their community, in possession of skills required to challenge power abuse and corruption and resist the establishment’s browbeating of a dispossessed populace. In a country marred by illiteracy, corruption, and a general lack of accountability, it stands to reason that those conscientious citizens with a degree of influence, charisma and leadership, will be either silenced or exterminated, in order to suppress potential opposition to the status quo.
Yet, the question remains: how can education be a weapon of choice against those adamant to silence and censor free speech and expression? Can a pen prove a fruitful weapon in the battle against gun-wielding enemies of change? Though an effective answer remains complex, we can start by regarding mass education as an instrument of resistance against those who seek to limit the masses’ freedom of expression and right to protest. Whether we do this across universities, or adopt a more independent route to education, the simple act of elevating our consciousness can help raise a generation in possession of organisational skills necessary in the struggle against corruption and abuse of power. Throughout history, movements around the world have inspired others, from the Civil Rights Movement to the Anti-Apartheid efforts. There is no shortage of historical examples that can inspire our generation to assemble in the struggle for peace and freedom of expression.
Undoubtedly, education alone will not suffice in the struggle for a peaceful and equal society. However, it is the necessary footing upon which new struggles can be made to stand, for it is the means by which we can gain awareness of our current condition. Through it, we come to learn what injustices prevail in our society and what steps may be required for their rectification. The long and uphill road to a promising tomorrow will not be traversed overnight. It will take a single generation; it might take many generations. However, today’s efforts may yet bring about a society that prioritises the rights and freedom of its masses; a society in which power is concentrated in the will of the people, rather than the few.
Failing Hopes for a Peaceful State, Ramin Sharafudin
A glimpse of hope embraced all Afghans, the youth felt optimistic in anticipation of what was to come from the Taliban Peace talks which officially began February 2020. After all, the Taliban were savages with little intention of slowing down their upheaval, therefore when the idea of a deal surfaced there was a chance for a new beginning. This was quickly shattered when the Taliban carried out attacks on civilians and the Afghan Forces, a few days after the talks were held. The deal itself was to stop attacks on Afghan soil as well as attacks towards international troops, which is the reason why the US involved itself as a mediator.
The terms of the deal were set around stopping the violence and unrest by setting a timeline for the withdrawal of foreign forces in exchange for counter terrorism guarantees. Within 14 months, NATO allies and the US were to withdraw all troops with the promise of the Taliban disallowing Al-Qaeda or any other insurgents to operate in Taliban controlled areas. However, the nail in the coffin of the deal was the release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners back in to society in exchange for the supposed 1,000 detained Afghan security personnel.
Since the initial Peace talks started with the absence of the Afghan Government in Doha, the Afghan public have been rocked with grief and suffering as a result of subsequent chain of attacks on public schools, hospitals, maternity wards and religious places of worship. Since February of 2020 these attacks have worsened, causing global outcry against the Taliban, with the Afghan public blaming the Ghani administration for its incompetence in releasing Taliban prisoners. Such outcry was exacerbated with the recent attack on 2nd November when gunmen stormed the University of Kabul killing at least 35 and wounding more than 50 people. The national day of mourning came after continued broadcasts of the peace talks being held in Qatar, where the Taliban talked of an optimistic future of co-operation with the government. The state of unrest and the targeting of intellectuals was repeated with the assassination of investigative journalist Yama Siawash and the radio host Aliyas Dayee, whom both were subject to planned car bombings.
Targeting intellectuals and students is a new phenomenon which has taken shape very recently, whilst majority of attacks targeted civilians. This change suggests that the attention has shifted from civilians and politicians to intellectuals and students, the apolitical but educated intellectual population. Consequently, the targeting of the new generation means the future of Afghanistan is at stake and as more foreign troops are being deployed into the country, this will certainly result in further altercations with the Taliban forces. The reassuring words of the Taliban during the peace talks serve no comfort to the people of Afghanistan as many feel the Taliban are incapable of realising a peaceful Afghanistan.
The views expressed in this entry are the author’s own and may not reflect those of other authors for Diaspora Writes.
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