International rights watchdogs claim a decline in Moroccan press freedoms, and members of the media and civil society are rallying to their defense.
By Naoufel Cherkaoui for Magharebia in Rabat – 14/04/10
Moroccan journalists, activists and university professors have launched a new organization to defend free speech for the press and the public.
The Freedom of Press and Speech Organization will also work to influence the development of laws affecting the media, the group’s founders said at its inaugural press conference Saturday (April 10th) in Rabat.
"What drove us to create the organization is that freedom of press and speech are under attack through the harassment of journalists and bloggers, and the prosecution of a few of them, which has recently been a common practice by the regime," preparatory co-ordinator Mohamed el Aouni said.
"In addition, there's a need to protect progress in the area of freedom, and to find a comprehensive approach to defending free speech, instead of different media outlets defending it individually," Aouni said, adding that Morocco "has to accept progress in society that lets it work freely and without any interference by the regime".
Moroccans have witnessed a string of cases involving free speech issues, including a defamation suit connected to Khadafi and the imprisonment of blogger Boubaker Elyadib. International rights watchdogs such as Reporters Without Borders claim that Morocco has seen an overall decline in press freedoms.
"Any addition to the work of defending human rights, especially defending free speech, is always good,” National Moroccan Press Union general secretary Mohamed Siraj Eddaou said after the event.
"But it's essential to adopt an effective methodology and a clear vision to deal with this obstacle-laden field, whose members are in constant conflict with the state," he said, adding that "the general trend in Morocco is towards political tolerance … [h]owever, there might be partial disagreement between the two sides on specific issues".
"We don't live in a country where [our] rights are respected and the Constitution is upheld; there's a potential to suppress whoever is calling for freedom and human rights," Moroccan Human Rights Association head Khadija Riyadi told Magharebia.
"But that shouldn't drive us to self-censorship. Instead, individuals and groups should organize and defend their rights," she said, adding that the new organization "must add quality to the field of human rights through its focus on defending freedom of speech, which is a broad field full of violations".
"The organization has a lot to do," Riyadi said, “especially since its establishment takes place in a period when two journalists are in prison: Abdelhafid Sriti, the al-Manar Channel correspondent in Morocco, and Driss Chahtane, editor of the weekly al-Mishaal".
The Freedom of Press and Speech Organisation should also address the media’s role in society, blogger Moustapha el-Goumeri said.
"The new organization can correct … the current national dialogue between the press and society, which should have been between the parties in conflict, the press and the state,” he said.
"Furthermore, it can bring things back to normal, and also defend such prisoners of conscience as journalists and bloggers," added el-Goumeri, who is a member of the group.
Abderrahim el-Amari, a group member and professor of political communications at the University of Montreal, told Magharebia that such groups "can be effective as long as they represent the interests of civil and political society, and as long as they continue to be independent from state agencies".
"That depends on the direction [the group's] leaders are taking," he said. "Its objectivity will ensure its success in serving the great principles of freedom of speech, and the mission of the press, which is to raise awareness."
Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/04/14/feature-01.
By Naoufel Cherkaoui for Magharebia in Rabat – 14/04/10
Moroccan journalists, activists and university professors have launched a new organization to defend free speech for the press and the public.
The Freedom of Press and Speech Organization will also work to influence the development of laws affecting the media, the group’s founders said at its inaugural press conference Saturday (April 10th) in Rabat.
"What drove us to create the organization is that freedom of press and speech are under attack through the harassment of journalists and bloggers, and the prosecution of a few of them, which has recently been a common practice by the regime," preparatory co-ordinator Mohamed el Aouni said.
"In addition, there's a need to protect progress in the area of freedom, and to find a comprehensive approach to defending free speech, instead of different media outlets defending it individually," Aouni said, adding that Morocco "has to accept progress in society that lets it work freely and without any interference by the regime".
Moroccans have witnessed a string of cases involving free speech issues, including a defamation suit connected to Khadafi and the imprisonment of blogger Boubaker Elyadib. International rights watchdogs such as Reporters Without Borders claim that Morocco has seen an overall decline in press freedoms.
"Any addition to the work of defending human rights, especially defending free speech, is always good,” National Moroccan Press Union general secretary Mohamed Siraj Eddaou said after the event.
"But it's essential to adopt an effective methodology and a clear vision to deal with this obstacle-laden field, whose members are in constant conflict with the state," he said, adding that "the general trend in Morocco is towards political tolerance … [h]owever, there might be partial disagreement between the two sides on specific issues".
"We don't live in a country where [our] rights are respected and the Constitution is upheld; there's a potential to suppress whoever is calling for freedom and human rights," Moroccan Human Rights Association head Khadija Riyadi told Magharebia.
"But that shouldn't drive us to self-censorship. Instead, individuals and groups should organize and defend their rights," she said, adding that the new organization "must add quality to the field of human rights through its focus on defending freedom of speech, which is a broad field full of violations".
"The organization has a lot to do," Riyadi said, “especially since its establishment takes place in a period when two journalists are in prison: Abdelhafid Sriti, the al-Manar Channel correspondent in Morocco, and Driss Chahtane, editor of the weekly al-Mishaal".
The Freedom of Press and Speech Organisation should also address the media’s role in society, blogger Moustapha el-Goumeri said.
"The new organization can correct … the current national dialogue between the press and society, which should have been between the parties in conflict, the press and the state,” he said.
"Furthermore, it can bring things back to normal, and also defend such prisoners of conscience as journalists and bloggers," added el-Goumeri, who is a member of the group.
Abderrahim el-Amari, a group member and professor of political communications at the University of Montreal, told Magharebia that such groups "can be effective as long as they represent the interests of civil and political society, and as long as they continue to be independent from state agencies".
"That depends on the direction [the group's] leaders are taking," he said. "Its objectivity will ensure its success in serving the great principles of freedom of speech, and the mission of the press, which is to raise awareness."
Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/04/14/feature-01.
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