Arab satellite TV charter sparks freedom of speech protests

By Stan Beer
Saturday, 16 February 2008 07:43

Strategy

A new charter governing broadcasts over satellite TV throughout the Arab world has led to public protests from a freedom of speech advocate as well as leading global Arab media group Al Jazeera. The Arab satellite TV charter, agreed to by the Information Ministers of nearly all the Arab League nations (except Qatar and Lebanon), has been described as a major setback to freedom of the press in the Arab world by its opponents both within and outside the Arab region.

The charter which regulates ‘Principles for Organising Satellite TV in the Arab World’ was adopted at a meeting in Cairo on February 12 according to Broadband TV newsletter, Broadbandtvnews.com. The resulting document contains a set of stipulations that have been viewed by opponents as placing curbs on freedom of expression:

    * not to offend the leaders or national and religious symbols in the Arab world;
    * not to damage social harmony, national unity, public order or traditional values;
    * to conform with the religious and ethical values of Arab society and take account of its family structure;
    * to refrain from broadcasting anything which calls into question God, the monotheistic-religions, the prophets, sects or symbols of the various religious        communities; and
    * to protect Arab identity from the harmful effects of globalisation.

Cairo-based Arab politics and culture website, The Arabist, has published statements from Qatar-based Al Jazeera condemning the Arab satellite TV charter as "a risk to the freedom of expression in the Arab world."

Wadah Khanfar, Director General of the Al Jazeera Network stated that, “Any code of ethics or governance for journalistic practices should emerge, and be governed, from within the profession and not be imposed externally by political institutions. Where codes of ethics are violated and contraventions of journalistic practice occur, for defamation of character or otherwise, there should be independent legal processes to resolve these issues. The region has seen the recent emergence of many media institutions and every attempt should be made not to hamper, but to facilitate, an environment to encourage their independence and freedom.”