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| Afghanistan |
| Karzai Media Advisor Encourages Uprising, Criticizes Media |
| 2014-01-07 |
| [Tolo News] Dr. Muhammad Hashem Esmat Ilahi, the media advisor to President Karzai, has said that just as the uprising against the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan is a point of national pride, so too should it be against the Americans, and went on to call a number of Afghan media outlets irreligious. Ilahi made his comments at a conference put on this week by an Iran-based organization. He said that since overthrowing the Taliban in 2001, the U.S. has targeted religion in Afghanistan and has worked to deny people of their religion. The comments of Karzai's media advisor received harsh rebuke from media representatives of the National Union of Reporters and Nai. "Our televisions are Islamic, our country is Islamic and three amendments of our constitution guarantees Islam as the religion of Afghanistan," said Abdul Hameed Mubarez, the head of the National Union of Reporters. "Mr. Esmatullah has accused our media with lies and accusations that are unbelievable and I reject all of them strongly, I consider it a direct interference of Iran with these kind of conferences." Mujeeb Khelwatgar, the head of the Nai foundation, went further to highlight the fact that Ilahi's outlook on Afghan media mirrored that of the Taliban. "What Mr. Esmat Ilahi has said, by calling media irreligious, is identical to the Taliban's ideas," Khelwatgar said. "The Taliban are against freedom of speech, and they call media irreligious." Although Afghan media has grown and flourished under the Karzai administration, there have been festivities before, and many in the industry remain unsatisfied with the government's approach to transparency and press freedoms. "Today, the exact words of the Taliban are coming from the Presidential Palace," Khelwatgar added. "This means that the Taliban's influence has increased to an extent that their voice is rising from the Presidential Palace." Officials form the President's office were not available for comment on the matter. |
| Posted by:Fred |