Call for freedom must come from within Wednesday, 04 May 2011 02:32

I receive many valuable messages which I feel I may lose if kept buried without sharing with my readers. It includes general issues of interest for many. Today, I received a message from a writer Professor Khalid Mahmood and I asked his permission to publish it.

The email of Professor Khalid was a comment on my article (what to do with the blocked article?) and gave it a title ‘Talk About Freedom’. Although he agrees with my opinion on the role of editors in the process of blocking depending on the preferences and interests of every newspaper and person, he raises another angle which talks about the responsibility of the writer. He says: “But on the other hand, I find it necessary to put the matter in the right perspective and it tells us that the writer alone should bear the responsibility for what is published in the newspaper or on its website.”

There are many topics in which the chief editor may not have a personal trend or particular opinion to prevent them from publishing. However, whatever is written about some government institutions and bodies (are supposed to be independent) we find that such writings are prevented from publishing because of the fear of legal liability which would affect editor alone and not the writer who published the article.

If we manage to break that link in regard with the responsibility of the chief editor between what is published by his crew and what is published by freelance writers, there is a movement towards more freedom of expression which can be reached. It is in my opinion a movement which strengthens the one who helped the civil society that will find the possibility of using his voice in public affairs and it may find some change that we all seek, not to mention it will bring the Qatari writers in front of a real test of their legal and professional responsibilities about what they publish in those affairs.

I think we are, until we reach the real Shura Council with the powers and possibilities as we wish, in need of a society capable of expression first and it is able to stand firmly on the side of who represents its convictions and visions in regard with the issues of society in general and not political issues (especially that most of them located behind the red line).

If it remains what it is now and if we found what we want to lay the foundations of the democratic Shura Council, I am afraid that the picture will resemble small, thin and weak body (society) which is trying to uphold a big head (it is the Legislative Council) where the ideas and aspirations are waving to an extent that the body cannot carry it or get anything from it.

Yes, we need a Shura Council as you designed in your blocked article but these rights are not given by the demand of a writer or a few of them only if he does not have a real supporter in a community that is aware of the meaning of freedom and is ready to sacrifice for it. Otherwise these demands remain just dreams for people like us and I think we need to think about it.

Allah Almighty in the story of Prophet, peace be upon him, taught us the importance of supporters for the one who is calling to the right path to reach the objective and a group that defends him in front of enemies or those who are preventing him from performing his task in the reform of society and this situation arose when a group got separated to abuse his people as Allah says { He said: “Would that I had strength (men) to overpower you, or that I could betake myself to some powerful support (to resist you ). This power is the power of the society which encouraged our Prophet (peace be upon him) to plant it in the State of Medina after the infidels of Mecca deemed him and his followers weak.

In all cases, we must keep working to change the laws (or mentality that sets them). It is an urgent need and its responsibility falls on all of us. If we managed to get something we can get some of our targets even after a while as the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. Thanks for the message of professor Mahmoud. I do not think that the writers will hesitate to bear the responsibility for their articles as the entry of a writer in the arena of the publishing put him under the guillotine of accountability and responsibility. We welcome if the editors’ hands are lifted from editing and prevention.

The talk of freedom is beautiful when it combines with the quality of the community. Does the community deserve these pillars of legislative democracy because it has to create them does not just to enjoy with them without providing their dues, as this quote must not be applied to us (As you are, so shall be those who are appointed over you).

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