Tuesday, May 07, 2013
Kabul (BNA) In the name of Allah the Most Merciful and the most Gracious
Undoubtedly all know that the best means for communication in the world has been the media including the newspapers, magazines and other printed publications and journalism started with reporting.
When the independent press department was upgraded to the ministry in Afghanistan, the media, publication of newspapers, reports, commentaries and the advertisements and even publishing of stories were a priority of the press and then radio and cinema with documentary films and ultimately the TV was added to the mass media.
The press in reality has a great role in shaping public opinion, upgrading the public awareness the struggle of the people for independent, from the colonial domination, struggle against superstition and backwardness in the societies.
It should be mentioned that even in advanced countries press freedom and freedom of speech did not come about easily.
Acceptance of dangers and sacrifices, hanging, tortures was common practice against the press employees.
He added that valuable publications like Hablul Mateen, Hai Alal Falah, Sur-i-Israfel, Shamnu Nahar in the Indian sub-continent, Iran and Afghanistan each had their valuable role and the organizers of those publications or their pen colleagues were dearly punished by the ruling elites but they tolerated all sorts of tortures and other pressures.
In Afghanistan after experiencing of Sarajul Akhbar, Watan, Anger and Nedaie Khaliq raised the voice of righteousness and the ruling oppressors soon silenced their voice.
After adoption of the 1343 Constitution, the nation got non-governmental publications and despite the fact that the 1340 decade was considered the decade of democracy, the non-governmental publications censored and their organizers hands were shortened.
With the start of the interim government in Afghanistan even before the formation of the commission for compilation of new constitution the c ministry tried its best to prepare the draft law on mass media and fortunately we were able to enforce that law before approval of the constitution.
The freedom of speech came into being along with the printed, pictorial non-governmental media which were our desires in the past 11 years.
Overlooking the censor before publication and facilitating of attaining the permit for the media by the individuals and the social foundations has cause that today we have 50 TV stations throughout Afghanistan. 150 radio stations and around 2,000 printed non-governmental publications.
As the minister of information and culture of Afghanistan 1 feel obligated for preservation of the freedom of speech and ask the owners of the media, dear reporters, men of pen, intellectuals and writers nd journalists to assist us in preservation of the media, freedom of speech and improving the work of the media in the country and cooperate in this respect with the ministry of information and culture so that the valuable achievements are preserved. Fortunately, our media if considerable and what we expect is that these media should take into account the norm of reporters and respect the country’s religious and moral beliefs. Some media for reasons of inaccessibility to the financial resources stopped functions and the reduction of foreign aid has badly affected the press areas. We shall try our best that the law on access to information and support to the reporters completes its process and enforced. While I am expressing my sympathies with the families of press spheres congratulate my dear colleagues on the world press day and wish success for you.
