Since the fall of Kabul, officials in the Taliban-led government have repeatedly called on the media to adhere to “Islamic values.” Before the fall of Kabul, Taliban spokesmen also spoke in response to reporters’ questions about the conditional recognition of freedom of expression and the media. In the Taliban’s view, the media are free, but they must adhere to “Islamic values” and do not violate Sharia law. Taliban members have repeatedly said this in recent months.
However, the Taliban’s definition of free and independent media and its connection to “Sharia” is unclear. Taliban have taken a general look at the issue and have not made clear their definition of “Islamic values” in the media. The Taliban’s 11-point instruction, which was recently published on how the media works, was also general. Journalists and media officials now do not know which news and reports the Taliban can interpret as “illegal” and contrary to “Islamic values.” The Taliban are not ambiguous in this regard either and have conditioned censorship and obstruction of the free flow of information by making the right to freedom of expression and the media conditional.
The harassment of journalists and the Taliban’s brutal treatment of media workers paint a bleak picture of the state of the media. This image is further obscured by recent stances by Taliban spokesmen and members on how the media works and in a particular example the media “interviewee” requests for his critical stance on the conduct and actions of the Taliban incumbent government and officials. With more than 200 media outlets shut down after the fall of Kabul to the Taliban, such stances make the information process in the country more difficult.
Making the process of delivering information conditional is a step towards building a silent society. People have the right to access information. Media is vital for people in countries in crisis and conflict. The Taliban should not prevent the free flow of information in the country through a legislative approach to media work and freedom of expression. The legislative view of everything, in an age where the world is based on communication and information, is a retrospective view. No one and no power can turn Afghanistan, as a part of the world of communication and information, into a secluded island and leave the people in suffocation and unaware of what is happening around them.
Freedom of expression, as one of the most prominent achievements of the last twenty years, has not been achieved overnight by the will of an individual or a group. This value is the product of the ongoing struggle and many sacrifices of the Afghan people and committed journalists who reported on the corruption, bigotry, theft, and looting of former government officials.
Hundreds of media workers have fallen victim to this in recent years. Therefore, journalists know very well that their work is one of the serious needs of society. They also know full well that free information has nothing to do with religious beliefs and that it is only about conveying information to the audience in a completely trustworthy and intact manner. In this work, the judgment is left to the audience. Therefore, the work of media has no part in the “shadow”. In this, everything is clear and the Taliban should not limit the free media activity in the country and deprive the people of the right of access to information.
