On Gagging Independent Journalists

By Jamal Elabiad

 

         The attacks independent journalists in Morocco have recently been exposed to grabbed the headlines in many widely-read newspapers, including Le Monde,  El Pais, Al-Quds Al- Arabi, and The New York Times.

          The attacks on independent journalists in Morocco constitute a serious deterioration of press freedom is the common denominator between those headlines. That means imprisoning and fining unaffiliated journalists dealt another blow to the image of the North African monarchy around the world. The question that must be raised here is who lies behind the attacks against critical journalism in Morocco?

          "We don't have anyone in particular whom we can address; we know that the judiciary is not independent, and is subject to certain instructions. This makes us question the source of these instructions. When things become unclear, the last resort we have is to speak to the king to let him know that there are parties that are dragging the country downward," the managing editor of the Arabic weekly Al Michaal, Idriss Chahtane said in an interview with Magharebia. Idriss Chahtane was lately sentenced to a year in jail for a report on the health of the king.

          The parties Driss Chahatane hinted at are those whose interests and privileges will be in danger if the North African monarchy becomes a place of democracy, freedom of expression, human rights, and equality before the law.

          They invariably use taboo subjects for Moroccan journalists as pretexts to serve and protect their interests. A slew of journalists, for instance, were sent to prison simply because their articles about the royal family were deliberately misinterpreted by those to whom independent journalists are a serious threat. More to the point, the judiciary is among the strategic sectors those “lobbies” manipulate in Morocco, and it’s the weapon whereby they force independent journalists to keep mum.

          Never before has the publishing of an article or a book led to the overthrowing of a king or president. But, as far as some historical books are concerned, it was those who a president or king blindly trusted that staged coups against him. By this I mean those “lobbies” pose a major threat not only to the image of Morocco through gagging independent journalism, but to the stability of the country as well!

          “Although those invisible hands can pick all the flowers, they can’t stop the advance of spring,” said a Moroccan human right activist when asked to comment upon the recent attacks on Moroccan independent journalists.

e-mail: eng_jamal6@hotmail.com