Anger Over Journalists' Union

Independent journalists in Kabul are still without a professional union, after their first attempt to form one collapsed in acrimony and allegations of political interference.

Reporters claimed that the Independent Journalists’ Union was being used by former president Burhanuddin Rabbani’s powerful Jamiat-e-Islami party, and walked out of a recent meeting at Kabul’s Intercontinental Hotel. The London-based media freedom group Article 19 had helped with the union’s inception.

At least three of the journalists at the meeting – including IWPR’s Rahimullah Samander, who led the walkout – were named in late May as members of an 11-member steering committee for the new union, but they said they never gave permission for their names to be used.

Kabul journalists, around 50 of whom claimed they had been prevented from entering the meeting by security personnel, have since been trying to form their own organisation.

The shadow of political inference led to Article 19 withdrawing its support shortly after the Kabul gathering. A spokesperson explained, “we realised that [it] had been infiltrated by people with political motives and who wanted to create an exclusive union, and eligible journalists who had a legitimate right to join the meeting were refused entry.”

Many complained that most of those who were allowed to attend the meeting were not in fact journalists. Nur Mohammad Paktin, an editor with the Kelid magazine, said, “I saw so many warlords there that I wondered when they had become journalists.”

Deputy culture and information minister Abdul Hamid Mubarez was outraged when he saw that participants consisted mainly of his own staff and employees of the state radio and television network RTA. “I do not accept a union created by a single group or party,” he said.

“We will only accept a union that is truly neutral. A union [such as this] will not decrease our problems but only increase them.”

Abdul Hamid Hami and Ahmad Zia Rafat of the union’s steering committee are widely reported to be sympathisers, if not members, of the Jamiat-e-Islami party, and independent journalists who attended the May 12 meeting claim that the majority of those present were party members.

Members of Jamiat control key government positions, the best known being defence minister Mohammad Qasim Fahim. They often come into conflict with more progressive individuals and groups who are trying to reform and democratise the country. The battle for control is waged on numerous fronts, and observers believe that the journalists union is another example of this.

Hami denied that the organisation was exclusively in the hands of Jamiat people, saying, “We have 340 journalists on our books – what political party could have that many members of one profession?”

And Waqif Hakimi, chief editor of the Jamiat-e-Islami party newspaper Mujahed, said, “Apart from me there isn’t anyone from Jamiat on the executive committee of this union.

“Even if they did, Jamiat is a political party and its members can have join any public union they wish.”

But Jamila Mujahed, chief editor of both the Malalai magazine and the radio programme Voice of Afghan Women, voiced anger at not receiving an invitation to the Kabul conference, saying, “I don’t know who elected the members of the steering committee or what standards and norms they used to issue their invitations. The whole thing smells fishy.”

Independent journalist Mohammad Zia Bomia, of the independent news agency Hindu Kush, did attend – but he said union officials prevented him from addressing the gathering. “On the second day of the meeting I wanted to make some suggestions and give some opposing journalistic opinions. After many attempts to try and state my opinions, Hami rudely told me to shut up, and that I had no right to speak!”

There are less than a thousand journalists working in Afghanistan, delivering news to more than 22 million people.

More than 200 new publications have appeared since the fall of the Taleban regime, but many are sponsored by political parties. Journalists in Kandahar, Helmand and Zabol have told IWPR there are virtually no independent publications or press freedom in their regions.

Even journalists writing for government publications such as Tolu-e-Afghan in Kandahar have received death threats connected to their work.

Reporters say a truly independent union is essential to fight threats to media freedom, including antiquated press laws and political pressure.

A committee now intends to contact provincial reporters and draw up new regulations for a truly non-partisan organisation - the National Independent Journalists’ Union of Afghanistan - which would cover the entire country.

Hafizullah Gardesh is an independent journalist in Kabul.