WP: Post-Taliban Free Speech Blocked by Courts

[Ignatius J.]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/10/AR2005121001138.html

Post-Taliban Free Speech Blocked by Courts, Clerics

Jailed Afghan Publisher Faces Possible Execution

By Griff Witte

Washington Post Foreign Service

Sunday, December 11, 2005; A24

KABUL, Afghanistan -- When Ali Mohaqeq Nasab returned to Afghanistan last year after a long exile, he thought the atmosphere had opened up enough to raise questions about women's rights and the justice system in his country's nascent democracy.

But now the magazine publisher's provocative essays have put him at the mercy of that system -- imprisoned on blasphemy charges and facing possible execution.

© 2005 The Washington Post Company

[Prosperity]

lol at the world

[Thiebear]

Even with press freedom protected by law, Afghan journalists have faced their share of constraints. Outside the capital, the Afghan news media are especially vulnerable if they challenge local powers such as militia leaders. A reporter in Nangahar province was recently taken hostage for a week after he wrote a story critical of authorities there.

Ok I'll give you this is one stupid statement

[Winslowalrob]

Oh Afghanistan, the forgotton feather in the cap of the US administration. No one ever wants to talk about it for some reason...

[Destino]

I've said this before and have been called a racist for it. You can't force people to want freedom. The US was born from an intense desire to be free. If you pick up your history books you'll see the goal was to be free and stay that way. We did not build this country to be more in tune with a religion. People in the Arab would seem to be, as has been demonstrated by their actions, to be more interested in building restrictive theocracies then free liberal democracies.

[stevenaa]

I've said this before and have been called a racist for it. You can't force people to want freedom. The US was born from an intense desire to be free. If you pick up your history books you'll see the goal was to be free and stay that way. We did not build this country to be more in tune with a religion. People in the Arab would seem to be, as has been demonstrated by their actions, to be more interested in building restrictive theocracies then free liberal democracies.

Those who hold the power do, anyway. I guess the hope is that the masses will "see the light" at some point if they can just get a taste of freedom.

Freedom of religion was one of the main motivators of our forefathers. Kind of ironic.

[Winslowalrob]

I've said this before and have been called a racist for it. You can't force people to want freedom. The US was born from an intense desire to be free. If you pick up your history books you'll see the goal was to be free and stay that way. We did not build this country to be more in tune with a religion. People in the Arab would seem to be, as has been demonstrated by their actions, to be more interested in building restrictive theocracies then free liberal democracies.

I agree that you cannot force people to want freedom. Hell, we got people here that want the US to turn into a restrictive theocracy. The push for liberal democracies is still ongoing. Quick correction though, Afghanistan is not an Arab country, but I know what you meant.

[Larry]

Just an observation,

This guy chose to write those articles, because he thought his society had opened up enough to allow them. It's not that the current system is more repressive than the Taliban, it's that under the Taliban he never would have even dared to print it.

So, is this guy the victim of an out-of-controll theocracy? Or is he Rosa Parks?

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Although, granted, it's always refreshing to hear of the great progress we've had with our selfless efforts to spread freedom throughout the world.