May 3rd marks UN’s World Press Freedom Day
On May 3, 1991, the United Nations Scientific, Cultural and Educational Organization, UNESCO, issued the “Windhoek Declaration” and called for this day to be recognized as the World Press Freedom Day.
Two years later, in December 1993, the United Nations General Assembly approved this proposal in its 48th General Session, hoping to improve the dire situation of censorship and suppression of the press and media in the world.
The Reporters Without Borders organization, headquartered in Paris, conducts an assessment every year to measure the level of the freedom of media in most countries, and updates its ranking of the previous year according to the level of press repression or freedom of press and media in all countries of the world.
Despite the fact that the teachings of Alevi Islam proudly represent the greatest amount of the freedom of speech and opinion, especially in the Sira of Amir al-Mu’minin Ali and other Imams (peace be upon them), particularly Imam Baqir and Imam Sadiq (peace be upon them), so-called Islamic governments have a disastrous record in this regard.
Long-term arrests of journalists for publishing critical news and reports, pressuring the media to self-censor, assassinating journalists, carrying out terrorist operations against the media, etc., all indicate the plight of the media in Islamic countries, especially in the Middle East.
The common point of all anti-freedom regimes, especially those that claim Islam, is their biased definitions of the concept of “security” that holds freedom of expression as a threat. However, free flow of information allows for criticism and transparency, which never endangers the safety of citizens, but rather guarantees public safety.
World Press Freedom Day is an opportunity to present the Sira and hadiths of the Messenger of God, and Amir al-Mu’minin Ali, peace be upon them and their pure family, to the world as the best examples of tolerance for opponents and critics and of the highest level of freedom of speech and opinion ever introduced to the world.
