The Yemen Observer Newspaper Lisc Revoked
The Yemeni Government manipulating the cartoon controversy.
Update, NY YJS emergency meeting scheduled, tactics described as a settling of accounts with the three papers closed. And that seems rather clear but how blatent, really Im shocked and Im not easily shocked anymore.
Related: al-Jazeera reporter detained for taking pictures of the mosque where the escape occurred. This is the same guy they wiretapped and then emailed around transcripts of his conversation with his wife.
Original post:
I can’t believe this. It’s very unfair. I hope they keep up the website. Also does the Prime Minister have the authority to close a newspaper? Its interesting the way the regime is exploiting this cartoon incident to its advantage, like with the taqrgeting of Hafez Burkett. al-Shoama is the paper always printing stories about international conspiracies against Yemen.
SYO ANA’A – The Prime Minister, Adbul-Qader Bajammal gave instructions to cancel the license of the Yemen Observer claiming the newspaper has republished the Danish cartoons.
The move came with blackmailing efforts by the Al-Shomoa publisher, Saif Al-Hadhiri, an anti-western person, to inflame up the angry public against the newspaper.
Yemen Observer has published a full page on the development of Danish cartoons in Yemen in a full page. Fragments of the cartoons were put together with huge and thick black X mark on the drawings in protest to their existence.
“I am very surprised by this development,” Mohammed Al-Asadi, editor-in-chief of the Yemen Observer said.
“They want to close the newspaper in response to our efforts and continuous calls for understanding, tolerance and accepting the apologies of the Danish people, officials, and editors. We have received dozens of apologies from Denmark.
“We are totally against the publication of cartoons and at the same time we should accept apologies that have been several times made by the Danish editors. We should.
“We, at the Yemen Observer, believe in dialogue if misunderstanding takes place anywhere on any issue and believe in co-existence,” Al-Asadi added.
The Newspaper, Akhbar Al-Yawm by Al-Shomoa, is a blackmailing tabloid and everybody in Yemen knows this fact. They have been trying to blackmail us for the past days, when the newspaper refused to respond to their attempts, they published a story on their front page on this issue.
Updates will follow
So now Im on the side of this paper that has published three editorials against me that called me a CIA operative, a neo-conservative hedgehog, an extremist, an operative for the opposition, an idiot, and a Yemeni man in disguise. Oh yes and a Hashimite and a Houthi. And dispite the fact that the owner of this paper attacked me on air on the al-Jazeera show screaming into the phone in a rather bizarre way that I work too hard, I have to say objectively it is unfair and illegal to shut them down.
Saba: The source said the ministry had based its decision on 1990 Law of Pressand Publishing No. 25 regarding the publishing of insulting images thatviolates Section A of Article 103 of illegal publishing, which stipulates that no publication can cause damage to the Islamic belief and its sublimeprinciples, or degrade divine religions and human conventions.The official stressed that the ministry was committed to press freedom,and media .
By Mohammed Al-Asadi
Feb 7, 2006 – Vol. IX – Issue 05
We agree that the controversy over the publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) highlights the need for further dialogue on the twin issues of the principle of the freedom and responsibility of the press.
The Yemen Observer, in last week editorial, called for what the UN Secretary-General called on Muslims last Monday to accept apologies offered over published caricatures of our Holy Prophet and to act with ‘calm and dignity’. This responsible attitude was called for also by the New Zealand Human Rights Commission and other peace lovers worldwide in a move to mobilize dialogue between cultures.
Nobody would deny that the publication of the cartoons has caused great offence to Muslims across the globe, and one has to ask what is behind this controversial publication of the caricatures. While the controversy has been brewing over the Danish newspaper, other publications in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain and Switzerland have decided to publish all or part of the collection of cartoons. Those newspapers have done so, according to them, to support the freedom of expression and the right to blaspheme.
That was not a wise decision, neither was it a solidarity show with freedom of expression.
With great respect, we read the Guardian’s February 4 editorial which says, “…the Guardian believes uncompromisingly in freedom of expression, but not in any duty to gratuitously offend. It would be senselessly provocative to reproduce a set of images, of no intrinsic value, which pander to the worst prejudices about Muslims. To directly associate the founder of one of the world’s three great monotheistic religions with terrorist violence – the unmistakable meaning of the most explicit of these cartoons – is wrong, even if the intention was satirical rather than blasphemous. Their most likely effect will be to encourage Islamist extremism, already finding fertile ground in Iraq.”
This attitude should be hailed. We are, as professionals in the first place, against all offensive publications including the Danish cartoons.
We love prophet Mohammed (PBUH) and other prophets too. However, we are taught how to defend them in such blasphemous situations.
The whole world was shocked by the Muslims’ firm stand against the offensive drawings of their prophet. This should have brought about positive results, not bloodshed and destruction like what happened in Syria, Afghanistan and elsewhere quite recently.
Muslims have got an opportunity to educate the world about the merits of the prophet Mohammed and the peacefulness of the religion he had come with.
A new opportunity is lost, like many others before. Muslims know how to lose, better than how use opportunities.
The lesson of 9/11 is still fresh. Many Americans embraced Islam after those tragic, unlawful attacks. They should calm down and again accept apology for God does so. It is recommended that they invite the opponents to dialogue using the best manners of defence. This approach will turn an aggressive opponent into an intimate fellow, the Quran says.
