Lawsuit Against Official Paper Countered
Samir Rashad al-Yousefi, Editor-in-Chief of the al-Jomhoria newspaper has called for the prosecution of the opposition Islah Party for abandoning Islamic values, which call for unity, brotherhood, and non-discrimination.
Al-Yousefi’s comments come after Islah declared it would start legal proceedings against him and his newspaper after he wrote an opinion article under the title of the Separaist Pretext of Islah in which he said that the main aim of the Islah is to gain power, even if allied with the devil, at the expense of any religious principles or values, whether religious or secular.
“What I wrote in the article is just my viewpoint and Islah should accept that in the context of freedom of opinion and not resort to the courts,” al-Yousefi said.
“Islah has called for the widening of press freedom and freedom of expression, and this action against me goes against what they have called for,” said al-Yousefi. He mocked them, saying, “they deafen our ears by talking about the press and the rights of journalists and freedom of opinion and expression, and when they placed on the defensive, we found them to be the first to contradict themselves.”
Al-Yousefi said that the Islah Party should be prosecuted for several reasons. “First, they have abandoned the noble tolerant Islamic values which call for unity and brotherhood and then they took a soft line on the question on separatism.”
“I have never accused the Islah Party of treason or conspiracy, as they claim,” he said. “I said that the Joint Meeting generally works in suspicious transactions against the homeland and serve clients and conspirators.”
Al-Yousefi added that he asked government officials to stand firm and try Islah and prosecute all people who raise slogans that may harm the homeland. “Islah did not specify its position on demonstrators that shout separatist slogans in the directorates controlled by the reformists and Socialists.”
“I am not afraid to go to the court and I will present evidence on my article,” he said.
The Islah Party announced last week its intention to prosecute al-Yousefi.
Islah’s secretary general, Abdul-Wahab al-Ansi, said that while the Chief Editor of al-Jomhoria newspaper can establish a newspaper of his own and insult them every day if he pleased, it was not acceptable in a newspaper belonging to the state.
“It is not reasonable that the official newspaper should become a forum to offend people who happen to oppose the country’s leaders,” he said.
Al-Ansi added that he was surprised that al-Yousefi was taking this route, which could only add further to the bitter atmosphere.
