2007/01/31

What a difference a day makes

Yesterday's Gulf News:

A defamation case against two Emirati journalists, including Gulf News reporter, was thrown out by Al Ain Court of Appeals...

Mohammad Yousuf, Chairman of the UAE Journalists Association, said the ruling is yet another victory for freedom of expression and press...


Today's Emirates Today (page one, page two, page three) all but begs the government to ban Dante, Marlowe, Cervantes, and Shakespeare.

Look, I understand that this is officially a Muslim country. I appreciate that, as much as can be, Christianity is protected and not allowed to be insulted here. I can understand why a book like "The Force of Reason" would be banned here. But there is something really strange about a newspaper arguing for censorship, especially when any increase in censorship will only make their own job more difficult.

Banning works by Dante and Shakespeare is giving a gift to the extremist enemies of Islam in the West. It will allow them to make the Emirates seem like a backward and intolerant place, instead of the way that it really is.

2 comments:

nzm said...

Yes, but you'll still be able to buy Mein Kampf at the airport!

Keef said...

I read that aricle in the Toady. Couldn't believe my eyes. What does it take to make people realise that censorship is a complete waste of time? Even the censor, in that article, admitted that the Internet made it easy for people to get access to banned materials. So why ban anything in the first place?