Afghan journalists complain about Western coverage of their country

Members of the Afghan media met with colleagues for a workshop titled “Media and Peacebuilding” that was organized by the Medialog Platform of the Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV). (Photo: Cihan)
Members of the Afghan media met with colleagues for a workshop titled “Media and Peacebuilding” that was organized by the Medialog Platform of the Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV). (Photo: Cihan)


Date posted: December 3, 2014

A group of Afghan journalists who gathered in İstanbul on Monday expressed dissatisfaction with the coverage of their country in Western media, saying they only show terrorism and violence, and the journalists argue that it is not the full picture of reality of Afghanistan.

Members of the Afghan media met with colleagues for a workshop titled “Media and Peacebuilding” that was organized by the Medialog Platform of the Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV).

Afghan journalists acknowledged the structural problems in their country, such as limited access to the Internet and television, since about half of households still do not have electricity, but complained that Western media outlets only report on violence such as terrorist attacks and ignore other realities in Afghanistan.

Muhammad Faheem Dasthy, a journalist and a political analyst, argued that peace building through media is impractical because across the world, media outlets promote violence through their coverage.

Dasthy said that car bombs and other acts of terror are a part of their life in Afghanistan, without any doubt, but it is not the overall reality. However, when people look at their region from the Western perspective, all they see is bloodshed. Aral Azizullah joined his colleague in saying that Western media portray a negative image of their country.

A TV journalist from the Moby Group, Massood Sanjer, provided figures about the media atmosphere in Afghanistan. According to the data he provided, 58 percent of households in the country have a TV, but radio remains the main source of news for the nation. Internet penetration is still low, at just 5 percent. According to Sanjer, only 30 percent of Afghan people are “properly literate” referring to those who can understand what they read in a newspaper.

As far as media freedom is concerned, the Afghan journalists agreed that there is relative freedom in their country, despite the existence of government-sponsored media. While Dasthy argued that the media is politicized in Afghanistan and that many media outlets are dependent on political parties, another Afghan journalist Abdullah Khenjani said that compared to the rest of the region, Afghan media outlets are independent. He also argued that complete media independence does not exist anywhere in the world. According to him, independent media outlets such as his TV channel TOLO are the most influential, although no rating system exists in Afghanistan.

Providing a different part of the picture of Afghanistan, Dr. Semiha Topal from Fatih University also presented some findings from her field research on Turkish-Afghan schools and the education of girls in these schools. She noted that due to the fact that they offer a modern education that is compatible with Afghan values in these schools, the family of the former President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, had asked Turkish entrepreneurs to establish a school in his hometown.

Source: Today's Zaman , December 02, 2014


Related News

Turkish-Arab forum focuses on gov’t oppression on Hizmet

Discussing the recent developments in Turkey and the Muslim world during the “Arab-Turkish Intellectuals Forum” in İstanbul on Tuesday, a scholar from Egypt likened the smear campaign conducted by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan against the Hizmet movement to the suppression of a civic movement in Egypt.

Afghan education minister recommends Turkish schools in each province

Congratulating the Turkish teachers working at the schools in Afghanistan, Minister Wardak said that they were “highly respected.” He went on to praise the teachers who “leave behind their families and their cherished hometowns, leaving wonderful cities like İstanbul and Ankara and all that is near and dear to them to serve the Afghan nation and Afghan children.”

Nepalese surprised at Turkish teachers staying to help after earthquake

A group of Nepalese people, who were offered shelter at Meridian Turkish schools in the country after last Saturday’s devastating earthquake in the country, said on Wednesday that they were surprised and thankful that Turkish teachers did not leave after the earthquake occurred, unlike many other non-Nepalese nationals, according to a report by the Cihan news agency.

Dialogue and Friendship Dinner Unites Multi-Cultural, Faith Groups

Against the backdrop of the San Antonio skyline, members of various religious and cultural groups from every corner of the city broke bread and shared a thoughtful discussion during the Dialogue Institute of the Southwest‘s 11th Annual Dialogue and Friendship Dinner.

Reconsidering Gender Equality and Peaceful Societies

The Journalists and Writers Foundation with its Women’s Platform organized the Annual Istanbul Summit on May 7-8, 2016 in Bangkok, Thailand in partnership with Thailand Achievement Institute. This year’s topic was “Reconsidering Gender Equality and Peaceful Societies.”

Cuba wins Kimse Yok Mu cartoon competition

Aristides Esteban Hernandez Guerrero from Cuba has won the international cartoon competition titled “Refugees,” which was organized by the Turkish charity organization Kimse Yok Mu.

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

Turkey tries to trap Obama with extradition demand [of Mr. Gülen]

Islamic scholar Gülen calls for calm among supporters

The story of the boy who cried wolf

Erdoğan gov’t threatened to ‘wipe TUSKON off market map,’ says chairman

Fethullah Gülen: Even democracy needs a metaphysical dimension

Swoboda accuses Erdoğan of using Hizmet movement as a pretext

Obama Adviser Praises Fethullah Gulen and Gulen Movement

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News