[Reader-list] "No space to counter hate" Huma Yusuf on Pakistan

[Kshmendra Kaul]

"No space to counter hate"
 
By Huma Yusuf 
Sunday, 18 Jul, 2010 
 
Like most Ali Zafar fans, I hope that members of our culture ministry and Central Board of Film Censors spend the weekend remembering that Pakistanis have a highly developed sense of humour (consider, for instance, how they are ever willing to laugh off the antics of our parliamentarians). 

If it is upheld, the government’s decision to ban screenings of Tere binLaden will be the latest in a series of terrible ideas pertaining to the Pakistani media landscape. 

Censors have argued that the film could offend Muslims, make Osama bin Laden seem “ridiculous”, and stir the wrath of violent extremists. None of these estimations, however, are compelling enough to justify censorship. May I remind our authorities that it is not their place to decide what Pakistani audiences may find offensive, but that they are responsible for ensuring security at public venues such as cinemas? 

Much has already been written about our government’s increased willingness to censor content on a flimsy pretext. In March, the culture ministry banned Ajoka Theatre’s satirical production, Burqavaganza, on the basis that it “pollutes young minds”. In May, YouTube and Facebook were blocked for hosting ‘blasphemous’ and ‘offensive’ content. It is now July, and Tere bin Laden seems fated to be next in the firing line. 

It is clear that these bans constitute gross violations of Pakistanis’ freedom of expression. Seen in the broader context of the government’s recent announcement of a new code of conduct for the media, the bans begin to highlight a troubling trend: space for thoughtful, informed and productive debates about extremism and terrorism in Pakistan is shrinking. While our government encourages dialogue with terrorists at the proverbial negotiating table, it seems hell-bent on stifling any dialogue about terrorists in the public sphere. 

The fact is, productions such as Tere bin Laden can trigger conversations about extremist ideologies in apolitical, non-violent contexts. By discussing irreverent — and seemingly irrelevant — things like films and plays, Pakistanis can begin to safely interrogate the rhetoric of extremist groups. Such low-stakes debates can allow an increasingly right-leaning and terrorised population to critique extreme viewpoints and thrash out alternatives. 

A similar logic can be applied to the new code of conduct for the media announced earlier this month by the Media Coordination Committee of Defence Planning. No doubt, the nascent Pakistani media needs a robust code of conduct. 

But the proposed code of conduct clamps down on discussions of extremism and terrorism in a manner that is tantamount to a blackout. In addition to banning footage of terrorists, their acts and their victims, the amendments bar the media from broadcasting statements issued by militant groups or any content that ‘promotes’ terrorism. Most media professionals and consumers agree that graphic footage should be taken off air — this much was already acknowledged in the Pakistan Broadcasters Association’s code of ethics, and the voluntary code of conduct adopted by eight broadcasters in November 2009. 

But the benefit of banning the viewpoints of terrorists and their sympathisers from the airwaves is less clear. Supporters of the ban have pointed to influential television anchors who have championed and glorified terrorist acts thereby influencing many Pakistanis and making them more prone to extremist thought. There is no question that such proselytising by media personnel should be curtailed. But controls can be imposed through existing laws regarding defamation, discrimination and incitement to hatred and violence, rather than media-specific legislature that could be exploited for censorship. 

By banning their statements from the airwaves, the government is in no way silencing terrorists. Indeed, militant groups have already demonstrated the efficacy and reach of their marketing strategy. They have utilised the entire spectrum of media — including mosque loudspeakers, illegal FM radio transmitters, newsletters, SMS text messages, posters, online chat forums, websites and YouTube — to disseminate their ideology, threaten violence, establish edicts and recruit followers. Their ‘programming’ is creative, targeted and multi-lingual. It will make little difference to them if their statements are not broadcast on private news channel. If anything, such measures will cause them to intensify their communications and outreach. 

In this context, it is more productive to engage with, rather than censor, militant perspectives in our mainstream media. Responsible broadcasters should air extremist statements in an effort to start a dialogue about the rationale of different militant groups. It does us no good to ignore the claims of terrorists — we must contextualise, interrogate, debunk and critique them, thereby revealing them as contradictory, untruthful and hateful. It is only through a process of engagement and dialogue that Pakistanis tending to sympathise with extremists will be forced to question their allegiances. 

Unfortunately, owing to the lack of initiative and the government’s timidity, there are few venues for such dialogue. This despite the fact that healthy debate has proved to be one of the best antidotes to extremist thought. A recent article in the UK-based Prospect magazine pointed out that the number of pro-Taliban callers to phone-in radio shows in Afghanistan over the past two years has declined significantly because their views have been “publicly and successfully challenged on air”. 

Where can Pakistanis safely and respectfully challenge the views of those they disagree with? The recent establishment of the Radio Partnership for Peace is a step in the right direction as over 50 FM radio stations have pledged to use the airwaves for community development and empowerment. Notably, the radio partnership emphasises using call-in radio shows as a way to spark constructive dialogue about sensitive issues. Instead of silencing Pakistanis through codes of conduct and censorship, the government should consider ways to initiate a productive conversation about extremism.

huma.yusuf at gmail.com