الهند: رئيس مجلس الصحافة يستنكر دور الإعلام في تشويه صورة المسلمين

خبر من مصادر إنجليزية.

استنكر "ماركندي كاتجو" - رئيس مجلس الصحافة الهندي - الدور السلبي للصحافة الهندية؛ حيث أشار إلى أن الصحافة "غير المسؤولة" تعمل على تشويه المجتمع الإسلامي.

وانتقد في كلمته - في ندوة عن التقارير الإخبارية - قيام الإعلام بنشر رسائل إلكترونية أو رسائل نصية قصيرة في أعقاب أحداث العنف والانفجارات، تزعم نسبتها للمسلمين دون تثبت، معتبرًا ذلك سلوكًا غير مسؤول يساهم في تكريس الطائفية بالمجتمع، وأشار كذلك إلى ما يتعرض له المسلمون من تمييزٍ في مختلف المجالات التعليمية والوظيفية، مؤكدًا أن القضاء على التمييز والاضطهاد والفقر من دوره أن يقضي على العنف؛ المصدر: شبكة الألوكة.

يرجى الإشارة إلى المصدر عند نقل الخبر - شبكة الألوكة.

الخبر من مصدره الأصلي:

Markandey Katju lashes out at media for 'demonising' Muslims

As outspoken as ever, Press Council chairman MarkandeyKatju on Sunday rebuked the media for what he described as "demonising" Muslim community through "irresponsible" journalism.

"Whenever a bomb blast or such incidents take place, within an hour or so, many TV channels start showing that an email or sms claiming responsibility has come from the Indian Mujahideen dsor JeM or Harkatuljihad-e-Islam or some Muslim name. An email or sms can be sent by any mischievous person. But when your start screening this on TV and next day in print, the certain message you (media) are sending is that all Muslims are terrorists and they having nothing to do except to throw bombs...You are demonising the entire Muslim community and promoting communalism," Katju said at a symposium on "Reporting Terror: How Sensitive is the media?" organised by an English daily.

"Is this the responsible behaviour of the media? I think it is totally irresponsible behaviour which is promoting communalism in the country. I have raised voice against this, but they said I am suppressing the media," Katju added. Observing that media should stick to ethics, the former Supreme Court judge said: "Do you have the freedom to spread communalism? You will be stopped from doing devilish things. I am a strong fighter for media's freedom but I will not allow you to do such devilish things. You will have to have responsibility in the national interest."

Katju claimed a feeling of injustice was on the rise among Muslims owing to "discrimination" against them in various spheres. "Unfortunately, Muslims are discriminated in getting jobs, banks loans and there is a sense of great injustice," he said, adding: "The cause of terrorism is injustice. Abolishment of poverty and discrimination will help in checking terrorism."

Katju said he had earlier requested the Prime Minister to amend the Press Council Act. "The amendments were sought with regard to bringing the electronic media under the purview of media council and for providing some powers to take action," he said, stressing that he was only in favour of regulation and not control over media. "But in exceptional circumstances, definite action needs to be taken," he admitted.

Meanwhile, Katju said an NGO which will work to secure justice for those unjustly languishing in jails, particularly from minority communities, will be launched in Delhi on April 15. The NGO, 'The Court of Last Resort', will be headed by noted lawyer Fali S Nariman while Katju would be its 'chief patron'.

"Time has come...this organisation is absolutely necessary. This forum will have branches in all districts. We need to have a large team of youths, students, lawyers...because injustice is meted out in large scale in this country," he said.