History of Journalism in Afghanistan

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The revival of journalism in Afghanistan: In the course of Abdul Rahman Khan, where there was huge restrictions on freedom of speech, the people did not have any right of speech, but to blindly believe the things and orders the government was giving, this disorder went no longer but died after the death of Addul Rahman khan and the revival of press started when his older son Amir Habibullah khan became the king. In the Kingdom of Amir habibullah khan from 1901-1919 one of the essential stirs which caused the best and powerful impacts on the mentality of people accepting freedom of expression was the revival of press and media in Afghanistan. During the tenure of Amir Habibullah khan, the two printing presses started work; Darul Saltanat and Enayat printing house. And, both printings accepted the work of lithography and got extension. In this period the machines of binding and zincography were brought to Afghanistan for printing pictures. Meanwhile, the newspaper Sirajul Akhbar as the very first newspaper in the history of Afghanistan initiated by Mahmood Tarzai was the best action toward extending media in this country. Sirajul Akhabar was published in 11 January 1906 with distinct contexts from politics, internal and external reports and social topics. Censorship in Afghanistan: From the start of the history of journalism in Afghanistan when in the winter of 1881 Abdul Rahman khan put Mahmood Tarzai`s father in prison by charging him with having writings with oppositions and even after the revival of press in Afghanistan, journalism, freedom of speech and media had been censored due to some controversial and conspiracy views with the governments in each of these periods. Further, in the century 21, there have been a very biased and unfair restrictions and censorship for the right of expression and publication in Afghanistan. This censorship is seen in different types; from assignation of journalists, prison, discriminations in law, physical violence, murder of journalists, and several other types of limitations which caused a very huge strangulation of journalism and freedom of speech in Afghanistan. Censorship in Afghanistan” includes interviews with several exiled Afghan journalists, including Parwiz Kambaksh, the 20-year old student whose death sentence for sharing an article about women in Islam spawned a global outcry over the Karzai administration’s stifling of free speech. From 2002 a number of 20 journalists have been killed, and more than 200 violent physical attacks against journalists have been logged.



About the author

zarlashtsarmast

Zarlasht Sarmast is a young independent TV/Film producer and journalist and women’s rights activist born and raised in Kabul, Afghanistan. She started her television career at the age of 11 in 2006 presenting and producing radio segments for the “Powerful Youth”, a programme broadcasted at RTA (Radio Television Afghanistan) radio…

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