The international media rights group Reporters Without Borders has expressed concerns on the recent statements of President Karzai after the Ulema Council demanded to crack down on media.

Calling it an effort of censorship, the organization has termed it in violation of freedom of speech against all the commitments of the Government. They say the government must redouble its efforts to protect journalists in response to this increase in threats and violence by Taliban, enemies of freedom of information and other pressure groups.  The group further says its indifference to these violations of hard-won fundamental freedoms is serious, endangering the public's right to be informed.

President recently supported the call from his Ulema Council for a crackdown on television stations, saying their programs are "immoral and un-Islamic". In a decree, the President has asked the Ministry of Information and Culture to prevent TV channels from broadcasting programs which are vulgar, obscene and un-Islamic and are counter to social morality. Decree says many TV stations turn to vulgarisms and broadcast immoral programs, which are against national interests and Islamic values. The question is, who will define vulgarism and national interest in the domestic political context? It is nothing more than an effort to tighten control on the freedom of speech and expression in an increasing totalitarian behavior of the present Administration.

The Council had demanded the President to take action against some TVs, accusing them of promoting prostitution. Who are those in the Council? Government-paid scholars who issue Fatwas on request of the President and mostly on agendas that relate to domestic political interest of the rulers or whenever there is any dispute and tense exchange with Americans or other foreigners.

The media rights group Nai has warned that the government should support and protect freedom of speech; otherwise the country will go to dictatorship and totalitarianism. Nai says that the decree by the Ulema Council is worded ambiguously aimed at censorship which is against the constitution provisions of freedom of speech and expression.

Following the ouster of Taliban, the only thing our government claims credit for is the so-called booming media. But shy to admit that It’s just one of the blessing of the international intervention in Afghanistan. But now the Government seems to be trying to curb those freedoms and impose limitations that equal to censorship and against the rights of freedom of speech. The international community should strongly oppose such moves.