[Media Caucus] Commemoration of World Press Freedom Day

Wed May 4 08:36:38 BST 2005

Dear colleagues,

In commemoration of the World Press Freedom Day on May 3rd, I'lam, Media
Center for Arab Palestinians in Israel, is sending three items related to
the theme of press freedom and the work we do at I'lam in this field. They
are: 

*        I'lam Celebrates the First Year Anniversary of the "Responsible and
Professional Media" Project

*        The Right to Freedom of Expression on Trial in Israeli Magistrate
Court

*        International Federation of Journalists Meet Arab Journalists

For your convenience, we have excerpted the lead paragraphs for each story
for inclusion in the main body of this email. If you would like to have
greater detail on each of these stories, I will be glad to send you further
information. We welcome any feedback you may have and wish you a fruitful
World Press Freedom Day!

i'lam celebrates the first year anniversary of the "responsible and
professional mediA" project

May 3rd is a day to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom.
It serves as an occasion to encourage and develop initiatives in favour of
press freedom, and to assess the state of press freedoms worldwide. 

Today marks the first year anniversary of I'lam's "Responsible and
Professional Media Project", one such initiative that aims to develop
respect for press freedom and responsibility, media professionalism and
ethics, and human and  media rights for Arab Palestinian citizens of Israel.
The project, guided by a holistic approach, addresses theses areas at the
local, national and political levels.

THE RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION ON TRIAL IN ISRAELI MAGISTRATE COURT

The trial of a newspaper editor, and the author of a weekly column that
interpreted Koranic verses, begins on Wednesday 4 May 2005, in Israeli
Magistrate Court in the town Safad. 

The indictments against Tawfiq Jabarin, prominent activist, and editor of
Sawt al-Haq wal-Huriyya (Voice of  Justice and Freedom), and Sheikh Abd
Al-Rahman Bakirat, religious figure, and author of the column, Fi Dhilal Aya
(Interpreting A Verse), were laid by the state prosecutors office, and
approved by the Attorney-General on 27 January 2004. 

The charge, laid against both editor and columnist is, "incitement to
violence or terror," under amendment 144D2 to section 5737-1977 of the penal
code. The amendment became law just days before it was used to lay the
indictments, and pertains specifically to the interpretation of a Koranic
verse made in one article, published on 7 June 2002. The column in question
was submitted to, and approved by Israeli censors, prior to its publication.

international federation of journalists meet arab journalists

On April 18 Hans Verploeg, General Secretary of the Nederlandse Vereniging
van Journalisten, and Jonathan Tasini, President of the Economic Future
Group, representing the International Federation of Journalists, met 13
journalists from the Arabic local media in Nazareth. 

After Mr. Verploeg introduced the work of the IFJ, which counts a membership
of roughly 500,000 journalists from over 100 countries, Arab journalists
reviewed some of the historical developments in the local Arab media since
1948. They emphasized that Al-Nakba ("the Catastrophe") of 1948 was also a
catastrophe for the Arabic media. The journalists further explained that the
crisis faced by the local Arabic media serves as a microcosmic example of
the more general state of affairs facing Arab Palestinian society. Arabic
newspapers have suffered from economic and political discrimination and
segregation under Israeli policies, just as has the Arab Palestinian society
itself. 

Best Regards,

Heidi Paredes

Development Director

I'lam, Media Center for Arab Palestinians in Israel

POB 101, 16000 Nazareth

Tel. +972-4-6001370, Fax. +972-4-6001418

www.ilamcenter.org 

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