In South Asia, say Je suis Charlie at your own risk KARL KALTENTHALER Pakistanis in Peshawar rally Jan. 13 in support of the recent murders of journalists, cartoonists, an economist and others in Paris. © AP Attacks on staff at Charlie Hebdo and shoppers at a kosher supermarket in Paris this month have left Europe stunned and uneasy. Many felt, while they mourned, that this type of attack could happen again. Then it did. Only two days after the satirical magazines two main attackers were killed Jan. 9, the office of the Hamburger Morgenpost in Germany was firebombed. The paper was attacked for publishing satirical cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. Security forces throughout Europe are on alert for further attacks. Most of the world watched the events in Paris unfold in horror. In South Asia, however, the news was greeted with relative indifference, or even outright support for the attackers. Why did reactions in South Asia differ to those in much of the rest of the world? Sadly, attacks on journalists in South Asia, particularly in Afghanistan and Pakistan, are frequent and deadly. Pakistan often ranks as the most dangerous country in the world to practice journalism; Afghanistan is not far behind. Being a journalist in Bangladesh is also dangerous, though lethal attacks are less frequent. Journalists die in these three countries every year for reporting news taken for granted in other parts of the world. Reasons to be fearful Why is practicing journalism so dangerous in South Asia? One reason is that Islamic militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan are numerous and powerful. They very frequently target journalists for reporting negative news about their actions, justifying attacks by arguing reporters oppose their sacred mission to bring Sharia law to their countries. They also frequently target commentators for alleged blasphemy against Islam. The militants frequently stage attacks because they know that violent action against left-wing or secular commentators often boosts their popularity among the masses. Public opinion does not, in general, support freedom of speech over the protection of a correct portrayal of Islam in South Asia. Pakistan has a blasphemy law that prescribes the death penalty for anyone who is convicted of denigrating the Prophet Muhammad. The law is quite vague in its definition of denigration, and thresholds for accusation and indictment are low. The law has widespread support in the country. If the cartoonists at Charlie Hebdo worked in Pakistan, they could have been put to death for their work by the Pakistani state. That is, if militants or mobs did not kill them first. Je suis...? Hardly In Afghanistan, the situation is worse. The liberal and secular element in Afghan society is extremely small: Most Afghans support the death penalty for those who stray from Islam or insult the prophet. Public demonstrations in support of the Paris attacks took place in the country. You would be hard-pressed to find people in Pakistan and Afghanistan willing to say Je suis Charlie in a public venue. Bangladesh is somewhat more liberal, but discussing Islam is still a dangerous business. Several journalists have been jailed, or harangued to the point where they had to leave the country, for writing articles that offended Islamists. You might not see large demonstrations in Bangladesh in support of the attacks in Paris, but there was not broad public support for the victims either. All of this is not to say Afghans, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis horrified at what transpired in Paris do not exist. They are there. But they remain largely quiet in public; they know that in countries where the public space is so influenced by Islamists, saying Je suis Charlie is an invitation for trouble. Karl Kaltenthaler is a professor of political science at the University of Akron and adjunct professor of political science at Case Western Reserve University.
Posted on: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 08:49:15 +0000
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