Afghan journalist in peril
The Afghan press called him the Salmon Rushdi of Afghanistan. This journalist could face a similar punishment for publishing the Koran in Farsi language. His lawyer shows me a copy: it’s a cheap, green paperback with a photo of Mecca on the cover. He says the problem is the people don’t really know about the Islam. Islamic fundamentalists in the country call the translation a sin. This man says according to Islamic law, a translation of the Koran should be in Arabic next to it. but even here in Kabul you’ll see a translation of the Koran without Arabic. The story of the journalist is also in some ways demonstrative of journalism in Afghanistan. As a former advocate for free speech and journalists’ rights, he became the spokesperson for the Attorney General. The journalist calls himself a victim of Afghanistan’s changing political landscape. He isn’t the only one worried about these new changes in Afghanistan, including this parliamentarian. He says as the media noise increases, everyone suffers. As for the journalist, even if he wins his case, he doubts he’ll ever be able to live or work in the country again.
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