Broadcasting irritating and annoying scenes through some of the TV channels in Afghanistan seems to be normal thing.
While Afghan media law has banned broadcasting any kinds of pictures which psychologically irritate people. Ministry of Information and Culture warns that it will introduce the media which broadcasts such kind of scenes to the Attorney General Office.
Mr. Sharafudeen psychology professor at Kabul University mentions, watching violent scenes can cause variety of psychic disorder among people, especially the children.
Mr. Sharafudeen adds: “violent scene produces violence. Broadcast of such scenes can cause at least two kinds of mental problems, Sadism and Masochism. Watching these kinds of scenes make children aggressive. There are many children in the schools and kindergartens who are already stricken by these disorders. “
The Ministry of Information and Culture says that the TV channels are aware of the contents of the media law which restrict broadcasting violent scenes, but they do not obey it.
Mr. Sayad Makhdum Raheen, Afghan Information and Culture Minister told the BBC: “visual media in Afghanistan ignores this issue. Hope they hear my voice, and from this moment, bring changes into their broadcast. There are many complaints received by Media Violation Investigation Commission and at the end of the day we would have to introduce the offenders to the Attorney General Office of Afghanistan.
Mr. Samay Mehdi from one of the private TV channels mentions, that the informative video clips which contain some violent scenes, and affect people, are given by government organizations.
Mr. Mehdi says: “I prevent broadcasting violent scenes in programs that I am responsible for. The problem is with the ads. One of the major income sources of TV channels are commercial ads, and unfortunately in the recent days some ads are full of violent scenes. As a journalist I am against broadcasting such violent and irritating scenes”.
In the mentioned ads Afghan security forces ask people to inform them if they see any terrorist activity of armed opposition groups. In these ads, scenes of suicide attacks, road side bombing and civil casualties are being showed.
The Ministry of Information and Culture has asked the media for several times in the past, to stop broadcasting scenes full of violence. In some cases even appeal of the Ministry of Information and Culture has been intimidating in some extend. But some of the media still continue the broadcast of violent and irritating scenes.
