Statement No: 185
Following the terrorist attack on Az-Zahra mosque last night, the news coverage of the attack by some media and BBC in particular is questionable and disturbing.
The BBC news headline reads: “four killed in an ISIS attack on a Shia mosque in Kabul” whereas the news could have been published without using the term “Shia”. There are reference to religious beliefs of the victims of the incident in the news details as well.
Afghanistan’s National Journalists Union (ANJU) believes that such irresponsible behavior even if not done deliberately could still be a cause for provoking religious sentiments in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan has experienced different types of clashes and conflicts; however in spite of efforts by regional countries, the people of Afghanistan have never been engaged in religious conflicts.
We believe that the coverage of the news if not done responsibly and if it directly or indirectly refers to religious tensions, could be harmful for the future of Afghanistan.
ANJU asks all internal and external media which cover the news for Afghan citizens to be more cautious on this type of issues, and avoid being the tribune of the enemies of Afghanistan at any cost.
Executive council of Afghanistan’s National Journalists Union
