News:

Media stakeholders in Tanzania have formed a 16-member committee to have an audience with Home Affairs minister, Inspector General of Police, Tanzania Intelligence and Security Services chief as well as Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) Director General following the recent series of incidents of violence against media practitioners

A "coalition" comprising the Media Owners Association of Tanzania (MOAT), the Tanzania Chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA-Tan), Tanzania Media Fund, Tanzania Media Women Association (TAMWA), Media Council of Tanzania, and Tanzania Editors Forum (TEF).

The development comes only days since Chairman and New Habari (2006) Limited Group Managing Editor Absalom Norman Kibanda was ambushed, set upon and seriously injured at the gate to his Dar es Salaam residence by assailants,  who was  rushed to Muhimbili National Hospital in and later critical flown to South Africa.

The media stakeholders said they fully convinced that the brutal attack and torture to which the suspected gangsters subjected Kibanda were meant to harass and intimidate editors, other media practitioners into failing to perform their duties to satisfaction. ("The Guardian", 13th March 2013)

Commentary:

Such events of harassment and harm to the point of killing so called human rights news reporters, coupled with banning several media institutions e.g. Imani FM of Morogoro which has an Islamic identity and the recent threat to Radio Nuur of Zanzibar are an open evidence of hypocrisy in the Democratic system. Its basic principle of ‘freedom of the press' and ‘freedom of expression' is campaigned for and shown as something to be respected yet such sloganeering is devoid of any truth.

Either, this matter and others that were encountered by reporters clearly demonstrates the inability of the democratic system to protect the public, their lives, property and security. Together with the reality that the democratic system burdens the public with huge taxes that destroy their lives as they can't even meet the demand for security leave alone feeding them during hardships.

The Islamic system has no such hypocrisy like the democratic system as it has spelt out clearly that a person has to say that which endears him to Allah Taala and never is he at liberty to speak or do whatever he wants as he is a slave of the Creator. Also, Islam has made it the responsibility of the Khalifah/Leader to ensure security for the citizens by protecting their lives, property and relatives and preventing any action that endangers their dignity and security whether the citizens are Muslims or non-Muslims.

As these tragedies befall most of the so-called defenders of the democratic system, it was enough to be a big lesson to them so as to reject the democratic system and work for the introduction of an alternative. Isn't it time for them to stop with immediate effect working for a system that harms them and other human beings at a great cost?

Masoud Msellem

Deputy Media Representative, Hizb ut Tahrir/ East Africa