KABUL, Afghanistan
The author of a blasphemous anti-Islam article, and the publisher of the newspaper in which it appeared, were arrested by Afghan authorities on Tuesday.
The article was published in The Afghanistan Express. Under the title, "The Islam of the Taliban and ISIS," the writer, A. J. Ahwar compared Islam to German fascism.
The matter was raised in the Afghanistan cabinet on Monday evening, and Abdullah Abdullah, the Chief Executive Officer in the Kabul government, took a decision on the matter.
On Tuesday morning, Abdullah directed the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Culture and Information to arrest those responsible.
Emphasizing his support for freedom of expression, Abdullah insisted on Tuesday that religious obligations must be kept in mind along with press freedom.
The Culture and Information Ministry has stated that the newspaper had allegedly violated rules in the first place by circulating without obtaining a license. “The Afghanistan Express does not provide Pashto or Dari versions of their publication either,” he said -- Afghan newspapers are legally bound to provide such versions.
Though the newspaper has publically apologized for the act, growing pressure from the Muslim community forced Abdullah to act.
Afghanistan’s leading press freedom organization has also condemned the act by the newspaper. Sidiqullah Tohidi, Head of the organization, said that he believed the motive behind this article was to create a reason for seeking asylum in the West. "Those who have violated the law should be held accountable," he declared.
www.aa.com.tr/en
