Don't Report, Publish News Concerning Divorce. Do You Agree With Institute of Islamic Understanding DG's Call?

It is irresponsible for the media to report or publish stories concerning divorce because it is not for public consumption, the Institute of Islamic Understanding (Ikim) director-general Dr Syed Ali Tawfik Al-Attas said Thursday.

He said media practitioners should not allow the market place to determine ethics and morality, but they had to define the ethics and morality for the market place.

"(In reporting on a divorce) everything is laid out bare. All the intimate details were being exposed for public consumption simply because they want to sell their newspapers," he said in his talk entitled Press Freedom and Freedom of Expression in Islam organised by Bernama here today.

He said news on divorce was only meant for the family members, and not for public consumption.

"In my opinion, we cannot talk on divorce in public domain. It is shameful. Husband says one thing and wife says other thing. How can you (media) report it in the newspapers so freely?," he said.

On press freedom and freedom of speech from the Islamic point of view, Syed Ali Tawfik said responsibility was paramount and prior to freedom.

Thus, media practitioners should always think of the responsibility to the public first, before they decide to publish a story, he said.

"For the media industry, responsibility is important. You should predict the outcome of the news. Would it be good for the society?.

"There is no harm withholding certain information depending on the circumstances," he said. (Bernama)

***** It sounds very harsh and a trifle dictatorial to me, not to mention unfairly casting aspersions on the press and media practitioners. If we were to follow this logic then death too is a personal matter and should not be reported. Some would add marriages to that list, especially second, third and fourth marriages. There are those who would consider it shameful. Then there is the danger of the first wife saying one thing, the second wife another and the lucky/unlucky groom yet another!

Publicly writing about the illness of a leader or anyone else should also be banned as it too is a personal matter. In future if a pemimpin is admitted to hospital even for a major illness or surgery the media must not report it and should say that he is away on leave or on a pilgrimage or yachting in the Aegean Sea. That way it will not interfere with his personal freedom and need for confidentiality.

Of course this list of dos and don'ts can go on and on. And frankly do we need such restrictions?
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