ShareKUWAIT: Civil, democratic and progressive organizations in Kuwait issued a joint statement in regards to what they called the 'strict censorship' the information ministry is imposing against freedom of publication. The statement reads as follows:
"Out of the civil political powers' awareness that democracy and its principles are not just a ballot box and an elected national assembly, rather it goes beyond that, as it has to do with freedom, justice and equality from which foundation comes the freedom of opinion, intellect, expression, publication, belief, freedom to receive information and freedom of scientific research. Without the availability of such principles and respecting them, there will not be true democracy no matter what the claims are.
"Kuwait has been plagued for many years with restrictions on freedom, which has taken worrying forms, most notably being extreme, rather malicious censorship by the information ministry on books, be it those printed in Kuwait or abroad in a way that contradicts the simplest of freedom principles. The dangerous part is that the information ministry was not satisfied with the thousands of books it banned in past years, rather it started to ban other books that were allowed before.
"Those harmed by this censorship maliciousness are not only authors and publishers, rather also readers, researchers, the educated and those who like to read, apart from having this practice harm Kuwait's reputation abroad. What is regretful is that some political Islam powers encouraged this practice and inciting against the minimum limits allowed of intellectual and personal freedoms.
"The Civil political powers that are signatory to this statement while condemning this malicious censorship, it calls for a serious move to:
1. Reject the malicious censorship method.
2. Cancel the malicious ban decisions.
3. Amend the print and publication law by canceling the strict restrictions on the freedom of publication, expression and information gathering.
"Signed by: Kuwait Progressive Movement - Kuwait Democratic Forum - Kuwait Liberal Movement - Secular Gathering - National Democratic Alliance."
By Meshaal Al-Enezi
