On an otherwise quiet street in Istanbul, this morning, a 53 year old Turkish citizen of Armenian descent was gunned down outside his office on his way to work. Hrant Dink, the editor of Turkey's one and only Armenian language newspaper, "Agos," and an honorary member of PEN American Center, now joins the swelling ranks of reporters who have been killed in Russia, Mexico, Iraq, and Turkey this year alone. An eyewitness to the murder said only that he saw a young man, in his late teens, who wore a pair of jeans and a cap, run from the scene screaming only, "I shot the non-Muslim." (Reuters) So, this is the sorry state we, as a planet, have come to when our teenagers turn our weapons on us.
Just last year, Mr. Dink was convicted of profaning his mostly Muslim country based on remarks he made about the slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians before World War I, a crime the Turkish government insists never occurred. His appeals led nowhere, and Dink was sentenced to six months in jail. Like last year's Nobel Laureate, Orphan Pamuk, he was charged with "insulting Turkish identity," section 301 of Turkey's penal code. But, unlike Nobel Laureate Pamuk, the indictment against Hrant Dink led to conviction,and today he paid with his life, reportedly at the hands of someone young enough to be his grandchild.
Given that Turkey wants to join the European Union, they may be forced to reconsider their revisionism and denial of the Armenian holocaust. Ironically, and tragically, Mr. Dink's was among the few voices, in Turkey, calling for democracy and appealing to the European Court of Human Rights. In the last article he published in "Agos," he wrote: "Who knows what kind of injustices I am yet to encounter? ...Yes, I might see myself living in the timidity of a pigeon, but I know in this country people do not touch pigeons. Pigeons can live in the depths of the city, even among the human crowds. Yes, perhaps in a little timid way, but also in liberty." Clearly, his request to live in liberty was more than some could bear.
As, indeed, was renowned Russian journalist, Anna Politkovskaya, who was gunned down in her apartment building in October. Politkovskaya, too, believed that speaking up for what she thinks is right was worthwhile; maybe, like Hink, she thought, too, that people in her country don't touch pigeons, that even though she feared for her life, she would be safe as the truth always finds a safe harbor somewhere. For both Anna and Hrant, there was to be no refuge. You will remember that Anna had not been convicted of "insulting" Russian-ness, but getting too close to the nucleus of who gives the commands to torture "terrorists" in Chechnya; possibly fingering her country's president who, after hearing of her death, would say only that the way she died is the only thing she will be remembered for. Shame on Mr. Putin. Shame on those who torture, assasinate, and rob their country of those who dissent, differ, or report on what is really happening instead of delivering the party line.
By way of contrast, Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Edrogan vowed to find Dink's assailant, and bring him to justice. In a televised speech, Edrogan said that the attack came as a "shock," and that "the dark hands that killed hiim will be found and punished." (CNN) What he didn't say is that Dink had received a number of death threats in the past, and had asked for protection which he clearly never got. While the prime minister said Dink's murder was an "insult" to the Turkish nation, he didn't say that the charges against Dink of "insulting Turkishness" would be dropped, and that efforts will be made to preserve and protect a free press in that country.
What we didn't hear around Thanksgiving from the Mexican government is the pledge to track whomever murdered Misael Tamayo Hernandez, editor of "El Despertar de La Costa," who was attacked in his hotel room only hours after finishing a report linking the actions of his government to organized crime. We didn't hear the anguished cries of his colleagues vowing not to rest until they found his assailants.
What we don't hear today is outrage from the mainstream media, around the world, at this open season on the press; this the deadliest year on record, a year in which some 75 journalists have been slaughtered according to PEN American Center. There have been moving tributes to murdered journalists, like Anna Politkovskaya, in which editors, and renowned writers have read from here work, but one can't help but think how quickly we become acclimated to that which is heinous, and unacceptable, and lose ourselves in memorializing, or the kind of catharsis which disfigures that which makes us moral animals and not brutes.
We cannot afford to rest until we find out who ordered Anna's killing, and the assasination of Misael Hernandez. What's more, as members of the human race, we deserve and demand to know why anyone would kill someone else for not being a Muslim, a Christian, a Jew, or for whatever reason. We can no more seek solace in the abandoned essays of Hrant Dink than we can in the absence of the truth of how, and why he died, and we will not be deterred from finding out, no matter what the price.
Let those three shots that shattered a man's life, on this dark day in Turkey, be heard round the world. Let it be known from this day forward that the murder of one editor, or journalist anywhere is a threat to journalists everywhere. Those who care about truth and freedom of expression must stand together and, as Hrant Dink wrote in his last published article, ensure that "we never have to go through such a departure" again.
http://ladyjaynestahl.blogspot.com
Widely published, poet, playwright, essayist, and screenwriter; member of PEN American Center, and PEN USA. Jayne Lyn Stahl is a Huffington Post blogger.
One might think that the best way to avoid propaganda is to shun the Editorial page and Op-Ed sections of a newspaper. Not true, the slickest propaganda comes packaged as "News" articles. Newspapers are in business to serve their Corporate sponsors and masters, not the American citizen, read "consumer."
We are all consumers of covert propaganda, whether we like it or not. Which might explain why newspapers are losing "consumers" steadily. And the TV "News" Media is all propaganda, all the time.
by
rabblerowzer (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 227 comments)
on Saturday, January 20, 2007 at 4:02:02 AM
The articles absurdity that the death of a journalist is some how a greater tragedy than the killing of any other innocent human being, denotes the elite arrogance of today's so called journalist.
Freedom of the Press resides in western civilized societies, not in fundamentalist regimes or communist structured governments. Journalists think that can go into these countries and print what they will without impunity and that some how Western freedoms extend into these other countries.
When journalists write articles that offend the social culture or prang tyrannical regimens, they view their work as "guiding messages of wisdom", rather than offensive and un-stabilizing.
Today, because journalist tend to editorialize, rather than simply report the news of the day, a new level of distain for the media has lead to a greater loss of life among the journalist community.
In the case of Hrant Dink, one would have to question the news worthiness of his claim than 1.5 million Armenians were slaughtered before World War I in Turkey, an alleged crime that would have taken place over 85 years ago.
The purpose or value of Dink's story was most certainly agenda driven and in this case, offend both the cultural society and Turkish law. Acoustical and divisive claims made 85 years after the fact would hold whom to account? Certainly not anyone living today.
Dink's goal was to stir the coals of unrest and in this case, he paid the price for his Activism, not his Reporting.
Today's media and journalist tend toward attacking the social fabric of societies around the world with rash and agenda seeking arrogance, lacking factual news or compelling insight. They do this without regard to the outcome or sensitivity of the majority. They reserve their sensitivities for there own, lost on the field of self promoting idealism.
by
tjwelch (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 5 comments)
on Saturday, January 20, 2007 at 11:01:41 AM
it's absurd, and ignorant statements like this one that make one wish to give up writing altogether. while you're at the business of hunting, why not pick a sitting target....
by
Jayne Lyn Stahl (188 articles, 2 quicklinks, 7 diaries, 72 comments)
on Saturday, January 20, 2007 at 12:00:43 PM
Your article is an exercise in hand ringing that never addresses the reasons behind your claim of an "open season" on journalists. The departure from journalist to activist has been blurred by most media groups today. Activists representing minority view points, regardless of virtue, should not not feel they can be shielded from harm by labeling themselves as the free press, especially when engaging in treasonous speech. Activist today, cloak themselves as the free press in order to engage in their own self promotion, which in turn, endangers the true media journalist. The real absurdity is your articles lack of why?
by
tjwelch (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 5 comments)
on Saturday, January 20, 2007 at 6:45:18 PM
Time that real truth should prevail to pave a new horizon.
I'm not a journalists, but I do enjoy most of Op-Ed's story's they bring to light story's that are not censored and dear to many. They also hit home with issues that have a true impact on politics, war and abuse of powers. These story's are also well written and mainly facts, now and then I see some that are just complete nonsense. But those stories are usually good for a roaring laugh.
But the best part of reading this is the interactions that take place between different opinions. The only thing I've seen close to this is fictional story's because they are not well researched and border line fantasy.
Truly with all the efforts these writers make some good will be the end result and if not they tried.
by
Fred F (1 articles, 1 quicklinks, 4 diaries, 361 comments)
on Sunday, January 21, 2007 at 1:36:47 PM
5 comments
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