Freedom of expression between reality and hope

 

Dr. Mohammed Dabbasheh

Member of the Egyptian Writers Union

 

Who among us in the modern era does not pay lip service to democracy and seeks to apply it, especially in third world countries, believing in its importance to eliminate dictatorship and the rule of the pharaoh to advance the country and people to higher levels intellectually, economically, politically and in life, so it was necessary that freedoms in general and freedom of expression in particular should have a clear imprint in the constitutions And the laws of those countries based on their emphasis in international laws and human rights organizations.

Freedom of expression is the most important tool of the writer, poet, novelist, journalist, and broadcaster, because without it, he cannot convey what he sees to the recipient with transparency, integrity, and freedom, and the laws restricting freedoms are a restriction on him and what he writes. From the truth of what they write and fearing for their positions and chairs, they claim what they claim unjustly, so the result is according to laws stripped of freedoms, and imprisonment is the bottom line.

And if states believe that suppressing freedoms and not allowing the expression of opinion, whether in writing or by demonstrating, limits its movement and impedes it from carrying out its tasks, then this is a right that is meant to be void, because participation and freedom in expressing an opinion are the people’s tools to monitor the actions of governments, and they should intervene to correct them. And correct its path, and the citizens are convinced that they are partners in reform and development.

If the policies of states pay attention to this, and freedoms are guaranteed by law and the constitution, we will go back to the ages of underdevelopment, oppression, and the visitors of the dawn, and the iron shackle becomes an impediment to participation and creativity, and the phenomenon of public anger appears clearly among the sons of the Arab peoples, which makes them lose belonging and unwillingness to build, and thus the consequences will be unimaginable in terms of violence, terrorism and aversion Because of him, he loses blood that could have been the building blocks that contributed to the prosperity and development of their countries.

Based on the aforementioned, I call on the governments of the Arab countries and the parliaments for more legislation that protects freedoms, and I condemn in the strongest terms whoever strikes a pen or blocks an opinion from the light.