Information and culture of human rights in Iraq

[المحامية سحر الياسري]

Sahar Mehdi Yasiri
Saharmahdi63@yahoo.com
Civilized dialogue-number : 1760-2006 / 12 / 10


The world has witnessed in recent years, political and cultural shifts, highlighting the value of human rights by increasing global concern and hastened various countries of the world to embrace the principles of human rights and stated their commitment to the importance of these rights, which led by the right of individuals to freedom of expression and equality, away from all forms of discrimination between classes this concern has been reflected in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations and worked to spread his principles and the spread of many organizations and international charters that advocate human rights and the need sponsored by the governments and peoples has signed receives many States ((Haas International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights)), which states in Article IX ten states that everyone has the right to freedom of expression, this right includes freedom to gather information and ideas, receive and impart whether in the form of writing or in print, in the form of art or any other means. This has helped the faster evolution and the communications revolution further proliferation of human rights principles as technology linked to contact some parts of the world, which prompted some States to improve its image and to reaffirm their commitment to these principles, which have become standards of a modern state and the availability of these rights is reflected positively on the economic development efforts, in addition to the impact of the international situation or the so-called new world order, which was formed after the board second Gulf War and the destiny of the United States private power and hegemony over other states therefore keen each State to highlight its commitment to human rights to confront any excuses for foreign intervention in its internal affairs.

The global system of human rights crystallized before the era of globalization, where the starting point to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations in 1948 has a general framework of this Declaration of Human Rights was expanded and elaborated in a number of Mutek especially the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant for political, social and cultural rights. Therefore, there is now a global system of human rights consisting of basic elements difficult and the most important difference of these elements : -

• The right to life
• The right to freedom
• The right to safety from physical and moral
• The right to a fair trial
• The right to self-expression
• Right to Organize started from the trade unions and political parties
• The right to equality and enjoyment of equal opportunities without discrimination because of sex, religion or race

And despite the fact that all these principles states and agreed by all civilizations and cultures, but in actual practice may occur many deviations and abuses differ harm and the exercise of these rights may vary from country to country according to the circumstances and events that pass by each State.

If human rights is the title of the modern state and the civilized development of this development on the Information great responsibility in raising awareness of these rights was assassinated this task without enjoying the most important of these rights, especially the right to freedom of expression, freedom of information and communication has become the standard for measuring the evolution of society and its cultural values have played For example, the press played a prominent role in the dissemination of human rights culture and raise awareness of their importance where the British newspaper The Observer in founding one of the most important global organizations in the field of human rights, namely, (Amnesty International), after a famous article published in a British newspaper lawyer is entitled (prisoners forgotten), and this article was echoed large and create a sensation led to the founding of the organization which has played a prominent role in exposing human rights violations everywhere in the world.

It highlights the important role of the media in raising public awareness and the transfer of a human rights culture to ordinary citizens to know their rights and the rights of others in the country where there is a legacy of political and social traditions that limit the exercise of these rights is doubly important role played by media in the development of this tradition and modernization Forefront improving mental picture of and advancement of women and to highlight their role in community participation and access to confirm their social, political and humanitarian.

But media coverage of human rights issues in Iraq could be critical for the following reasons : -

1. ((Selectivity)) and the politicization of human rights and media coverage association official political stance to a great extent a result of this selective significant shortfall in the flow of information without any bias so that the violation of human rights principles in knowledge and exposure to different views and Ayrja to respond to the instructions of the political power, but in response to a certain position sponsored by some media and works to promote the specific objectives and to serve certain interests, whether political or economic

2. The media attention on human rights issues and coverage is limited and lacks the depth, coverage and up

3. Fragmentation of the concept of human rights grounds of privacy local and regional differentiation and cultural and historical backgrounds, religious, economic and accepts the concept of retail according to the Vienna Declaration 1993

4. The form is the National Safety No. 1 of 2004 and the Anti-Terrorism Act No. 13 of 2005 heavy restrictions greatly limited the freedom of the Iraqi media to expose human rights violations in Iraq, whether committed by the occupation forces or Iraqi security forces sword to commit the crime of terrorism is greatly hindered the work of journalists in the Iraqi detect violations and led to many of them loses his life or imprisonment of the word Iraq today is the state in which the largest number of journalists covering the media, although the text of a permanent constitution, in article 36 that ((including state guarantees to prejudice public order and morals

First-free expression of opinion by all means
Second-press, printing, advertising, media and publishing))