Excerpts from an interview with prominent journalist Niyaz Abulla on obstacles and dangers journalists face in Kurdistan Region of Iraq, including threats of sexual assault and murder.
Air date: March 1, 2019.
Transcript:
– Can you describe the general conditions for female journalists? What’s the ratio of working female media workers?
– The rate of female media workers has been changing gradually.
In early 1990’s the number of female media workers was generally small. Even though that number is still small compared to male counterpart, it has increased.
The Kurdistan Journalists’ Association has revealed in recent years that the percentage of its female journalist members doesn’t exceed 17%.
This indicates a great ratio gap between male and female media workers.
Another aspect is that, despite their fewer numbers, the work of female journalists is marked by quality, rather than quantity. But the quantity of their work has increased as well.
And despite their increased numbers, women are nowhere in management positions at media outlets in KRI.
– In which branch? If we look at the TV channels, it seems that women work more as presenters than having other roles.
– The progress in media work has gone through changes. Even though there is a large number of outlets… There are above 200 TV and radio stations in KRI – which is a very large number. But despite that large number, percentage of female technicians, writers, editors or editor-in-chiefs is still not adequate and not what should’ve been. There has been some real progress in technical and reporting aspects, but due to the hurdles and threats that media workers face, further progress has been impeded.
There has been a decrease in the amount of hurdles that women face, but that doesn’t mean they have all disappeared.
– Can you talk about your own program, how you prepare and what challenges and problems do you face?
– That’s an important question. Even though you would like me to focus on my own work, I would like to elaborate on a few things. Before I give a direct answer to that, I would like to shed light on another aspect: which is the progress of women’s work in TV, radio and print. A significant number of journalists were working in print media in the pass. But the role of press has immensely decreased nowadays. And with that the role of women has decreased as well.
We had a number of female writers previously. Their role is not the same now, due changes in circumstances. At the TV stations, women are news anchors, meaning they write, produce and present at the same time. Their roles have shifted.
But there is a another field that has helped journalism progress greatly, which is radio.
At the radio stations in Kurdistan you’ll notice a large number of women have a prominent role and opportunity in writing, reporting and program making. Because these women are busy with context rather than superficial things that TV requires. Unlike at TV stations, at radio stations they are more than mere presenters.
– How is the quality of education in journalism in KRI?
– Unfortunately the institutions for training media workers in KRI, are still very inadequate. And the media outlets do very little in this aspect.
This is an existing tragedy in Kurdistan Region: Most of the journalists who reported on the ISIS war were not trained in how to do war coverage at all. The journalists become news and victims of war instead of being able to report on the war.
Unfortunately, even after the ISIS war is over militarily, the media in Kurdistan Region have still not learned how to deal with those dangerous conditions. And how to find ways to acquire knowledge on war and war coverage, and on self-protection for journalists and learning languages of war zones.
For example: Rudaw journalist Shifa Gardi, may she rest in peace. We were fellow university students. Shifa couldn’t speak Arabic.
– She was born in Iran I believe, right?
– Correct, she didn’t speak Arabic. In addition to that, as far as I know, including from our personal relation, she didn’t have the chance, or the Rudaw didn’t provide, or for whatever reason, Shifa hadn’t studied to be a specialist to cover war. Yet, she was sent to a hell-like region. She didn’t speak the local language. Neither had she learned about weaponry, nor recognizing explosives. None of that. The same goes for other journalists [who covered the war].
News outlets in KRI traded with the lives of their journalists by putting them in danger in order to attract the attention of audiences. That’s why there were so many victims. If there was even a little expertise on war coverage, I assure you, there wouldn’t be so many [media worker] victims during the ISIS war.
Even though the cases differ. For example the story of Kamaran Najim…
– He was a journalist that was caught by ISIS. Right?
– Correct, in Kirkuk. Kamaran Najim was one of the journalists from Kirkuk. He worked for Metrographic. He was one of the very capable journalists. But due to mistakes by the armed forces that were at that front and who left Kamaran wounded there – for which, in my opinion, those military personnel should have been court-martialed – Kamaran ended up in the hands of ISIS.
And at the place where Kamaran Najim was supposed to be exchanged for ISIS prisoners, unfortunately, once again, due to Kurdish media, among them outlets secretly owned by political parties, and their meddling and desire to get information on the exchange, and broadcasting it, the exchange never took place. And later it was unfortunately confirmed that ISIS executed Kamaran Najim with an axe.
– For your own program at Radio Nawa, what are the obstacles and difficulties you face?
– One of the main difficulties the media face, especially the independent media, is that due to financial difficulties, most outlets can’t open offices in all major towns, not even in Baghdad. We had an office in Baghdad for a while, but we were forced to close it down, due to financial difficulties. Another thing is transportation costs. I have to travel 400-500 kilometres for each episode of my program, travelling between Slemani and Arbil.
[Another obstacle] is the censorship on independent media by the political party officials.
– We’ll get back to that later and discuss that in detail.
– I have to mention that in comparison this is the least challenging for me. Because at our program we strictly follow the journalistic principles of free speech and dialogue.
– To what extent is there societal acceptance for women to be active in journalism?
– It used to be said that people in the Kurdistan Region, including all ethnic and religious components, are not used to deal with the news media. But it wouldn’t be accurate at all to say that today. People in KRI have gotten used to news media; participation; how to dialogue, exchanges; expressing political opinions, in a way that is distant from smearing. Although a number of outlets use a strategy of using radical and direct attacks. But for example, our outlet, Radio Nawa, is not among them.
As for how female media workers are treated: We can say the one that isn’t used to the real principles of liberty, democracy and human rights, is in fact the Kurdish authorities of KRG. For example, the ones that assault media workers during demonstrations, turn out to be people secretly working for the political parties who dress in civilian clothing. On the contrary, the people in KRI, in my opinion, have great respect and appreciating for media workers. Speaking from personal experience: people show great respect and appreciation and whenever I have faced danger, the people have embraced and saved me from potential harm.
– Does it mean that there is generally a societal acceptance?
– Indeed, without doubt.
Another dangerous aspect is to distort the reality of this acceptance, the ruling parties have always used nefarious and viscous yellow journalism tactics against both female an male journalists, through attempts to meddle in personal affairs, or falsely accuse and smear media workers, especially female ones. For example, producing doctored videos or images, creating rumours, or using the threat of sexual assault. Of course, on this, the gender difference is noticeably considered. For example, a men may be threatened with a beating or murder, but women are first threatened with sexual assault, then murder or the other forms of threats.
Previously, we wouldn’t reveal these threats, because we didn’t want to scare the people whose female family members were media workers. But that stage has been passed. We now must be open about them. For example I had been threatened with sexual assault since 2007, but hadn’t mentioned it until last year. They send their threats in various ways, in most of which they don’t leave evidence behind. They either send the threats under false names, like: “If we catch you, we’ll do such and such to you.” Or, for example, in 2011 two civilians sent by the police in Arbil, who were using “Yes, sir!” [on the phone]. Their first threat to me was: “we’ll gather all the youths of Arbil to ruin you reputation here.” We all know that those expressions mean threats of sexual assault. That’s why we must not be afraid, stand against of such threats, and work on securing our protection.
Last year, they even had planned to attack me at my home using civilian KDP supporters. The plan was confirmed to me by information I got from people within the PUK, Gorran and KIU, which was to break into my home, take me somewhere, sexually assault me and film it. And next to using it against me, to scare away and suppress other media workers.
– Have you taken the matter to a court for investigation?
– This is an important issue as well...
– Have you made a legal complaint or not?
– I haven’t. let me explain why: When the police themselves send an officer to yank your mobile phone from you hands and hand it over to Arbil’s police’s chief, and say “here it is sir!” And “Sir” instead of taking the mobile and give it back to me, since he knows me, he gives it back to the officer (who was in civilian clothing), and the people around helped me get it back.
So, in such an environment, what good will a legal complaint do? Especially when I had earlier submitted legal complaints due to the threats I received by phone – and the Committee for Journalists is aware of it since 2008 – but it has led to nothing, and they told me at the police station: we suggest you forget about this and go home.
– What is the view of families who have their female kin working within the media?
– The situation has changed now. When I was at journalism school, it was accurate to say back then that people in KRI were still not used to female journalists, or the media generally.
Back then, and nowadays still, not only for female media workers, but also for male ones is difficult as well. When we mention the difficulties for women, it doesn’t mean the men had it easy and have been reporting in a safe and comfortable environment. A big number of our male colleagues have fled the Kurdistan Region due to the threats. We face those threats as well.
Before I talk about the families [of female journalists], I would like to elaborate this related matter. We face a great challenge. They have sent people last year to bribe… I don’t want to mention the names of the officials… They’ve offered advisory positions. They offered us scholarships abroad with the condition of being silent. They even offered to pay for the courses and many other costs.
Even the media workers who have fled Kurdistan Region in previous years – I speak of Arbil specifically – they fled KDP persecution, but have now become reporters for KDP in Europe. It is all right for one to change views and take a job. But my point is about how KDP, PUK and other political parties, are chasing media workers to silence them with any way possible; either by bribes or terror and threats.
Even though most of the families of media workers face difficulties… to take my own family as an example: numerous relatives and acquaintances have contacted my family; my father, my sisters, my brothers and mother, and advised them to ask me to not take risks and do my work “normally” or like others who work closely with the authorities.
That’s one kind of pressure; another kind of pressure is that when the families realize how their relatives face threats. Imagine being a father and realize that your child is facing threats of sexual assault or kidnapping or similar threats, and the plans behind some of those have been revealed to us later.
Thus, despite that their families are openly proud their work in the media, and being a great support in the face of the difficulties, a part of the female journalists, as far as I know and according to the records on violations, are not able to discuss with their families the harassments that they face, because the chance is great that their families pressure them to quit journalism.
[Another threat] is the sexual harassment female media workers face within some, not all, of the news outlets. Some of the women remain silent because… despite the offender being degenerates who have no care for their own reputation, it is the women victims whose reputation will be considered tarnished if they speak of it.
– Can we say that it is acceptable by the families for their female kin to work in the media?
– They have no problem with the work, but when their female kin face a threat… as you of the “honor” worship and how women are considered a family’s reputation custodian in Kurdistan Region.
This isn’t limited to journalism alone, even if a female teacher, for example, is sexually assaulted and reveals it, the family considers it a stain on their reputation. Same as when children are sexually assaulted the crime is covered up, and the culprit goes unpunished.
– You mentioned a survey that shows the rate of women media workers is disproportional. Has there been an effort for female media workers to get together, cross party lines and form a group?
– Although I am independent, we have and will defend anyone, man or woman, affiliated with any political party who face threats and dangers of any kind. It doesn’t matter how much their mentality differs from ours, we must stand by them.
Unfortunately whenever we try to establish an independent organization, one of the political family dynasties meddles in it. In 2008, with a group of female journalists we tried to establish a group in Arbil. Begard Hussein was one of Gulan Magazine journalists, whose ex-husband broke into her house [and killed her.]
This led us to think of creating an advocate group for female journalist’ protection. As we were about to create the group and journalists from political parties were coming in to participate, unfortunately the Journalists’ Association was apparently very displeased with the fact that an independent group was about to be created and meddled in it. But their meddling had a silver lining; even though they prevented us from forming a group, they established the “Committee for the Protection of Female Journalists” within the Journalists’ Association. Even though the works of that committee was limited, its creation was important in itself.