Meeting in Tunis on May 4th, the Haute Autorité Indépendante de la Communication et de l’Audiovisuel (HAICA) and the Ministry of Religious Affairs announced a strengthening of their partnership.
In a statement, the HAICA said the two institutions have agreed to create training sessions for journalists specializing in religious affairs.
Their decision is part of a partnership to combat religious extremism in the media. According to the HAICA, the challenge is to stop the hate speeches, violence and takfir (accusations of apostasy) currently broadcast by certain programmes. Religious channels, such as Zitouna Hidaya TV and Al Insen TV, are clearly the first to be affected by this joint plan of action.
Religious radicalism in the media seems to be a real concern in North African countries. Last November Algeria’s broadcasting watchdog, the Autorité de Régulation de l’Audiovisuel (ARAV) made recommendations to all domestic channels broadcasting religious programmes, inviting them to “maintain constant vigilance to banish intolerance and hatred”.
Sources: Agence Ecofin, Direct Info
