J’accuse!

Fans killed post-stampede at a Zamalek match; Yazidi women trafficked as sex slaves by ISIL; Christian workers kidnapped in Libya; a Turkish woman killed as she fought off her rapist, and shootings, shootings everywhere make for a bloody start to the year.

For me, these incidents constitute only a fraction of the real tragedy.

What is truly disheartening is the fact that many choose to bash journalism and media outlets for reporting on these matters as if a country in which social, economic and political obstacles so deeply rooted can suddenly thrive and fix themselves from positive reporting solely.

“We don’t want any more negativity in the press,’’ they say.

“Stop broadcasting videos and images of gruesome executions,” they say.

But it is exactly this rhetoric today that has been transporting Egyptian journalism into the dark ages, and imprisoning journalists literally in cells and detention.

It is exactly this discourse that has perpetuated a lack of transparency in media. Thus, and if I may be so bold, I permit myself to let out a Zolaesque reaction: I accuse.

I accuse those who criticize ‘pejorative’ journalism merely because they are tired of facing the truth, lest they be dragged into actually making a difference, out of convenient hypocrisy;

I accuse the waning voice of Egyptian adults who refuse to heed any news except for the that coming from state media because ‘they’re official’.

I accuse the media outlets which are butchering journalism just so it doesn’t interfere with state institutions, the military and the police, in fighting terrorism;

I accuse the more-often- than-not Western reaction expecting a wave of apologies and shame from Muslims following the Copenhagen and Charlie Hebdo shootings;

I accuse the perverse censorship suffocating the masses, which ultimately backfires and creates of radicals and over-religious zealots on the prowl for blood;

I accuse journalists of keeping silent as Egyptian majorities muffle the voice of our minorities;

I accuse the politically dormant and the selectively ignorant, of only speaking out when their base of privilege is shaken;

And more than anything, idealistic musings aside, I should like to one day revoke my accusations. Some scholars believe that history is circular; if that is true, then I hope to witness the day, in which good old journalism can be celebrated once more rather than constitute a threat on one’s life.

I cannot think of a better time where the pen is most needed. Even for the sake of security in the near future, we will regret much more the ignorance that we’ve instilled in ourselves than the knowledge we gain.

SARA AHMED ABDEL AZIZ
SENIOR ENGLISH EDITOR