Journalists call for press freedom in the Arab world

Journalists have called on the Arab states to lift hard restrictions imposed on the mass media with the aim to establish democratic basics on the western style in the age of Globalization.

Representatives of international media who met on January 7 in Dubai to discuss the freedom of expression, especially in the Arab world, said the Arab media " lacks democracy," especially because of the fact that this press undergoes restrictions. British journalist Francis Mathew who works in the Gulf News daily stressed in the seminar which was organized by Dubai's club for the press that the press " are facing all forms of direct and indirect pressures which impede their movement. He called for abrogating " imprisonment penalty " stated by laws in most Arab states against journalists who write articles implying " dispraising."

For his part chief editor of the Yemen Times Walid Abdul Aziz said that the Arab states will " sooner or later be obliged to take the democratic option in order to merge into Globalization." He added to have a freedom of expression in a certain country, gradual adaptation of democratic values should be first observed.."