Dodoma, Tanzania: The government will soon table the Information Bill in Parliament which will enable MPs to discuss and legislate a new law on the media industry in the country. Mr. Amos Makala, Deputy Minister for Information, Youths, Culture and Sports, told the Parliament yesterday that the draft had already landed at the ministry and would be sent to the cabinet for discussion. He said the bill was getting final touches and would be tabled anytime from now. Mr. Makala said, “We have taken the matter to the cabinet for discussion and we will table it in the House anytime from now.” (The Citizen, 15/05/2013)

Unfortunately, in spite of this bill being the most awaited by the media industry, in the real sense it is not going to offer any freedom to media outlets as some might think. Since the concept of freedom of speech is nothing but an empty slogan that does not conform whatsoever to reality.

Falsely, the democratic system boasts itself as dedicated to protect freedom of speech but every day we witness many media outlets being banned and many hindrances imposed to restrict performing their daily function. The most common pretext to control media industry is the so-called breaching News Papers Act or National Security Act.

While democracy proclaims to safeguard and protect freedom, the truth is that it only entails freedom that is not contrary with its ideological principles or interests.

The system of Islam does not play this sort of democratic double standard. Not only because the concept of freedom does not fit with reality, but there is no such notion since human beings are given this life with the specific objective of worshipping the Creator Who is the sole Master and humans are His Slaves.

Masoud Msellem

Deputy Media Representative

Hizb ut Tahrir East Africa