الاتحاد الكاثوليكي العالمي للصحافة- لبنان اوسيب – لبنان
Antelias, September 16, 2005
The UCIP administrative board in Lebanon, held an emergency meeting, and discussed the arrest of journalists Habib Younis and Joseph Tawk, resulted from "Cedar Guards" memorandum
The circumstances of arresting the two associates, Younis and Tawk, and the media attack campaign, required an emergency meeting for UCIPLIBAN bureau, to discuss the aspects of this case.
1- The Union, also condemns anti-Arabism calls which rejects the withdrawal of Lebanon from the Arab League, and refuses all the convocations of division, racism, segregation and the sectarianism agitation. The Union also considers this case is surrounded with several confusions, and the criminal elements were not clear. For this reason, the Union has great confidence in the Lebanese court, for clarifying the truth, to stop interpretations that lead to internal divisions, and reuse the war language and its slogans.
2- The Union assures that the role of the Lebanese press is to anticipate the political situation, and work for eliminating afflictions through awareness and criticism. The press is called to not participate in agitating the fire of affliction through encouraging sectarian and fanatic instincts, and stop journalism competition at the cost of career objectivity and technicality.
3- The Union regrets the handling of Almassira Magazine, and considers that respect of these media organizations is essential to preserve the career immunity. It also calls on the presidents of journalism and editing syndicates to bear such responsability.
4- Confirming its disagreement with the political approaches of the two associates, and the assurance of the fundamentals on which it stands, which completely oppose such presentations, stresses that the freedom of opinion is one of the principles of the Lebanese laws that distinguished Lebanon throughout history. The Lebanese community is characterized for its political diversity, within the laws and applied norms framework.
5- The Union condemns the aggression on associate Ali Tohme was subjected to, and demands the court to uncover the doers, and punish them, to safeguard the freedom of opinion and journalism role which can not survive without safeguarding the journalists, security, and maintaining and preserving their survival.
Translated by: Moris Jahshan
