Press Censorship in Somalia

The Islamic Courts Union (ICU), the Islamist movement which has conquered much of Somalia, has issued a list of 13 rules governing privately-owned media outlets. Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF) has published the full list on its web site. The following four rules in particular make the ICU's contempt for intellectual freedom abundantly clear:

The media must not publish or disseminate information contrary to the Muslim religion, the public interest or the interest of the nation.

The media must not disseminate information likely to create conflicts between the population and the Council of Islamic Courts.

The media must not publish or disseminate elements of a foreign culture contrary to Islamic culture or promoting bad behaviour, such as nudity on film.

The media must not employ the terms which infidels use to refer to Muslims such as 'terrorists,' 'extremists' etc.


RSF has denounced these restrictions in uncompromising terms:

"We are just speaking on behalf of a profession that refuses to exchange chaos for servitude. If, as they claim, the Islamic courts want to restore peace and justice to Somalia, they must abandon this plan."

Sadly, it appears that giving up "chaos for servitude" is exactly what is happening in Somalia.