From: Ina Iankulova (iiankulova@sorosny.org)
Date: Wed Apr 23 2003 - 13:06:32 EDT
BAN ON CABLE TV IN KABUL ENDS
The Afghan cabinet has passed a new law that will allow cable-television broadcasts, the BBC reported on 22 April. Cable television was banned in 21 January at the order of Chief Justice Mawlawi Fazl Hadi Shinwari, who regarded many programs aired by cable to be offensive to Islamic values (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 22 January 2003). Kabul was among several cities and provinces that decided to uphold the ban, and will now abide by the new ruling and has restarted cable-television broadcasts. The new law, which has not yet been made public, is viewed as a victory by Afghan Transitional Administration Chairman Karzai over the conservative establishment in the country, the BBC commented. Cable television has about 7,000 subscribers in Kabul, primarily among the city's middle class. In what would be a first for Afghan constitutions, the recently proposed draft constitution allows for private ownership of broadcast media as long at "no direct attacks" on the values of Islam are broadcast (see "RFE/RL Afghanistan Rep
ort," 24 April 2003). AT
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