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Q: Should the fabrication of news be allowed,
though such news are not based on factual events if it aims at
undermining the enemy?
A: This is not lawful due to the absolute
illegality of telling lies, unless there is a binding Islamic interest
which leads to the victory of the Muslims over the enemy, that is , it
might be weakened, confused and psychologically defeated.
Q: In reference to the previous question, should
the fabrication of news be allowed if Islam is not subject to
consequent disadvantage?
A:The sole reason of the absence of a disadvantage
does not justify the fabrication of false news but there should be a
binding interest that is more important than the expected disadvantage
of telling lies. Only in such a case this interest is given priority
in the circle of preferable competition of interests(1).
(!)It is the state in which a choice has to be made
between more important interests and less important disadvantages or
between two interests, as when someone tells a lie to save himself
from an oppressor. Here, illegal lying competes with the obligation of
saving oneself . And Survival is given priority because it is more
important than the disadvantage of lying.
Q: Is it legally allowed to add to the true news in
attempt of making it more persuasive?
A: It’s lawful if the addition is not excessive
but a kind of rhetorical expansion of style and atmosphere, whose
suggestions are not far from reality; otherwise, it’s not lawful,
because it complies with the legal reasoning that prohibits telling
lies.
Q: Is it legally lawful to publish news carrying
despairing stories which drive the readers to grow hopeless?
A: In principle, it is not lawful because this may
lead to the creation of a psychological defeat , to weakness in the
line of confrontation, and to the downfall of the nation in the field
of Challenges.
Q: Is it lawful to publish the picture of unveiled
Moslem women in our Islamic newspapers? What are the legal limitations
of publishing the pictures of non –Islamic women?
A: It is lawful as long as it does not lead to
encouraging Moslem women to follow this trend- removal of the veil. As
for the legal limitations of publishing the pictures of non -Islamic
women this must not be done in an indecent way.
Q: Is it legally lawful for our Islamic newspapers
to publish news without taking the permission of news-owners, who
might not want them revealed .
A: If these news are among the secrets hidden by
their owner, it is not lawful to uncover any of them without
permission; otherwise, taking the permission of the party concerned is
not a must unless it leads to materialistic or moral damage.
Q: Is it lawful to exaggerate figures and
statistics about the position and losses of the enemy?
A: This is lawful if it is necessitated by the
battle in order to heighten the spirits of Moslems.
But the other side of the picture should be
considered; that is, exaggeration may magnify the level of triumph,
and consequently the Mujahideen will relax and then lack sufficient
readiness to confront the enemy, believing in its vulnerability.
Q: Is it lawful to exaggerate the size of the
Islamic activities or Islamic oppositions? If yes, What are the limits
of this exaggeration?
A: In, principle, this is not lawful in proportion
to the degree of lying included unless there are some exceptions that
consider the supreme interest of Islam. If allowed, this must be done
in a way that doesn’t lead Moslems to magnify their role, where they
are affected both psychologically and practically. Besides, this may
have a negative impact on the way people view the Islamic movement for
it might lose its credibility
Q: Your
Eminence, how do you assess the “Journalistic swearwords” or the
marginal wars that use journalism as a field for informational
battles?
A: In principle, swearing is rejected by Islam.
Swearing may cause more harm than benefit to journalism, whose status
may be degraded before people who criticize the style of swearing
.This is also observed in the marginal wars which may make the public
forget the war of existence, where journalism distracts people from
the vital causes of the present situation.
Q: In Islamic journalism, some correspondent
missions sometimes require spying acts to capture interesting news. Is
this lawful?
A: Spying is unlawful to Moslems because people’s
secrets and demerits are a restricted area, that must not be revealed
by Moslems, unless they are linked with an Islamic urgent need which
might eliminate public harm or bring in Public benefit ..
Q: Is there any harm in manipulating some news by
skipping a part and publishing the other?
A: This is lawful if it doesn’t suggest anything
contrary to the facts.
Q: Does saying that a newspaper or a magazine is
not responsible for the writer’s opinions in articles or reports
exempt the magazine or the newspaper from the legal responsibility for
the violations included?
A: It’s lawful if the article or the report
doesn’t cause public harm, no matter whether it’s attributed to
the magazine or the writer.
Q: In accordance with the saying consider what is
said, not who says”. Is it lawful to employ a writer who is
disreputable in the Islamic front?
A: In principle, this is lawful provided that
supporting him and publishing his name and thoughts will not lead to
any harm to the Islamic body.
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