by Aden Mohamed Ismail
Friday, November 06, 2009
Few days ago, I heard from one of my friends that VOA Somali section broadcasted on the 28th of October 2009 a live interview with young Somali woman who had a relationship almost one and half year ago with a solider from Uganda in Mogadishu.
Soon after that, I had the opportunity to listen that interview on VOA Somali section homepage and I decided to write this article in respond that interview which to my humble opinion has violated all norms of journalism ethic and the respect of human dignity and privacy in life.
For those who missed the said interview, the interviewer told that young innocent and naïve sounding women to tell first all Somali listeners her age (24) and her real three names which she did with out any hesitation. I found that a dramatic violation of the journalistic protection of the identity of victims of all kinds abuse.
After that, the VOA interviewer proceed asking the young lady intimae and details oriented and humiliating questions which the young lady answer with unimaginable nativity. VOA wanted to know how the relationship started, where; how she used to meet the solider, who was there, which language, has been used etc..?
The most interesting question and not to say useless question that the VOA journalist asked the young lady was if she is going to contact the family of the solider who is in jail for that reason.
Following tha,t the young lady answered all questions and underlined the driving force of the relationship with the soldier from Uganda which was the need of medicine for her deadly sick father. VOA wanted to know from the young lady, the name of the drug which her father needed and the young lady couldn’t name it.
That was the golden opportunity for all Somali listeners including me to figure out the diseases from which her later father was suffering.
VOA questioned that suffering young lady what time the marriage took place, day or night and if she stayed after the marriage with her husband or she went home. Actually, VOA wanted to know when and where the pregnancy actually took place in the AMISOM barracks or in the dark streets of Mogadishu.
After VOA covered systematically all intimates of the young woman with out any respect , VOA proceeded to cover the horrifying odyssey of the young lady from Mogadishu to Kampala which was more or less making public where the young lady was staying now.
The consequence of that irresponsible interview is that many Somalis in Kampala came to know that that “Bad woman” is in town and nobody can predict what will happen to that young woman apart from the usual brutal Somali discrimination.
The most positive and encouraging message I captured from that young woman during the interview was that she emphasised with amazing self consciousness the support she received from her mother and brothers during that terrifying period while crying through VOA radio.,.
Finally, I couldn’t understand the public importance of the said VOA programme except that it was a deliberate or ignorant violation of basic protection of human rights.
Today, many Somali women are perhaps married with men from China, Japan, Jamaica, Europe, Asia, British, America, Arabia and last but not least Africa just like Somali men married women from all over the world.
Therefore I would like to recommend the VOA Somali programme Editor to start soon a programme episodes about the unaccepted relationship of Somali women with none Somali men world wide and I will guarantee VOA Somali section, that millions of BBC Somali listeners will turn there back to that civil war Channel and our sister in Kampala will not be alone any more.
Aden Mohamed Ismail
E-mail: [email protected]