Editorial
The release of Alan Johnston
Journalists can beat terror by defying it
The release of the BBC journalist Alan Johnston after 114 days of captivity at the hands of his abductors has caused relief everywhere. We welcome the development, especially in light of our conviction that newspersons must be allowed unfettered freedom to do justice to their profession, without fear or coercion. As far as we are concerned, Johnston was merely doing his job and that was hardly any reason for him to be snatched off the streets by those who clearly did not agree with him. Johnston, we may point out here, is not the only journalist who has been in danger zones in recent times. Across countries and continents, there have been journalists who have been kidnapped and often murdered. In other instances, media persons have been killed outright, as last year's murder of a Russian woman journalist so eerily demonstrated. It is against this background that Alan Johnston's freedom can be regarded as a fortunate circumstance. And a good deal of the credit for his release certainly goes to Hamas, which showed purposefulness in negotiating with his captors about his fate. By no means a moderate political organisation, a fact made clear in the unfolding Palestinian drama of the last one year, Hamas has nevertheless made it clear that the abduction of individuals cannot be part of politics. The so-called Army of Islam, which kidnapped Johnston, and other bodies like it should therefore understand that their 'jihadi' spirit stands to lose credibility when their policies narrow down to the concept of capturing individuals and holding them to ransom. It is their image which takes a battering from such ill-conceived and outrageous moves. As we welcome Johnston back to the real world, we will expect him to return to doing his work with redoubled energy. The best way for journalists to beat terror is to defy it, through upholding the calling and principles of their profession.
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