Mauritanian Manipulation: Voices of the Oppressed Supressed
Journalism isn’t without conflict or controversy. The heart of this complicated profession is the discovery of truth, to uncover the layers of secrets and lies and reveal it to the public.
Advocate. Investigate. Explore. All pillars of journalism that
inevitably lead back to the truth. But what is the truth? Is there more than
one? What’s the difference between the truth and our truth? Is truth all good,
all bad, or a combination of both? Who decides if a story should be told or
not? These are all questions that have plagued the concept of “free press” and the
inquiries don’t seem to be slowing down. The implications of this issue are
nuanced and convoluted, yet it’s constantly the center of discussion in
mainstream media.
The case of Mohamed Cheikh Ould M’khaitir (MCOM) reflects
many of the harsh realities when it comes to journalism today. His case demonstrates
that many countries unfortunately do not provide the right to free press and
expression of ideas, and that seems to be the biggest point of conflict when it
comes to his arrest.
Mohamed Cheikh Ould M’khaitir
Mohamed is a Mauritanian freelance blogger, political advocate,
engineer, who was arrested back on January 2, 2014 for apostasy and was sentenced
to the death penalty.
Why was he arrested and given the death penalty was my first
question. According to his case files, back in December 2013, MCOM published a controversial
article titled “Religion, Religiosity and Craftsmen” on the Aqlame news
website where he rose concern over the mistreatment and marginalization
of the Mauritania’s craftsmen and workers population. In said article, MCOM allegedly
attributed the inhumane negligence of the “lower-class” citizens to the
practices of Islam and the teachings of the Quran, which ultimately led to his
arrest for blasphemy a month later.
Living in a predominantly Islamic country, the Mauritania
government and public prosecutor on his case sought to make MCOM an example and
charged him with the death penalty.
According to Article 306 of the Mauritanian
Penal Code, “[e]very Muslim guilty of the crime of apostasy, either by word or
by action of apparent or obvious, will be invited to repent within three days.
If the accused does not repent within this time, he is to be sentenced to
death, and all of his property shall be confiscated by the government.”.
In his trial, MCOM denied the charges put forth and claimed
that his intention was never to disrespect Islam and that he was trying to
raise concerns of the socio-economic ladder that had been punishing the working
class. In an article written by the DailyMailUK, MCOM had repented for his
actions and asked for leniency but was denied.
Looking at the issue from the outside it would seem the MCOM
wouldn’t have been the first journalist charged with apostasy and given the
death sentence. Surely there must have been more. Evidently not.
In fact, MCOM was the first person to receive the death penalty
since 1987 and he was the first person in the country’s history to be sent to
the gallows for blasphemy. According to the article in the DailyMailUK, “capital
punishment is mainly reserved for murder and acts of terrorism.”. MCOM
was a man who wrote one “negative” article and was now in the company of murderers
and terrorists.
His case was later appealed in April 2016, but to his dismay,
the Court of Appeals rejected his request and upheld his sentence.
Life in jail wasn’t easy for MCOM. In an interview done
between MCOM and Vidya Bhushan Rawat, an Associate of Humanists International,
he delved into the rough, almost unlivable conditions he suffered through while
in jail. He states that “prison conditions were very harsh, to the point that I
sometimes went seven months without a shower, and the psychological pressure
was terrible, and the treatment Prison guards, I was not entitled to family
visits until a year after my arrest and after the death sentence was passed
after the trial I underwent at the end of 2014.”.
Most levels of government were content, so much so that MCOM
“witnessed the amount of joy and happiness that pervaded the people in the room”
when his verdict was given. Despite the government’s approval, the general
public, both Muslims and non-Muslims alike, were against his incarceration and
a public protest took place at the gates of the presidential palace where
thousands of Mauritanians protested.
Mauritanians Protesting MCOM’s
sentence
The protests were enough to get his case another appearance at
the Court of Appeals. In November of 2017, his death penalty sentenced was
reduced to solitary and arbitrary detention for 21 months. During his time in jail,
more and more journalists began to speak against the injustices occurring and highlighting
the societal favoritism the Mauritania government partook in. More “bad press”
led to more indictments for then President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz. Human
rights organizations such as the Human Rights Watch, Humanists International,
and Committee to Protect Journalists, began to voice their concerns for the
mistreatment of MCOM’s case and wellbeing. People across the globe were now
aware of the worn terrain journalism had been dragged through. MCOM was now
international, and his case had been shared around.
Former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz
In May 2018, multiple UN human rights rapporteurs pleaded
for MCOM’s release but were unfortunately rejected. Then, one year later in
June 2019, even more rapporteurs called for his release raised attention to
MCOM’s deteriorating health. Their call was answered, and at the end of President
Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz decade-long tenure, 3 days before he officially
resigned, he freed MCOM from his imprisonment.
MCOM now lives in France where he is recovering from the physical
pain, psychological trauma, and medical conditions all endured from his time in
Mauritanian detainment.
After all my research, MCOM’s case showed me the importance of
perspective. This can be a powerful tool that can manipulate the masses. In his
case the perspective the government purported onto the people was that MCOM was
a madmen criminal disgracing Islam and condemning all Muslims. They disposed of
MCOM’s concerns over injustice and replaced it by highlighting his blasphemy. Did he speak negatively of Islam? Yes. But was
that his main topic? No. He was simply trying to show the truth about
Mauritania tyranny, express his concerns about slavery and social-class bias.
Like the vast majority of Muslims around the world, I couldn’t believe that the
Mauritian government used religion as a blanket to cover the actual truth of
what was going on.
MCOM’s case should have never been about religion. People should
be free to believe in whatever they want. The case should have highlighted the
Mauritanian malpractices and prejudice against the working class. It is sad
that he had to suffer in order to bring Mauritanian corruption to light. Free
press is necessary for a happy, productive society to function. Without it we
are lost. Without it we only see one side of the picture, one perspective.
SOURCES:
·
https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/07/30/mauritania-blogger-blasphemy-case-freed-after-5-years
·
https://cpj.org/campaigns/pressuncuffed/mohamed-cheikh-ould-mohamed/
·
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohamed_Cheikh_Ould_Mkhaitir
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