Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Download MP3
The Afghan government is taking its fight against the Taliban on-line. But new web restrictions are raising fears of censorship. Anchor Marco Werman speaks with the BBC’s Dawood Azami in Kabul.

Read the Transcript
This text below is a phonetic transcript of a radio story broadcast by PRI’s THE WORLD. It has been created on deadline by a contractor for PRI. The transcript is included here to facilitate internet searches for audio content. Please report any transcribing errors to theworld@pri.org. This transcript may not be in its final form, and it may be updated. Please be aware that the authoritative record of material distributed by PRI’s THE WORLD is the program audio.

MARCO WERMAN:  Internet use is soaring in Afghanistan.  It increased by 25% last year and it’s estimated that half of all Afghans will have access to the net within three year.  That’s not bad for a country where few even had electricity ten years ago.  But the internet may be growing too fast for the Afghan government’s liking.  Authorities say then intend to block some sites and restrict others.  The BBC’s Dawood Azami is in the Afghan capital, Kabul.  Dawood, what is being blocked or will be blocked?  What are the proposals?

DAWOOD AZAMI:  Well the plan is to block those websites which promote violence or terrorism.  They are also planning to block those websites which contain pornography or encourage gambling.  The Ministry of Information and Technology says that they don’t have the technology to block these websites yet.  But within two months they will have this technology and they will be able to block the websites that they don’t like.

WERMAN: So in large part it sounds like these restrictions are part of the war against the Taliban, but you also say they are going to try and block pornography and gambling, which sounds like a page book from Afghanistan under the Taliban.

AZAMI: This is true when Taliban were in power from 1996 to 2001.  They banned the internet because they said that there’s too much un-Islamic and immoral material on the internet.  But after the fall of the Taliban regime, internet and mobile telephones and television stations all started in different parts of – - .  But now the government says that there are some websites which are “immoral” and against the traditions of the Afghan people so they are planning to not only block those websites that glorify violence, but they are also trying or planning to block those websites which the Taliban didn’t like.

WERMAN: It sounds like there are certain infringements here on freedom of expression.  I’m wondering how the Afghan press corps feels about these restrictions.

AZAMI: They are unhappy about this.  They say that if these restrictions are imposed, it would mean that the government would be able to block any website they don’t like, or block those websites which are critical of the government.  So there is this concern in the journalist community in Afghanistan.  But the government says there wouldn’t be any restrictions on freedom of speech.  This is one of the biggest achievements in post-Taliban Afghanistan, but they say that they are responsible that public, especially teenagers, should not be allowed to visit those websites which would be bad for these youngsters.  So this is the argument that the government has.

WERMAN: The BBC’s Dawood Azami in Kabul, thank you so much for your time.

AZAMI: You’re welcome.

Copyright ©2009 PRI’s THE WORLD. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to PRI’s THE WORLD. This transcript may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without prior written permission. For further information, please email The World’s Permissions Coordinator at theworld@pri.org.