"Aljazeera Under Attack" and Responses to This Letter From Readers of Al Jazeera

2003-10-03T16:44:00.000-04:00

H.E. Jose Maria Aznar
Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Spain

Your Excellency

With grave concern and sadness I have received the news of the arrest of Mr Taysir Allouni. My concern stems out of the fact that Taysir was arrested by the authorities of a democratic country, and my sadness was caused by my personal as well as professional affiliation with Taysir, who is not in the best of health, as has recently come to my attention.

What puzzles me though your Excellency, is that the propensity for targeting Middle Eastern Journalists and reporters common these days, is so foreign to Kingdom of Spain with its staunch democratic traditions. Bearing in mind that it is disheartening to hear of the plight of Mr Allouni, since he is nothing but a professional reporter.

Taysir had done exemplary work from both Afghanistan and Iraq, and through his diligence and perseverance has been a major factor in our Channel's success. To say that a journalist has sources inside an underground organisation, is a cause for pride not infamy and persecution.

No effort, I hope, will be spared by your Excellency to ensure the prompt and immediate release of Mr Allouni who had recently undergone a heart catharsis operation. I am more than sure that the Kingdom of Spain will make right this grave injustice.

In the name of justice, humanity and the democratic values the Kingdom of Spain stands for, I implore your Excellency to intercede on behalf of Mr Taysir Allouni.

Hamad Bin Thamer Al Thani
Chairman of the Board
Aljazeera Paper and News Network

Here are some of the more positive responses that Aljazeera felt it had to print.

Elizabeth Rogers Rode, Spain

On 'Why it's your duty to help Taysir'

Thank you for this article. I feel very distressed about this terribly unjust situation and it affects me on two fronts: first, it is the government of the country of my birth that is labeling everybody who gives news from a Middle East perspective a "terrorist" and second, because it is the government of my adopted country, Spain, that is bowing down to whatever the US govt. demands, with their "either you are with us or you are against us" arm-twisting!

I am sending an e-mail to Baltasar Garzon demanding Taysir's immediate release and have sent a link to a friend asking her to send it on to everybody she knows.

Ariane Hildenbrandt, USA

I am under no illusions that we have any human rights anymore; most especially not here in the USA. So it won't be an argument for basic human rights that might convince Baltasar to set free Taysir. Perhaps an argument for basic decency? Let me know what happens.

Conny Mus, Netherlands

Alouni is an excellent journalist and colleague. Spain should give him an award for his work instead of arresting him, arresting him for bringing money to somebody, just to help somebody - it is a shame - it seems Spain did not learn from history.

"He ought to be taken out and blogged...."

"Aljazeera Under Attack" and Responses to This Letter From Readers of Al Jazeera