Monday, September 11, 2006
BBC NEWS
The Islamist group controlling much of southern Somalia has shut down a radio station for playing love songs.
Radio Jowhar said it was not worth broadcasting if it was not able to play the Somali songs or jingles, which the Union of Islamic Courts objected to.
The UIC is split between hardliners, who want to set up a Taleban-style government, and moderates.
A BBC correspondent says residents of Jowhar can listen to radio stations in Mogadishu, which play lots of music.
The BBC’s Hassan Barise in the capital, Mogadishu, says Radio Jowhar did not get many adverts and so was dependent on the goodwill of the local administration to continue operating.
The warlord who controlled Jowhar before being chased out by the UIC in June used to provide free electricity and premises.
‘Censorship’
“It is useless to air music and love songs for the people,” said Jowhar Islamic official Sheik Mohamed Mohamoud Abdirahman.
Some residents are upset by the radio ban.
 In Mogadishu people demonstrated Sagainst foreign intervention |
“It is censorship against independent media and freedom of expression.”
But others point out that different Islamic Courts have different ideas about what is acceptable.
In some parts of Mogadishu, cinemas showing Bollywood films or international football have been closed down but these still operate in other areas of the city.
Our correspondent says the capital’s radio stations are still broadcasting normally, playing all kinds of music, including western hip-hop and R ‘n’ B.
Source: BBC, Sept 11, 2006
