Hamodia (Orthodox News Paper): Not A Word About President Moshe Katsav Being Charged With Rape
Not a word about sex
By Yair Ettinger
Haaretz
January 26, 2007
Had the president's aides wished to spare him some grief over breakfast yesterday, they would have given him a copy of the Orthodox daily Hamodia.
Under the main headline about transferring funds to the Palestinian Authority, the Agudat Yisrael mouthpiece published various stories on housing for Gush Katif evacuees and news from the Jewish world.
The attorney general's decision to indict Moshe Katsav was not mentioned, nor were the charges being drafted against him or the political scramble to find a successor.
The newspaper's editors were hoping to spare the readers, and did not print the crude nature of the charges against the president.
The Lithuanian ultra-Orthodox daily Yated Ne'eman, however, deviated from its self-imposed censorship on the affair, publishing the following headline at the bottom of the front page: "Katsav expected to proclaim he is temporary incapable of fulfilling his duties."
The report itself, appearing on page 10, explains: "Yesterday the attorney general decided to indict him for a series of criminal offenses, such as using state funds for personal needs and obstructing legal procedures." Not a word about the main charges.
Editors of the ultra-Orthodox newspapers say the censorship is intended to protect their readers, not the president. They know their public is aware of the scandal's sexual nature, but prefer their readers to learn about it elsewhere. It is more important to keep the newspapers "clean," they say.
The religious radio station Kol Hai's news bulletins have been covering the Katsav affair since the attorney general's announcement Tuesday, but broadcasters, reporters and commentators have been ordered not to mention the nature of the charges or say words like "sexual harassment," "rape" and "abuse."
Interviewees are also warned not to use those terms on the air.
The channel did not broadcast the recent news conferences live, but only after offensive phrases had been deleted.
"When a father sits in his car with his children listening to the news, my job is to protect the children and not use terms alien to the children's pure world," said Mordechai Lavi, the radio's main news broadcaster.
The ultra-Orthodox editors say they will set the extent of censorship based on developments, but in any case the embarrassing sexual details will be excluded.
By Yair Ettinger
Haaretz
January 26, 2007
Had the president's aides wished to spare him some grief over breakfast yesterday, they would have given him a copy of the Orthodox daily Hamodia.
Under the main headline about transferring funds to the Palestinian Authority, the Agudat Yisrael mouthpiece published various stories on housing for Gush Katif evacuees and news from the Jewish world.
The attorney general's decision to indict Moshe Katsav was not mentioned, nor were the charges being drafted against him or the political scramble to find a successor.
The newspaper's editors were hoping to spare the readers, and did not print the crude nature of the charges against the president.
The Lithuanian ultra-Orthodox daily Yated Ne'eman, however, deviated from its self-imposed censorship on the affair, publishing the following headline at the bottom of the front page: "Katsav expected to proclaim he is temporary incapable of fulfilling his duties."
The report itself, appearing on page 10, explains: "Yesterday the attorney general decided to indict him for a series of criminal offenses, such as using state funds for personal needs and obstructing legal procedures." Not a word about the main charges.
Editors of the ultra-Orthodox newspapers say the censorship is intended to protect their readers, not the president. They know their public is aware of the scandal's sexual nature, but prefer their readers to learn about it elsewhere. It is more important to keep the newspapers "clean," they say.
The religious radio station Kol Hai's news bulletins have been covering the Katsav affair since the attorney general's announcement Tuesday, but broadcasters, reporters and commentators have been ordered not to mention the nature of the charges or say words like "sexual harassment," "rape" and "abuse."
Interviewees are also warned not to use those terms on the air.
The channel did not broadcast the recent news conferences live, but only after offensive phrases had been deleted.
"When a father sits in his car with his children listening to the news, my job is to protect the children and not use terms alien to the children's pure world," said Mordechai Lavi, the radio's main news broadcaster.
The ultra-Orthodox editors say they will set the extent of censorship based on developments, but in any case the embarrassing sexual details will be excluded.
posted by Jewish Survivors at Friday, January 26, 2007
5 Comments:
Because it's a family paper. You want your 7-8 year olds asking what rape is?
I would suggest that the reason they did not mention it is because they do not want to talk about such things in their paper. (If you want a powerful word; see sefer Chofetz Chayim where he mentions in the name of the CHZ"L, that Lashon Horah weighs as much as the three cardinal sins. (I don't mean to say that that is the reason they did not speak about it. For if one is wicked it is important to make people aware not to do business with him etc. perhaps he will repent (as the Chofetz Chayim says there. However, it could be they're simpoly not interested in talking about this.) Anyway, I think this answers and sheds some light on the previous posts issues (about article.) I hope these comments are received in good light. I only mean to help; however, perhaps I do not understand the situation properly. In this case, please forgive me.
blah, blah, blah - and denial is more then just a river in Egypt.
I'll be honest with you I got the feeling that papers like "Hamodia" are attempting to paint a rosey picture of the observant world. Do you think anyone there is familiar with the three monkeys? You know "see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil".
I know that most people who read this have most likely never saw the movie "The Village". I think it's a perfect example of the problems.
Continuation to 'anonymous said I would suggest...'
Ok I don't really mean to start going into things about papers. I certainly don't think that what they write or don't write details the actual representation of anyone [besides those who are in charge of deciding what is politically correct for a paper to print and still stay in business etc. -->as I heard from a great rabbi. (In his words, 'because it says BS"D does that give a right to write any nonsense etc.) But in any case, I was trying to say that just why the did not write about it is because, like I said, they just don't want to - or better yet do not know how to - write about this topic.
Now, what I wrote about sefer Chofetz Chayim, I want to explain, because this is really the main thing I wanted to say. What I meant was, that the Chofetz Chayim explains that Lashon Horah is the worst aveirah. (We learn this from the Eitz Hada'as, where it was because of lashon horah and sice 'he put a sweat' this means causing adultery; and he caused a sin to be done, this is like Avodah Zorah -idol worship; and he caused deeath to the world (until then everyone was supposed to live forever (and in Gan Eden), so this is like murder. Therefore we learn that since all of this was caused only by Lashon Horah, we see it is worse.
Thus we can understand that lashon horah is a wrongful relationship, so to speak, because instead of speaking to one properly (like the Mitzvah of mussar etc. - meaning that instead of saying things the right way, instead one is 'relating' the wrong way. (I am not hinting to anything about papers now, I'm just saying for the idea in general.
So what we have here is, that if one is living a good life, a happy life, where he; instead of screaming at someone etc. he talks softly and specifically because we learn that that is a job in itself (and not just 'nice guy' as if it is just someone who was born with such character but it is a real thing to work on and accomplishable by all albeit some more by nature perhaps) thus it is a special accomplishment.
This is all a deep concept but I think it will be well accepted.
p.s. I know a rabbi who gives shiurim on the topic specifically through his shiurim on Mishlei in which the antidotes are described well and at length. His name is Rabbi Ya'akov berman Shlit"a - in Lakewood NJ. I don't have the number off-hand but one thing, that the shiurim should soon be available in various media forms.
Also interestingly, to add to what we said above; about feelings years later (as I saw detailed in the articles) we see, that from peoples dealings, these also leave strong effects. Thus we see the true power of words and dealings as the Chofetz Chayim said. Thus one who is living a good life should know that he has double good - or true good, because he has good both spiritually and physically. Again this is a deep concept and must be explained much more but at least we have the main point.
post post script; Last week, when I went to the mikvah on Friday, I still had the memories of articles on this topic and there in the mikvah, I saw a boy around 8th grade age (who was there with his father) and since I had seen him before but did not recognize him I asked him his name. then I asked him his school and it turns out it was the same school where I had been in elementary. So I was thinking, that we see that if there is a positive focus, good things can be accomplished and will - and people want our good (I could see in his eyes, that he was very happy to see someone from that school). Anyway, this can also be a great encouragement and just writing this gives me the encouragement to continue further. I hope you find this as encouraging and receive it in a good light. Please add your comments or questions. Thank you and a good Erev Shabboss.
Post a Comment
<< Home