Journalism is often fraught with danger. When covering armed conflicts or events in hot spots around the world, journalists often face great risk to life and limb. Usually journalists report on events they witness, and in their depiction of these events, impart their perception and analysis of what had happened to an audience who are often away from the theatre of events. Articles and reports often stir up strong reactions, and journalists can be subjected to pressure and threats from readers, which can influence the journalists’ future writing. When journalism becomes an end in itself and is viewed as a mere profession (a view prevalent worldwide, especially in the West), it becomes devoid of Al-Risala (the mission or calling).

When a journalist arrives at a scene with the intention of filling a story for which he will be remunerated, he may be tempted to send his report without verifying its facts or ensuring the objectivity of its content, thus compromising the message.

He may wait impatiently for events to unfold in order to dispatch his report quickly and receive payment; by doing so, he may put undue emphasis on certain issues or forget or overlook other important issues. If nothing newsworthy takes place, he may be tempted to fabricate an event in order to generate material for a story.

Good journalism is the product of conscientious journalists, who view their work as a fulfillment of a trust that should be handled responsibly. Journalistic works should constantly be subjected to scrutiny, analysis, criticism and evaluation, and journalists should be held accountable for the credibility of their work. While God-conscious journalists who believe in the Day of Reckoning are reminded that they are going to stand before their Lord and be answerable to Him for their actions, non-believing journalists are reminded that irresponsible reporting could compromise their credibility in the eyes of their audience. Biased or irresponsible journalists who willfully mislead the public should be exposed and censured.

Some journalists report hearsay statements, misrepresent or put their own spin on others’ statements - practices that are so rampant in open forums, which welcome any Tom, Dick, and Harry. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that conveying all that one hears (including rumors and hearsay) is tantamount to lying. In another statement, he (peace be upon him) said that those who believe in Allah and the Last Day should either say something beneficial or remain silent.

I worked as a local journalist for a few years before embarking on reporting on Islamic issues for IslamOnline.net. Before his arrival in Kurdistan, Iraq, Wadah Khanfar, a correspondent for the Al Jazeera news network, requested me to accompany him as an interpreter, guide and meeting coordinator on a 40-day tour of Kurdistan to cover the war. The tour promised to be eventful, with lots of meetings and extensive travel.

It is not my intention to report on events that have already been reported; rather, this is an attempt to convey to readers images, observations and thoughts in the hope of placing them on record so that they will not be forgotten.

A few months before the US-led war against Iraq, I received a call from the correspondent coordinator of the News Section at IslamOnline.net, with whom I had had contact via e-mail. We had not met in person but Islam had forged a common bond between us. He said that Wadah Khanfar was trying to contact me. I took the initiative and called Wadah, who was pleased to hear from me; he said that he intended to visit the region and that he wanted me to accompany him on a journalistic tour, an assignment that held definite appeal.

Wadah intended to travel to the region to fulfill his role as a Muslim Arab who felt that the Arab media lacked in its coverage of the reality of the Kurdish people and he wanted to do something about it. He attempted to acquire a permit to enter Kurdistan via Bagdad, where he had been promised entry; but after a month-long wait, he was informed that the permit was denied. He then applied for a permit via Syria but was unsuccessful and returned to his residence in South Africa. He later applied via Iran and waited 45 days before eventually receiving permission to enter Kurdistan. By this time the countdown to the war had begun and he decided to change the focus of the assignment to cover the war.

Our first meeting was in As-Sulaimaniyah at the Abu-Sanah Hotel on March 10, 2003. I waited for him for hours, and when we met, it felt as if we were long-time acquaintances. Being Muslims was enough to make us feel welcome and comfortable with each other even though we had never met before. Wadah inquired about the Kurds’ current political, social and cultural situation. Through the discussion I learned that he had read extensively on Kurdish history and had met with some prominent Kurdish figures in Baghdad and abroad and that he had a deep understanding of the Kurdish people, an understanding which equipped him with a solid background for this mission. A Palestinian by the name of Ali Sabri accompanied Wadah as his photographer.

Wadah, who hailed from Jenin, Palestine, was frequently asked about his origin. His answer was sufficient to divert the inquirer from asking further questions.

Wadah asked about the history of the Kurdish movement and the ruling Kurdish authority. I spoke at length about the Kurdish movement which was divided into the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, and about the conflict between the two parties and their current sharing of power. We touched on the relative freedom in the Kurdish area, as well as the geographic nature of the As-Sulaimaniyah and Arbil areas and their distinguishing characteristics. The conversation then turned to the Islamic groups in Kurdistan and how they were polarized around leaders who could not see eye to eye. These groups were further fragmented into several groups, which were polarized around two movements: one embracing the armed struggle; the other rejecting it. The movement that adopted the armed struggle was engaged in a series of attempts for unification between its groups, which were engaged in a number of battles from 1992 to the late 1990s. These battles divided the Islamic Movement in Kurdistan, the umbrella organization that was represented in all cities and towns after the 1991 uprising, into the Al-Harka Al-Islamiyah (The Islamic Movement), Al-Jama`ah Al-Islamiyah (The Islamic Group), Ansar Al-Islam (Helpers of Islam), as well as individuals who preferred not to align themselves with any particular group. The presence of these groups was confined to a mountainous strip that borders Iran as well as certain areas in As-Sulaimaniyah and Halbja, which were off limits to Islamists. In the wake of these battles, secular movements emerged and gained so much popularity that they competed with the Islamic movements.

The Islamic movement that did not espouse the armed struggle was led by the Kurdistan Islamic Union, which currently enjoys the most popularity in Kurdistan. This Union has succeeded in dealing with Kurdish politics with wisdom and tact, which enabled it to establish itself and expand into various areas, launch several radio and TV stations and establish newspapers as mouthpieces for various sectors, including political parties, women, student, and professional bodies. This movement, which opted, contrary to many other Islamic movements, to join the government instead of the opposition, has achieved many successes; however, it still needs to make great efforts if it is to become a force equipped to take power or lead the opposition.