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POV: Shame

Hamed Zalmy/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
The New York Times just published this photograph topping an article on the killing of Mullah Dadullah in a so-called "joint" operation by Afghan security forces, American forces and NATO troops. The article goes on to say "Mullah Dadullah’s body was displayed for journalists on Sunday morning..." and the Governor "led journalists to see the body, on the veranda of the governor’s palace. Mullah Dadullah, an amputee, was recognizable in part from his missing left leg and thick black beard. He was wounded in the head and left eye and his face and chest were bloodied." The photojournalists surround the corpse laying in pink sheets (were these chosen instead of regular white sheets to minimize the unwanted reflections of flashes?), photographing and videotaping the gruesome spectacle.

I am relieved that Dadullah was killed as he was thought to be responsible for ordering numerous assassinations of clerics, government officials and health and education workers, as well as kidnappings and beheadings, including of foreigners. He was responsible for training and sending scores of suicide bombers to Afghanistan. I also understand that he was the zealot who ordered the destruction of the Buddhas of Bamiyan. So in the inimitable simpleton-like language of some, he was certainly 'a bad guy'.

However, I cannot rationalize the publishing of such a picture in our "civilized" mainstream media. What purpose does it serve? Proving to the Taliban that Dadullah is indeed dead with pictures will demoralize them is idiotic to say the least. The Taliban are primitive zealots and ideologues, who now believe that Dadullah is a martyr and is in heaven. Publishing such a picture has a zero impact on their morale, and will give the Taliban justification to publish their own 'war trophies'.

No, this only serves to debase us all.

Update: I was reminded that it was Dadullah who ordered the decapitation of the unfortunate Ajmal Nashqabandi, the Afghan journalist and fixer for a number of Western photojournalists. I had written a post on Ajmal and the need for international recognition for fixers and local journalists. I'm glad that justice has prevailed and the murderer of Ajmal and others has received his due. Nonetheless, publishing such a photograph is shameful.