Breaking: Fouda suspends his program indefinitely

The great media director and journalist Yousri Fouda has just issued a press release, not clarifying the circumstances that have caused the cancellation of his episode yesterday, which he was supposed to present with the writer Alaa Alaswany, and comment on the dialogue the military junta had with Mona Alshazly. Instead, he suggests that the reason is because of interventions imposed on the channel, which he refuses to be imposed on himself.Fouda announced that his program will be indefinitely suspended, stressing that this is his way of self-censorship: to speak justly or to be quiet.For more information regarding the complications because of his cancelled episode, please refer to a previous "" news piece here: /news/nw678924147The following is the translated script of Yousri Fouda's statement:In the name of God the most mercifulPress releaseThere are three things that I always try to keep in sight: my concience before God, my duty towards the country and being keen on the ethics of my trade. All of these now push me towars releasing my first ever press statement, to whoever may be concerned, after a long journalistic journey of about twenty years, in respect to those who have honored me with their trust and for my own self-respect.The last nine months of this journey takes its place in one's heart, after a noble revolution took place in our country, which a lot of us feel that it's not meant to remain noble. And it is no secret that much of the pre-revolution mentality still prevails in the same form it was before, if not in a worse one. And because it is not for this that people sacrifice their lives, eyes and limbs for the freedom of our country and for basic dignity, every noble man must have a stand.My stand as a citizen who fears for his country has no limits, but today, as a media representative, my position calls for me to monitor and report a noticeable deterioration in the freedom of the media, in exchange for giving "media melodrama" some leeway.This deterioration coupled with that tolerance, spring from the belief of the one responsible, that the media can deny an existing reality or create a reality that does not exist. That is the main problem and that is the broader context in which I don't wish to be a part of.Although I am aware of the fact that all the parties in the revolutionised Egypt were, and still are, passing through a very rich learning experience which overwhelms us all with optimism sometimes, and hits us with depression in others, there is another truth that gradually kept becoming clearer over the course of the past few months, making us feel that there are strenouous attempts to keep the essence of the system from which the people have emerged and revolted against after it had filled the land with its poison and corruption. These attempts have taken a myraid of paths, some of them inherited, and others invented. All of them, in the past period, have been deliberately focused on applying pressures, whether directly or indirectly, on those who still believe in the noble goals of our revolution, and remain to respect the people as well as themselves. These pressures are applied to them in order to force them to enforce self-censorship upon themselves regarding matters that can't withstand censoring or beautifying.I was, and always will, remain proud of the "OnTV" channel and all that its youth has presented to the people during the most difficult of times. I also was, and always will, be proud of every single free, brave Egyptian voice that doesn't fear voicing the truth wherever he might be, and Egypt is full of free people. Despite that I couldn't find within myself what would make me search for another way, I did find a lot of reasons that call me to suspend my problem "Akher Kalam" indefinitely. This is my way of enforcing self-censorship: Either I'll say what's right or I'll be quiet.And this is a scream right from my heart, driven by the love for this country, and desiring God's approval. Between this drive and desire is an extremely deep faith that Egypt deserves a lot better than this.Yousri FoudaCairo, 21st of October 2011