Anbar-INA
Participants at the 2026 Anbar Dialogue Forum on Saturday underscored the importance of exercising freedom of opinion and expression responsibly in a manner that serves the public interest and helps preserve social cohesion.
The forum, held under the theme “Media and the Making of Influence,” brought together government officials, academics and media professionals to discuss the role of the media in promoting public awareness and reinforcing professional standards, according to an Iraqi News Agency (INA) correspondent attending the event.
Speaking at the forum, Anbar Governor Omar Mishaan Al-Dabbous said the provincial government supports freedom of opinion and expression, stressing the need to exercise those freedoms responsibly to safeguard the public interest and maintain social stability.
For his part, Baleegh Abu Kalal, head of the executive body of Iraq’s Communications and Media Commission (CMC), said media activity in Iraq should continue freely and without restrictions.
He noted that regulation remains necessary to ensure professional media practices, while restrictions on the media are unacceptable. Abu Kalal added that the commission’s decisions are based on applicable laws and regulations rather than personal discretion, relying instead on the identification of violations and the implementation of appropriate legal measures.
He said the commission rejects restrictions on the media but would not permit infringements on societal values under the pretext of freedom of expression.
Meanwhile, Blasim Al-Janabi, chairman of the CMC’s Board of Commissioners, said the commission places significant emphasis on constructive content and works to support it by highlighting positive examples as well as reconstruction and development projects across Iraq’s provinces.
Also speaking at the forum, Moayad Al-Lami, president of the Arab Journalists Union, praised the Anbar government’s efforts to support journalists and thanked the governor for including eligible journalists in the next allocation of residential land plots.