Fahim Khodamani works for Emrose TV, a television network in Afghanistan. A week ago today he was arrested for broadcasting content deemed overly salacious by the new Afghan government. These images were not pornographic or erotically suggestive, but merely clips of women dancing in skirts.

By Western standards, such images are insignificant and can be found in any Hannah Montana rerun. But by the most recent precedent set in Afghanistan, put in place by the Taliban in the 1990s, these scenes far exceed the practiced standard. During its reign, the Taliban enforced an ultraconservative Islamic standard by requiring women to wear burqas and banning all forms of entertainment and television broadcasting that depicted otherwise.

Since the United States dethroned the Taliban in 2001, Afghan television stations have yet to be relieved of these shackles. Many networks chose to ease into a more diverse array of programming by airing content that censors or blurs any image of a woman exposing more than her face, which still appeals to the conservative roots. Others, like Emrose, made a vow to only air unaltered programs.

In a struggle to appease some citizens, the new Afghan government has made Khodamani the first man under this administration to be arrested for violating a law that prohibits content that is “not within the framework of Islam.”

Obviously, the new Afghan government finds itself attempting to find a balance between embracing the progressive ideals of the West and acknowledging Islamic fundamentalists. So the question becomes: What ideologies from each end of the spectrum do the government, and more importantly the democratic majority of the people, deem worthy to comprise a moderate law as the foundation of their new country?

Should the public depiction of scantily clad women be a Western influence on the new Afghanistan? No. In fact, a strong argument can be made for how this, along with the tolerance of such lewd individuals as Howard Stern, has led to an exponential decline in morals and manners among our nation’s youth. But the freedom to air such thought and sensory-stimulating images and messages should be one of the primary Western principles that makes up the base of Afghanistan’s government.

Only a free-market approach to the dispersion of ideas will allow the people of Afghanistan to openly select an appropriate moderation between Western progress and Eastern tradition. More importantly, this will allow the entire nation to enter into the 21st century. By delegating cultural decisions, such as appropriate attire and accepted broadcast material, to the personal level, the government will have time to consider ways to bolster the country’s economic and technological development.

Although there is a certain amount of cultural volatility associated with this freedom, which can result in periods of negative impacts, there is always a return to overwhelmingly accepted societal values. This can be seen in the current celebrity gossip of the United States. Our general embracement of relatively shallow idols, such as pop stars, has led to fewer utterances of “sir” and “ma’am,” but as soon as Chris Brown laid a hand on Rihanna, everyone denounced his actions and questioned her character for staying with someone who follows the Ike Turner book on relationships.

The most important lesson that needs to be realized by the new Afghan government is that freedom is the best course of action any establishment can take.

It is by no means a panacea, but it does disseminate personal responsibility to the individual and have the flexibility to promote ultimate progressive action — two of the most coveted results a government can hope to achieve.

The arrest of Khodamani for exercising this freedom is a step in the wrong direction. It is a move that demonstrates a reversion to control and fear. If the government of Afghanistan can take a step back and mount the courage to place its faith and future in the hands of its citizens, the nation and the entire world will be pleasantly rewarded.

Reach columnist Jeff Dickson at opinion@dailyuw.com.