Citing the result of studies from national and international human rights organizations, it said rights, including the right to self-expression, still face many obstacles.

The editorial said the reality that Iraq is the most dangerous place of work for journalists is an indicator Iraqis face danger when they want to freely express their opinions.

"Freedom of self-expression is unrelated to the huge number of newspapers and satellite channels as much as it is related to the capacity these means have to accept differences, and to turn from using weapons to silence enemies instead of argument," the paper said.

It added that freedom of expression is the media's ability to neutralize the means of force.

It also said the truth is that this goal is still far from being achieved. The past five years showed us evidence that society is incapable of receiving other views.

The paper said the methods of violence the past Iraqi government used to deal with people are used by the society now when dealing with its members.

"The society's various powers that impose their authority with force had the main effect of omitting the role of the central government," it said.

The editorial said people have mixed the authority of the society with the authority of the past dictatorship.

"Although the two are different, people mixed them to the point ... began to miss the dictatorship," it said.

"Politicians today are able to describe their opponents with the ugliest descriptions without getting hurt," the paper said of the freedom of self-expression.

"Politicians come out on TV to insult and accuse each other while the public watches and learns. … At the end of the show, they leave area with their security elements while the public become an easy target if they repeat what they heard on TV," it said.

The paper said Iraqis express themselves either by using noms de plume when writing in newspapers, or they leave the country before they can say out loud what they think.