Monday, March 14, 2005

BLOGGING IN THE MIDDLE EAST

By William Fisher

In democracies throughout the world, ‘blogging’ – setting up personal websites, known as weblogs, able to receive comments from readers – has grown exponentially over the past few years.

In the United States, there are literally millions of ‘blogs’. Their growth has been accelerated by five main factors. First, the number of home computers has grown enormously. Some 61% of adults in the U.S. have Internet access at home and 71% have computers. Second, access to the online technology for creating a blog has become easier and simpler. Third, the U.S. has a relatively high literacy rate. Fourth, for the past decade – but particularly after the historic and controversial presidential election of 2000 –Americans have become increasingly cynical about reporting by newspapers, radio, and broadcast, cable and satellite television controlled by giant corporations. Finally, America has become a deeply divided nation politically and socially. Citizens with widely divergent points of view have found blogging a way to express their ideas and join or create communities of like-minded bloggers.

When satellite television arrived, it was hailed by journalism watchers as the ‘the new media’. But, predictably, its novelty was short-lived. Now, there are indications that, over the next decade, the Internet generally, and blogging in particular, may become the ‘new new media’ – America’s primary source of news.

However, it’s not there yet – a recent survey Gallup for CNN showed that only one in four Americans are either very familiar or somewhat familiar with blogs. So the jury is still out on whether virtual reality will replace Gutenberg. However, trends point in that direction.

Not yet in the Greater Middle East, though there are many parallels. For example, blogging technology is available to anyone with access to the Internet, and content can easily be created in Arabic, Hebrew, Persian and other languages. While home computer ownership is still embryonic, there is pretty solid anecdotal evidence of deep suspicion of government-owned ‘mainstream media’ that spurred growth in the ‘blogosphere’ elsewhere.

But there is at least one critical difference. In most of the countries in the Greater Middle East, using a personal weblog to express political dissent can land you in jail as easily as taking part in an unauthorized political protest in the public square.

Iran is one of the worst offenders. Recently, an Iranian weblogger was jailed for 14 years for ‘spying and aiding foreign counter-revolutionaries’ after using his blog to criticize the arrest of other online journalists.

Despite the risks, an estimated 75,000 Iranians among its five million Internet users maintain online ‘blogs’. Especially among middle class youth, they have become an important way for Iranians to express dissatisfaction.

As in Iran, most countries of the region impose varying degrees of restriction on weblogs.

Saudi Arabia, where authorities block some 400,000 websites, is among the most restrictive. It is unclear how many blogsites there are in the Kingdom, but those that are accessible focus largely on political dissent.

Typical is a site called “The Religious Policeman”. One recent posting said,
“What Reforms? There aren't any Reforms! The government promised to set up a higher commission on women’s affairs, guaranteed women participation in the recent National Dialogue Forum….and in the National Human Rights Commission…the National Dialogue Forum… agreed to change nothing, the ‘team photo’ had no women in it, anyone with any sense left in tears.”

In Iraq today, there are hundreds of blogsites, most run by Iraqis, some by American and other coalition soldiers. They are communist, monarchist, Kurdish, Assyrian, Islamist, Shiite, Sunni, nationalist and secularist. Their political positions range from full support for the U.S. invasion and occupation to rabid calls for jihad against the Americans.

For example, on the one-year commemoration of the start of the Iraq war, a 24-year-old woman computer programmer wrote in her "Baghdad Burning" blog, "Occupation Day, April 9, 2003: The day we sensed that the struggle in Baghdad was over and the fear of war was nothing compared to the new fear we were currently facing. It was the day I saw my first American tank roll grotesquely down the streets of Baghdad - through a residential neighborhood. And that was April 9 for me and millions of others...and the current Governing Council want us to remember April 9 fondly and hail it our 'National Day' ... a day of victory ... but whose victory?"

Mona El Tahawy, a columnist at the daily Asharq Al Awsat, writes that bloggers in Iran and Iraq “have inspired others in the Arab world…Despite working in an elite medium, requiring a computer and literacy”, she said, “bloggers are the voice of the true Arab street, especially the young.”

But free expression comes at a price.

In Egypt, authorities have tightened their control of the country’s 600,000 web users. The webmaster of the English-language Al Ahram Weekly was sentenced to a year in prison for posting a sexually-explicit poem, and a 19-year-old student was sentenced to a month in jail for "putting out false information" after reporting a serial killer on the loose in Cairo.

In Syria, one blogger asked others to sign an online petition addressed to “The White House” and “The Elysées” (palace). “With the killing of Hariri in Lebanon” it said, “Syrian Ba'athists are out of control. Who's next? Syria is inciting civil war in Lebanon.”

Another Syrian, calling himself “Kafka”, wrote that President Assad’s speech “made the Syrian people forget that (he) “never cared to give a damn about us since he came to power….”

In Tunisia, President Zine el-Abidine ben Ali has been determined to stamp out all cyber-dissidence. Among many others, a prominent lawyer was arrested for posting an article online. In Bahrain, two online forum moderators were arrested. Nonetheless, a Bahraini blogsite, called “Sabbah's Blog” was busy organizing a “Middle East Bloggers Meetup”. Dozens of enthusiastic comments were posted by readers.

Even in Afghanistan, poorest of the poor, blogging is beginning to catch on. One Afghan blog reports, “During the Taliban we didn’t have the Internet, but now there are about 25 net cafes in Kabul, and also some in Herat, Kandahar, and Balkh provinces. People are really interested to use the Internet but it’s too expensive…only rich people can afford it.”

If political dissent via blogging has not yet risen to the level of “new, new media” in the western democracies, it is at least not yet constrained by government regulation (though Congress and the Justice Department have floated various proposals to do just that). In fact, there may be a bizarre inverse relationship between the suppression of free expression and the proliferation of blogs. In the U.S., the number of blogs has increased significantly during the Bush Administration, when millions of Americans feel passionately that their civil liberties are being eroded by the ‘war on terror’. That outcry has generated equally passionate response from bloggers on the right. Maybe the lesson for heads of state in the Middle East is: Increase freedom of speech and reduce the challenge and expense of having to deal with this cyber uproar.

9 comments:

  1. New FREEDOM and DEMOCRACY according to GEORGE W. BUSH.

    Listening to some of Church leaders of the nation, Christian churches; makes me think that they do not understand “The Written Word” in the Bible or they are liars. It also makes me wonder if they even understand their own language, referring now to the American language written in the Webster’s New World Dictionary. This goes also to those that are Republicans and Democrats and call themselves “Christians;” for they also have a goat attitude about obeying the DOCTRINE of CHRIST; and economic interest in believing the lies of the President.
    TYRANT: absolute ruler; one who seized sovereignty illegally; that describes George W Bush regarding the take over of Iraq. Therefore Democracy has a new definition, regarding what he is trying to do now in that sovereign nation; perhaps something similar to the following description.
    DEMOCRACY: government forced militarily by a dictatorial American TYRANT.
    FREEDOM: the state or quality of being free; from the control of some other person or some ARBITRARY POWER.
    ARBITRARY: based on one’s preference, notion, or whim; capricious, absolute; despotic, synonymous with dictatorial. Freedom has a new terminology according to the whims of the American TYRANT; something as the following.
    NEW FREEDOM according to George W Bush: one pretended in the midst of people killing one another.
    Today I heard the LORD and read:
    “And there went out another horse that was read; and power was given to him that sat there to take PEACE from the EARTH, and that they should kill one another; and there was given unto him a great sword.” Revelation 6:4. Moreover: “Behold you among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvelously; for I will work a work in your days, which you will not believe, though it will be told you. For lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, the bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwelling places that are not theirs. They are terrible and dreadful; their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves.” Habakkuk 1:5-7. “He that saith, I know HIM, and keeps not HIS commandments, is a Liar, and the Truth is not in him.” John 2:3.
    If you can understand “The Written Word;” you would understand your call and HIS Commandment for True PEACE is LOVE and MERCY for your enemies. AMERICA Repent! Says Ivor Manuel; praying for you and Peace for the World, prophet branch of the LORD.
    www.aleuzenev.com

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  2. The INNOCENTS and their FAMILIES are the losers in WAR in IRAQ.

    Up until today; 1,571+ innocent American soldiers have been killed in IRAQ.
    Soldiers who were wounded, lost body parts, or were paralyzed, and have become chronically ill with physical or mental illnesses. Also, soldiers that have been evacuated due to non combatant wounds or other injuries and diseases are over 17,000.
    Other innocent soldiers from coalition troops dead number 176.

    All the dead and those wounded are Innocent, because they were defending (and still are) the erroneous Vision of FREEDOM of a utopian political demagogue; whom had received power from the people to lead them and enlighten a dark World with Mercy and Love (if he in deed was a follower of CHRIST as he had said). However, he deceived the people with his own vision of “WAR on TERROR” for PEACE; Instead of using that power for good he used it to steal, kill and destroy because he is also a liar

    As it is written and the MESSIAH says:
    “VERILY, verily, I say unto to you, He that enters not by the door (employing His “Gospel of PEACE”) into the sheepfold (to lead the Faithful), but climbs up some other way, (“Advance of Freedom and PEACE through WAR”) the same is a thief and a robber. “Yes, he has stolen the FAITH and the WEALTH of the PEOPLE with lies; and has used THEM to kill and destroy;”

    Innocent Iraqi civilians killed by U.S. BOMBING are estimated to be between 21,000 and 25,000 in two years; most of them elders, women and children. IRAQ is in chaos and all people including American soldiers and their families of the nation are suffering. Is this not a WAR CRIME against the people of IRAQ and all humanity? Can we humanly say that this insane killing and human suffering should be called Liberation?

    WE THE PEOPLE (TAXES) ARE BEING ASK TO DONATE MORE MONEY TO SUPPORT OUR SOLDIERS IN IRAQ. SAY TO YOUR CONGRESSMAN: “WE WANT OUR FAMILY HOME! STOP THE KILLING AND BRING THEM HOME.”

    The Word of GOD written says:
    “Woe to him (unrighteous king) that increases that which is not his! (Afghanistan and Iraq) How long? And to him that covers himself with thick clay!
    “Because you have spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil you; Because of men’s blood and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.”
    “Woe to him (of unrighteous actions) that covets an evil covetousness to his house; that he may set his nest on high; that he may be delivered from the power of evil!
    “You have consulted shame to your house by cutting off (crippling) many people, and have sin against your soul!”
    “Woe to him (the anti-CHRIST) that builds a town (Iraq) with blood (instead of Mercy and Love), and establishes a city with iniquity!” That is the vision that was embraced by the prophet Habakkuk for an appointed time in chapter two; and Ivor Manuel prophet says: “The time is now America, open your eyes and awake to RIGHTEOUSNESS!”
    Moreover:
    “Though you exalt yourself as the eagle, and though you set your nest among the stars, thence will I bring you down, says the LORD.” Obadiah 4
    “Yet you shall be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” Isaiah 14:15
    “Open your eyes wide; read and understand for the “Judgment of GOD” is coming down upon sleeping AMERICA!”

    PAT ROBERTSON from the 700 CLUB said something like this: “GOD told me that He is going to remove some Judges from their benches.”
    But what I hear My GOD and Our MESSAIH say is this:

    “Political leaders of AMERICA, REPENT! You have misled the Nation.”
    “Shepherds of AMERICA, REPENT! You have misled My PEOPLE.
    “Military Leaders of AMERICA, REPENT! You have misled the World.”
    “Because you don’t believe in ME, UNRIGHTEOUS is your JUDGEMENT.”
    Thus Says the LORD JESUS ALEUZENEV;
    LORD and SERVANT of all PEOPLE, My New Name.

    “AWAKE to RIGHTEOUSNESS, and SIN NOT: For some HAVE NOT the KNOWLEDGE OF GOD: I speak this to YOUR SHAME.” I Corinthians 15: 34.
    “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little and there a little.” “For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.” Isaiah 28

    “BENDITOS LOS QUE CREEN EN EL NOMBRE DEL SENOR.”
    I am here to publish and declare the TRUE FREEDOM for PEACE; which is MERCY and LOVE and the DOCTRINE of OUR LORD; and the NEW NAME of the LORD, which is JESUS ALEUZENEV, LORD and SERVANT of all PEOPLE. Revelation 3:12. Thus says Ivor Manuel, prophet branch of the LORD; praying for you and PEACE for the World
    “And My LORD MESSAIAH said unto me, Thou must PROPHESY AGAIN before many PEOPLES, and NATIONS and TONGUES, and KINGS.” Revelation 10: 11.
    Ivor Manuel, prophet branch of the LORD; prays for you and PEACE for the WORLD. OPEN YOUR EYES AMERICA!
    www.aleuzenev.com

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  3. The False Prophet.
    “And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the Earth and to the whole World, to gather them to the battle of God Almighty.” Revelation 16:13, 14.

    City of Lights, August 26, 2005 Year of Our Lord, Orlando, Florida.

    Pat Robertson.
    His name Pat means, “Roman patrician, one of novel descent,” his last name Robertson, “Son of the bright or wise counsel.”
    This man’s name signifies, that he is one opposed to the lower class or the common people, he is wise and documented in the Knowledge of God, he made himself rich using the name of the Lord, but the Lord does not know him as one of His sheep, and the words that he has spoken on television to his audience, do not come from the Lord’s Mouth, but they come from the thoughts of a foolish mind and the intentions of an evil heart. The Lord stands firm on His Faith and His Word is a Gospel of Peace which is Mercy and Love for our neighbors, and even our enemies, and the Lord Lives by His Word, for it is written: “You shall not raise a false report; put not your hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. You shall not follow a multitude to do evil (WAR); neither shall you speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest Judgment. Keep you far from a false matter: and the innocent and righteous slay you not; for I will not justify the wicked. You shall not take gift; for the gift blinds those who have sight and perverts the testimony and the cause of the (Peaceful People) righteous. You shall not oppress a stranger for you know the heart of a stranger, seeing that you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” More over: “Behold, I send an Angel before you, to keep you in the way, and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon you transgressions for My Name is in him.” Exodus 23: 7,8,9,20,21. Now, Ivor Manuel reminds His sheep of His Words: “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in Sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” Yea, “That which comes out of the man, that defiles the man, for from within, out of the heart of men, proceeded evil thoughts,” He said. And I tell you, He did not send him unto you, remember now His written Words: “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; be you therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” Matthew 10: 16. And do not forget Psalm 37, 1- “Fret not thyself because of (terrorist) evildoers, neither be you envious against the workers of iniquity (Iraq WAR). 2- For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and whither like the green grass. 11-But the meek shall inherit the Earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of Peace. 13- The Lord shall laugh at him; for he sees that his day is coming. 28-For the Lord, He loves Judgment, and forsakes not His saints; but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. 30-The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue talks of Judgment. 31- The law of His God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide. 32-The wicked watches the righteous, and seeks to slay him. But the transgressors shall be destroyed (terrorist and WAR on terrordoers) together; the end of the wicked shall be cut off. 39- But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord ; He is their strength in the time of trouble.”
    Pat Robertson! Did you read King Solomon’s prophesy correctly? He wrote in Ecclesiastes 10: 3: “Yea also, when he that is a fool walks by the way, his wisdom fails him, and he says to every one that he is a fool.” A fool also would have to pay for his foolishness, and I say unto you: “You just made, your last miracle, you have healed the blind and deaf people of the 700 Club in the Name of Jesus. The Lord just opened their eyes and ears, and they shall not send to you any more gifts, yea, no more contributions to support your flamboyant life and Empire, for you are also an unrighteous goat and a preacher of iniquity. The Lord has commanded me to deliver this message to His sheep, and those organizations and communication stations, that are also supporting your efforts in the United States and around the World, broadcasting you programs abroad, they will also suffer great collapse in contributions, if they continued to do so, has said the Lord, “Jesus Aleuzenev” Lord and Servant of all People, His New Name. And I say; Aleluya! Amen! Aleuzenev! The New Name of the Christ, as He has promised in His Book of Revelation 3: 12. “Him that overcomes will I (Yeshua) make a pillar in the Temple of My God, and he shall go no more out: and I (The Savior) will write upon him the Name of My God, and the Name of the City of My God, which is New Jerusalem (New Vision of Peace), which comes down out of Heaven from My God: and I (the High Priest) will write upon him My New Name.” If you know the Word, you know Jesus, if you know me, you shall know Jesus and His New Name, Aleluya! Amen! Aleuzenev!

    Ivor Manuel the branch, pillar prophet of the Lord says to Mrs. Cindy Sheehan:
    “Stand firm, for you have chosen a righteous cause to serve the Lord and His family, the World and its People, and He Is with you, He has said: “Blessed are the Peace makers; for they shall be called the Children of God.” And I say unto you as you already know, that your son was deceived by a capricious and pretentious goat, thinking that God is in his side, but He is not, for our God is a Merciful God, and His Son whom the goats disobeyed, He Is the “Prince of Peace Our Lord.” The anti-WAR movement shall grow fast around the Nation and the World, and your efforts have been blessed in Earth and in Heaven. Let the Peace of the Lord be with you in these arduous moments, my sympathy is with you. Ivor Manuel prays for you and Peace for the World. “These is the time of separation says the Lord! My sheep shall stand in the right side Peacefully against WAR! The goats will be on the left for WAR!”

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