According to Brian Whitaker, who blogs at Al-bab, the Saudi authorities:

are threatening to block popular communication services such as Skype, WhatsApp and Viber unless the operating companies agree to monitoring of messages and calls.

Al-Arabiya reports that the Saudi Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) has given companies until the end of this week to respond.

If the companies do not comply with the Saudi request, the commission may take action and block these services.

Saudi Arabia appears on Reporters Without Borders’ “Enemies of the Internet” list.

Whitaker adds:

Al-Arabiya reports:

“In case they say it is impossible to monitor the applications, the commission said it will consider procedures to block them altogether in the kingdom.”

The Jeddah-based Arab News says the authorities are concerned because the applications use encrypted connections:

“According to two informed sources who work at local telecommunication companies, this issue has been at the top of the agenda of discussions during meetings between heads of telecom companies and the CITC over the past 20 days. The meetings have finally concluded with the CITC demanding that it be allowed to monitor the encrypted applications.”

Predictably, the authorities justify their demand for monitoring on the grounds that it will help prevent crime and terrorism. But, as Ahram Online points out, conservatives in the kingdom are worried about the growth of internet-based social networks which are outside their control and which “have enlarged the severely restricted scale of freedom of expression”.

Whitaker reminds us:

The question now is whether the companies concerned will agree to the CITC's demands. There was a similar issue three years ago when the CITC threatened to shut down the BlackBerry Messenger service unless it was given access to codes that would allow monitoring of messages.

The matter was later resolved, though it is not clear how. The CITC said it was dropping the ban after Research in Motion, the Canadian company behind BlackBerry, met “part” of its regulatory requirements. Some reports suggested the company had caved in and agreed to put a BlackBerry server in the country so that the Saudis could directly access customer data.

On Riyadh Bureau, Ahmed Al Omran reports that Saudi Arabia's grand mufti Abdulaziz Al Sheikh has described Twitter as a place where youth waste their time and as a “gathering place for every clown and corrupter who post tweets that are illegitimate, false and wrong.”

Al Omran adds:

The Grand Mufti has become increasingly critical of Twitter users recently. In January 2012 he said the social network “has become a platform for trading accusations and for promoting lies used by some just for the sake of fame.” Then in October he called people who use the site “fools” and accused them of lacking modesty and faith.

He also offers statistics on Twitter users in Saudi Arabia, saying:

Twitter has become a major platform for Saudi to exchange ideas and debate political issues in the country. A recent survey said 51% of internet users in Saudi Arabia are active Twitter users, putting it in first place worldwide. A Saudi official admitted last month that the government is struggling to monitor and censor the site due to the huge volume of messages posted by users inside the country.

As Saudis make their voices heard online, thanks to the wide reach of social media, Saudi authorities seem to be working even harder at muzzling their voices.

Written by Amira Al Hussaini · Translated by Amira Al Hussaini · View original post [en] · comments (2)
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A Free Razan poster

Syrian authorities have arrested blogger Razan Ghazzawi on the Syrian-Jordanian border today. Ghazzawi, who was arrested on the Syrian-Jordanian border, was on her way to Amman to attend a workshop on press freedom in the Arab world. Her arrest has drawn criticism and anger from bloggers and activists around the world, who called for her immediate release.

Ghazzawi is a US-born Syrian blogger and avid Twitter user, who has contributed to both Global Voices Online and Global Voices Advocacy. She is also one of the few bloggers in Syria who writes under her real name, advocating for the rights of bloggers and activists arrested by the Syrian regime, as well as the rights of gays and minorities.

Her last post, on December 1, celebrates the release of Syrian blogger Hussein Ghrer, who was held by the Syrian authorities for 37 days. She blogs:

Hussein is going to be home tonight, where he will be holding his wife tight, and never let go of his two precious sons again. It’s all going to be alright, and it will all be over very soon.

The irony is not lost among netizens who raised the alarm after her arrest on social media platforms.

Syrian Razan Saffour tweets:

@RazanSpeaks: Razan Ghazzawi used to raise awareness about detainees, write about them and support them. She has now become one of them. #FreeRazan #Syria

and adds:

@RazanSpeaks: Thoughts and hearts are with you @RedRazan. One of the bravest people I have come to know on twitter. #FreeRazan #Syria

Fellow Syrian Sasa notes:

@syrianews: Almost every tweet on my timeline now contains #FreeRazan. You hear us Syrian police? #FREERAZAN

And Global Voices colleague Syrian Anas Qtiesh recalls:

@anasqtiesh: Razan introduced me to the wonderful @globalvoices team and she's the reason I joined as a translator author. #FreeRazan

Syrian Shakeen Al Jabri vents off at the Arab League:

@LeShaque: Hey Arab League. How's your ill-advised strategy working out? Still believe Bashar will reform? #Syria #FreeRazan

While Chanad Bahraini laments:

@chanadbh: .@RedRazan, @alaa and @abdulemam were all at the first Arab Bloggers Meeting in Lebanon in 2008. Today they're jail or in hiding #FreeRazan

Veteran Egyptian blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah is being held in Egypt under trumped up charges and Bahraini blogger Ali Abdulemam has been in hiding in Bahrain, where he too faces charges related to his blogging activism. Both are among the pioneering bloggers in their countries.

Meanwhile, trusted friends are managing her Twitter and Gmail accounts as well as her blog. Her Facebook page has also been deactivated by friends.

A recent tweet from her account reads:

@RedRazan: Razan Is not anymore managing her twitter account, we, her friends and supporters are ! #FreeRazan

For more reactions on Ghazzawi's arrest, please check the hash tag #FreeRazan on Twitter. A Facebook page calling for her release is also up [ar].

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.

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According to Press reports, YouTube is ranked among the top 10 most popular sites in the UAE and news about its possible censorship has sparked debate in the blogosphere.

Fake Plastic Souks sounds the alarm, and writes:

Blocking YouTube will further deny Emirati, and other, youth here of the opportunity to embrace a range of technologies and changes in social behaviour that are revolutionising the world around us.

That we are even contemplating blocking sites that contain content we don't like is a deep concern – the trick is engaging in a conversation, taking part in the interplay of ideas and opinion that is driving the Internet – and the flow of public
opinion around the world today.

the grapeshisha blog wonders:

We heard these rumors in the past, but more and more people seem to be confirming that these aren’t just false alarms anymore and that YouTube will actually be banned officially in the UAE. We can’t be totally sure yet until the site is totally inaccessible for our friends and members there, and according to them no action has been taken yet (despite thousands of other sites being blocked) however many are expecting it. Will the ban fail like it did with Facebook? Is the UAE testing the waters with how much internet censorship it can get away with?

Local newspaper Khaleej Times reports that the UAE's Telecommunication Regulatory Authority has said that YouTube will not be completely banned in the country as its content is already regulated by the authority.

Dubai Jazz agrees that some of YouTube‘s content should be moderated. He notes:

There comes the inevitable question, is youtube totally ‘safe’? Of course not, and I wholeheartedly support censorship on some of its content. Especially the kind of hate inciting content. You might choose to believe otherwise, but WE DO NOT have democracy and total freedom of expression in the Arab World. We have a vicious Sunni-Shia sectarian strife. We have an intimidating rate of illiteracy. We have an intimidating rate of credulity. The stable and relatively prosperous Arab societies are stable because there are measures that ENSURE everything stays stable. Even when stability sometimes borders on stagnation….. in short, I am not worried about moral disintegration of societies, I am worried about strives and rifts. So for the time being, some of the content, in my opinion, may have to be censored.

Meanwhile, MMM reports that Flickr is now totally blocked in the UAE, after it was blocked by one Internet provider.

Today, Du followed the lead of Etisalat and went ahead and blocked the photo sharing service Flickr, meaning that Flickr is now no longer accessible from the UAE through any of the ISPs.
I’m guessing it’s because of all the x-rated material that is available on Flickr. But, it’s not like blocking Flickr is going to stop people who look for that kind of material from finding it.
This totally sucks! All my photos are hosted on Flickr where I have a pro account, and now I’m unable to access my photos or upload any new ones because of this.

MMM also posts a photograph of the ban order:

A photograph of the Du censorship message

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The Bahrain Human Rights Society, whose site is also blocked in Bahrain, provides the following list of banned websites:

BCHR listing of the blocked website by Bahrain Ministry of Information

حركة الحريات والديمقراطية حق
1. [www.haaq.org]
ملتقى الجنوب المقاوم
2. [www.bintjbeil.org]
موقع بروكسي
3. [proxify.com]
موقع يزود بروكسي
4. [nofilter.biz]
موقع يزود بروكسي
5. [www.proxyworld.com]
موقع يزود بروكسي
6. [www.anonnow.com]
موقع يزود بروكسي
7. [www.anonworks.com]
موقع يزود بروكسي
8. [www.proxywars.net]
موقع يزود بروكسي
9. [www.opencity.us]
موقع يزود بروكسي
10. [www.poro6.com]
موقع يزود بروكسي
11. [www.bind2.com]
موقع يزود بروكسي
12. [www.zendproxy.com]
موقع يزود بروكسي
13. [zoxy.info]
موقع يزود بروكسي
14. [www.seenoip.com]
موقع يزود بروكسي
15. [www.ibypass.org]
موقع يزود بروكسي
16. [www.ipzap.com]
موقع يزود بروكسي
17. [kproxy.com]
موقع يزود بروكسي
18. [www.attackcensorship.com]
موقع يزود بروكسي
19. [mrnewguy.com]
موقع يزود بروكسي
20. [www.unblockwebsites.com]
موقع يزود بروكسي
21. [spysurfing.com]
موقع يزود بروكسي
22. [www.stupidcensorship.com]
موقع يزود بروكسي
23. [www.evilsprouts.co.uk]
موقع يزود بروكسي
24. [www.bypassbrowser.com]
موقع يزود بروكسي
25. [www.proxymouse.com]
موقع يزود بروكسي
26. [www.fsurf.com]
موقع يزود بروكسي
27 [www.browseatwork.com]
موقع يزود بروكسي
28. [www.surfonym.com]
موقع يزود بروكسي
29. [www.iamnewguy.com]
موقع يزود بروكسي
30. [www.ninjaproxy.com]
منتديات أحرار البحرين
31. [www.ahraralbahrain.net]
منتديات البحرين للحوار الحر
32. [www.montadayatbh.org]
منتديات المحفوظ
33. [www.almahfood.com]
منتديات الجفير
34. www.juffair.org/
منتديات على الأصغر
35. www.alialasghar.net
شهداء البحرين
36. www.shaheed-bh.com/
الصرح الوطني
37. www.wattaninet.org/
ملتقى المالكية
38. www.malkiya.net/vb/
ملتقى بني جمرة
39. www.banijamrah.org/
كرباباد
40. www.karbabadiat.net/
حركة احرار البحرين
41. www.vob.com/
الصحافة
42. [www.alsaheefa.net]
الحوار المتمدن
43. www.rezgar.com/موقع
موقع أوال
44. www.awal.org
أوال
45. www.awaal.net
ملتقى كرزكان
46. www.karzakan.com
ملتقى الدراز
47. [alduraz.net]
وعد
48. [www.aldemokrati.org]
منتديات الثقلين
49. [www.althaqlain.com]
موقع بنت جبيل
50. [www.bintjbeil.org]
الشبكة العربية لمعلومات حقوق الإنسان
51. [www.hrinfo.net]
مركز البحرين لحقوق الإنسان
52. [www.bahrainrights.org]
منديات شهركان
53. [www.shahrakkan.org]
كرد تايمز
54. [www.kurdtimes.com]
موقع البوابة
55. [www.albawaba.com]
لادني
56. [www.ladeeni.net]
الكنائس العربية
57. [www.arabchurch.com]
الأقباط الأحرار
58. [freecopts.net]
59. [annaqed.com]
60. [www.rezgar.com]
الصحيفة
61. [www.alsaheefa.net]
بحرين تايمز
62. [www.bahraintimes.org]
بحرين اونلاين
63. [bahrainonline.org]
منديات البحرين
64. [montadayat.org]
شهداء البحرين
65. [shaheedbh.com]
مترجم الغوغل
66. [google.com]

Blogger Ali7 writes:

Ali7 even goes on to challenge the ban saying:

On Facebook, Bahraini blogger Manaf Al Muhandis, who blogs at TheRedbelt.com posts a note entitled: Censored Internet in Bahrain: Imprisonment of Speech.

In it, he writes:

I am sure most of you know of the efforts of the Ministry of Culture and Information to ban websites. I think we are all together that this is unacceptable, unimplementable, and simply put: ILLEGAL as it goes against the Bahraini Law which protects the freedom of speech.
A group of us tried to avoid this by introducing the Anti Hate Code of Ethics (http://www.bahraincodeofethics.com) and prefer that any offending website be prosecuted under the law with a chance of representation rather than resort to this old and ineffective method.

My friends,
Whether you signed the code or not, I implore you to write about the matter in your own blogs. We should also unify our forces to make our voice heard. We could hold up a rally or send one letter of objection bearing our signatures. I invite you to come up with more suggestions on what we can do about it.

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The Kuwait Ministry of Communications first issued an order to local ISPs denying access to Youtube due to video content considered offensive to Muslims and Islam. Blogger later reported that the ban was lifted after YouTube removed the ‘offensive’ video.

About the original ban, Ansam writes:

I think this is the dumbest decision ever made when it comes to blocking offensive sites… whats next? Blogs!!! Limewire!!!

Man this is ridiculous… no, no, no… its is ridiculously sad! Who comes up with such decisions! Isnt youtube also full of videos supporting Islam, Muslims, and Arabs! Why take the negative part?!?! Was it because of the Quranic verses read in melodic background? The video was removed for God's sake? You only need to report offensive videos and your voice will sure be heard!

I am hating this SO MUCH! Ughhhhhhhhh!

And when the ban was not implemented, Ansam exclaimed:

They canceled! Its not blocked… YAY

Another Kuwaiti blogger, Loft965, notes:

It’s the end of the world as we know it: Kuwait might block YouTube.

Bashar too is livid at the decision, suggesting that the government bans other sites while it is at it. His suggestions include:

If they still wanna move forward, despite that YouTube did really act upon the video, listned to people complains, and there isn’t really any such videos right now, then I have a list of suggestions to push our country furter forward, carefully selected from Alexa top 100 sites in Kuwait:

 

 

1. Google, Yahoo, and MSN Search: The head of search to all evil things. Block them.
2. Facebook: There are some athiest and anti-Islamic groups. Don’t try to reach them, educate them, or show your thoughts. Just leave the whole site.
3. Maktoob.com: Arabic online forums, e-marriage could be abused for dating, movies, horoscopes. This is not Islamic is it?
4. Kooora.com: All about soccer, mostly European soccer where teams show sponsored Beer and wine ads on their Shirts.
5. RapidShare: Sharing is not monitored, you can’t tell what your people are sharing. And someone might be secretly sharing offensive content. There must be some of it. Or at least, just to be on the safe side
6. Travian.ae: Obiously, why should you let your people play as Romanian soldiers in an online game, helping the Romanian empire expand it’s grounds online, when they could be fighting as Islamic ones.
7. Hi5: Friendship site.

Falantan brings news of the order to ban YouTube being reconsidered at higher levels. He writes:

Thanks to you all and the amazing response, it seems the Ministry people are realizing their blunder [...]And now I got confirmation that the Minister himself has convened with his department heads and rescinded the order.
Thank you al-Jarida and thank you bloggers of Kuwait :)

Writing in Arabic, Jandeef argues:

Jordanian Moey, who visits Kuwait regularly, urges the authorities:

Why block the website? I’m not sure if any of you remember, they blocked anything +18 in Yahoo groups 2 years back, and YouTube has an option that allows users to report offensive content.

Please don’t go nuts like Syria and block YouTube and Facebook?

And Frankom rants:

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His crime? Posting this article, part of which is translated here into English, on Hespress [Ar], in which he describes how the Moroccan King's charity and gratuities towards his people benefits “the lucky sons and daughters of this country and overlooks the rest.”

He explained his point:

Countries which respect their citizens do not turn them into beggars under the feet of nobility. Instead, they develop factories and workshops for them to work in and earn their living with dignity. Even if we assume that such gratuities are only dispersed to deserving citizens such as the special needs and poor, which is impossible at any rate, this isn't anything that makes Moroccan citizens proud. The right to work, health care and education are granted by the Constitution. Therefore, the state should provide decent means of living for its citizens – other than humiliating them in this shameless manner.

And bloggers around the region have been nodding their heads in agreement – for they might just as well substitute the name Morocco from the article and replace it with the name of their countries.

Who is Mohammed Erraji? Why did he write what he wrote knowing well that in many countries in the Middle East criticising members of the vast Ruling families is very likely to result in repercussions and punishment? Saudi blogger Fouad Al Farhan, who recently found himself behind bars for his writings in Saudi Arabia, visits Erraji's blog looking for answers.

After learning about Erraji's arrest, Al Farhan visits his blog:

I visited his blog for the first time and was eager to visit his first posts, which usually speak about the blogger's view towards blogging and the reasons why he is joining this wave. They also explain what his ambitions are and what he hopes to achieve through blogging. I found him saying in one of his first posts:
“I want to fill the pages of this blog with all the ideas which are erupting in my hear like an active volcano at times, and like cool refreshing breezes at others. I want to sit for long hours in front of the computer. I want to write about everything in my private life, and about politics, sports, religion, about everything. I want to write without stopping …”

With these words the Moroccan blogger Mohammed Erraji started his journey in the world of blogging. This journey, which started and will never be erased from his memory, and the memory of his family and friends for the rest of their lives. Mohammed Erraji, like many of our creative youth, is someone we never pay attention to until tragedy strikes.

About Erraji, Al Farhan says:

محمد الراجي عمره ٢٩ عاماً وعمر مدونته سنة ونصف. لولا أنه ذكر بنفسه بأنه لم يتجاوز المرحلة السادسة في مستواه التعليمي لما صدقت. هو “أمازيغي وعربي في نفس الآن” كما عرف عن نفسه. أما توجهه الفكري فيلخصه كما يلي: “مستقل بأفكاري ولا أحب أن أكون تابعا لأحد ، عندما يكون لدي موقف من قضية ما ، أدافع عنه بشراسة، وفي المقابل أستمع بأذن صاغية الى الآخرين ، وأقبل الحوار مع الجميع ، عندما أختلف مع شخص ما ، أختلف معه حول أفكاره ومواقفه فقط ، وليست لدي خلافات شخصية مع أحد”. في آخر تدويناته يصرخ في وجه “الجبناء” كما أسماهم مطالباً “بحماية سمعة وطنه” الذي يحبه ويعشقه. أوطاننا العربية التي نعشقها ويحاول البعض بكل جد وإجتهاد وبكل طريقة ممكنة أن يفقدنا الأمل في إصلاحها إما بتهوين المخاطر التي نمر بها أو بإقناعنا بشرعية “الخطوط الحمراء” التي هي في الأصل خطوط حمراء تحمي “المستفيدين” من أوضاع حرياتنا المفقودة في أوطاننا العربية.

Mohammed Erraji is 29 years old and his blog is a year and a half old. If he hadn't mentioned that he hasn't exceeded the sixth grade at school, I wouldn't have believed him. As he describes himself, he is “an Amazigh and an Arab at the same time.” He summarises his ideaology as: “I am of independent thought, and I don't like to be anyone's follower. When I have a certain stance towards an issue, I defend it ferociously. In return, I listen to others, accept dialogue with everybody, and when I disagree with someone, I disagree with their thoughts and stances only, and I have no personal conflicts with anyone.” In one of his last posts, he screams in the face of “cowards,” as he called them, urging them to “protect the reputation of his nation,” which he loves – our Arab nation which we love, which some are exerting all their efforts, in every manner available to them, to make us lose hope in reforming it, either by exaggerating the dangers we are facing, or convincing us of the legality of the “red lines” which are in reality red lines which protect those benefiting from our lost freedom in our Arab world.

Al Farhan says he spent the entire day reading Erraji's blog. He notes:

أعجبني نقده وأفكاره وإستقرائه وحججه وقوة لغته. أعجبتني جرأته وتسميته الأشياء بأسمائها. وجدته يعبر عن وجهة نظره بكل صراحة حول الإرهاب وغيرته على الإسلام من تصرفات المتطرفين وأطروحاتهم. تناول “أسامة بن لادن” بالإسم ونقده وأختار أن لا يؤجر عقله لكل من يستغل سوء أوضاعنا بطرح حلول تدميريه وإرهابية لا تقود إلا لمجتمعات خوف وعنف وظلام.
محمد الراجي لم يختبيء تحت معرفات وهمية في منتديات الإنترنت ليعبر عن رأيه بطرح متطرف أو صراخ لا يسمن ولا يغني من جوع. محمد الراجي فهم التدوين جيداً ولديه ثقة إيجابيه في ذاته وعقله وفكره نهلها من محيطه العائلي وتربيته التي يفتخر بها.
ولذلك قرر محمد الراجي أن يدون.

I admired his criticism, thoughts, analysis, arguments, and the beauty of his language. I admired his courage in calling things by their names. I found him expressing his ideas about terrorism and his concern over Islam and the reactions of extremists and what they do candidly. He wrote about Osama bin Laden, calling him by his name, and criticised him. He chose not to sell his mind to those who abuse our situation by suggesting terrorist solutions, which only lead societies to fear, violence and darkness.
Mohammed Erraji did not hide behind pseudonyms on Internet forums to express an extreme opinion or scream nonsense. Mohammed Erraji understood blogging for what it is, and has a positive confidence in himself and thoughts, which he learned from his family and upbringing, which he is proud of. This is why Mohammed Erraji decided to blog.

According to Al Farhan, had Erraji decided not to blog, his options would have been:

1. المضي في حياته اليومية بحثاً عن لقمة عيشه فاقداً الأمل في إمكانية أن يحدث تعبيره عن رأيه أي فرق في تحسين الواقع أو إيضاح مواطن الظلم. وبذلك ينضم للملايين من الشباب العربي المحبط
2. تأجير عقله لمتطرف يقول له بأن حمل السلاح والعنف هو الحل والمخرج من هذا الواقع العربي المظلم مثلما فعل الكثير من الشباب العربي المحبط أيضاً للأسف الشديد.
3. البحث عن مواطن أخرى ليخرج “كل الغضب الذي يتزاحم في صدره مثل حمم بركان هائج” من مخدرات وحشيش ومتع مدمرة وقع فيها الملايين من الشباب العربي المحبط.

1. Continue with his life earning a living without any hope that expressing his idea would improve reality and highlight where injustice is. This way he will be ones of the millions of depressed young Arabs
2. Renting his mind to an extremist who will ask him to carry arms and commit violence as a means to get out of this unjust Arab reality, as many young men have unfortuneately done.
3. Finding other avenues to express all this anger raging inside him like a volcano such as drugs and hashish and other dangerous entertainments which have claimed millions of young depressed Arabs.

Al Farhan explains that Erraji rejected all those options and immersed himself into blogging instead.

Turning his attention to the allergy of some governments towards freedom of expression, Al Farhan writes:

مشكلة الحكومات العربية مع الجيل الجديد من الشباب أنها لم تستوعب بعد أن الوقت تغير. هذا الجيل مشتعل بالغيرة وببراكين الغضب والأسئلة التي تتزاحم في عقله تبحث عن إجابات لحال وضعنا العربي المحبط.

The problem with Arab governments with the new generation of young people is that they have not grasped that times have changes. This generation is fired up with feelings towards their nation, with overflowing volcanoes of anger and questions rushing in their heads looking for solutions for our depressing conditions as Arabs.

In explaining how the world has changed, Al Farhan says:

في زمن ما، كان العربي في المغرب يسمع عن ما يحصل في المشرق عن طريق إذاعة لندن أو مونت كارلو أو صحيفة بائتة هنا أو هناك. بعد عالم الإنترنت، أصبحنا نعرف كل صغيرة وكبيرة إما عن طريق الفضائيات أو الإذاعات أو مواقع الإنترنت أو البريد الإلكتروني أو تويتر أو الفيسبوك. لم يعد هناك شيء مخفي.

Early on, Arabs in the Maghreb used to hear about what was happening in the East though the radio stations of London or Monte Carlo or old newspapers from here and there. After the Internet, we now know everything happening through satellite channels, radio stations, websites, email, Twitter and Facebook. There is nothing which can be hidden anymore.

Access to the Internet, adds Al Farhan, has made the world a different place. He therefore asks:

إذا كانوا لا يريدون منا أن نحلم وأن نتكلم ونطرح أفكارنا وأحلامنا للحوار والنقاش فلماذا يسمحون بإدخال الإنترنت في بلداننا العربية؟

If they did not want us to dream and speak and express our ideas and aspirations in dialogues or discuss them, why have they allowed the Internet into our Arab countries?

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رج الملك كما يفعل عادة للتجول بسيارته في شوارع المدينة ، وكان معه داخل السيارة ابنه البكر ، الذي هو ولي العهد . في ملتقى الطرق سيتوقف الملك أمام شرطي المرور الذي ينظم حركة السير ، والتفت إلى ابنه الصغير ذو الخمس سنوات يسأله إن كان يرغب أن يصبح شرطيا عندما يكبر ، وعوض أن يجيب الصغير أخذ الشرطي المبادرة وأجاب الملك بأنه يتمنى أن يرى ولي العهد الصغير جالسا على عرش أسلافه في أحد الأيام ، وأضاف كلمات يثني فيها على الملك . الملك بطبيعة الحال أعجبه ما سمع من فم الشرطي ، وقبل أن ينصرف كافأه على الفور ب “كريما” ! للإشارة فالملك الذي كان بطلا لهذه الواقعة ليس ملكا آخر غير محمد السادس!

إذا صح هذا الخبر الذي أوردته “الجريدة الأولى” في عددها التسعين ، فعلى المغاربة أن يقتنعوا بأن المغرب لن يتغير كما نتمنى حتى في عهد الحسن الثالث !

As is his tradition, the King went for a drive in his car, along with his eldest son, who is the Crown Prince. At a junction, he stopped in front of a traffic policeman, who was regulating traffic. He turned to his five-year-old son and asked him is he wanted to become a policeman when he grew up. Instead of waiting for the little boy to respond, the policeman took the initiative, and told the King that he hopes that the young Crown Prince will one day ascend the throne of his forefathers. He continued to praise the King. At usual, the King enjoyed what came out of the policeman's mouth, and before leaving bestowed the title of ‘Noble’ on him. The King who is the hero of this story is no other than Mohammad the Sixth!
And if this story which appeared in the First Newspaper's 90th edition is true, then Moroccans have to remain convinced that Morocco will never change as they wish even in the reign of Hassan the Third!

يجب علينا أن نعترف بأن الذي أهلك بلدنا وأوصله إلى هذه الرتبة المخجلة التي يحتلها على الصعيد العالمي في كل المجالات هو اقتصاد الريع ، الذي ينتفع به المحظوظون دون غيرهم من أبناء وبنات الشعب ، وطبعا فلسنا بحاجة إلى استعمال المصطلحات الكبيرة التي يستعملها السياسيون كي نفهم ما هو “الريع” ، فمعناه بكل بساطة هو أن تأخذ حق الآخرين بدون وجه حق ! ورخص النقل أو “الكريمات” التي يوزعها الملك على المواطنين الذين يمدون إليه رسائل الاستعطاف التي يكتبونها بنفس العبارات التي ينطق بها المتسولون عندما يمدون أيديهم إلى الناس على أرصفة الشوارع تدخل بدورها في إطار الريع . فالدول التي تحترم مواطنيها لا تجعل منهم شحاذين يتسولون الأعتاب الشريفة ، بل تصنع لهم المعامل والمصانع كي يشتغلوا ويكسبوا لقمة عيشهم بعزة وكرامة ، وحتى لو افترضنا أن هذه الكريمات لا يتم إعطاؤها إلا لمن يستحقها من ذوي الاحتياجات الخاصة والفقراء والمعوزين ، وهذا أمر مستبعد بطبيعة الحال ، فهذا لا يشرف المواطن المغربي على الاطلاق ، فالشغل والتطبيب والتعليم حق يمنحه لنا الدستور ، لذلك يجب على الدولة أن توفر لمواطنيها سبل العيش الكريم عوض إهانتهم بهذه الطريقة المذلة

We need to admit that what has destroyed our country and made it plummet to this embarrassing level in all international rankings, is this economy of dispersing gratuities, which benefits the lucky sons and daughters of this country and overlooks the rest. Of course, we don't need to use the larger than life terms used by politicians to understand what this means. It simply means that some people can take the rights of others unjustly! Transportation licenses* and nobility titles which the King distributes on citizens who send him letters, written using the same phrases used by beggars lining sidewalks, fall under this category of gratuities. Countries which respect their citizens do not turn them into beggars under the feet of nobility. Instead, they develop factories and workshops for them to work in and earn their living with dignity. Even if we assume that such gratuities are only dispersed to deserving citizens such as the special needs and poor, which is impossible at any rate, this isn't anything that makes Moroccan citizens proud. The right to work, health care and education are granted by the Constitution. Therefore, the state should provide decent means of living for its citizens – other than humiliating them in this shameless manner.

* NOTE: The licenses are permits given by the state to taxi drivers and boat owners and are a main source of discontent because they are mainly handed out as returns for favors and nepotism.

وعندما يرى ولي العهد الصغير الذي سيتولى الحكم في يوم من الأيام كيف أن والده يوزع الهبات والاكراميات والكريمات على الناس بمجرد سماع كلمة إطراء أو مدح ، فلا شك أنه سيتصرف بنفس “المنطق” عندما يحكم ، لذلك فما علينا سوى أن نؤجل أحلامنا بمغرب المساواة وتكافؤ الفرص لغاية حكم الملك محمد السابع الذي سيأتي بعد الحسن الثالث اللي هو ولي العهد حاليا!

When the young Crown Prince, who will become the Ruler one day, witnesses how his father distributes honours, gratuities and gifts to people upon hearing compliments and praise, there is no doubt that he will act based on the same logic, when he rules. This is why we should delay our dreams of a Morocco of equality and equal opportunities until the reign of Mohammad the Seventh, which will follow after that of Hassan the Third, who is the Crown Prince at present.

More information on this story is available on Global Voices Advocacy and here. A petition is also available here for those interested to sign, which calls for the bloggers release. A Facebook group has also been set up here.

Photo credit: Hespress

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Tarek, at Not Gr33n Data, writes:

It's getting more and more fishy everyday, the Newspapers are attacking what they call “The Dark World of the Internet”, you may read Al-Ahram Newspaper's article here [Ar]. They are blaming the Egyptian people because they use the internet to … ehm … spread rumours, call for strikes, and post videos that may harm the Egyptian National Security!

You know what, I am getting more and more confident now, that the Government's next move will be filtering the Internet. I already had similar suspicions a long while ago, but now I am really afraid that they may start filtering the Internet here in Egypt very soon, they may block sites such as Facebook, because what's said that the April 6th General Strike was organized there. They may also block YouTube, and who knows what will they block next.

Seems that the Great Firewall of China is on its way to Egypt.

Mostafa Hussein [Ar], also from Egypt, is equally infuriated with the attack on online activists. He uses the same style the article was written in to discredit the credibility of newspapers and writes:

أكاذيب مفضوحة‏,‏ وألفاظ مطاطة‏,‏ وسب وقذف بلا حسيب ولا رقيب‏,‏ وأخبار كاذبة‏,‏ ودعوات للتشهير‏,‏ ومحاولات للوقيعة بين أبناء الشعب الواحد‏.‏ هذه هي الصورة السوداء للصحافة الرسمية في مصر حاليا للأسف الشديد‏,‏ والتي رسم سوادها قلة من السياسيين‏,‏ وإن كان هذا السواد يغطي حاليا علي أغلبية استخدامات هذه الوسيلة الإعلامية التي يفترض أنها أكثر عراقه ونظافة من هذا المستوي إلي الدرجة التي بات الأمر معها يستدعي وقفة من القراء ضد هذه الإساءات والانتهاكات الصارخة قبل المطالبة بتدخل الجهات الشعبية لإعادة التوازن إلي هذه المنطقة الخطرة علي المجتمع وعقلة واستقراره وحريته‏!‏
وعلي الرغم من أن مصر تفخر بأنها تملك أكبر عدد من قراء الصحف في المنطقة العربية‏,‏ فإنها عانت في الفترة الأخيرة إساءة استخدام السلطة لهذه الوسيلة‏,‏ حيث باتت جرائد الحكومية الشهيرة مثل الأهرام و الأخبار ساحة مناسبة يستغلها ضعاف النفوس للتضليل والكذب‏,‏ ولتبادل عبارات السب والقذف والتعليقات المبتذلة التي تسيء إلي مصر بالدرجة الأولي‏,‏ بل وتسيء إلي هذه الوسيلة المطبوعة الراقية التي يجيد الغرب المتحضر استخدامها بما ينفع مجتمعه‏,‏ وانتشرت حملات وهمية تكالب علي إطلاقها علي الصحف بعض السياسين المصريين المندفعين بحثا عن المال والكرسي‏,‏ وربما من المستترين خلف أسماء مستعارة أو وهمية‏,‏ بعضها يتضمن دعاوي تحريضية علي التخلف أو علي نشر الأكاذيب‏.‏

Easily exposed lies, flowery language, insults and slander, unfounded news, libel and attempts to create a rift between the citizens of one nation. This is the black picture of our Egyptian official Press unfortunately. Its blackness was painted by a few politicians, even though this darkness now covers most of the uses of this mass media which is supposed to be clean and rich. It has now become imperative for readers to take a stance to redress the imbalance in this dangerous medium on society, its stability and freedom!

Although Egypt prides itself with having the largest number of newspaper readers in the Arab world, it has recently suffered from abuse at the hands of the authorities of this medium. Famous government-run papers like Al Ahram and Al Akhbar have now become the suitable forum for those who mislead and lie, as well as for the exchange of slander and insults which harm Egypt particularly and this publication in general, while the civilised West continues to utilise this medium in a manner which benefits their society. Imaginary campaigns against newspapers have also been launched by some Egyptian politicians in search of money and power. They may perhaps be those hiding behind fake names – and who rally for spreading messages which encourage backwardness and spreading lies.

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During the unrest, on April 6 and 7, Egyptian bloggers worked round the clock telling the world about the workers’ revolt that shook their country, as thousands rioted at a textile mill in Al Mahalla. They were also among the first casualties of the unrest, which left some killed, scores injured and an undetermined number of activists, organisers and mere spectators behind bars. Their coverage came in the form of blog posts, YouTube videos, Twitter feeds, Flickr shots, Facebook messages and all other online tools they could get their hands on.

The saga seems to continue, as some activists are still detained, six weeks after their arrest, prompting calls from their colleagues for their immediate release. Others, allegedly harassed, physically abused and later released by the police, continue to use online tools to tell the world their story.

This is one of many images of the back of Egyptian Facebook user Ahmed Maher, taken by award winning blogger Wael Abbas and posted here, under the title: The Newest Egyptian Method to Find Out Your Facebook's Account Password.

أحمد ماهر هو المؤسس الحقيقي لجروب الإضراب على الفيس بوك وليست إسراء عبد الفتاح كما زعموا والسبب في وجود إسمها وحدها على الجروب الآن هو أن فيس بوك أوقفت حساب أحمد ماهر لأنه كان يرسل عدد ضخم من الرسائل يوميا ليضم أعضاء للجروب وكان هذا المجهود هو سبب إنضمام أكثر من سبعون ألف عضو للجروب فإعتبره سبامر واوقفوا حسابه بينما كان كل دور إسراء هو المساعدة في الإدارة وحذف التعليقات المسيئة فقط لكن بعض وسائل الإعلام كانت تبحث عن قصة شيقة وبالونة لنفخها ولم يكن همهم أبدا الدقة في المعلومة أو البحث عن الحقيقة والقصة السليمة مما أضر بالحركة الوطنية من اجل التغيير ككل وبمصداقية نشطاء الإنترنت خصوصا وهو أمر لا يمكن التسامح ف

Ahmed Maher is the real founder of the Strike's Facebook Group and not Esraa Abdulfattah as everyone assumed. The reason why her name alone appears on the group until now is because Facebook suspended Ahmed Maher's account because he used to send huge numbers of messages daily for new members to join the group. It was as a result of this effort that more than 70,000 members joined. They considered him as a spammer and closed his account while Esraa's role was to help in administrating the site and deleting derogatory comments only. Some media organisations, which were looking for an exciting story and a balloon to blow, were not concerned with the accuracy of the story or looking for the truth. This has negatively impacted the national movement for change overall and the credibility of cyberactivists, in particular and this is an issue we can't forgive.

Elijah Zarwan tells us what happened to Maher:

I’ve just heard from a friend that Ahmed Maher, a 27-year-old engineer quoted in the Western press as a May 4 Facebook activist, is alleging that he was beaten in State Security custody. Details are still sketchy, but apparently State Security called him in for a “friendly” coffee earlier this week. When he didn’t go, my friend tells me, State Security took him from his home in the middle of the night, beat him, and released him with the warning that they were “just pulling his ear” this time, and that next time would be worse. He is reportedly in hospital now.

And Abbas posts the following video showing the extend of torture Maher has been subjected to:

In the video [Ar], Maher says how his clothes were ripped off by the police and then shows us scars on his back which he says were caused by policemen beating him on his back with their bare hands.

Blogger Hossam el Hamalawy links to a newspaper report on what happened to the Facebook user and how he was arrested and tortured by police here.

Hamalawy also draws our attention to the plight of blogger and activist Kareem Al Beheiri, who has been behind bars since April 7. He writes:

In an interview with el-Badeel, released Karama Party activist Ahmad Amin Ahmad Eid said that:

Kareem el-Beheiri was tortured in Mahalla’s State Security Police office for more than 18 hours. He told me his torturer was listening to the Quran while torturing him. I saw in Mahalla’s 2nd Police Station children no more than 13 years old, whose eyes and bodies were injured by rubber bullets. They said police kidnapped them from the hospital where they were receiving treatment and accused them of participating in the strike.

Hamalawy also reports that Mohamed Maree, a translator who was arrested along with American photojournalist James Buck, while interviewing the families of those arrested in Mahalla, has been tortured. While Buck was released and asked to leave the country, Maree continues to languish in prison, despite an outcry from activists for his release. Hamalawy writes:

The latest information we have on Mohamed was by rights lawyers who visited Bourg el-Arab Prison on Saturday:

We managed to visit Bourg el-Arab Prison today. It turned out that translator Mohamed Saleh Maree is detained as a ‘criminal’ after he was detained in the company of US journalist James Buck. The latter was released by the police in Mahalla after pressures from his embassy, but Mohamed Saleh was kept in custody despite a release order from the prosecutor. We couldn’t back then find out where he was kept. Today we visited him, and he mentioned he was tortured by beatings and electric shocks in Mahalla’s State Security office. Mohamed was also banned by the prison administration from taking his exam at the university.

Buck continue to fight for his colleague's freedom and is spearheading a campaign to draw the world's attention to his friend's plight. He has also set up a petition on his blog calling for Maree‘s release.

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According to Global Voices Advocacy, Al Farhan was arrested on 10 December 2007 for unspecified “violation of non-security regulations.”

Saudi Arabia:

For Saudi Jeans, Al Farhan's release was a good way to start his day. He writes:

I woke up around 5:30 this morning on the beeping of my iPhone which received a short message from the wife of my friend and fellow blogger Fouad al-Farhan telling me that Fouad has been released and that he is back home with his family now. That’s great news and this is just how I wanted to start my morning!

Al Farhan's fellow blogger, Mashi 97 (Ar), from Saudi Arabia, received more than 140 congratulatory comments when he made this announcement:

قبل دقائق قليلة فقط

رجع المدون السعودي فؤاد أحمد الفرحان لمنزله بعد خروجه من السجن .

الحمدلله الحمدلله الحمدلله

A few minutes ago only
Saudi blogger Fouad Ahmed Al Farhan has returned home after being released from prison.
Thank Allah, Thank Allah, Thank Allah.

Another Saudi blogger Ibrahim (Ar) wants an explanation to why Al Farhan was arrested. He writes:

في الأمس كنا فرحين بالإفراج عن فؤاد الفرحان
ولازلنا فرحين
ولكن سؤالي .. ماذا بعد الإفراج عن فؤاد؟
أربعة أشهر قضاها الأخ فؤاد في سجن أو توقيف ( مانختلف ) تحت الإستجواب
وكان السبب في كل هذا هو ” تهمة غير أمنيه” و ” إختراق لبعض اللوائح ”
وأستغرب من هذه الكلمات الفضفاضه
أنا كمدون أحب أن أعرف ماهي اللوائح التي تم اختراقها , ليتم تفاديها
أو ماهي التهم الغير أمنيه ليتم تفاديها أيضاً
هذا في حال أنها تستحق هذا المسمى (اختراق للوائح) فكلنا يجب أن يعرف ماهي اللوائح المخترقه

Yesterday were were happy for Fouad Al Farhan's release.
And we are still happy.
But my question is .. what after Fouad's release?
He spent four months in prison or custody (we won't differ on this), where he was interrogated.
The reason given was “a non-security related accusation” and “breaking some laws.”
I am surprised at those vague words.
As a blogger, I want to know what are the laws he has broken so that we don't commit them and what are the non-security related offences, so that we can overcome them. In case they deserve to be labelled as “breaking laws,” we all need to know what are the laws which have been broken.

Rasheed Abou-Alsamh too has questions in his head and writes:

Fouad was arrested in Jeddah on Dec. 10, 2007, and was held in a detention center for for more than four months because of the various entries on his blog that called for less corruption and more accountability in Saudi Arabia.

Will he continue blogging now that he has been released? That is a question that only Fouad can answer. I'm sure we will find out soon enough. For now, Fouad probably just wants to forget his ordeal and bond with is family.

Egypt:

From Egypt, Al Anany is also excited about Al Farhan's release and shares the following wish:

اليوم فرحة المدونين العرب وبالخصوص السعوديين منهم لا توصف بعد الإفراج اليوم عن المدون السعودي فؤاد الفرحان .. ومن هنا ، من سيناء نهنئ أنفسنا وكل من آزر فؤاد الفرحان بخروجه من السجن وعودته الي منزله ، ونتمنى من الله عز وجل أن يتم الإفراج عن كل المدونين العرب ، وعن مسعد أبو فجر ابن سيناء وصاحب مدونة ودنا نعيش

Today is a happy day for Arab bloggers, and in particular the Saudis, whose happiness cannot be measured after the release of Saudi blogger Fouad Al Farhan. From here, from Sinai, we congratulate ourselves and all those who stood by Fouad until his release from prison and his return home. We ask Allah for the release of all Arab bloggers, especially Musad Abu Fajr, the son of Sinai, who runs the blog, We Want to Live.

Still in Egypt, Zeinobia awaits the news of the release of another blogger – this time in Syria. She writes:

Congratulations for Fouad and his family.
Hopefully all the other bloggers detained in the Arab world will be free soon and return to other families especially Tarek from Syria.

Bahrain:

Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al Yousif is still scratching his head. He writes:

We don’t know the details of his release and what he had to give up or sign for the authorities to finally let him go, I suspect we will hear his stories quite soon – I hope.
In any case, I am very happy indeed for his release.
Welcome home Fouad!

Bahraini Esra'a wonders if Al Farhan will continue blogging after his release. She writes:

We are really happy to see him safe and free, however I wonder if he will continue blogging after what had happened. Let’s hope that he will never endure what he has gone through these past few months.

Sudan:

The Sudanese Thinker makes the following announcement:

Saudi blogger Fuad alFarhan has finally been released after spending 137 days in jail for simply speaking his mind politely and eloquently. Meanwhile, the Saudi government has no problem whatsoever allowing the shouts and rants of many preachers of death.

Lovely!

Meanwhile, The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (Ar) demands the lifting of the ban on Al Farhan's blog in Saudi Arabia. It says:

من الجيد التراجع عن استمرار اعتقال فؤاد الفرحان ، ولكن رغم سعادتنا بالإفراج عنه ، فنحن ننتظر أن تعلن الحكومة السعودية بوضوح أسباب اعتقاله ، ومن كان صاحب قرار اعتقاله ، و أن يرفع الحجب عن مدونته فورا”.

It is good that Fouad Al Farhan is no longer arrested, but despite our happiness with his release, we are waiting for the Saudi government to announce clearly why he was arrested and who ordered his arrest. We also call for the immediate lift of the ban on his blog.

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