Global Voices Advocacy » Kuwait

Kuwait: YouTube Ban Lifted

Amira Al Hussaini — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 13:48:53 +0000

News about YouTube being blocked in Kuwait hit the headlines yesterday, with bloggers frustrated over what they described as yet another intrusion on freedom of speech in their country.

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:

Google, Yahoo, and MSN Search: The head of search to all evil things. Block them.

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.

Maktoob.com: Arabic online forums, e-marriage could be abused for dating, movies, horoscopes. This is not Islamic is it?

Kooora.com: All about soccer, mostly European soccer where teams show sponsored Beer and wine ads on their Shirts.

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

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.

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:

شبكة الانترنت فيها مواد تعليمية واقتصادية وتجارية وثقافية، لكن فيها مواقع إرهابية وإباحية وعنصرية وغيرها … ليش ما تمنعونها؟
السكين يمكن استخدامها لتقطيع تفاحة وقص كيكة عيد ميلاد وأكل ستيك، لكن هناك من يقتل الناس فيها … ليش ما تمنعونها؟
السيارة وسيلة نقل وفي بعض الأحيان وسيلة كشخة، ولكن هناك من يستخدمها للسرقة
والتهريب، وأحياناً تتسبب بإصابة أحد أو فقد حياته … ليش ما تمنعونها؟

The Internet has educational, economic, commercial and cultural material, but it also carries terrorist, immoral and racial material… why don't you ban it?
A knife can be used to cut an apple or a birthday cake, as well as for eating steak, but there are people who use it to kill… why don't you ban it?
A car is a means of transportation and sometimes it is a means of showing off. But there are some who use it rob others and smuggle, and sometimes it is causes injuries and kills people… why don't you ban it?

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:

الخبر نازل بالجرايد اليوم

مبروك علينا دولة الديموقراطية والحرية

مبروك علينا ناس مثل الكندري مدير الرقابة

مبروك علينا وزير مايعرف وين الله قاطه

مبروك علينا شركات ماتدافع عن العملاء

مبروك علينا كلنا هذا النعيم

الى الخلف يا كويت

The news is in the newspapers today.
Congratulations on us being in the country of democracy and freedom
Congratulations on us having people like Al Kindiri as the head of censorship
Congratulations on us having a minister who doesn't know where he is
Congratulations on us having companies which don't stand up for their clients
Congratulations on us for living in all this prosperity
March backwards, Kuwait

Kuwait to block Youtube over anti-Muslim videos

Sami Ben Gharbia — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:23:37 +0000

Update: YouTube Ban Lifted.

Scan of the memo. Source: Aljarida.com

The Kuwait Ministry of Communications has issued an order to local ISPs denying access to Youtube due to video content considered offensive to Muslims and Islam. Here is a translation by Reuters:

Since the website displays the Koran in the form of songs sung with the oud (stringed instrument) … and displays disrespectful pictures of the Prophet Mohammad … please proceed with immediate effect in blocking the website www.youtube.com

According to Aljarida.com, Youtube users activities represent 15% of all the internet traffic in Kuwait. The Kuwait Times reports that “A search of the word ‘Kuwait' turned up 59,000 videos [on Youtube], including everything from videos of car crashes on Fahaheel Expressway and Jessica Simpson's concert for US troops in Kuwait to protests in front of Abdullah Al-Salem hall in the run up to the 2006 parliamentary elections.“

Youtube is being blocked in Tunisia, Turkey and Syria. See our Access Denied Map for more information about web 2.0 censorship and anti-censorships efforts.

No to Kuwait's New Internet Law

Abdullatif AlOmar — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 08:18:55 +0000

Kuwaiti bloggers are angry at a proposed new Internet Law, which they claim would make their days as free bloggers numbered, after Attorney General Hamad Al Othman announced that a new law dealing with Internet crimes will be issued soon.

According to Kuwaiti Arab Times:

Hamed Al-Othman says in an interview with Al-Qabas daily published Sunday he has prepared a bill that criminalizes promoting vice, incitement against the country’s leadership, divulging state secrets, or insulting Islam on the Web. If convicted, offenders would be sentenced to up to one year in jail and/or a fine, but face seven years in prison if their victims are minors.

Kuwait's bloggers are unhappy with what they see as new restrictions against freedom of expression.

Blogger Forzaq8 warns that two clauses in the draft law are likely to “throw most internet users in jail.” He says the first deals with the unlawful use of the Internet and the second with unlawful distribution of research and literary work.

“going to setup my bag for couple of prison terms,” jokes the blogger.

Writing in Arabic, As you like posts a few useful tips for bloggers to protect themselves from the impending law. He says:

1.
شـيل الوقت من تعليقات الزوار، وخل التاريخ بس،
2.
إستخدم نظام النشر المجدول لنشر المواضيع، يعني عندك موضوع، حط الوقت بعد ساعة وافصل الانترنت والبلوقر مايقصر ينشره بعد ساعة. (طبقوهـا)
3.
تجاوب مع المراسلين عبر البريد الإلكتروني للإستفسارات، والسوالف سو لها ايميل ثاني.
4.
عشان ماتحط بذمتك شي حط هالكلمة تحت بمدونتك: التعليقات بالمدونة ليس بالضرورة تمثل رأي المدونة، يعني قطها برأس اللي يعلقون وفك عمرك.
5.
اذا صـادوك “الربع”، النكـران طريق البراءة، حاول محط الـC والهادريسكات الأخرى “فورمات” واطلع سالم.
6.
اذا تحرشت بشيخ، او طويل عمر، أو تاجر، استخدم النغزات .. ترا القراء اذكياء، يفهمونها وهي طايرة، أو خلهم يفسرونها زي ماهما عاوزين.
7.
اذا سألوك: أنت مدون ؟، خل جوابك على طول: شنو مدون ؟ طبعاً اذا انت مسوي مصيبة .. راح يحوشك طراق ماتدري من منو .. راح يسألك: انت مدون ؟ .. جاوب: لأ ياسعادة البيه .. لأ لأ لأ !
8.
حاول استخدام كلمة “الله يطول بعمره” مع ذكر اي شخص -شيخ تاجر مواطن مدون- اثناء التحقيق.
9.
عندما يذكر جاسم وناصر الخرافي أو احمد الفهد أو محمد شرار أو طلال الفهد أو محمد العبدالله أو حتى علي الخليفه قول: الله يكثر من امثالهم، ويحفظهم للبلد .. جنك مو داري شنو الطبخة.
10.
خل مدونتك تهتم بشؤون العائلة والطبخ .. ابرك لك وانفع لهذه الامة .. رحمة للحكومة والمجلس.

1. Remove the time from the comments, and leave the date in only.
2. Use auto publishing to post on blogs. This means, if you want to write something, programme it to be published after an hour and disconnect your Internet and disconnect from Blogger in the meanwhile.
3. Interact with commentators via email for queries and have another email to deal with other issues.
4. In order to free yourself from any liabilities, post the following disclaimer on your blog: Comments on this blog don't unnecessarily reflect the blogger's opinions. Let the responsibility fall on the commentators heads.
5. If you are caught, remember that denial is your path towards innocence. Format your hard disk.
6. If you want to write anything against a member of the Ruling Family or a merchant, use symbols. Readers are smart and will understand what you are talking about. Or you can leave them to reach their own conclusions as they please.
7. If they ask you whether you are a blogger, answer immediately: “What is a blogger?” And of course, if you have committed a calamity, they will find other ways to question you with. They will tell you: “You are a blogger.” You will have to answer them: “No No No Sir!”
8. During your investigation, always refer to members of the Ruling Family, normal people or even bloggers you are asked about with the prefix “May God Prolong their Lives.” When the names Jassim and Naser Al Khurafi, Ahmed Al Fahad, Mohammed Al Sharar, Talal Al Fahad, Mohammed Al Abdulla or even Ali Al Khalifa are mentioned, you will have to say: “May God create more people like them and protect them for Kuwait” - as if you have no idea what is happening.
10. Focus on issues like family affairs and cooking on your blog as it will be better for you and the welfare of this society and also better for the Government and the Parliament.

Blogger Muwathaf is also incensed by the new guidelines. He writes:

تجريم تجريم تجريم
يا حب هذا الديره للتجريم
انا اتمنى لو الحكومه تحاول تطبق 50% من قوانينها
ما راح تقدر لأن فجأه راح تحتاج فوق 50000 كويتى كلهم يتمتعون بالضبطيه القضائيه
و بالمناسبه عن الضبطيه القضائيه
هل فى احصائيه حق منو عنده ضبطيه قضائيه لاننا كأننا متوسعين فيها
لما يطبق القانون سالف الذكر هل راح يصادرون الكمبيوترات فى البيوت ؟
و يطلعون رخص مثل كوبا ؟
العالم يطلع الى الامام و احنا نقحص ورا
نص هذه الجرائم لا يمكن اثباتها
و إلا كانوا الامريكان سابقينكم

Criminalizing, criminalizing, criminalizing!
This country likes to criminalize everything. I wish the government could enforce even 50 per cent of its laws. They cannot do that because they will suddenly need over 50,000 Kuwaitis all with the judicial apprehension authority! Does anyone even know how many people have that because I think we are over using it? When they enforce that law, will they confiscate computers from homes? And will they issue permits like in Cuba? The world is moving forwards and we are racing backwards. Half those crimes cannot be proven in court. Otherwise, the Americans would have beaten us in issuing this law.

Another blogger, Krakatoa notes that the new draft is unclear and needs explanation. He points:

انون الأنترنت المشار اليه اليوم في صحيفة القبس و المزمع تطبيقه قانون تأخر جدا في الصدور..فبعد حوالي الإحدى عشر سنة من دخول الإنترنت رسميا الى الكويت يتم رفع مثل هذا القانون الى الجهات المعنية للموافقة عليه ولكن وكما يقال في في الامثال , It's Better Late Than Never ، وعليه فإن القارى العادي للقانون سيلاحظ ان القانون بشكل عام قد غطى جوانب مايسمى بــ ( جرائم الانترنت ) بشكل شبه شامل ولكن تغافل او عن تحديد بعض الامور المبهمه وتركها عائمه لحكم من لديه سلطه الضبط ..قد تكون خيره وقد لا تكون كذلك..فهي من ناحية خيرة ان مياعة بعض مواد هذا القانون تسمح بالتحرك ضمن الإطر القانونية مع المتهم بشكل يسمح ان يتم او لايتم ادانته بمعنى ان بعض المواد من الممكن ان ( يزرق ) فيها البعض تحت بند العدم وضوح، ولكن وفي الناحية الأخرى نرى ان عدم الوضوح قد يؤدي بمستخدم الأنترنت الى المرور بحالة اشبه ما تكون العبور بحقل الغام لا تعلم اين يكون اللغم ومتى سينفجر بك.

The Internet Law which was mentioned in Al Qabas today comes a bit too late. After 11 years of having the Internet officially in Kuwait, we have a draft law awaiting approval. But it is better late than never. An average reader of the new proposals will realise that the new draft covers what is referred to as Internet crimes in general but has left in a lot of ambiguous issues, which were left floating and at the disposal of those with judicial authority. This may be something good or it may not be. What is good is that some of the clauses will allow some of the accused to manoeuvre within the law, which may or may not find him guilty because of the vagueness of its clauses. However, this confusion may lead Internet users to feel as if they are going through an area full of land mines, which they will not know when they could detonate.

نقطة اسرار الدولة..هنا لدي بعض التحفظ او لنقل محاولة الإستفهام عليها حيث ينص القانون على ( عاقب القانون كل من يحاول افشاء ما يدور في اي اجتماع رسمي او ما هو محرر من وثائق او مستندات او مراسيم او اي اوراق او مطبوعات يقرر الدستور او القانون سريتها وعدم نشرها)..استفساري هو هل تعتبر المراسلات الحكومية بين الدوائر والوزارات الحكومية واقصد المراسلات العادية والتي تحتوى في طياتها بعض الامور التي تبين او توضح ان هناك مثلا سوء استغلال للسلطه او شبه مالية او محاولة تنفيع ويجب فضحها او الإبلاغ عنها هل تعتبر سرية ومن ضمن المواد المنصوص عليها في القانون ام تدخل في نطاق الشؤون القانونية في الوزارة او الدائرة الخاصة بها؟؟!!!

The clause about state secrets is something I have reservations against or let's say, some queries. The clause stipulates that the law will punish anyone who exposes what happens in an official meeting or in documents, procedures or publications, which the Constitution and the Law deem secret and off the record. My question is are government communications between departments or ministries, and I mean normal communications which highlight abuse of power, financial fraud or other irregularities, considered state secrets?

White Wings from is there light presents a number of scenarios such as the following:

لنفترض اني مسافرة أمريكا، وكتبت بوست من هناك “فشيت” فيه أسرار الدولة الكويتية
أو اني أمتلك جواز سفر بريطاني، ونويت (والأعمال بالنيات) أن أكتب بوستي الى أحرض فيه على قلب نظام الحكم بصفتي البريطانية
أو اني كنت في السفارة القبرصية في الكويت وكتبت بوست”يزدري الدستور” من مبناهم الذي يعتبر أرض قبرصية
أواني طبعت بوست وأنا على طيران الخليج في طريقي للكويت، وقمت وأهنت القضاء قبل لا ندخل الحدود الكويتية
أو اني أهنت القضاء قبل لا ننزل المطار
أو اني أهنت القضاء بعد ما نزلنا للمطار
ولما وصلت البيت وضعت البوست على “الشبكة العنكبوتية”

Let's assume that I am travelling to the US, and while I was there, I wrote a post which exposed the Kuwaiti state secrets, and I hold a British passport, and I was thinking of writing a post which called for a revolution against the rule, or that I was in the Cypriot Embassy in Kuwait, and wrote a post which mocks the Constitution, from their building which is considered under Cyprus's jurisdiction, or I had posted an article while I was on board Gulf Air (an airline) on route to Kuwait, and in it I insulted the Kuwaiti judiciary, before landing at the airport, and posted it on the world wide web when I got home [….]

هل يقع أيا منا في الحالات السابقة تحت طائلة قانون مكافحة جرائم الانترنت؟؟
أفيدونا أفادكم الله وأحسنوا النية
ما عندي أسرار أفشيها، ونظام الحكم عاجبني والقضاء على راسي
الأسئلة الواردة افتراضية من أجل التوضيح والمساعدة كي تأخذ العدالة مجراها

Are any of the above cases covered by the Internet Crime Prevention Law Please let me know for I have no secrets I want to expose, the system of rule is something I admire and the judiciary are a source of pride. The questions I raise are hypothetical and I am asking just to understand and help in making justice find its way.

Kuwaiti blogger Bashar Al-Sayegh released!

Sami Ben Gharbia — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 15:05:46 +0000

It has been reported that Bashar Al-Sayegh, the Kuwaiti blogger who has been arrested earlier this week for comment posted by an anonymous on his forum, has been released.