Bahrain: Scores of Websites Blocked

Google Translate page blocked
Scores of websites have been blocked in Bahrain, following a new crackdown by the Ministry of Information. The latest sweep makes sites ranging from Google Translate to those of social, religious, human rights and political groups inaccessible to people in Bahrain.

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:

و أنا أقول لاويش الجماعة يتصلون يبغون بروكسيات
إلى أن اكتشفت أن “درازن” من المواقع حجبت بين ليلة و ضحاها ضمن رسالة حجب راقية ، ملونة (و كانت تحتوي على رقمي هاتف و فاكس للاستفسار و الاعتراض — شالوهم ، أكيد اتصلوا الجماعة يسبون) .. المهم أنها تجعلك تغادر الصفحة بنفسية أفضل من صفحة Forbidden المشؤومة السابقة..
الخلاصة أن ، المواقع السياسية المعروفة ، و كل وصلاتها و الطرق الالتفافية للوصول اليها ، و كل موقع يحمل دومينه كلمة “proxy” و العياذ بالله .. و حتى ان لم يحملها ووظيفته الظاهرية أو الباطنية هي بروكسي .. (من بينهم موقعنا المفضل hidemyass.com) ..
And I was asking myself why is everyone calling me to ask about proxies?
That was until I discovered that dozens of sites have been blocked overnight through an elegant censorship message (which included a telephone number and a fax number for inquiries and the message which had previously contained the ill-fated Forbidden message has been removed.) What is important is that it makes you leave the message with feeling better God forbid. The end result is that all the known political sites and all the ways to get to them as well as all the domains which contain the word proxy in their address have been censored – even our favourite site hidemyass.com

Ali7 even goes on to challenge the ban saying:

و أخيراً .. هل تريدها الوزارة لعبة القط والفأر ؟ فليكن !
And finally … does the ministry want us to play the cat and mouse game? So be it!!

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.

8 comments

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  • fahad niazi

    batelco has done a very best thing in life………thank you batelco…..thank you batelco…..

  • 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.bangladesahll.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.

  • 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.bangladeshall.com/flaschat) 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.

  • DarnElle

    Hmm I’d say try a VPN that’s probably what you need. I have been using highspeedvpn, You can check it out at http://www.highspeedvpn.com

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