~ Gesticht àls Gesticht ter Voorkoming v/d Maatschappelijke Randdebiliteit ~
~ HÉT "progressief" Orgaan Der "Hangmatsocialisten" ~ Gesticht àls Gesticht ter Voorkoming v/d Maatschappelijke & Politieke Randdebiliteit
21-02-2010
De unoxmutsen hebben een echte taalrel!
Ho ho ho, Olland heeft een fikse taalrel! Gedaan mat te grinniken over
ons Belgistanen en ons eeuwige gekissebis over taalgebruik, beste
unoxmutsjes... nu is het jullie beurt en wat blijkt? Jullie nemen heel
wat van onze meest gebruikte argumenten over. Nou nou nou. Wij
Belgistanen hebben nu toch een voorbeeldfunctie! En zoals we al eerder
beweerden, beste Ollanders, Europa zal lijken op Belgistan of niet
bestaan. Simpeler kan het niet als redenering maar geef toe jullie
komen al aardig in de buurt. Groot-Nederland zal eigenlijk
Groot-Belgistan zijn. Het mooiste bewijs vonden we op het uitstekende
blog waarover we ons al eerder lovend hebben uitgelaten (wierook
wierook) : http://religionresearch.org/martijn/2010/02/17/hizmetinizde-voor-al-uw-verkiezingsposters/
en
vergeet vooral niet de linkjes aan te klikken want ze zijn erg de
moeite waard en over ... Martijn...mochten er maar meer zulke bloggers
zijn!
Hizmetinizde Voor al uw verkiezingsposters
17 February 2010 57 views No Comment
Nederlands
is één van de kenmerken van Nederland en figureert dan ook prominent in
allerlei utopische en idealistische bespiegelingen over de Nederlandse
cultuur en identiteit. Dat het huidige standaardnnederlands gebaseerd
is op twee dialecten (de Frankische dialecten van Holland en Brabant)
met wat Saksische elementen wordt vaak vergeten; Nederlands is
vanzelfsprekend en dat de talen van de noordelijke inwoners (in het
bijzonder de Friezen en in mindere mate dus de Nedersaksen) daar
nauwelijks een rol in hebben gespeeld weten we niet meer. Enige jaren
terug kwam Pim Fortuyn met de keurige Nederlandstalige slogan: At your
service!
Weinig
ophef over deze Engelstalige slogan destijds. Nu is dat een andere
zaak. Dat gaat niet zozeer om VVD-posters in het Chinees of een VVD
campagne pagina in het Engels
speciaal voor expats. Maar het gaat om verkiezingsposters en flyers (!)
in het Turks en Arabisch. Als service voor u kunt u er hier ook enkele
bekijken:
Ook
de Nederlandse Moslim Partij heeft Arabische en Turkse flyers, terwijl
de partij zegt vooral de kloof tussen moslims en niet-moslims te willen
dichten en zich in te zetten voor participatie en integratie.
Het idee is daarbij dus dat het verspreiden van posters in Arabisch en Turks niet goed is voor participatie en integratie.
Daarnaast is er het idee dat autochtone mensen zich ontheemd voelen
doordat ze dergelijke teksten zien en wellicht ook omdat ze de teksten
niet kunnen begrijpen hetgeen een vervreemdend effect kan geven. Ook
één van de redenen waarom het Nederlands nu in de Grondwet zou moeten
worden opgenomen. Een ander aspect dat een rol speelt (en dat met
bovenstaande samenhangt) is natuurlijk dat er mensen zijn die vinden
dat we in Nederland nu eenmaal Nederlands spreken; een
verkiezingsposter in Arabisch en Turks gaat dan in tegen het idee van
Nederlandse identiteit of cultuur die men heeft. Een aardige
cartooneske illustratie ervan is die op LWH
van Conan. Op een grappige manier wordt getoond welke stereotypen er
zijn over Turkse Nederlanders en wat wij Nederlanders natuurlijk niet
willen en wat ook niet past bij het utopische idee van de Nederlandse
cultuur.
Verder lijken deze Arabischtalige en Turkstalige posters vooral een symbolische verwijzing naar etnische identiteit.
Het is een poging om een relatie te leggen met de etnische achterban
via taal als symbool. Laten zien dat men toch echt dicht bij de
etnische achtergrond staat door het gebruik van de juiste taal. Denk
maar niet dat alle Marokkaanse Nederlanders de Arabische tekst op de
poster van de PvdA kunnen lezen. Het is de vraag of de partijen die
dergelijke posters gebruiken zich wel realiseren wat de tegenreacties
kunnen zijn en of zich dat uiteindelijk niet tegen henzelf keert. De
nadruk op Nederlands heeft denk ik ook te maken met een toenemende druk
om de openbare ruimte te controleren: van cameras tot boerka-verboden
en nu dus ook de druk om geen posters in vreemde talen op te hangen. De openbare ruimte moet gecontroleerd en gehomogeniseerd worden en uitingen van alteriteit verbannen.
Wat ik u verder vooral niet wil onthouden zoek de taalfout: Copytijgers.
Après
avoir plongé dans la misère les peuples du Sud en endettant leurs
Etats, le FMI (Fond Monétaire International) sattaque maintenant aux
peuples européens, frappés de plein fouet par la crise capitaliste
internationale. Les Agences de notations, outils au service de
loligarchie financière, jouent quant à elles pleinement leur rôle dans
la course à la rentabilité sur le marché de la dette, en nhésitant pas
à sanctionner financièrement les moindres faux-pas des pays affaiblis
par la crise. Mais les islandais, en imposant un referendum sur une loi
irresponsable et dangereuse, ne comptent pas se soumettre aussi
facilement. Le combat est certes déséquilibré, mais il nest pas fini
Un modèle néolibéral qui sécroule
Comme beaucoup de pays dits «riches»,
lIslande a joué et a perdu au grand jeu du néolibéralisme. Considéré
comme lun des plus riches pays de lOCDE, lIslande a vu son taux de
chômage passer de 2% avant leffondrement du secteur financier en
octobre 2008 à 8,2% de la population active en décembre 2009.
Aujourdhui, ce petit pays de 320.000 habitants sans armée, subit de
plein fouet la crise financière, avec notamment une dette qui a explosé
à près de 320 % du PIB en 2009 |1| .
Après les avoir privatisé en 2003, les trois principales banques (Kaupthing, Landbanski et Glitnir)
ont dû être renationalisées de toute urgence en octobre 2008 à la suite
de limplosion du système bancaire. Les échanges sur les marchés
dactions ont même été suspendus plusieurs jours à la Bourse de
Reykjavik. LEtat, qui a déboursé des millions deuros pour la reprise
en main de ces banque |2|,
est au bord de la faillite et prévient quil ne pourra garantir que les
dépôts réalisés en Islande. Pris de panique, les épargnants étrangers
réclament leur argent placé dans les succursales à Londres, Berlin, La
Haye ou Bruxelles. Après avoir réglé le cas des 34.000 investisseurs
allemands auprès de Kaupthing Bank, la plus importante banque du
pays, Londres et La Haye indemnisent leurs ressortissants lésés par la
faillite de la banque en ligne Icesave, filiale de Landsbanki.
Ainsi, quelques 320.000 épargnants néerlandais et britanniques
récupèrent en partie leurs placements grâce à la contribution de leur
Etat. Quelle belle opération pour le secteur privé : dune part les
responsabilités des banquiers islandais et de leurs succursales à
létranger sévaporent via la nationalisation de leurs dettes,
cest-à-dire la reprise de celles-ci par les contribuables islandais,
et, dautre part, les spéculateurs britanniques et hollandais voient
leurs placements risqués garantis par leurs Etats respectifs
Manifestation devant Althingi, le Parlement Islandais à Reykjavík
Une
question se pose : comment lEtat Islandais, vu létat de son
endettement, peut-il rembourser la Grande-Bretagne et les Pays-Bas sans
mettre en péril sa population ? Cest pourtant ce que réclament avec
insistance lUnion Européenne, le FMI et les pays concernés : lIslande
doit rembourser quel quen soit le coût humain. Le Royaume-Uni et les
Pays-Bas qui insistent pour être prioritaires par rapport à dautres
créanciers, refusent tout compromis au sujet du montant à recouvrer.
Une loi imposée en catimini et qui fait insulte au peuple islandais
Austérité
budgétaire, chômage en explosion, attitude agressive du FMI et de lUE,
ces éléments provoquent une sorte délectrochoc chez les citoyens
islandais. Pendant plusieurs mois, des manifestations comme on en avait
plus vu depuis plus de cinquante ans dans ce pays senchaînent. Tout
comme celui de nombreux mouvements sociaux qui font face à la crise
dans le monde, le message des islandais est relativement clair : « la crise, quils la payent eux », « eux » ce sont bien entendu les responsables.
À vendre - Vendu au FMI
Cest suite à cette pression populaire que le Premier Ministre, Geir Haarde, déclarait fin 2008 qu« il y a beaucoup darguments légaux qui justifient de ne pas payer». Dans le même temps, le Parlement adoptait une résolution annonçant que le remboursement serait conditionné aux «capacités de paiement» |3|
du pays. De quoi préoccuper, pour ne pas dire angoisser, les bailleurs
de fonds, dont le FMI. Ceux-ci agissent alors de tout leur poids en
coulisse et renversent rapidement et subrepticement la situation : une
loi dindemnisation, dite loi Icesave |4|,
a été approuvée dans la nuit du 30 au 31 décembre 2009 à une très
courte majorité (33 voix pour et 30 contre) par le Parlement en pleine
fête de fin dannée. Suivant les conseils du FMI, cette loi prévoit
louverture aux aides internationales, le rapprochement avec lUnion
Européenne en vue dune future adhésion et la restitution par lEtat
des 3,8 milliards deuros dargent public aux gouvernements néerlandais
et britanniques (1,3 milliard deuros aux Pays-Bas et 2,5 milliards
deuros au Royaume-Uni). Le fait que lIslande puisse, par cette loi,
rembourser une dette représentant près de 12.000 euros par citoyen,
soit léquivalent de près de 40% du Produit intérieur brut de lîle en
2009, rassure aussitôt les marchés et lagence de notation Standard & Poors sempresse de relever la perspective de la note de lIslande de négative à stable. |5|
Rappelons que les agences de notation exercent un vrai pouvoir
discrétionnaire sur les finances des gouvernements en influant
directement sur les primes de risque et taux dintérêt : les plus «riches»
et les plus solvables se voient récompensés par de bonnes notes (AAA,
par exemple), agissant à la baisse sur les taux et donc sur la somme à
rembourser. A contrario, les pays dit «pauvres», présentant un
risque élevé dinsolvabilité, reçoivent de mauvaises notes et doivent
rembourser plus dintérêt en contrepartie dun placement jugé «risqué».
Le peuple exige un referendum
Le
président Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, après avoir reporté la signature de
cette loi en soutenant avoir besoin de temps pour la promulguer, a reçu
le 2 janvier 2010 une pétition de plus de 56.000 signatures, soit près
du quart des électeurs du pays, demandant de rejeter cette loi et de la
soumettre à un référendum. Magnus Arni Skulason, responsable du
mouvement de contestation, explique lors de la remise des signatures : cest
ainsi quon lui a remis cette pétition, pour lui demander de rejeter le
projet de loi Icesave. Rien que le taux dintérêt lié au remboursement
permettrait de faire tourner notre système de santé pendant six mois. |6|. Il semble que la pression populaire ait porté ses fruits puisque mardi 5 janvier 2010, le président annonce : "Jai décidé, sur la base de larticle 26 de la Constitution, de soumettre la nouvelle loi à la nation".
Ainsi, comme le prévoit la Constitution en cas de refus du président de
promulguer une loi, celle-ci sera soumise à une consultation populaire.
Consultation qui aura lieu le 6 mars 2010.
Les sanctions sont immédiates
Il
sagirait de laisser les citoyens décider de leur sort, alors quil y a
de grande chance pour que cette loi injuste soit refusée ? Les marchés
financiers, toujours aux aguets, réagissent au quart de tour et Standard & Poors
menace, cette fois-ci, de rabaisser la note du pays, tandis que Fitch,
lune des trois autres grandes agences de notation, la dégrade (de BBB-
à BB+) avec les conséquences que lon sait : augmentation des sommes à
rembourser pour un pays en difficulté de paiement, incitation à faire
de nouveaux emprunts pour rembourser les anciens, pour, in fine,
provoquer une accélération de «leffet boule de neige» de lendettement. De
la même manière quil impose ses ajustements structurels aux pays du
Sud depuis la crise de la dette de 1982, le FMI dicte maintenant ses
conditions ou «mesures daustérité» aux gouvernements
européens, afin de rendre prioritaire le remboursement aux créanciers
quitte à amputer les budgets sociaux destinés à léducation, la santé,
aux subventions aux produits de première nécessité, etc.
FMI et Union Européenne, même combat
Face
à la situation périlleuse de lIslande, le FMI et lUnion Européenne
jouent de tout leur poids. Le FMI du « socialiste » Dominique Strauss
Kahn, qui na jamais eu autant à sa disposition pour prêter aux pays en
difficulté, attend dêtre assuré du remboursement pour débloquer une
tranche de prêt faisant partie dun plan de sauvetage de 5 milliards de
dollars monté en octobre 2009. Déjà bien avant ladoption de la loi par
le parlement, lultra libérale Union Européenne prévient quelle
nouvrira ses portes de plus en plus hermétiques quen cas de
soumission via le remboursement aux créanciers. «La Commission
européenne a clairement pris fait et cause pour le Royaume-Uni, puisque
son Président a indiqué dès le mois de novembre [2009] quil ny aurait
pas daide européenne tant que le cas Icesave ne serait pas résolu» ( ) «lEurope
et le FMI sapprêtent donc à accomplir un véritable exploit : ravaler
un pays dont lIDH (Indice de développement humain) sétait hissé en
quelques décennies au plus haut niveau mondial au rang de pays pauvre
Conséquence : les Islandais, pour la plupart hautement qualifiés et
polyglottes et travaillant beaucoup avec les pays nordiques, où ils
sont très facilement assimilables, commencent déjà à émigrer (8.000
dentre eux sont dors et déjà partis, ce qui est loin dêtre
négligeable)» |7|.
LIslande qui avait déposé en juillet 2009, une demande de candidature
à lUE, voit son processus dadhésion compromis. Début janvier, le
ministre espagnol des Affaires étrangères, Miguel Angel Moratinos, dont
le pays vient de prendre la présidence tournante de lU.E, martèle : "Jespère que les Islandais voient dans lUE leur projet futur." |8|
La
poursuite dune ligne de crédit du FMI et ladhésion à lultralibérale
Union Européenne dépendent donc du remboursement dune dette impayable
pour la population, dette qui, une fois de plus, ne la concerne pas
puisquil sagit dune dette privée devenue publique à la suite dune
faillite bancaire. Comme toujours, socialisation des pertes et
privatisations des bénéfices est un leitmotiv du capitalisme. On
remarquera dailleurs quil ny a jamais autant eu de nationalisation
totale ou partielle dans le secteur bancaire mondial depuis que
celles-ci sont en difficulté
La manipulation médiatique se met en marche
Dans
un tel contexte de crise, on se doute de lissue dun référendum
populaire : les islandais dont le quart des électeurs a déjà dit quil
refusait le paiement dune dette immorale et injuste rejetteront
probablement le texte. Pour les dissuader, la machine médiatique sest
enclenchée : léloignement du FMI ou la non-adhésion à lUE est
impensable, un danger que le quotidien « de référence » français Le
Monde écarte, « Car Reykjavik veut rembourser» et «le plan
de sauvetage du FMI est crucial. Il reconstituerait les réserves de
devises et fournirait les liquidités nécessaires au service de la dette
envers létranger. Par ailleurs, ladhésion à lUE permettrait
dobtenir de meilleures conditions demprunt». Sil était besoin de rassurer le lecteur libéral en cas «de victoire du non», le quotidien ajoute : «De
toute façon, lIslande devra respecter les engagements approuvés en
août 2009, tant par le Parlement que par la présidence : le
remboursement débutera en 2017 » |9|
Les islandais nont pas dit leur dernier mot
Les
islandais sauront-ils faire face à la déferlante médiatique qui
sannonce et rejeter comme lors du Traité Constitutionnel Européen en
Irlande ou en France un projet néolibéral néfaste pour les peuples
concernés ? Le FMI et lU.E reviendront-ils à la charge malgré tout ?
Quoi quil en soit, une chose est sûre : les citoyens sont en droit
dexiger un audit de la dette et de refuser de payer. LIslande peut et
doit refuser les conditionnalités imposées par le FMI qui sempoche au
passage les intérêts dune dette illégale. Lintégration à une Union
européenne qui est tout sauf au service des peuples, ne doit pas être
une condition de plus à la négociation en cours ; elle doit être
soumise à référendum. Nous soutenons le peuple islandais dans la
répudiation de cette dette et insistons pour la mise en place dautres
mesures, telles que la saisie des bonus et autres avantages fiscaux de
la classe capitaliste, pour rembourser les petits investisseurs. Ces
derniers ont été trompés par des banquiers qui proposaient dalléchants
taux dintérêts dans des montages financiers risqués. Pour les autres,
spéculateurs en tout genre, ils doivent tout simplement assumer. Ils
ont joué et perdu aux jeux hasardeux des marchés, et leurs pertes ne
doivent en aucun cas être portées par les contribuables islandais.
Limpôt des contribuables islandais doit au contraire servir des
politiques visant la justice sociale et le respect de la nature. Par
ailleurs, Gordon Brown doit sortir lIslande de la liste des pays
terroristes à laquelle il la inclus en octobre 2008 et présenter ses
excuses au peuple dIslande. |10|
|2|
s A titre dexemple, lEtat islandais a déboursé 600 millions deuros
pour sadjuger 75 % du capital de Glitnir, le 29 septembre 2009, avant
den prendre lentier contrôle quelques jours plus tard.
|4|
Les islandais parlent avec cynisme de « Iceslave », slave signifiant
esclave en anglais, avec lidée quils se rendent esclave de cette
dette bancaire.
|6| Un quart des électeurs islandais signe une pétition contre la loi Icesave, Euronews 03/01/10 : http://fr.euronews.net/2010/01/03/u... Et Pétition contre la loi islandaise sur les dépôts étrangers, Reuters, samedi 2 janvier 2010.
|7|
Eva Joly, députée européenne Verts et conseillère pour le gouvernement
islandais dans lenquête pénale sur les causes de la défaillance des
banques : http://www.mondialisation.ca/index....
|10|
Le 8 octobre, Gordon Brown a invoqué la législation anti-terroriste de
2001 pour geler les actifs de Landsbanki en Grande-Bretagne et placer
lIslande sur la liste officielle des pays terroristes, aux côtés de la
Corée du Nord et de lIran afin de mettre le gouvernement sous pression
pour linciter à rembourser. Offusqués, les islandais ont lancé une
pétition « Les Islandais ne sont pas des terroristes »; elle est signé
par plus de 80.000 personnes (http://lisa.indefence.is/?PageID=1505)
Vandaag houden we het wreed simpel met de nadruk op wreed. We nodigen
jullie uit om de de website van Magnum te bezoeken. Je weet wel die
fotografen die overal prijzen halen enz enz...niet nadenken gewoon
klikken...het is een reeks foto's die aanzetten tot enig denkwerk...het
gaat over Chernobyl ...kijk dus mee...
Beste lezertjes, we melden jullie dat onze Ollandse vrienden onze
vriendelijke maar toch enigszins dwingende oproep tot steun aan de
Egyptische blogster Amira Al Tahawi beginnen op te vangen. Hier een mooi en degelijk blog dat al meteen tot daden is overgegaan en contact heeft gezocht met radio Netherlands:
De Nederlandse Wereldomroep, maagdenvlies en een ontslagen Egyptische blogger
17 February 2010 7 views No Comment
Enige tijd terug liet de Nederlandse Wereldomroep een Arabische vertaling zien van een Chinese advertentie voor de Artificial Virginity Hymen kit. Amira al Tahawi, werkzaam voor de Wereldomroep, liet echter op haar blog zien dat dit verhaal niet helemaal klopt. Het is een oud product, beschikbaar in Japan vanaf 1993 en niet speciaal
gefabriceerd voor de Arabische markt. Het verhaal van de Wereldomroep
bevatte volgens haar niet alleen onjuistheden, maar was haar ook
kwetsend vanwege de verwijzing naar de schizofrenische situatie
waarin veel moslimas en Arabische vrouwen zouden verkeren als gevolg
van het feit dat ze geen maagd meer zouden zijn (en dat zou het gat in
de markt zijn waar de producenten van dit product in zouden zijn
gesprongen). Haar kritiek is dus vooral dat hier op denigrerende wijze
zou worden gesuggereerd dat dit product speciaal voor het Midden-Oosten
is gemaakt waarbij het allerlei stereotypische veronderstellingen over
Arabische en moslimvrouwen naar boven zou brengen en versterken.
Yes!
I was fired over a blog post I published last December! On 26 January,
2010, I received a termination letter putting an end to my job as a
Cairo correspondent for Radio Netherlands. In my post I proved that
that station published false unverified information on 22 August, 2009,
regarding the penetration of the Chinese Artificial Hymen in the Arab
world. The information broadcast on the Radio said that the fake hymen
is manufactured specially for Arab and Muslim women ignoring the fact
that the product has been available in Japan since 1993 and it was not
specially produced by the Chinese who realized the schizophrenic
condition of Arab women who need to fake their virginity. I asked the
station to correct the factual errors with that piece of fabricated
news in an email dated 14 September. My request fell on deaf ears and
many Egyptian news portals further spread the lie without bothering to
investigate the facts or the sources quoted.
Nu
staat de Wereldomroep bij mij niet bekend als een wereldwijde
spitsnieuws online, dus heb ik de Wereldomroep twee keer om een reactie
gevraagd. De Wereldomroep ontkent dat Amira El Tahawi is ontslagen
omdat zij onjuistheden in de berichtgeving van de Wereldomroep zou
hebben aangetoond. De Wereldomroep geeft aan dat zij altijd bereid zijn
om onjuistheden te rectificeren, maar dat zij geen meningen gaan
rectificeren die in een column op de site of een radio-uitzending
worden geuit.
Dus volgens de radio is ze niet
ontslagen omdat ze onjuistheden in de berichtgeving had aangetoond
...tja we hebben haar ontslagbrief hier al eerder gepubliceerd en daar
staat inderdaad als ontslagreden in: "we
have no other choice but to stop our cooperation. After a column on the
RNW website you did not agree with, you started a 'campaign' against
RNW on Facebook and in Egyptian newspapers. In those publications we
see a total lack of commitment to RNW on your part, and that has
resulted in a lack of trust on our part." Concreet
betekent dat dus dat je als journalist geen kritiek mag uitoefenen op
verkeerde informatie van je eigen krant via een ander medium. Nou moe,
bij de Ollandse wereldomroep hebben ze waarschijnlijk allemaal
gestudeerd aan de Zimbawaanse universiteit en werden ze daar jarenlang
gehersenspoeld. Want als buitenlandse medewerkers al nergens anders
enige kritiek mogen spuien op onwaarheden zelfs wanneer die onwaarheden
gedrukt staan in een medium dat hen soms tewerkstelt dan staan we wel
erg zwak om als westerling nog de les te spellen aan allerlei
dictaturen op andere continenten. We moeten trouwens al eens
beginnen met een onderzoekje naar de zogenaamde politieke blogs hier in
Belgistan en Olland. We kunnen dan enkel vaststellen dat de meeste
politieke blogs gewoon haatspuiende toogfilosofen zijn punt uit.
Simplisme en eigen kerktoren troef...solidariteit ...nul. Alleen het
eigen grote gelijk telt .... In de Arabische wereld en ook elders gaat
het er toch wel wat kritischer aan toe. Hoogst eigenaardig want dat
brengt ons wereldbeeld waarin vooral een zeer zelfgenoegzame eigendunk
over het eigen westerse kritisch vermogen centraal staan fel aan het
wankelen. Eerlijk gezegd en gezwegen is het niveau van de politieke
blogs hier in vergelijking met wat we in de zogenaamde
"ontwikkelingsgebieden mogen lezen, doodgewoon ondermaats. En dat
terwijl hier toch een veel grotere vrijheid zou moeten bestaan. We
gaan er hier niet langer over filosoferen maar het aantal emoblogs in
de zin van kankerpatiëntjes, zogenaamde relatietherapieën en andere
gezever van de bovenste plank (zonder het onderliggende leed te willen
minimaliseren) zegt ons al veel over het gebruik van het internet hier
in het "rijke" Westen. Maar het mag ons niet beletten om toch maar een dringende opropep te doen tot alle Ollandse blogs om hun solidariteit te betuigen met Amira!
Hopelijk zijn de meesten onder onze Belgistaanse lezertjes veilig thuis
gekomen. Speciaal diegenen die vandaag met de trein zijn vertrokken
maar die enkel met een paar schaarse treinen deze namiddag zijn thuis
geraakt. Een deel van het spoorwegpersoneel was spontaan in staking na
het zware ongeval in Buizingen. Dit riep nogal wat wrevel op bij de
reizigers wat begrijpelijk is maar we willen hier toch veel begrip
opbrengen voor deze spontane acties. Kan iemend ons hier en aan deze
stakers even komen uitleggen war de prioriteiten zijn in dit wondere
landje? Want wij zien enkel dat er maasa's geld worden gestoken in
stupoiede prestigeprojecten zoals het station te Luik maar dat er voor
de veiligheid van het rijdend personeel en de reizigers nauwelijks nog
een budget bestaat. Een fractie van de kostprijs van Calatrava's Luikse
station zouden volstaan hebben om het ongeval van gisteren te
voorkomen. Helaas is noch de politieke wereld noch een deel van het
mangement geïnteresseerd in het omdraaien van enkele prioriteiten.
Behalve in de officiële verklaringen; De werkelijkheid toont ons echter
dat na het ongeval in Pecrot wel een aantal beslissingen werden genomen
maar dat wegens te krappe budgetten de implementering werd uitgesmeerd
over vele jaren. En zoals nu blijkt over minstens één jaar te veel! Wij
begrijpen dus de frustratie van het personeel dat evenmin als wij,
blind en stom is. Maar we gaan er hier verder over zwijgen en terug
gaan naar ons eigenlijke onderwerp.
The
internet in the Arab world has a snowball effect; now that the snowball
is rolling, it can no longer be stopped. Getting bigger and stronger,
it is bound to crush down all obstacles. In addition, to the stress
caused by the Arab bloggers, a new forum was opened for Aran activists;
Facebook. Arab activists have been using Facebook in the utmost
creative way to support the democracy movement in the region, a region
that has one of the highest rates of repression in the world. Unlike
other regions where oppressive countries (like China, Iran and Burma)
represent the exception, oppression can be found everywhere in the Arab
world. The number of Arab internet users interested in political
affairs does not exceed a few thousands, mainly represented by internet
activists and bloggers, out of 58 million internet users in the Arab
world. As few as they are, they have succeeded in shedding some light
on the corruption and repression of the Arab governments and
dictatorships. The Arab governments have tried numerous ways to silence
those activists with no success. So, now these governments stand
helplessly in front of the power of these activists and the support
they have gained from the public.
Getting Back at Journalists and Bloggers
Arab governments and their security agencies have been censoring and
cracking down on traditional mass media such as newspapers (TV stations
and satellite channels) seizing newspapers issues and stopping the
emissions of TV channels. However, its hard to have the same control
over the internet. The Arab governments can only ban or block a website
after its content has been published, usually through RSS feature. Even
if the website is bloc, governments cannot block its information; it
can be found on other websites or blogs. For these frustrated
governments, the only way to stop bloggers or activists is to punish
and prosecute them. In fact, the number of the prosecuted and assaulted
bloggers and internet activists largely outnumbered journalists, who
also face the governments repression. The difference between these two
forms of repression is that journalists are penalized prior to
publishing or airing their material, by simply seizing publications or
not airing TV show, while bloggers and internet activists face
repression after posting their work on the internet. Internet activists
represent the largest number of prisoners of conscience in many
countries, like Egypt, Syria and Tunisia.
Substantial Profits and Development Losses
It is very rare to find an Arab government without a ministry for
communications and information. There is always a ministry that
monitors this sector that includes internet and telephone services,
both landlines and mobiles. This sector represents to the Arab
governments a profitable business and whatever side affects it has, the
citizens using to express their opinions and protest politically, it
can be dealt with by the security agencies. The security agencies
filter web content, block websites, tap phone lines and punish any
rebels to the rule of the government. Regardless of the statements
issues or the conferences organized by the ministries of
communications, Arab governments do not have a genuine interest in
using this new technological revolution to create and develop a
diversified, documented and reliable Arab content on the internet.
For example, Telecom Egypts revenue for the first nine months of 2009,
ending in 30/9/2009, is 7742 million Egyptian pounds achieving a 3 %
increase from the same period last year. The gross profit was 4175
million Egyptian pounds making a net profit of 2576 million Egyptian
pounds in only nine months . At the same time, the Ministry of
Communications threatened to take penal measures against mobile phone
companies trying to offer cheaper service for its clients . In
addition, there were around 100 cases of abduction and torture, and
rape against internet activists in 2008. Therefore, Arab states dont
develop or participate in making technology but rather consume it.
In a study issued by one of the leading centers in political and
strategic research in the United States, RAND Institute, it was stated
that "the information revolution is real, and there is a small chance
that this revolution would reach non-democratic communities. In these
communities, this technology faces dictatorship that either abandons
information technology and communication in their countries lagging
behind, or allows this technology putting their regimes at the risk of
withering away. In fact, the autocratic regimes have no choice but to
give in and make way for the technology wave . A few Arab
governments are striving to catch up with this technological revolution
and become associated with it, such as the UAE and Kuwait. However, the
aspiration of these governments is to increase the number of websites
or increase their content. They miss that the technological revolution
is measured by the change induced in society at cultural, and
political, social and economic level. Nevertheless, this objective was
achieved successfully by Arab internet activists. This was stated
in RAND Institute study: "The information revolution is not a game
where you can pick and choose. All countries, nations, cults and
cultures should be able to gain the fruits of this revolution. The
fundamental part of the information revolution, the indispensable part,
is freedom of expression, exchange of information and a universal
access to information. Of course, the greatest hypocrite would not
claim that the Arab governments respect or support freedom of
expression or the right to access and circulate information.
Consequently, the gap between Arab governments and internet
activist s is widening day after day. Governments are satisfied by
taking the role of a policeman after these activists, while the
activists are striving, through the use of the internet, for a
democratic life.
een voorbeeld
van akties van en door Egyptische bloggers naar aanleiding van het
sectarische geweld dat een paar dagen geleden het leven kostte aan een
aantal Koptische Christenen ....
urgant:The Egyptian police arrested the activists during their visit to Nagaa Hammadi
The
Egyptian police arrested today bloggers and activists during their
visit to Nagaa Hammadi to offer condolences to the families of the
recent events that happened there, and they arrested them as soon as
they arrived to Nagaa Hammadi station,and they have also been beaten
and verbally abused
The detainees were transferred In security cars and they took their IDs and phons
.
They arrested
Ahmad badawy from al ghad part _ 6 April youth
Mostafa Al Nagar
Wael Abaas : Blogger - Misrdigital Shahinaz Abdel Salam : Blogger - Wa7da Masria Mohammed Khlaed: blogger - Demagh mak Amira Al Tahawi Ismail Alexandrani - Manasat Marian Nagy Hana Reuters - New generation Basem Samir - Egyptian Democratic Academy Basem Fathi - Egyptian Democratic Academy Israa Abdul-Fattah - Egyptian Democratic Academy Naser Abdel-Hamid - Democratic Front Party Salma Akl Democratic Front Party
Bola Abdo _ Democratic Front Party Roaey Ibrahim Hanan ( We Unknown her second name) Ahmed Abo Zekry Sherif Abd-Alaziz
The Egyptian government does not want national unity and wants to ignite the fire of sectarian sedition
Zoals
de aandachtige lezertjes al hebben opgemerkt is ook Amira Al Tahawi bij
de gevangenen. Amira Al Tahawi heeft reeds in 2008 een artikel over het
sluimerend conflict tussen Koptische Christelijke en Islamitische
Egyptenaren gepubliceerd op een Koptische blog:
Egyptian weekly accused of 'inciting sectarian war'
Written by By AMIRA AL TAHAWI - menassat.com
Thursday, 03 April 2008
An
Egyptian Coptic doctor is suing the prominent Islamic weekly Sawt
al-Ummah for publishing a series of articles which he says inspire
sectarian hatred between Egypt's Muslim and Christian communities.
By AMIRA AL TAHAWI - menassat.com
CAIRO,
APRIL 3, 2008 (MENASSAT) Siti Zeki Shenouda, a Coptic doctor in
Cairo, has brought a legal case against the chairman and editor in
chief of the Islamic weekly Sawt al-Ummah (Voice of the Nation) for
publishing a series of articles by two Islamist journalists that
supposedly scorn Christianity. The complaint has been presented to the
Public Prosecutor in Cairo under the heading, "Egyptian media and
creating envy, religious extremism and terrorism."
Shenouda
believes that the reports by Dr. Zaghloul al-Naggar and Ahmad Abdullah
that were published in Sawt-al-Ummah inspire sectarian hatred between
Muslims and Christians in Egypt.
According to Shenouda's
statement, which was made available to Menassat, al-Naggar referred to
the New Testament in one of his articles as a "falsified and non-divine
book."
"The current New Testament is not true and the Old and
the New Testament were not revealed by God; they are all human made,"
al-Naggar wrote.
Shenouda is also attacking Sawt-al-Ummah for
publishing an interview with Ahmed Abdullah, also known as Abu Islam
(father of Islam), in which he accused Egypt's Coptic church of
proselytizing.
Sex in exchange for conversion?
The two writers have previously said that Christians have planned
missionary operations to divert Muslims from their religion by offering
financial aid to poor Muslim citizens.
On December 10, 2007,
Sawt-al-Ummah ran a front page article entitled, "Zaghloul al-Naggar
throws a bomb: the Church is converting Muslims into Christianity." The
newspaper also listed the addresses of what is said were "ten villas
where they hold boys and girls after converting them with the help of
foreign companies in the Maadi neighborhood."
Shenouda's
complaint also mentioned another article in the same issue in which
al-Naggar attacked a Catholic church and inferred that Christians are
"insane."
"Go to Saint Marc Church on Sunday to see how they
use people's poverty, sickness and unemployment to convert them.
Christians should go back to sanity and cohabitate with Muslims. No
power on earth will be able to turn Egypt into a Christian state."
Moreover, Shenouda pointed out that Sawt-al-Ummah has slandered
Christian clerics. He specifically referred to an article published in
Sawt-al-Ummah entitled, "Priests use all possible means to convert
Muslims, including sex."
'Inciting civil war'
Following the publishing of the articles written by the Islamic
journalists, the newspaper ran reactions and comments from Christian
clerics and key players in Egypt's Christian community on January 18,
2008.
While the Christian figures were allowed to contradict
the assertions made by the writers, some in the Coptic community
considered it was not enough.
Shenouda has demanded the
questioning of the two journalists along with the Chairman of the
newspaper and its editor in chief "for the crimes they committed
against the state, such as inciting to sectarian violence, scorning
Christianity, Christian Copts, calling for their death and inciting to
kill them, spill their blood, rob them and violate their rights and
lives."
The articles could potentially "incite a civil war that would burn Egypt with both its Muslims and Christians," said Shenouda.
The complaint also includes articles from other Egyptian publications
which Shenouda considers "harmful to Coptics" or that "ignore their
suffering."
Moreover, Shenouda voiced concern over
occurrences of violent acts against Christian citizens in different
Egyptian districts throughout the year.
Champion of lawsuits
It is not the first time that Shenouda has filed a suit against Islamists.
Two years ago, he brought a legal case against Islamic writer Mohammad
Amara for quoting writings by other religious scholars who have
described Christians as "infidels."
Coptic Christians make up
10 percent of Egypt's population of 80 million. There have been
sporadic reports of sectarian violence occurring in the country's
sparsely populated areas.
Shawt al-Ummah is no stranger to lawsuits.
Since it was established by journalist Adel Hamouda seven years ago,
the newspaper has been sued a total of 63 times, 37 times by
governmental officials. On one occasion, six lawsuits were brought
against the paper on the same day.
Nadat
het sectarisch gewelod naar aanleiding van het Koptische Nieuwjaar 7
doden had geëist waren een aantal mensen hun solidariteit gaan betuigen
met de slachtoffers en eveneens om tegen dit geweld te protesteren.
Onder deze mensen die dan door de Egyptische politie werden opgepakt
bevonden zich heel wat bloggers en politieke opposanten waaronder leden
van het Islambroederschap en onze Amira Al Tahawi.
The
Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint
programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and
the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), requests your urgent
intervention in the following situation in Egypt.
Brief description of the situation:
The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources of the arbitrary detention and subsequent release of Messrs. Wael Abbas, Mostapha Al-Nagar, Ms. Israa Abdel Fatah and Ms. Marianne Nagy Hanna, journalists, Messrs. Sameer Awad Bassem, representative of Al Ghad party, Fathy Mohammed Bassem, representative of the Egyptian Democratic Institute, Sharif Abdel Aziz Mahmoud, Mahmoud Mohammed Khalid, known as "Mac", and Ms. Shahinaz Abdelsalam, bloggers, Mr. Nasser Abdel Hamid and Ms. Salma Akal, members of the Democratic Front Party, Mr. Roaa Ibrahim, student, Mr. Ahmed Badawy Abdel Meguid, a member of the Sixth April Youth, Messrs. Ahmed Abu Zekry, Talaat Al-Sawy, Ahmed Mahmoud Mustafa, Ismail Sayyid Omar, Ahmed Fathy Mohamed, Hossam Saber Ali, Hanan Ismail, Hamada Abdel Fatah, Gamal Fareed, Mohamed Khalaf Mohamed, Al- Hosseiny Sayed Ahmed, Mohamed Hamdy Hassan, Mohamed Abdallah Mohamed, Heshmat Abdallah Mohamed, IsmailEleskandarani and Tareq Sabry Abdallah, Ms. Nadia Al-Zeiny Barouni, Ms. Amira Al-Tahawi, Ms. Baula Abdo Ameen and Ms. Mona Fouad Ahmed in the Governorate of Qena.
According
to the information received, on January 15, 2010, the thirty-three
above-mentioned human rights defenders were arrested upon their arrival
to the Egyptian Governorate of Qena, where they had travelled to
express support with the families of the victims of the shooting that
occurred on Coptic Christmas, between January 6 and 7, 2010, which left
seven persons dead and incited tense sectarian protests in Egypt and to
denounce sectarian violence and the human rights violations committed
by the authorities allegedly to combat it.
The group of human
rights defenders was told by the police that an arrest warrant had been
issued against them on January 15, 2010, but none was shown to them.
The group was detained incommunicado in the Qena Security Directorate,
their lawyers being denied access to the Qena Security Directorate and
told that their clients were not being held there.
On January 16,
2010, the group was released. According to the information received, no
charges have been brought against them to date. But during detention,
the group was threatened of prosecution for violating the
Constitution and constituting a group of more than five people
inciting demonstrations pursuant to the Emergency Law[1].
The
detainees reported that Ms. Israa Abdel Fatah and Mr. Ahmed Badawy were
subjected to ill-treatments during their arrest. Ms. Abdel Fatah was
roughly grabbed by her arm and Mr. Badawy violently pushed.
Additionally, the group was held in inhumane conditions, its members
being given one single meal during their detention, and given neither
bed nor blankets. While in custody, Mr. Tareq Sabry Abdallah suffered
severe health conditions and had to be transferred to the hospital on
three occasions.
Actions requested:
Please write to the authorities of Egypt, urging them to:
Guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity
of the thirty-three above-mentioned human rights defenders as well as
of all human rights defenders in Egypt;
Carry out a prompt,
effective, thorough, independent and impartial investigation into
above-mentioned acts of ill-treatment faced by above-mentioned
defenders during their arrest and detention, the result of which must
be made public, in order to bring all those responsible before a
competent, independent and impartial tribunal and apply penal, civil
and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
Put an end
to any kind of harassment - including at the judicial level - against
the thirty-three above-mentioned human rights defenders as well as of
all human rights defenders in Egypt;
Comply with the
provisions of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by
the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9, 1998,
especially its Article 1, which states that everyone has the right,
individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive
for the protection and realisation of human rights and fundamental
freedoms at the national and international levels, and Article 12.2,
which provides that the State shall take all necessary measures to
ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone,
individually and in association with others, against any violence,
threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse
discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence
of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the
present Declaration;
More generally, ensure in all
circumstances the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in
accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and with
international and regional human rights instruments ratified by Egypt.
Addresses
President
of the Arab Republic of Egypt, His Excellency Mohammad Hosni Mubarak,
Abedine Palace, Cairo, Egypt, E-mail: webmaster@presidency.gov.eg, Fax:
+202 390 1998
Prime Minister Mr. Ahmed Mahmoud Mohamed Nazif,
Magles El Shaab Street, Kasr El Aini Street, Cairo, Egypt. Fax: + 202
735 6449 / 7958016. Email: primemin@idsc.gov.eg
Minister of the
Interior, General Habib Ibrahim Habib El Adly, Ministry of the
Interior, El-Sheikh Rihan Street, Bab al-Louk, Cairo, Egypt, E-mail:
moi1@idsc.gov.eg, Fax: +202 579 2031 / 794 5529
Minister of
Justice, Mr. Mamdoh Mohie E-din Marie, Ministry of Justice, Magles El
Saeb Street, Wezaret Al Adl, Cairo, Egypt, E-mail: mojeb@idsc.gov.eg,
Fax: +202 795 8103
Public Prosecutor, Counsellor Maher Abd al-Wahid, Dar al-Qadha al-Ali, Ramses Street, Cairo, Egypt, Fax: +202 577 4716
National Council For Human Rights, Fax: + 202 5747497 / 5747670
Permanent
Mission of Egypt to the United Nations in Geneva, 49 avenue Blanc, 1202
Genève, Switzerland, Email: mission.egypt@ties.itu.int, Fax: +41 22 738
44 15
Embassy of Egypt in Brussels, 19 avenue de lUruguay,
1000 Brussels, Belgium, Fax: + 32 2 675.58.88; Email:
embassy.egypt@skynet.be
Please also write to the diplomatic missions or embassies of Egypt in your respective country.
Paris-Geneva, January 20, 2010
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
The
Observatory, a FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of
Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their
time of need. The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights
Prize of the French Republic.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line:
E-mail: Appeals@fidh-omct.org
Tel and fax FIDH: +33 (0) 1 43 55 25 18 / 01 43 55 18 80 Tel and fax OMCT + 41 22 809 49 39 / + 41 22 809 49 29
en hieronder de officiële website van "the Muslim Brotherhood":
CAIRO:
The first batch of Egyptian activists and bloggers detained in Upper
Egypt were released Saturday around 4:30 p.m. upon arrival back in
Cairo after police had detained them near Nag Hammadi the site of a
January 6 shooting that left 6 Coptic Christians and one Muslim
security guard killed in one of the worst sectarian crimes in recent
Egyptian history. Ramy Raouf, a leading human rights defender and
blogger, reported that the first batch of activists to be released
including prominent bloggers Wael Abbas, Ahmed Badawy and Amira
al-Tahawi and a few others.
They were part
of a group of some 20 bloggers and activists who had made the long
journey to Qena in southern Egypt to show solidarity with the families
of those murdered on the eve of Coptic Christmas. Upon arrival,
however, police were quick to arrest them. Early reports indicated a
number of the bloggers were going to be charged with illegally
demonstrating, but the public prosecutor apparently decided against
taking any action and deported the activists back to Cairo.
Police
arrested them on arrival because they looked like they were not from
the area, said Raouf. The police were not letting anyone who didnt
appear to be from the area into Nag Hammadi and the bloggers were
simply taken away from the area without even having their names taken.
Mustafa
al-Naggar, a leading blogger and member of the Muslim Brotherhood, had
led the mission to the southern Egyptian town in order to show support
for the victims families.
But the Egyptian
government would have none of it, arresting the bloggers upon their
arrival. The visit, reportedly unpoliticized, was an attempt to show
that different groups of Egyptians could come together in the face of
growing sectarian tensions.
Naggar wrote
that we were cursed by the reign of an oppressive system that ruined
our lives and harmony. We were robbed of our dreams and were left to
suffer unemployment, fear, and deprivation.
Egypt
that was once a secure haven turned into a waste land. We are no longer
safe in our homes for dawn visitors in uniforms can easily snatch us
from our cribs. We are no longer secure in our streets for vagabonds
and criminals can arrest us and harass our women. Today we witnessed
how hitmen can easily shoot us as we finish our prayers.
Zeinobia,
another leading blogger not part of the mission, said that the bloggers
are among the most prominent of citizen journalists.
I do not understand why these bloggers have been detained, she said in comments carried on Global Voices.
International
human rights groups have chimed in with condemnation of the Egyptian
government. New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a press
statement on Saturday that the Egyptian government should be focusing
on the perpetrators and the cause of the attack that killed people
instead of bloggers who were doing no harm to the situation.
Prosecuting
those responsible for this vicious attack is an important and necessary
first step, said Sarah Leah Whitson, HRWs Middle East Director. But
if Egypt is to address seriously the festering religious hatred in the
country, the government needs to implement a serious campaign of
respect for religious diversity and equal rights for all.
The
deportation of the bloggers and activists have highlighted the
difficulty of working in Egypt, especially on contentious issues such
as human rights. A number of bloggers, including Abbas, have seen the
heavy hand of the state in recent years, who have long pressured and
even tortured bloggers for what they publish on their personal
websites, human rights organizations in Egypt and abroad say.
Zo
zal het intussen wel klaar en duidelijk beginnen te worden voor onze
slimme lezersscharen dat de Arabische bloggers en hier specifiek de
Egyptische bloggers vaak een voortrekkersrol spelen tegen de
plaatselijke dictaturen.
Amira Al Tahawi is één van
de meest actieve proteststemmen in Egypte wat daar geen sinecure is.
Wij hebben de lastige neiging om dergelijke personen nogal te
appreciëren. Ze riskeren tenslotte wel heel veel. En dan moeten we
vernemen dat het land bij uitstek dat zich beroemt op zijn tolerantie
en zijn vrijheid, Nederland dus ,zou toelaten dat mensen zoals Amira Al
Tahawi wordt ontslagen wegens een artikel over synthetische
maagdevliezen. Wel dat kan er dus bij ons niet in! Wij vinden dit een
laffe daad een geniepige sluipmoord tegen iemand die ginds prachtig
werk doet om een democratische samenleving op te bouwen gebaseerd op
wat Nederland blijkbaar niet meer in voorraad heeft VERDRAAGZAAMHEID. Foei Olland !
Arabische blogs deel I and our solidarity to Amira Al Tahawi
Beste lezertjes we zullen niet zoals de meeste Belgistaanse blogs
uitweiden over het spijtige treinongeval in Buizingen. Wij gaan verder
met onze steun aan de Egyptische blogster Amira Al Tahawi die door de
vileine Ollanders werd gedumpt...
Amira Al Tahawi is niet zo
maar een toevallige medewerkster van Radio Netherlands. Zij is één van
de meest actieve blogsters in Egypte en is blijkbaar niet bang om aktie
te voeren . Een eigenschap die onze Ollandse buren nochtans zouden
moeten weten te appreciëren en die de clichés over de Arabische wereld
wat dooreen schudden in de koppen van de meeste van onze lezertjes.
Meestal worden vrouwen in die landen als een soort wandelende mummies
beschouwd die amper een mening mogen hebben in deze pure machowereld.
Klopt dus niet. Het klopt evenmin om organisaties als het
moslimbroederschap af te schilderen als achterlijke baardapen die
iedereen willen stenigen. Hieronder vinden jullie hierover meer
uitleg... Zoals jullie al of niet weten vonden nog niet zo heel lang
geleden gevechten plaats tussen Islamisten en Koptische Christenen die
het leven hebben gekost aan een aantal Kopten. Dit sectarische geweld
werd door het Egyptische leger onderdrukt maar bloggers die ter plaatse
gingen om verslag uit te brengen en om op te roepen tot kalmte werden
door het Egyptische leger gevangen gezet. Onder deze bloggers Amira Al
Tahawi en een aantal bloggers van het moslimbroederschap maar jullie
kunnen het beter zelf lezen in onze speciale bijdrage aan de Arabische
blogs die we gedurende een paar dagen zullen publiceren. Kwestie van
jullie een andere kijk te geven op onze Arabische medebloggers. Eerst
laten we dit blog aan het woord en jullie zullen waarschijnlijk al
grote ogen trekken over de inhoud. Het staat nogal haaks op het beeld
dat onze eigen media meestal ophangen. De blogosfeer broeit en gist
ginds wel heel wat meer dan hier bij ons. Als we de politieke blogs op
bloggen.be erop na lezen krimpt ons hart en moeten we toegeven dat de
Arabische blogwereld heel wat boeiender is dan de Vlaamse
bijvoorbeeld...
It never occurred to the Arab regimes , being as repressive as could
be, that their ambitious plans to modernize the communications
infrastructure to attract and increase investments in information
technology and increase the number of internet users, will back fire.
Those plans have resulted in a generation of bloggers and internet
activists that bitterly criticize those regimes and stand against
various violations and corruption and push forward for change.
Blogging started in 1999, it began to spread and have impact since
spring 2003 with the American invasion of Iraq. Arabic blogs emerged in
2004. Starting in 2005, they were widely spread with the start of a
political movement in the region and calls for change and reform, in
which bloggers have played a prominent role and took part in advocating
for change and raising political awareness, especially in Egypt,
Tunisia and Syria. Egyptian bloggers took the initiative, and were
able to stretch the margin of freedom of expression in defiance to the
Egyptian regime, by discussing political and social issues were
considered previously as taboos. They managed to break the fear among a
large segment of internet users, mostly young people and encourage them
to positive political participation.
Blogging in the Arab world
The number of Arabic blogs, according to the report of the Information
Decision Support Center of the Egyptian cabinet, is about 490,000 until
mid-2008 Arabic blogs are hosted on different websites most important of which is www.blogger.com, which is owned by Google. In addition, to websites like www.wordpress.com, the website www.maktoobblog.com,
an Arabic website that hosted in mid-2009 more than 91,000 blog from
all Arab countries . As well as, some other websites that provide
blogging service, such as Elaph, Jeeran , Katib, the Arabic Network for
Human Rights Information and the blogs of the famous couple, Manal and
Alaa. According to estimates of the Arabic Network for Human Rights
Information, which specializes in freedom of expression in the media
and the internet, there are about 600,000 Arabic blogs. However, the
active blogs are actually no more than 25%. Arabic blogs can be
classified quantitatively and per country. Egypt has the largest number
of blogs that make up one third of the Arabic blogs, followed by Saudi
Arabia, Kuwait, and Morocco. The blogging space is divided between
the community of Egyptian secular bloggers and reformists and another
that represents a gathering of writers supportive of the Muslim
Brotherhood, which is defined as "illegal" and banned by the Egyptian
regime. Yet, it can be found repeatedly on the internet through young
bloggers who declare their membership of the group and express their
ideas spread through blogs and launch campaigns to defend Muslim
Brotherhood detainees. In addition to other blogs that belongs to the
Brotherhood that varies between literary and social blogs. The
Egyptian bloggers aim to break the political constraints through their
blogs, which are renowned for its bitter criticism of the government in
spite of the government's repression on them. In Saudi Arabia, blogging
is focusing on personal rather than political matters. In Kuwait, the
majority of blogs are in English. The Syrian blogs are quite similar to
Saudi Arabia when it comes to the topic. The Moroccan blogs use a mix
of the Arabic and French language. However, some bloggers who discussed
political issues and revealed corruption cases served prison terms in
Syria, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia. Arab bloggers use Web 2.0 and they
link their blogs in various websites such as YouTube , Wikipedia and
news websites such as Aljazeera.net and the BBC, followed by
Al-Arabiya, and most recently the social networking website Facebook.
The age group that most widely uses blogs is between 25 -35 years
amounting 45% of the Arab population. The Arab bloggers over 35 years
are 9%, while females represent 34% of Arab bloggers.The highest ratio
for female bloggers compared to male bloggers is in Egypt in the age
group from 18 to 24 years, amounting 47% and the proportion of female
bloggers in Saudi Arabia is 46% of Saudi bloggers . 83% of the Arab
bloggers live in their homeland and often use aliases, especially among
female bloggers. In general, Arab bloggers write about local
political issues and criticize the ruling regimes. They also discuss
personal and religious issues which are among the main issues discussed
and debated on Arab blogs. Human rights issues are also one of the most
common issues discussed on blogs. An issue that all Arabic blogs and
all Arab bloggers are all against is siege of Gaza, and the Israeli
attack on Gaza, in December 2008 -January 2009. Arabic Blogs: Voice Of The Voiceless
Blogging helped the various religious groups to emerge and represent
their case to the Arab public opinion. For example, the Baha'is have
used blogging to display their case and the defend their religious
freedoms. The most famous Baha'i blog is An Egyptian Baha'i, http://egyptianbahai.wordpress.com,
owned by an Egyptian young man in his thirties born in a Baha'i family.
In his blog he discussed the problems facing him particularly obtaining
official papers as well as lack of tolerance and resentment he feels
when he declares that he is Baha'i. The blogger, Randa El Hoassani, her blog: http://rands1957.spaces.live.com/blog,
is an Egyptian Baha'i activist. She was born in Port Said in a Bahai
family of the fourth-generation. In 1972, She was imprisoned when she
was 14 years, for a month, with other Baha'is for contempt of religions
Blogging has also helped the emergence of a number of codes for
homosexuals since 2006, which allowed gays to express themselves and
their point of view and confirm their presence in the Arab and Muslim
communities in a realistic way rather than the stereotypical image that
novels and films have been feeding the public over the years, prior to
internet.The most famous of such blogs are: http://gayweekly.blogspot.com/ : a Kuwaiti blog http://saudigayboy.blogspot.com/ : a Saudi blog The blog Kareem Diary http://kareemazmy.blogspot.com Diaries of a lesbian woman.
Cases disclosed by bloggers
Arab bloggers managed to play a key role in the political field
pressuring the authority to act on several issues, such as torture in
Egypt which became an attitude during the reign of Hosni Mubarak. It is
practiced by police officers against citizens as punishment or to
extract confessions or just as a show of power. Bloggers revealed
incidents of torture and posted videos that show police officers
torturing people in police stations. The most famous scene is the
torturing of Emad AlKabir, a driver, who was tortured and raped with a
stick by the police officer, Islam Nabih. The scene was recorded with a
cell phone to humiliate Emad between his friends and neighbors. The
scene propagated till it was posted on several blogs at the end of
2006. Among those blogs was that of Wael Abbass, www.misrdigital.com.
Satellite media and the printed press were forced to discuss this
incident , which turned to a public opinion case. The case ended with
an unprecedented verdict; the officer Islam Nabih and Reda Fathi, the
secretary of police, were sentenced to 3 years in prison . Other issues that bloggers have recorded and also turned to cases of public opinion: The issue of sexual harassment in Egypt; the blogs of Wael Abbas and Malek Mustafa , http://malek-x.net
posted videos of sexual harassment, that occurred in downtown Cairo
during Al Fitr feast in 2006, displaying of groups of girls being
harassed. The videos stirred a lot of debate on satellite channels
and newspapers, and resulted in highlighting the failure of police in
protecting victims of harassment despite their presence in large
numbers downtown at the same time of the incident. The Egyptian
Ministry of Interior tried to deny those incidents even existed but a
number of eyewitnesses and bloggers brought undeniable evidence that
made the ministry take preventive measures . In Morocco, the
blogger, Targuist Sniper, managed to disclose corruption of Moroccan
police and the Moroccan Royal Gendarmerie in 2007, where he recorded a
number of bribes - receiving scenes and posted them on YouTube , after
which they spread on blogs and were debated on international media.
Unfortunately, this blogger was targeted by the police in Morocco.
The success of the Algerian blogger, Rahalia whose job is sorting
newspaper articles and delivering them to the Algerian Parliament Media
Commission. As simple as it may seem, his job allowed him to access the
archive of officials' announcements, decisions and related articles
leading him to arrive at contradictions, manipulations and lies of
official statements. He started writing articles on a limited scale on
the internet uncovering those lies. Those articles, were all over the
Algerian cyberspace and were successful to bring about change. Rahalia
addressed the president himself, through his highly credible articles
and documented writings, demanding him to freeze "the hydrocarbon law,
a project to privatize the state oil companies. The president announced
before the cabinet that he was sure that this law was full of
irregularities Other countries also witnessed a significant role
for blogs in highlighting events and important political crises, such
as Darfur crisis. The blog, Shabab Darfur, is one of the main sources
that displayed the real situation in Darfur. Marahin blog , http://saltowayyah.katib.org/, in Oman, and Mowaten Emarati , http://emarati.katib.org/,
in the UAE, as well as the famous blog of Mahmoud Youssef in Bahrain
(http:/ / mahmood.tv /) as well as Moroccan blog; Ahjiouj.
Examples of violations against Arab bloggers
The Arab world is of the worst regions in the world in internet
monitoring. Arab bloggers and activists are detained, prosecuted and
even tortured. Arab countries are always on the list of internet
enemies prepared by Reporters Without Borders. In its report of 2009,
which included 12 countries in the world defined as internet enemies,
4 Arab countries were listed: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Syria.
There are dozens if not hundreds of bloggers who have been arrested and
detained under the emergency laws, and even abducted and tortured,
including:
The Egyptian blogger Ahmed Mohsen, 26 years, owner of the blog: Fatth Eineik , http://eyestillopen.blogspot.com,
who was arrested in May 2009 and charged with abusing the democratic
atmosphere to overthrow the government" . ANHRI described this charge
as a black comedy.
The Moroccan blogger; Mohammed Al Raji, was
convicted and sentenced to prison because of an article he wrote that
criticized royal behavior which he considers encouraging people to be
reliant and passive.
Karim Arabji, from Syria, he wrote an
article criticizing the Syrian authorities. Consequently, on 13/9/2009,
Karim was sentenced to three years in prison for "spreading false news
that weakens the sentiment of the nation.
The Saudi, Fouad
AlFarhan, is one of the famous bloggers. His blog is entitled Dean of
Saudi Bloggers. He is known for his elegant writings and serious
advocacy for reform in his blog , http://www.alfarhan.org.
His slogan is "in search for freedom, dignity, justice, equality, Shura
, and all Islamic lost values for Raghad and Khattab". He was detained
by Saudi authorities for five months without charges and was never put
on trial. Afterwards, he was released without giving any reasons for
his arrest or release.
Rafat AlGhanem, a Syrian blogger
living in Saudi Arabia, was arrested in July 2009 by Saudi security,
without justification, and is still detained.
And many more:
The Egyptian Mossad Abu Fajr, owner of the blog, http://wednane3ish.katib.org/,
is one of the main callers to stop discrimination against the Egyptian
Bedouins of Sinai. Several charges have been fabricated against him by
security. After investigations, the general prosecutor released him.
Yet, security services arrested him again under the emergency law and
he is still detained till this date in spite of more than 15 release
orders that have been issued
Abdel Moneim Mahmoud, a blogger
and journalist, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, was arrested,
tortured several times and banned from travel. He was arrested
allegedly for disrupting public security. The Arabic Network believes
that the most important cause for detaining Moneim Mahmoud is to smear
the good image of any member of Muslim Brotherhood group not what the
government is claiming. In his blog, Moneim displays a different
profile than the one provided by the government. He defends secularism
and different ideologies, reveals torture crimes and participates in
campaigns to support freedom of expression. Such an image is one which
the Egyptian government is not willing to reveal .
Some
Egyptian bloggers are still detained , the most famous case is the
blogger Kareem Amer, who was arrested in November 2006 and sentenced in
February 2007 for 4 years; 3 years for insulting the Islamic religion
and 1 year for insulting the President. Kareem should be released in
November 2010. He is serving his sentence at Borg Al Arab prison in
Alexandria. Kareem Amer has been tortured in prison and is still
subjected to harassment. He was deprived of visits several times in
2009.
In 2007, an Egyptian judge filed a case for blocking 51
blogs and websites on the internet, claiming they were terrorist
websites and detrimental to the state, the police and the President.
This law suit is an attempt to block all blogs and websites that
revealed the judges theft of ANHRI report on the freedom to use
Internet in the Arab world in 2006. The case has been refused in
December 2007 . In Tunisia, in August 2008, the Tunisian blogger;
Zied El Heni, filed a lawsuit against the Tunisian Internet Agency for
blocking Facebook until the website was unblocked on 2/9/2008.
Under the spotlight: Sami Ben Gharbia
Quiet a character, an intense blogger, and a strong defender of
democracy. He managed to turn the internet into a tool to resist the
autocratic regime in Tunisia. A lot of Arab bloggers followed him and
non Arabs learned from him. He is inspiration to many since he is so
creative in using the internet to expose oppression and corruption of
the Tunisian dictatorship. His story started by escaping from Tunisia
through Libya, Niger, Chad, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Iran in order to
finally reach Netherlands, where he received political asylum .
This is Sami Ben Gharbia , the Tunisian blogger, creator of the map of
Tunisian prisons , in which are used many Internet techniques in which
he excels in order to show the cruel penal policy, which rendered
Tunisia among the top states in the number of prisoners per population.
The Tunisian government denied all punitive practices. However, the
truth that Ghariba uncovered show that there are two version of
Tunisia; the first Tunisia is the green one where tourists enjoys,
provided that they shut up completely and have money, the other one is
the a big prison for all opponents and human rights activist or even
those concerned with the country. Second Tunisia raises some questions,
where an answer will not be found, but rather silencing the mouth that
uttered the question. Sami Ben Gharbia uses the Internet creatively
to expose corruption and the dark side of Tunisia. He introduced a film
that traces the Tunisian presidential plane and its suspicious use in
things not related to state affairs.
No wonder, Ben Gharbia
has become a target for campaigns of slander and for fierce attack from
the Tunisian government officials, agents, informants in overseas
embassies. By launching such campaigns they convey the message to
their masters in Tunisia, they are doing their homework, no matter how
these campaigns would lack sincerity or credibility. Some official told
Gamal Eid, executive director of the Arabic Network for Human Rights,
"Sami Ben Gharbia is a sincere young man who loves his country. He does
not create or fabricate any of these scandals, he only reveals them" .
Ben Gharbia also revealed that, Ezz Al Din Hammadi, director of the
tourist office at the Tunisian Embassy in Washington, reserved the
domain name of presidential campaign of 2009 for the candidate Zein El
Abidine Ben Ali since 2004, precisely 25 days only after the "victory"
of Ben Ali in the presidential elections held on 24/102004. As well
as logging more than 80 domain names mostly all related to media,
political and tourist structures in Tunisia! Ben Gharbia considered
this the first semi-formal appeal to President Ben Ali to get nominate
.
en specifiek in Egypte:
Egypt
All This Hostility!
"Yes,
we allow security agencies to tap the citizens personal calls, whether
through mobile phones or landlines, this is case all over the world". Tarek Kamel, Egyptian Minister of Communications, naturally .
Overview
For twenty eight years, Egypt has been ruled by Mubarak. Twenty years
of an emergency state, torture and unfair trails. Democracy is declared
by all the pro-government newspapers and only a small minority denies
its existence. A minority that includes lawyers, judges, journalists,
students, workers, farmers, doctors, university professors, engineers,
clerks and Egypts poor. Apart from those, all other Egyptians are
quite happy with such democracy and are truly thankful to God for it.
Those happy Egyptians have nothing to do with Kefaya movement, the 6th
of April strike, labor strikes, farmers uprisings or pensioners
protests.
No one complains of poverty or hunger. This is evident
in the overly populated prisons, which Egyptians go to it voluntarily,
without being forced by the State Security Services. The State Security
Services is loved by Egyptians. They feel its presence, whether theyre
awake or sleeping. The opening quotation of this report, by the
Ministry of Communication, shows clearly that the Ministry of
Communications role, like the Ministry of Interior, aims to serve the
public. The Ministry of Interior has been serving the people for
many years by putting them in prisons to be takes care of and to vote
for them in any elections. The Ministry of Communications taps their
calls, to know their thoughts and dreams, and make them come true!
The Telecommunications Sector and the Internet
By the end of August 2009, the number of mobile phone users in Egypt
reached 51.5 million users. These users are divided on three companies:
Mobinil: 23.8 million users, Vodafone: 21.5 million users, and the most
recent, Etisalat: 6.2 million users. By the end of 2009, the number is
expected to exceed 55 million users. The number of landlines is 9.6
million monopolized by the state-owned company, Telecom Egypt. Telecom
Egypt owns the most important ISP, TE Data, which has more than half
the ADSL market share. The number of internet users tripled from 5
million users, in 2006, to 15 million users in 2009 . The
increasing number of internet users and their skillful use of the
internet, especially young bloggers, have contributed to the democracy
struggle in Egypt. This development prompted the Egyptian government to
take new measures to limit the number of internet users, while,
increasing its profits. The Ministry of Communications proposed The
Fair Download policy. The policy aimed to limit monthly downloads to 2
GB for the ADSL speed of 264 Kb under the pretext of fighting illegal
connections . The Ministry retreated from this policy in summer 2007;
however, it proposed the same policy again in 2009. Internet users
fiercely campaigned against this new attempt. The media called it the
the internet users revolution; many internet users called through
forums and social networking websites called for boycotting the web on
10/8/2009 protested the free download policy proposed by the government
and the ISPs. The strong opposition led the Minister of
Communications to admit that "illegal internet connections are not the
problem, rather it is the increasing the internet usage . This
declaration prompted the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information,
INHRI, to call on the ministry of communications to abandon the policy
of greed when dealing with internet users .
Internet Cafés
In February 2009, the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and
Statistics in Egypt stated that the number of internet cafés reached
4597 cafés and the total number of clients per week for these cafés is
804,270 clients with an average of 175 clients per café per week.
While, the number of IT clubs was around 1776 clubs offering internet
service to about 190,016 users per week . ANHRI states that these
figures include only the cafés that are registered. The total number
internet cafés exceeds these figures. A lot of internet café owners
avoid registration to evade bureaucratic complications and police
encroachments upon internet cafés owners, especially in heavily
populated districts. In addition, the middle class cafés offers
wireless network, Wi-Fi, but those were not included in the study
either. On 9/8/2008, ANHRI uncovered that these cafés owners
cooperate with the Ministry of Interior in violating the privacy of
their clients. In these cafés, customers have fill out a form with
their names, e-mails and phone number in order to access the internet.
This information is given to the Ministry of Information enabling it to
control the personal data of internet users violating their privacy.
As a result of ANHRIs statement, tensions started to appear between
the Ministry of Interior and the owners of these cafés. The Ministry
stated that the cafés offered this information voluntary! On the other
hand, the owners of those cafés admitted that they could not disregard
security instructions. Consequently, the Ministry decided to back down
from this illegal procedure. However, there are still a number of
abuses, especially in poor areas. The police fabricate charges to close
down a café or to force its workers to become informants to the police.
Blocking and Control Egypt abandoned the policy of blocking
websites which practiced by most Arab countries. However, the Egyptian
government oppresses and intimidates internet activist in every
possible way. This includes wiretapping, abduction, detention and
torture of these activists.
Wiretapping and Privacy Violation:
In Egypt, where the police control all bodies and agencies, the
telecommunications and internet sector is not an exception. However,
controlling these sectors requires the cooperation of companies and
staff in this field! Indeed, three main service providers in Egypt
are known to be cooperating with security. They violate the privacy of
users and the sanctity of correspondence and calls, particularly of
Egyptian political activists and reformers. The three companies
are, the state-owned Telecom Egypt that monopolizes landline service
and is a major shareholder in the prime internet service provider TE
Data. The minister of communications declared his vision on monitoring
and wiretapping saying "we allow tapping as is part of the states role
. He added that "wiretapping is not a simple matter; it is governed by
rules and special technological capabilities. Although, the Ministry
allows for some security agencies to tap calls, the state does not have
the capacity to tap the calls of 40 million mobile phone subscribers ".
Since, the state does not have the capacity to spy on millions of
mobile phone users, the second company, Vodafone, regularly hands over
the data of customers who organize demonstrations against the
government, like the bread riots . Furthermore, Mobinil and Link,
both owned by the same person, cards that are purchased at touristic
cafés in order to access the internet violates the privacy of the
customers of these cafés. Clients have to fill in their names, phone
numbers and e-mail addresses. The destination of this information is
well known .
1. Torture and Physical Assault Internet
activists in Egypt are not excluded from the systematic and wide ranged
torture of security services. Dozens of bloggers and activists of the
6th April movement had suffered torture and ill-treatment as a result
of their intense work to expose corruption and repression. Examples of
those tortures activists: Ahmed Maher, founder of the 6th April group on FaceBook. Diaa Gad owner of the blog Sout El Ghadeb; http://soutgadeb.blogspot.com, Mohamed Adel , owner of the blog Meit; http://43arb.info/meit, Ahmed Duma , owner of the blog Shaeer Ikwan;http://ikhwan-poet.maktoobblog.com Kareem Beheiri, owner of the blog Egyworkers; http://egyworkers.blogspot.com,
The blogger, Kareem Amer, was tortured in prison , like many others
who were tortured because of what they wrote on the internet.
2. Arresting Bloggers and Internet Activists
The Egyptian government tries to convince the West that the emergency
law is used only against terrorists and drug dealers. However, this is
far from the truth. Mossad Abu Fajr , Hani Nazeer, Diaa Gad, Abdul Aziz
Hijazi, Shawky Ragab, Hani Abdul Rahman and Mohammed Refaat were
arrested just for blogging and advocating for democracy.
3. Libel And Defamation
Many bloggers were charged of libel and defamation because of something
they wrote on the internet. For example, the blogger Tamer Mabrouk,
from Port Said city, owner of the blog Al Hakika El Masriya, http://elhakika.blogspot.com,
was accused of libel and defamation for writing about a chemical
discharging chemicals in the lake of Manzala lake causing deadly
pollution. The famous bloggers, Manal and Alaa, owners of the blog
Manal and Alaa, www.manalaa.net, were also accused of libel and defamation. Furthermore, Journalist, Ahmed Seif El-Nasr of Fayoum window, http://www.fayoumwindow.net, was accused of a fabricated insult and libel charge.
While, the number of fabricated libel cases against bloggers and
internet activists is increasing, some of the bloggers are exposed to
defamation and libel campaigns from some officials who just remain at
large with no punishment. The blogger, Wael Abbas, has been subjected
to an unfair smear campaign by a senior officer, General Ahmed Diaa
Aldin, who instead of being punished for his unjust accusations against
Abbas and for insulting and defaming him on TV programs, the Egyptian
government rewarded him by appointing him governor of Minya .
4. Seizing Computers
Every police raid, whether legal or illegal (the latter is the most
common), against internet activists, must result in seizing their
computers that often disappear and never recovered. The Ministry of
Interior does not try to find the place of those belongings which
increases the corruption in the Ministry. Examples of bloggers whose
computers have been seized are: Mohamed Adel, AbdAlAziz Mujahid, Wael
Abbas, Mohammed Yakut, Reda AbdAlRahman, Khalifa Obaid and Mohammed
Refaat. It is claimed that the Ministry of Interior started a secret
investigation about the computers that were seized from the homes of
those activists or in airports, like Wael Abbas, but, ANHRI cannot
affirm such information yet.
Site blocking Lawsuits:
During
the past three years, Egypt has witnessed two important cases which
have had significant impact on the freedom of internet use in the
country:
1. Judge Abdel Fattah Murad and the case of blocking 49 websites:
In December 2006, ANHRI issued its second report on the freedom of
internet use in the Arab world under the title An Unyielding Opponent:
The Internet and the Arab governments. The report was printed,
distributed and posted on ANHRIs website . In February 2007, while
searching the market for legal references that may help in Kareem
Amers case, ANHRIs lawyers purchased a book for the judge Murad
entitled Scientific and Legal Principles of Blogs on the Internet. It
was a surprise to find that dozens of pages were an exact replica of
ANHRIs report published in December 2006. The lawyers tried to
persuade Judge Murad to apologize for such dishonest reproduction, an
intellectual property crime, a charge so degrading for a judge and a
PhD holder. However, The judge refused and began fabricating cases
against ANHRI at first and then against several bloggers and human
rights organizations who have expressed solidarity with ANHRI and
supported its right to punish the judge for violating intellectual
property. , The judge fabricated a new important case. He requested
the blocking of 21 websites including e-papers, blogs, and local and
international human rights organizations sites. Those websites
published the intellectual property crime committed by Murad and a copy
of ANHRIs report. Murad claimed in his case against the Ministry of
Communication that those websites should be blocked as they support
terrorism and smear the states reputation As a result, bloggers
and activists launched a counter campaign uncovering Murads crime. So,
he decided to increase the number of websites to be blocked to 49.
However, the decision of the Administrative Court was a strong blow to
the judge and to internet police that supported him. The case was
rejected and the court upheld the freedom of expression in Egypt .
The Supreme Administrative Court is still reviewing the appeal
submitted by Murad who tried to cover his intellectual property crime
by another crime against freedom of expression on the Internet.
2. Blocking Adult Websites
On 12/5/2009, the Administrative Court issued a decision, in regards to
a case filed by an Islamist attorney, demanding the Ministry of
Communications to block adult websites on the internet in Egypt without
defining adult websites or the body responsible for blocking these
websites. Defining pornography will be left to clerks in the Ministry.
This may lead to the blocking of historical, literary and artistic
websites. A site may be blocked because of an image, a word or a verse
from a poem. Although, the minister of communications declared that
blocking all these websites is difficult, conservatives, extremists and
the enemies of the internet have started to put pressure on the
Egyptian government to implementing the courts decision even before
the Supreme Administrative Court has reviewed the submitted appeal.