Who's Fouad Again..?
“It’s not that big of a deal” – S. Amri from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
“He got what was in for him, no one told him to talk like that” – Ayatoalla K. Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
These are a small sample of what you might hear and read around the blogs, and from the majority of the Saudi Youth around the kingdom.. I had the opportunity to chat to some members in message boards that discussed the issue, discretely, and they all agree that he crossed a red line by simply Blogging.. Many have listed him as a corrupt personality who’s intentions were to overthrow the “you-know-who” by questioning their judgments.. As if we’re being cared for by a set of fallen angles.. Yeah, inshallah..
When was it a sin to talk your mind out with no intentions, or implications to anyone to use force on your behalf? Just out of love for your country and hope for the best by reforming the mentality of the public? Or should we just try to find a newer version of WebSense to block the thoughts traffic in our brains from crossing those “red lines”?
(WebSense, and the likes, is a website filtering client that is widely used to censor websites on the internet in Saudi Arabia)
Looking at the population, you’d see a small sum fighting, enraged, about the issue of Fouad Farhan.. While a large sum just shuffled to the next channel, thanking god they don’t have the balls to speak their minds out in any way.. Ignoring like this never happened, and blaming a person’s right to talk freely on an international domain.. Amusing..
And this is just talking about the youth who are updated on the internet.. However, This is the fun part, their parents and relatives and friends who don’t log online that much, never heard of the name Fouad Farhan to begin with.. And, with his arrest, no one would give a flying damn cow about it.. It’s like we’re blindfolded, but the difference is, we like it that way.. Somehow, we find subtle serenity in an all blacked out vision, only opened when we’re asked to move backwards or forwards, or just dance around like lab monkeys..
What’s even more funny is that when you tune in for the capital city’s radio station, or watch the AMAZING saudi News “Al Ekhbaria”, you’d see the following scenario..
“His majesty, ……..( listing all his titles ) has just received gratitude and thankful letters upon his calls to the families of the Saudi prisoners of Guantanamo bay who came back”
“In other local news, Buraidah has just managed to find a new kind of fertilizer..”
Then they’d skip a couple of moments looking at their papers, and then..
“In international news..” and so on..
Yes, it’s our classic favorite, that still exists in the open-source century, Media Blackouts.. They still do it here, by the way, and it’s more famous and effective than ever.. You’d see the effect in seeing how little does the population know about Fouad..
“So, exactly, who’s Fouad?” they’d say..
None the less, i fear that Fouad’s nightmare is coming true.. Held captive, with no crime to be announced, and nearly forgotten about by the very same people he wants to help.. And I prayed that someone out of the borders would notice this, and i guess my prayers were answered somehow..
Yahoo! News – Saudi blogger Arrested!
Oh, and FYI, Reading through the article, you’d see the reporter referring to an online organization that deals with freedom of speech globally, Reporters Without Borders.. And Yes, you guessed it right, it’s already blocked in Saudi Arabia..
Yours,
Lou..
.
.
[UPDATE]
Thanks to the Facebook Group “Free Fouad”, I was able to get some links that are currently blocked from my university server for some reason.. Here are some of the links showing the international coverage this issue has taken, and yet, Saudi media refuses to show any signs of working with the flow, instead of against it..
Menasset News Agency
13 Martyrs Blog Spot
Networked Future Organization
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Lou,
Is he still in prison?
What can we do to plead for his freedom? Is there any way to have access to him? Has his family had the chance to meet him? Is he going to face a trial?
Yes, he’s till in prison, with no public announcements or declaration of why he’s being held there, which is unjust by all means.. And all we can do is pray that he’ll be released, because if there’s something that you should know about Saudi is this:
- The government and the Big guys in commands don’t succumb to public demands, unless some horrific tragedy happens..
- Pleading freedom and asking for justice would land you sitting beside Fouad, wherever he’s caught, hence why people are hushing it down..
- Saudi is not accustomed to that much protests and strikes, so trying to bring up the idea won’t find that much of the public supporting you.. Hence how the media blackout is doing an effective role in keeping the public in the dark about this..
Moreover, we can only have access to him through any official who might be leaking a way to communicate with him, other than that, no officials would help you in doing so.. That’s with no seclusion of the possibility of holding you for questioning on your intentions from this.. The last time we heard news from Fouad was that letter he wrote to his friend..
I doubt his family had a chance to meet him, being how strict they were towards him, and how this issue is on the down low, or else we would’ve gotten any leaked news by now..
Being that he’s held with no clear charges, there will be no trial to base anything on it.. I don’t think the king has any knowledge about this, since this seems to me like some high authority figures who had a grudge against Fouad, and they detained him for that reason.. I won’t lie to you, these happens happen in Saudi, but not as often.. This is similar to allot of cases that happened to many people in the near past, and most of them were released 13 days later or so.. Now, for fouad, he was promised to leave after 3 days, but until now, he’s still imprisoned..
This is something that people should not let go, especially Saudis.. But like the proverb we have here..
“The wind will never shake the mountains”
There are small attempts to spread awareness and get people to form a peaceful protest, but they’re too scared.. And now, most of our attempts, as Saudis who have no one to be backed up with, we’re trying to leak the news out of the borders, and hope that maybe international press pressure would help speed up the process of setting him free.. Hence, why i mentioned the Yahoo news article above..
Depressing, eh?
Yours,
Lou..
Lou,
It sounds like my country… more or less, i can definitely understand what is going on.. The picture of his two daughters were so nice… I really wish him out, I have two daughters as well, and as any blogger gets arrested around us, I do fear for more as much as myself being seated behind the bars, acutally we are all in an vast aquarium.
In Saudi there are some very brave people who know how to make a difference.
SOme tmes back, i don’t remember how many years back, I read of this Saudi lady who was a tv anchor or some thing, and she was hit by her husband in a way she needed operation, she let journalists taike pictures of her and spread it in the news and over internet, there were two pictures of her, one with a beautiful face wearing a veil and another one with a face swollen and black and blue, she let journalists publish her picture so the authorities in Suaid would react, so that no one hide it and make it a secret. I guess this is brave, and i think she did make a difference. I thnk in Saudi Arabia , among the rulers there are people of power and influence who can make the change, who think like you and me , but they have to be very careful as well, as not to make it worse instead of making it better as you mentioned.
Thank you for the information, we keep praying and plz update if you hear more lou
Don’t worry.. I’m a blogger myself, but i admit of being a coward in hiding my full name, as Fouad once mentioned that he left his complete full name visible to all to show his freedom of expression and courage.. He’s brave alright, but putting his family in mind, it’s a bit foolish being that he knows how things go in Saudi.. And i already see Saudi similar to iran, though i don’t think we’ll be able to have our own nuclear power anytime soon, we’re too busy buying stuff
..
However, there are good people around.. But sadly, most good people in Saudi are like the rest of the population.. They use computers well, but they don’t know anything in the Net more than chatting rooms, hidden porn, music and Wikipedia and google.. other than that, they’d rather watch Melody TV or Mtv or whatever TV (my channel in the future lol), and they’d rather NOT know about anything.. Being that this issue started from the web, i don’t think it takes that much attention..
Hopefully we’ll be heard.. In my life time, that is..
…
An excellent article, Lou, I’m really proud of you for writing it! Anonymous or not, I still think writing such things is really courageous. You’re in no way a coward merely because you choose to remain safe. The important thing is that you’re speaking up, and that’s all that really matters. It’s admirable.
I posted this on the Free Fouad facebook group, as well.
Lou,
In your lifetime that is ….too many years of living the life to the fullest
We all started internet from games and chats, they will grow out of it gradually and get into more serious stuff when they gradually learn about the other applications.
It is good thing to be brave, but you are doing a better job if you are acting wisely.
One of the things I do ( of course when I have enough time and an opportunity) is playing a nagigator and an interpretor-translator for those who cannot get involved otherwise. This will motivate them some time as much as trying to learn more and some times getting involved. Another thing is that LOu all by himself can represent a vast group of like-minded people, so even when you give your personal views , it will show that in Saudi Arabia there are more people who think that way.
O man.. I don’t know what to call this nuclear power thing, a blessing or a trouble. I really do not wish that Arabs countries, Israel and countries in the north think Iran is going to attack them now that we have this power plant. By way, the whole thing had been a plan from the time of the last king and after the revolution the process had been neglected and now followed in a way no one is happy, even our own people. Although I hear even from Bush that nuclear power is how we can save the environment from being damaged and now there are ways of implementing the nuclear power as a source of energy in a way it will not pollute the environment at all.
You go to Germany to find out a great river like Rein ( did I msisspell it?) is pollutyed, no more living creatures in the river and the seagulls by the river are being fed by people, no fish for them to live opn, why? because of the nuclear reactors by the river. The reactor gets so hat that to cool it down a part of river is directed to the plant from the main stream to chill the reactor and then it joins the main current from that spot. The poisonous leakage is not much , but even a bit of that means no living fish in the river. That is a disaster.
I really want a replacement for focil fuels but i want it in a way it won’t pollute the invironment and it won’t pollute the relgionship of my country with the neighbors, I want all of Middle East, I always say Israel as well and Palestine as well, sooner or later they are going to have peace ( Inshaallah) , Pakistan and India as well, I can imagine when they have no more fights over kashmir, man this is going to be wonderful, a Middle Eastern Union, all countries in collaboration, trade flourishing, tourism as well, argriculture, insudstry, education, human rights, man people from all over the world would wish to come to live in Middle East and we can be snubbish : oh no not too much, we need limits to migration… hehe
Religions repsected, people respected, seculars respected, children respected, animals protected, what else? no I did not dope, I am not stunned as well, its going to happen, we can’t stop it, we can’t make it hastier or make it delayed as well, it takes its own time.
Fouad get out of the jail man! we have much to do !
Well, people do grow out of the chatting shells.. But believe me, those who are still new to shell are people who are hoping to stir culture in their own direction, being it’s mostly men using the Internet for Marriage.. Now that’s an issue on it’s own, and it’s an important issue for them, more than some guy who talks on a blog.. But i agree with you, eventually things will change.. I think i just noticed the world a bit too early for my age, and am rushing things before i block my 30th year on this planet loool..
Nuclear power is a modern cure/curse to our aid (the letter S makes the difference), but it comes with a cost.. And it needs more maintenance than a top-notch satellite, and let alone the threats of another Chernobyl.. But then again, Elinor, at least the science and amount of time consumed in doing something like this HAS a 50% chance in either good or bad, and if good, hopefully, then imagine the prosperity.. On the other side of the gulf, Saudi has Oil, and without it, we’d be going back to square one again if we don’t pick up our pace and move it..
Plus, you got Russia supplying uranium for that reactor of yours, and any enemy of the west is a friend of mine.. looool.. Just kidding..
But then again, not to stray away from the topic of this blog and turn it into a chat room.. We do need Fouad and more people like Fouad.. This is part of why am enraged about this issue, and about how the public is reacting..
Keeping you updated from the sandy peninsula
..
Yours,
Lou..
Oh, thanks Esra’a.. I didn’t see your reply, since it’s stuck between the lengthy ones me and Elinor are scribbling down..
But really, thank you so much for your support.. I wish i had that same reaction from the people in my A Better Saudi group.. On the contrary, i lost 5 members because of the topic
..
Topic Updates
Well, it’s either Yahoo! is copying off WP, or vice versa.. Either way, the issue of Fouad is covered on this website as well..
The Washington Post
Good riddance. That group is for people who truly wish for a better Saudi, not for people who justify any kind of abuse. I have nothing but pity for shallow nationalists, don’t they see that the true patriots are the ones currently behind bars?
You may have lost 5 members on your group, but you have gained the respect of dozens, or even hundreds of people. Keep up the great work.
Elinor;
you asked about misspelling. Here’s a list:
acutally actually
an vast a vast
Some tmes back some time back
taike take
nagigator negotiator
invironment environment
Rein Rhein
snubbish snobbish
As for the nuclear power: highly enriched uranium is useful only for bombs.
There is a developing form of nuclear power you may not have heard about. Check out FocusFusion.org. It is a small, cheap fusion reactor that uses boron and hydrogen to make helium and electricity. No waste, no radiation, no bombs.
Esra’a,
I don’t know exactly what fuoad was writing about, I just know he did not undermine religion or state. I really like the idea of speaking out, this is a blessing which we had been deprived of. I find it more constructive in nature than destructive, because people get to know about one another’s vulnarabilities as well. It is like showing your wound, some times the process of speaking out and sharing it with others, automatically bring about curing! some times it motivates others to help in a way as to move aside the oblstacle and make the way clear for passage
i heard some body saying when a person speaks earnestly and people say Amen, you hear Amens andAmens and the last one says Amen but you don’t see him , because that is the lord Almighty.
Well, here what he’s held for..
He criticized some practices of some Religious police.. Not religion.. Which i agree with him on this..
He criticized some highly influential people in society, who he claims he PERSONALLY saw them as corrupt and greedy.. He had a list of the top 10 people he hates, and guess who’s number ten, Prince Waleed Bin Talal.. So go figure.. And being that i see those top 10 lists effect on society, i PERSONALLY hate them too..
He criticized the government’s stand on some political prisoners around the world and in SA..
So, looking at what he done, the guy just Talked.. Nothing but text in an HTML format.. For god sakes, if that’s dangerous, then what about Islah.org and the likes of other Saudi Exhiles who call to overthrow the monarchy.. The difference is he’s peaceful and kind hearted and talks his mind out, the others are just corrupted as well as those they tend to overthrow and call for violence more than intellectual dialect..
UGH!!! IDIOTAS!!!
And no, there hasn’t been any official news or notification from the government on WHY he’s held, being that the guy tackled shady issues that the people with power fear to blow their own damn covers..
Brian,
I just asked about the river how that is spelled right, you go too far into my errors!
The developing program sounds interesting, I don’t know why our civil servants don’t go for that, before we actually get as poisoned as some developed countries.
In a better world, countries would help one another save the environment( ok this time I spelled it right),no more bombs, no more threatneing one another. Happy new year
So much for Shariah in KSA?
Assalamualaickum to all,
Let us not forget that there is ONE SUPREME POWER watching us and our deeds, the only mighty weapon we possess is supplication to AlMighty, let us do it for our sake and for our brother Fouad and his family, as i know Fouad, he is really, really a nice gentleman and very soft and kind. I dont defend what he said / conveyed is right or wrong but i bet he is such a person who never think to do harm to others.
Regards
For news reports on Fouad:
http://news.google.com/news?q=Fouad+al-Farhan&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tab=wn&scoring=d
cecil,
I hope Fousad be released and wirte here in the same place where people are concerned and waiting 
Amen. That one Supreme Power is very helpful indeed
Emir,
Thank you for the link dear
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Just wondering,
Is Fouad Free or not yet?..I still dont understand how they can keep him for that long without any charge!!!
Thanks
Not yet, he’s still locked up for no reason!!!!
A recent article on Al Jazeera inspires some hope that he would be released soon. I just hope it’s true. It’s been way too long.
Oh..Its sad that this is happening in this age and time.But I still dont get it really that you can arrest someone without any charge!!..Is there like a place where we all can go and petition…Is he allowed to have a lawyer!! oh yeah I forgot I guess he cant have a lawyer till he is charged!!
I cant began to imagine what his family is going through.. The worst thing is when you are locked up but not knowing locked up for what.!!…Can the Human Rights get involved in this??..Just asking.
He’s probably somewhere Wara Al Shams (Behind The Sun).. It’s a known terminology here in Saudi, that anyone who causes the government trouble.. And they can be charged, or just “taken away”..
His father, as i recall, went and saw him.. But there was no charges, and like you said, there’s no way a lawyer can take this since there IS no charge to begin with.. What are we going to file a law suite on? Governmental alien abduction?
It’s sad and frustrating knowing that all those who want to do something about this, and have the Saudi Nationality, are tied with barbwire and some officials are already hovering over our heads for any similar mischiefs.. The annoying this is, the number of Saudis who want to do something about this is nothing compared to the number of Saudis who quite frankly don’t know what Blogging is and don’t give a damn.. It’s pissing me off, being a Saudi Myself..
The international media is already putting pressure on this issue, but like we say here in Arabia.. Ya Jabal Ma Yehozak Reeh (The mountains will never crumble to the wind)..
I, myself, signed a million online petitions, and talked on many boards about this, hoping to give the issue it’s proper awareness, without putting myself in the risk of being caught as well.. Am a senior University student, and the system has no exceptions apparently since they caught a man who’s a good employee and supports a family of two.. And i even sent letters to different emails related to the Human Rights, and even non-profit organizations the fight for Freedom of Speech.. No replies, and not enough pressure to let the government release any announcements.. It’s like Fouad Never existed..
Am planning to write about the current Saudi situations AFTER i finish my exams for this semester, so stay posted.. And if you’re Saudi, then just pray, since apparently that’s the only thing ONE can do, since the MANY are too busy being ignorant..
Yours,
Lou..
I forgot to write in some sentences and words in the reply, sorry.. I just got carried away
It was a lovely and passionate comment Lou. I agree completely. Good to see you feeling so strongly about this! I wish there were more Saudis like you.
Yes. It was a strong-passionate comment there Lou..So what now??.Do we have to just sit and wait till they decide he isnt what they thought he was??.That he is just a Simple-Non-Threatening Guy…!!..What a System!!
Fouad is one of many caught.. Some of those captured before were either released for physical illnesses, and some are still caught until now.. I can name 5 that i’m familiar with, and god knows of those who’re names never reached the surface..
Lou….What Now??…What can the public do to get him out??..
The Saudi public?
Other than raising awareness online under a hidden nickname, or a normal chit-chatter with friends in a cafe about this, or even hope that someone with quite a strong publicly-heard position and influence would chip in (very unlikely in this country in an issue like this), then all we can do is all the above + praying and hoping for the best..
Other than that, public peaceful expression on this issue would be dangerous.. Let’s not forget that one of the reasons why Fouad was caught was because he asked for answers about why previous activists were caught and he demanded answers at least.. And there he goes..
Words come with free barbwire in Saudi, so you better be careful..
Oh…Its really sad…Here we are, trying to better the image of our country and all we get is another incident that puts us right back to square one…Its Sad..
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i m not sure what his status is now & hope that he is free. But I did read abt some “Internet Jihadis” that were detained a few months back, i didn’t hear ur website write any articles abt them. From what i read none were discussing attacking the regime but the legitimacy of fighting foreign occupations. From what I know, the latter is ven legal under international law. So is ur website for free speech of only one kind?