Fouad not Facing “Security Charges: Ministry”
January 1st, 2008I believe this is the first article in about the Fouad appearing in Arab News [No mention of him on Saudigazette.com yet]. It has been a whole week and there had been no mention 
. So how would the tons of simple internet user’s who just go online for their email, know about this!? So, like Lou said in his post…
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..
there would be no reaction for the Gen. Population. Until there is local pressure, arnt the chances of early release low?
Blogging started to take off globally mostly around the time Iraq War started, it took off in the US with the 2004 Presidential Elections. Some say tht blogging in UK started after the London Train Bombings [doubt it] So maybe this unfortunate event will turn out to be the turning point in the Saudi Blogging. Arresting a blogger who is referred to as “the the dean of Saudi bloggers” [from AN Article]. This will surely backfire.. I wonder how many Saudi’s have started blogging about this and would continue to do when this fiasco is over. They would all be speaking their mind hopefully.
I didnt read his arabic posts, but what little translated posts I read [with lots of things lost in translation] I happen to agree with this:
A close friend to Farhan, who also runs a web journal, said that Farhan’s writings were “not at all provocative and very much rational”.
A man who is willing to expose him self for what he believes in and the better good of his country
Farhan said that he believed that the reason for his impending arrest was linked to his writings regarding Saudi academics who were arrested last year.
Isnt this a little too old to b getting arrested for? but then again maybe this is wht he got busted for:
Many bloggers, particularly those engaged in participatory journalism, differentiate themselves from the mainstream media, while others are members of that media working through a different channel. Some institutions see blogging as a means of “getting around the filter” and pushing messages directly to the public. Some critics worry that bloggers respect neither copyright nor the role of the mass media in presenting society with credible news. [Wiki]
and can someone add Fouad’s name to the list of blogger’s arrested under “Political dangers” on Wiki?
Blogger Does Not Face Security Charges: Ministry [Arabnews]
~hoping n praying for an early release
Your’s
Muneeb
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Well, it was brought up on Menasset, which is an arabic online news agency.. And there has been news about Al Hurra trying to make a reportage about it, but not confirmed yet, or else i would’ve posted it in the article i posted a couple of days ago..
All i know is that Esra’a said it right when she said that Blogging will replace the televised news in a matter of years.. Since it’s the closest thing to the truth, as biased as it can be, but it’s given from the people and to the people.. Media blackout should’ve died with the 20th century, but i guess old habbits die hard..
…
Hannah Allam of the McClatchy/Tribune newspapers — she’s the Cairo Bureau Chief — wrote an interesting piece a few days ago on the challenges facing bloggers in the Middle East.
Here’s the link:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/world/5409868.html
And, Reporters without Borders lists the best (1) to worst countries (169) when it comes to press freedom and restrictions. Interestingly enough, when it comes to media crackdowns, the Arab countries are not in the 10 worst any more although the Palestinian National Authority is listed as 12th from worst.
The best in the Arab World is the United Arab Emirates, which only makes it to 65.
Israel ranks 44 from the top, way ahead of any Arab countries, and is also better than the United States, which ranks at a unimpressive 48 from the top considering it claims to be the “leader of the free world.” Maybe the United States should start leading, but that would require electing a leader who is not a moron.
Here’s the link to that list:
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=24025
Ray Hanania
http://www.hanania.com
The UAE is getting so much worse. Any blog that targets sexual terrorism is bound to get banned by ISPs. Apparently over 2,000 sites or so are banned there, some due to “porn” others due to political/social content. I am not so hopeful about the UAE, the human rights abuses there are horrific. It’s one of the worst countries in the region in terms of sex trade and migrant/expat issues.
Muneeb,
So perhaps they will send him out soon, I don’t know why from the monet Esra’a put his picture on the forum I feel he really needs to get out of prison, he looks very peaceful. Now is there a world wide organization, I mean an authority internationally concerned who would back the rights of the bloggers?
Muneeb we keep praying, he will be out soon I am positive
Fouad’s made it onto BBC Online.
Just thought I’d let you know that NY Times published this article about Fouad!
[...] Arab News (via Mideast Youth) reported that the Saudi Interior Ministry has confirmed Fouad’s detention. Maj. Gen. [...]
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