ing of corruption or scrutiny of government actions. 9 This media environment created
by authorities has been hostile to bloggers and online activism, resulting in a number
of arrests across the region. In a list created by the Committee to Protect Journalists of
the ten worst countries to be a blogger, five countries (Egypt, Syria, Iran, Tunisia, and
Saudi Arabia) were from the region. 10
Internet and Media Regulations: The Debate
The last few years have witnessed an increase in debates over media and Internet
censorship in the region. Rifts between censors and local and regional advocates of
freedom of speech have intensified, and more voices continue to express concern
about media regulations in the region.
Interestingly, while advocates in the region criticize the regimes for repressive regulations, which limit freedom of speech online, some governments claim they arrest
bloggers and online activists because they exploit what the regimes call ‘‘media freedom.’’ In Egypt, for example, the authorities arrested a blogger in May 2009 under the
accusation of ‘‘exploitation of the democratic climate prevailing in the country to overthrow the regime.’’ The Cairo-based Arab Network for Human Rights Information
deplored the charges and described them as a black comedy. 11
Another example of such a rift is from the Gulf countries, where the head of the
Doha Center for Media Freedom criticized Dubai Police for allegedly asking Google to
censor YouTube. The head of the center was later criticized by Qatar officials as well
as some journalists and was accused of endorsing pornography, 12 which is a sensitive
topic in many Middle East and North African societies.
While it is common for Internet groups and online activists in the region to organize
online campaigns to condemn online censorship and arrests of bloggers and online
writers, other online campaigns that call for and support social censorship—mostly
online pornography—have emerged in the past few years. For instance, an Arabic
Web site called Ehjeb (Arabic for the verb ‘‘to block’’) is becoming increasingly popular,
particularly among users of Web forums. The Web site offers to facilitate the blocking
of Web sites by sending user-submitted URLs of questionable content to censors in
some of the region’s countries. Also, some Internet users in North African countries
where there is no social filtering have organized online campaigns to demand filtering
of sexually explicit content. 13
Pro-censorship advocates and anti-censorship activists have also used the court
system in their attempts to implement or remove censorship. For example, a judge in
Egypt filed a lawsuit requesting the banning of 51 Web sites considered offensive. The
court rejected the lawsuit in December 2007 and emphasized support for freedom of
expression as long as the Web sites do not harm religious beliefs or public order. 14
MENA Overview
525
by authorities has been hostile to bloggers and online activism, resulting in a number
of arrests across the region. In a list created by the Committee to Protect Journalists of
the ten worst countries to be a blogger, five countries (Egypt, Syria, Iran, Tunisia, and
Saudi Arabia) were from the region. 10
Internet and Media Regulations: The Debate
The last few years have witnessed an increase in debates over media and Internet
censorship in the region. Rifts between censors and local and regional advocates of
freedom of speech have intensified, and more voices continue to express concern
about media regulations in the region.
Interestingly, while advocates in the region criticize the regimes for repressive regulations, which limit freedom of speech online, some governments claim they arrest
bloggers and online activists because they exploit what the regimes call ‘‘media freedom.’’ In Egypt, for example, the authorities arrested a blogger in May 2009 under the
accusation of ‘‘exploitation of the democratic climate prevailing in the country to overthrow the regime.’’ The Cairo-based Arab Network for Human Rights Information
deplored the charges and described them as a black comedy. 11
Another example of such a rift is from the Gulf countries, where the head of the
Doha Center for Media Freedom criticized Dubai Police for allegedly asking Google to
censor YouTube. The head of the center was later criticized by Qatar officials as well
as some journalists and was accused of endorsing pornography, 12 which is a sensitive
topic in many Middle East and North African societies.
While it is common for Internet groups and online activists in the region to organize
online campaigns to condemn online censorship and arrests of bloggers and online
writers, other online campaigns that call for and support social censorship—mostly
online pornography—have emerged in the past few years. For instance, an Arabic
Web site called Ehjeb (Arabic for the verb ‘‘to block’’) is becoming increasingly popular,
particularly among users of Web forums. The Web site offers to facilitate the blocking
of Web sites by sending user-submitted URLs of questionable content to censors in
some of the region’s countries. Also, some Internet users in North African countries
where there is no social filtering have organized online campaigns to demand filtering
of sexually explicit content. 13
Pro-censorship advocates and anti-censorship activists have also used the court
system in their attempts to implement or remove censorship. For example, a judge in
Egypt filed a lawsuit requesting the banning of 51 Web sites considered offensive. The
court rejected the lawsuit in December 2007 and emphasized support for freedom of
expression as long as the Web sites do not harm religious beliefs or public order. 14
MENA Overview
525