Using Secure Computing’s SmartFilter software for technical implementation and to
identify Web sites for blocking, the Saudi censors have increased the number of targeted
Saudi political reformists and opposition groups. In addition to the previously blocked
Web sites such as the Web sites of the Islah movement (www.islah.tv and islah.info)
and the Tajdeed movement (tajdeed.net), the authorities have added more opposition
Web sites to the block list. Examples include www.alumah.com and www.alhijazonline
.com. Testing in 2008–2009 also revealed that the censors now target user-generated
oppositional content such as the forum New Arabia (www.newarabia.org).
The ONI monitored in-country access to the blog of Saudi blogger Ahmad Fouad
Al-Farhan, who was jailed for more than four months. His blog was found to be
blocked during his arrest and continued to be blocked even after he was released from
prison. Also, the ONI verified that the Web site of the Voice of Saudi Women
(www.saudiwomen.net), now defunct, was indeed blocked in October 2008. The Web
site, according to Reporters Without Borders, published a number of analytical reports
about the status of women in Saudi society and has denounced impediments to
women becoming effective actors in Saudi society. 41
The ONI also found that the blog Saudi Christian (christforsaudi.blogspot.com)
was blocked in Saudi Arabia in January 2009, after reports that Saudi blogger Hamoud
Bin Saleh declared on his blog that he converted from Islam to Christianity. The ONI
monitored the blog and found that it was removed in March 2009 for unknown
reasons.
In keeping with the Saudi government’s emphasis on protecting the ‘‘sanctity of
Islam’’ and the legitimacy of the regime, a number of Web sites opposing each are
also blocked. These include Web sites relating to minority Shia groups (www.yahosein
.com), a Bahai site (www.bahai.com), and sites that espouse alternative views of Islam,
such as the Web site of the Institution for the Secularization of Islamic Society
(www.secularislam.org). Web sites that present critical reviews of the religion of Islam
and try to convert Muslims to other religions were also censored (answering-islam.org,
www.islamreview.com).
The Web pages of a few global free speech advocates, such as Article19 (www
.article19.org) and the Free Speech Coalition (www.freespeechcoalition.com), are
blocked. However, filtering of human rights content primarily targets Saudi or regional
organizations. All Web pages of the Saudi Human Rights Center (www.saudihr.org) are
blocked.
The human rights Web site www.humum.net was found blocked in 2008–2009
testing, whereas only the page related to Saudi Arabia was found to be blocked in the
previous phase of testing. The Web site receives complaints on human rights violations
from Arab citizens and is run by the Cairo-based Arab Human Rights Information
Network.
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Saudi Arabia
identify Web sites for blocking, the Saudi censors have increased the number of targeted
Saudi political reformists and opposition groups. In addition to the previously blocked
Web sites such as the Web sites of the Islah movement (www.islah.tv and islah.info)
and the Tajdeed movement (tajdeed.net), the authorities have added more opposition
Web sites to the block list. Examples include www.alumah.com and www.alhijazonline
.com. Testing in 2008–2009 also revealed that the censors now target user-generated
oppositional content such as the forum New Arabia (www.newarabia.org).
The ONI monitored in-country access to the blog of Saudi blogger Ahmad Fouad
Al-Farhan, who was jailed for more than four months. His blog was found to be
blocked during his arrest and continued to be blocked even after he was released from
prison. Also, the ONI verified that the Web site of the Voice of Saudi Women
(www.saudiwomen.net), now defunct, was indeed blocked in October 2008. The Web
site, according to Reporters Without Borders, published a number of analytical reports
about the status of women in Saudi society and has denounced impediments to
women becoming effective actors in Saudi society. 41
The ONI also found that the blog Saudi Christian (christforsaudi.blogspot.com)
was blocked in Saudi Arabia in January 2009, after reports that Saudi blogger Hamoud
Bin Saleh declared on his blog that he converted from Islam to Christianity. The ONI
monitored the blog and found that it was removed in March 2009 for unknown
reasons.
In keeping with the Saudi government’s emphasis on protecting the ‘‘sanctity of
Islam’’ and the legitimacy of the regime, a number of Web sites opposing each are
also blocked. These include Web sites relating to minority Shia groups (www.yahosein
.com), a Bahai site (www.bahai.com), and sites that espouse alternative views of Islam,
such as the Web site of the Institution for the Secularization of Islamic Society
(www.secularislam.org). Web sites that present critical reviews of the religion of Islam
and try to convert Muslims to other religions were also censored (answering-islam.org,
www.islamreview.com).
The Web pages of a few global free speech advocates, such as Article19 (www
.article19.org) and the Free Speech Coalition (www.freespeechcoalition.com), are
blocked. However, filtering of human rights content primarily targets Saudi or regional
organizations. All Web pages of the Saudi Human Rights Center (www.saudihr.org) are
blocked.
The human rights Web site www.humum.net was found blocked in 2008–2009
testing, whereas only the page related to Saudi Arabia was found to be blocked in the
previous phase of testing. The Web site receives complaints on human rights violations
from Arab citizens and is run by the Cairo-based Arab Human Rights Information
Network.
566
Saudi Arabia