Soccer Dad

Arab regimes vs. bloggers round 1392

Dissident Saudi Blogger Is Arrested

Farhan's is the first arrest of a blogger in Saudi Arabia. Two Egyptian bloggers and one Tunisian are currently behind bars, according to Sami ben Gharbia, advocacy director for Global Voices, an international research group focused on the Internet and founded at Harvard Law School's Berkman Center for Internet and Society.

I may attach a self-importance to myself for publishing my own blog. But I do so without risk of arrest. Others are not so fortunate.

Mike the Actuary's Musings muses

Note to self: be nice if I should ever decide to blog about life in Saudi Arabia.

One man's Blog observes that though the Saudis are holding out for an apology and that

If someone arrests you for excercising free speech and then you apologize for doing so, you’re clearly lying through your teeth.

Another great affront to the Saudi regime are ringtones

About 70 "Muslim dignitaries and scholars" met for a week to deal with vital moral issues, including those raised by technology. They concluded, for example, that the use of verses from the Koran as cell phone ringtones should be BANNED "because it impinges on the sacred character of the the Holy Book" and not, surprisingly, because it's super annoying. However, uploading or recording such versions for private listening is "a virtuous act."

Things must be great in Saudi Arabia if the greatest threats to the regime are bloggers and ringtones.

More at Instapundit.

Crossposted on Yourish.

saudi arabia

Posted by SoccerDad at January 2, 2008 5:45 AM | TrackBack