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Our Reports
The Internet In the Arab World
A New Space of Repression?
No Rules, No Limits
United Arab Emirates:
Freedom of expression is missing despite a decision banning imprisonment for press crimes
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Bloggers, media people and human rights activists from 12 Arab countries
discussing mutual support between internet and human rights
Cairo, On February 28th, 2008
Over a couple of days of discussions and exchanging viewpoints about probable cooperation between human rights activists, bloggers, journalists and media people, the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information held a workshop titled "Internet & Human Rights – Mechanisms of Mutual Support" where participants from 12 Arab countries contributed, representing "Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Tunisia, UAE, Jordan, Oman, Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Libya and Bahrain".
The workshop held within the frame of a project performed by the Arabic Network tilted "Internet & Human Rights". Participants paid attention in the first day to many experiences of various Egyptian and Arab bloggers in regards to raising the ceiling of freedom of expression in the Arab world, besides highlighting causes of the Arab citizens' interest such as torture, freedom of religion and defending prisoners of conscious, in addition to extending use of free software among youth and activists, as well as discussing the issue of relation between traditional press and electronic media.
Participants in the second day listened to the experiences of activists from the Gulf countries explain the internet role in disclosing a number of widespread violations in the Gulf region, and also illustrating their success in birthing a human rights movement despite of the oppression attempts to eradicate human rights culture over there.
Human rights activists also discussed obstacles preventing them of expanding their use of internet in spite of the great abilities available compared to traditional means which are controlled by Arab governments. Also, the participants discussed the issue of the use of internet by human rights & freedom of expression defenders enabling them to gain supporters and convey their massages and causes to a larger audience.
During a session regarding legal protection regarding crimes of publication, participants discussed a number of cases and punishments directed to those in charge of electronic publishing and vague articles in the law that they are usually accused by such as "fault, insult, disrupting tranquility, libel & defamation, lies and fake news, instigation…etc" & all these charges used against governments critics, journalists or activists.
The workshop concluded with providing many ideas and recommendations for supporting bloggers, activists and media people as well as supporting cooperation among them, such as:
- Simplifying the human rights speech and conveying it to a larger audience besides enabling the public to be connected to human rights movement.
- Enabling people to utilize tools and concepts
- Credibility and quick updating of information
- Human rights activists have to raise awareness among media workers besides establishing strengthening relations between media workers and human rights activists with focus on training and education.
- Increasing mutual cooperation between bloggers and mass-media.
- Emphasizing that there is no contradiction between respecting laws on one side, and not subjecting to repressive laws on the other.
- The need for training on using mechanisms, skills, writing techniques and focusing on Arabic Language.
- Discussing the way of making an electronic map depicting the number of Arab prisons where prisoners of conscious are jailed.
- Issuing simplified booklets that illustrates how the activists, journalists and media workers can avoid fabrication of cases because of their writings and activities.
- Emphasizing the support for Arab and Egyptian bloggers experience, protecting them and conveying their experience to human rights organizations.
The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information decided to publish the papers and discussions of the workshop in a book is to be prepared currently in order to expand the benefit gained from such discussions and papers presented by the participants.
Participants in the workshop (in alphabetical order):
- Ahmed Al-Omran: Saudi Jeans blog, Saudi Arabia
- Ahmed Gharbia: Technology and information expert, Egypt
- Ahmed Mansour: Human rights activist, UAE
- Ahmed Nagy: "Set your Imagination free" or (Was'aa Khayalak) blog and a journalist, Egypt.
- Ismail Mohammed Al-Koraietly: head of Research and Studies in Al-Jazeerah.net Qatar, Libya.
- Anas Fouda: Al-Arabia website – UAE, Egypt
- Amal Kheir-Allah: journalist, Lebanon.
- Amera abdul-Fattah: Coordinator of Regional Programs in Frederich Nauman's Institution.
- Gamal Eid: Director of the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information.
- Hamdy Al-Assuity: Activist and lawyer, Egypt.
- Khaled Al-Sergany: Editorial manager of Al-Doustor Egyptian newspaper, Egypt.
- Rawda Ahmed Sayed: Lawyer in the Arabic Network, Egypt.
- Abdullah Al-Reyami: Writer and electronic activist, Oman.
- Abdou Abdul-Aziz: Researcher in the Arabic Network, Egypt.
- Abdul-moneim Mahmoud: "Ana Ikhwan" blog and a journalist, Egypt.
- Amr Magdy: Tarqaet Keyboard blog, Egypt.
- Alaa Abdul-Fattah: Manal & Alaa blog, Egypt.
- Violet Dager: Arabic Committee for human Rights, France.
- Karem Yahia: Journalist and Press Syndicate activist, Egypt.
- Kamal Al-Abeidi: Representative of Committee for Protecting Journalist CPJ, Tunisia.
- Maged Saleh: Human rights activist from Mada Center, Palestine.
- Magdy Said: Islam-online website, Egypt.
- Mohammed Said: Bahrain Center for Human Rights, Bahrain.
- Manal Hassan: Manal & Alaa blog, Egypt.
- Moneir Edeibes: Aman website, Jordan.
- Mena Zekry: Blogger and human rights activist, Egypt.
- Noura Younis: Noura Younis blog, Egypt.
- Hisham Al-Sharqawy: Human rights activist, Morocco.
- Wael Abbas: of "Al-Waei Al-Masry" or Egyptian Awareness blog, Egypt.
- Wesam Fouad: Islam-online website, Egypt.
For workshop photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24188747@N02
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