Stories about Middle East & North Africa from March, 2011
Understanding Iran's Cyberpolitical Context
Since I last posted, events on the ground and online in Iran have continued to escalate. This is broadly in line with my belief that the Iranian government has decided to engage in a long-term project to silence dissent online, using both state and non-state actors, as well as to...
Muhammad Bakr Radwan: an Egyptian activist detained in Syria
On March 26 Egyptian engineer Muhammad Bakr Radwan was detained in Damascus, Syria, following Friday’s demonstrations in the country. He has been accused of espionage. Radwan is an Egyptian-American citizen who has been very active in the mobilizations in Egypt, joining demonstrators in Tahrir during the days after #Jan25 and broadcasting news about Syria and the Arab uprisings from his Twitter and Facebook account.
Bahraini “Blogfather” Mahmood Al-Yousif Arrested
Shortly after 3am local time, prominent Bahraini blogger Mahmood al-Yousif was arrested in his home. Before leaving with police officers, the blogger tweeted, "Police here for me." His brother and son have both confirmed the arrest.
Liberal Jewish Blogger Under Attack
Richard Silverstein, a liberal Jewish blogger, has come under attack from right wing nationalists and religious hard liners. In his blog Tikun Olam, Silverstein has posted a statement sent to his lawyer from David Yerushalmi-who accusing him of libel. “I am reluctantly forced to revisit the statements your client, Richard...
Microsoft Compromises Users’ Privacy: No HTTPS in Arab Countries, Iran
With the ongoing protestes and violent crackdown from governments in the Middle East, compromising online security could have dire repercussions on the wellbeing of internet users in the region. Email security is a priority and HTTPS should be enabled by default. Gmail does that, while Microsoft allows users to choose to activate...
Syria: A Blogger Arrested, a Journalist Missing
Amidst a crackdown on protests in Daraa, Syria, a journalist is reported missing, while a blogger has reportedly been arrested, not long after being released for a previous arrest.
Alert: Ali Abdulemam goes missing in Bahrain
We just received the following news from the Bahrain Human Rights Society alerting us about the missing of our dear friend and colleague Ali Abdulemam. Ali Abdulemam, a leading Bahraini blogger and Global Voices Advocacy author, has been arrested earlier on 4 September 2010 and released on 23 February 2011...
How Much Does Internet Access Matter?
Amidst the ongoing debate of the role of social media in revolutions across the Middle East and North Africa lies another question: To what degree does Internet access matter in determining the role of the Internet and social media in these revolts? Jillian C. York looks at different ideas about the effects of Internet penetration on the effectiveness of social media organizing.
