Internet Censorship in Jordan
Extremely disappointing logic behind two instances of internet censorship in Jordan, reported in today’s Al Ghad newspaper. I could not find the articles in English:
“Al Qaeda Poet” sentenced to 18 months in jail. According to the Al Ghad piece, this person was sentenced to jail based on poems he wrote and published in online forums praising Osama Ben Laden.
President of the Jordan National Movement, Ahmad Oweidi Al Abbadi, accused of several charges. According to Al Ghad, Al Abbadi also published his opinions, deemed offensive to the state and the royal family, on the JNM’s website.
So basically, the reasoning of the Jordanian Big Brother is to jail any locals who publish materials online that do not sound like the talk of any given state official. Authorities seem to believe that this strategy will be effective in changing people’s whispered opinions, improving the public mood, and eradicating poverty and corruption. Free speech and cyber openness topped with a jail sentence.
But what about the people who live abroad and have a lot to say?
A few days ago, Mahmoud Rimawi had a good article on the latest decision of Jordanian authorities to subject online publications in the country to the same press law that governs normal publications, newspapers, and whatnot.
Are these subsequent incidencts an indication of the government’s tilting towards less openness and less tolerance of different opinions? Or are they steps on the way towards more cyber-intelligence (which could either serve the General Intelligence Department or free speech) aimed to understand the booming business of Jordanian online self-expression?
What say you?
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October 2nd, 2007 at 4:52 pm
<p>I believe the worst is yet ahead…</p>
October 3rd, 2007 at 9:46 pm
<p>Regardless of the two cases covered in the articles you pointed to, I think there are two questions over here: 1. Can the internet be censored and controlled? 2. Should what someone says on the internet be used to incriminate him?</p>
<p>The internet is a different and tough game to play, and I think everyone agress that the only way to control what goes on the internet or what gets viewed on it is to block the whole damn thing.</p>
<p>As for the second part, I think yeah, if you say something online, you should be held accountable in the court of law for it. Free speech <u>is a right that must be guaranteed for everyone and everywhere,</u> but there isn’t such a thing as Completely Free Speech, and there shouldn’t be. People can’t just go online spreading their destructive ideas without being held accountable for it. People must be welcomed to criticize and offer constructive solutions to the problems, but they shouldn’t be allowed to present ideas that say that the only answer is the annihilation of the other.</p>
<p>Thank god for the internet :)</p>
October 5th, 2007 at 9:25 pm
People using the internet to plot terrorist attacks and conspire to murder people should be stopped.<br /><br />People using the internet to praise terrorists who have committed terrorist attacks and murdered people should be allowed to say what they want to say.<br /><br />To paraphrase an old saying: "I might not like it when someone says that Osama bin Laden is a wise and brave man, and a a shining example of a good Muslim, but I’ll defend to the death his right to say it."<br /><br />Unfortunately, mkilany is probably correct.<br /><br />