A Bahraini blogger was reportedly arrested this morning, no charges are published yet, but the draconian way of the arrest is alarming. Probably armed with an arrest warrant from the public prosecutor, the police went to Ali Abdulimam’s house and on not finding him there, arbitrarily have taken his sister instead probably to ensure that he turns up at the station.
Disregard all of that. It remains to be seen why he is arrested, and what the arrest warrant says.
Ali runs montadayat.org bahrainonline.org a site very critical of the government, and its commenters even more so. So Ali is paying the price…
Holding judgment for a moment, I hope that Ali and other fellow bloggers realise where the line is. For not knowing definitively where it is, is a dangerous enterprise. We just have to follow logic, no more and no less. It is vitally important as well to understand that with freedoms of expression comes responsibility. It behoves us to realise that just as “regular” journalists, we have to ensure that we do not defame people, symbols or entities without just cause.
It’s too early for me to judge Ali and his arrest. It is however amply demonstrated that once again, the government has overstepped its line probably to derail yet another excellent attempt by the Crown Prince to right this country… just after his Economy Reform launch…
update: Bahrania is a lot more “on the pulse” of this situation than I am. I suggest if you want quicker and more thorough updates, please go visit her site. On my side, I’ve done some contacts here and there and my contacts are as flabbergasted as I am. So hopefully some common sense will prevail soon.
update 2: The case has been taken up by various rights organisations locally and internationally:
• Committee to protect bloggers
• Reporters without Borders
update 3:
• Chan’ad posts about a protest in support of Ali Abdulemam which happened yesterday in front of the Public Prosecutor’s office in Manama.
• BahrainiBlogger suggests that we should have one day of solidarity with Ali and write one article severely critical of the government to (1) see how they react, and (2) to essentially tell them that if they shut one person or site down, tens of others will spring up.
Comments
Is it worth it?
Here we go again, I hope this won’t be another setback cause promises need to be kept and not reiterated after such incidents. Let’s wait and see.
Is it worth it?
Small correction, Ali runs BahrainOnline.org ,… not Montadayat.org .
Is it worth it?
also…ali’s sister was arrested because apparently the phone line is under her name.
it is still too early to tell what’s going on.
silly me
Is it worth it?
pls don’t tell me that this country is following iran as a model – flashback – 2 iranian bloggers got arrested the last time around.
Is it worth it?
The website seems to be still up that might be a good sign.
billT
Is it worth it?
Please be careful, Your family needs you and It is important you continue to be there.
Is it worth it?
the only reason the website is still up – that’s if you are viewing it from bahrain is because of the proxified link (see chanad’s blog) otherwise its because you are viewing it from outside bahrain. Or your ISP is not Batelco.
Re: Is it worth it?
Guess its not a good sign. Sucks when you cant speak freely.
Is it worth it?
Be safe, Mahmood.
Repression of nonviolent criticism is the first step toward totalitarian distopia. Let’s just hope that Bahrain isn’t headed there – the world does not need another Saudi or Mullahran.
Is it worth it?
Peace, safety, and free expression to you, your family, and Bahraini society Mahmood.
Is it worth it?
AS I RODE INTO TOMBSTONE MY HORSE HIS NAME WAS MAC
I SAW WHAT I’LL RELATE TO YOU GOIN’ ON BEHIND MY BACK
IT SEEMS THE FOLKS WERE UP IN ARMS
A MAN NOW HAD TO DIE
FOR BELIEVING THINGS THAT DIDN’T FIT
THE LAWS THEY’D SET ASIDE
IT SEEMS HE WAS A SIMPLE MAN AS BEST AS I COULD SEE
HE WAS AN EXCECUTIONER, A HANGMAN JUST LIKE ME
I GUESS THAT HE’D SEEN LOOPHOLES FROM WORKIN WITH HIS NOOSE
HE’D HUNG THE WRONG MAN MANY TIMES TO COVER UP THE TRUTH
HE’D TALKED TO ALL THE PEOPLE FROM HIS SCAFFOLD IN THE SQUARE
HE TOLD THEM OF THE THINGS HE’D FOUND
BUT THEY DIDN’T SEEM TO CARE
SO WHAT IF SOMEONE HAD TO DIE
TO KEEP -A RICHES IN THEIR HANDS
THEY LAUGHED AT HIM AND WALKED AWAY
HE DIDN’T UNDERSTAND
AND SO THE HIGH SHERIFF CAME AROUND
HE SAID HE’D HAD ENOUGH
HE’D MAKE THE HANGMAN SHUT HIS MOUTH
AND PUT AN END TO ALL THIS STUFF
HE FINALLY ARRESTED HIM
AND THEN HE SENT FOR ME
TO HANG A FELLOW HANGMAN
FROM A FELLOW HANGMANS TREE
IT DIDN’T TAKE THEM LONG TO TRY HIM
IN THEIR COURT OF LAW
HE WAS GUILTY OF HONESTY
A CRIME WORSE THAN ALL
THEY SENTENCED HIM TO DIE
SO THE SEEDS OF LOVE CAN’T SPREAD
AND INFECT THE LITTLE CHILDREN
THAT’S WHAT THE LAW HAD SAID
SO THE HANGIN’ DAY CAME ROUND
AND HE WALKED UP TO THE NOOSE
I PULLED THE LEVER BUT BEFORE HE FEEL I CUT HIM LOOSE
THEY CALLED IT ALL CONSPIRACY AND THAT I HAD TO DIE
SO TO CLOSE OUR MOUTHS A
ND KILL OUR MINDS
THEY HUNG US SIDE BY SIDE
AND NOW WE’RE TWO HANGMEN HANGIN FROM A TREE
THAT DON’T BOTHER ME AT ALL
Mason Proffit 1969
Is it worth it?
I’ve been to the website and I think I know why this guy got arrested, 99%. Am not sure if I should write it here cause I don’t want Mahmood to get in trouble.
Re: Is it worth it?
can you please email me the reasons khalid to gulfgt.com(at)gmail.com – thank you.
Is it worth it?
From the GDN:
A suspect accused of inciting resentment against the government is being held in custody for 15 days pending investigation, the General Prosecution said last night.
He was arrested following a tip-off from the Information Ministry that a website, Bahrain Online, run by him was broadcasting news, pictures and information inciting hatred.
The suspect has admitted the charges as well as using a phone line registered in his sister’s name.
Is it worth it?
link:
http://gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=105488&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=27345
Is it worth it?
well he did not incite hatered as the GDN mentioned the guy was just voicing his opinion is’nt that allowed after His Majesty’s reforms?….
BUGS
Is it worth it?
Mahmood,
This topic has been linked by Glenn Reynolds on Instapundit: http://www.instapundit.com/
Expect a lot of eyeballs today on your site today. And that’s a good thing.
Now what exactly is the department in Bahrain responsible for arresting this blogger, who heads it, and where can ten thousand curious people direct their inquiries?
Steve
Re: Is it worth it?
thanks for the heads-up Steve, appreciate it.
on another topic, I’ve deleted the start of the usual Steve vs. Malik comments on this thread as I find them unnecessary. I hope you both don’t mind, but I would like to keep this thread clean and concerned with freedoms of expression and Abdelimam’s arrest.
Is it worth it?
You have to make an issue of this while it is just one guy. I recommend that you collect all the facts you can with references to easily check them and send the package to every news outlet you can name. Put a one sentence summary of the situation at the top of the email, a paragraph summary below it, and then all the facts in detail. You want to make it easy for a journalist to write a story about it.
I’d also send it to US congressmen, senators, newspapers (like the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal), Internet magazines, business magazines, and everyone else you can think of. Embarass the officials doing this and imply this policy hurts the business climate.
If you don’t act when it’s only a single blogger, it will be much more difficult when it is a dozen bloggers or a hundred bloggers. It’s best to oppose this policy while the stakes are small and the government not completely committed to it. It’s easier for them to back away when it’s only one guy.
Steve
Truth will out
An [url]http://instapundit.com/archives/021430.php[/url], Mahmood. That should get this story huge notice around the ‘sphere.
Sissy
[url]http://sisu.typepad.com[/url]
Re(1): Is it worth it?
Doesn’t bother me. It’s a distraction.
Steve
Is it worth it?
Ernst Janning: Judge Haywood… the reason I asked you to come. Those people, those millions of people… I never knew it would come to that. YOU must believe it, YOU MUST believe it.
Judge Dan Haywood: Herr Janning, it came to that the first time you sentenced a man to death you knew to be innocent.
Quote from the Movie Judgement at Nuremberg
Is it worth it?
Looked at the page in question, No english version. So couldn’t assess the content.
I do hope this isn’t a set back to progress in the reforms that have been undertaken there.
Regardless, You Stay safe Mahmood. You to Khalid.
Not meaning to trivialize this, especially when it is too early to know the whole story.
But from an American perspective: “inciting resentment against the government”, Arab Please! In America that Charge would put about 75% to 85% of the Population behind bars. Including me for “inciting resentment against the government” concerning some of Repulican President Bush’s policies (Who I have voted for & supported). The Clinton years would have probably put me & 80% of the Texas population on Death Row awaiting execution. The Carter Years, we would have all have been just required as Americans by Law & National Honor to commit mass suicide. President Ford & Nixon, those years: We would have all just Drove ourselve’s down to the prison. Lock ourselve’s Up & weld the cell doors shut!
Walt In Texas.
Is it worth it?
Dear Mahmood,
It pays to go underground, never trust the governments in the lands of sands , you are the breavest,using your real name and photos!!
BenKerishan
benkerishan.blogspot.com
Is it worth it?
khalid… please send me the offending article too at desertwasp(at)gmail.com
Thanks…
Is it worth it?
khalid, me too please! : chanad(at)gmail.com
Trackback :: Cedar Revolution
TrackBack from small dead animals
The dominos continue to teeter towards democracy and reform in the Middle East. BEIRUT, Feb 28 (AFP) – Two weeks after the assassination of ex-premier Rafiq Hariri, some 10,000 people massed in the streets of Beirut early Monday in defiance…
Is it worth it?
Guys am safe, living in the UK for the time being. Hopefully Mahmood is. I can email you links to a few of the threads i found. I’d take it you know arabic. I’ll do that in a few mins.
[Modified by: Khalid (KhalidSaad) on February 28, 2005 10:46 AM]
I think Bahrain should be able to vote for its leaders
So why don’t you just vote out the current “Majesty” and elect a Prime Minister instead? The Middle East is full of unelected dictators who pretend to be “kings” when all they did was trip over a rock and fall onto a big ugly chair next to an oil well. Bahrainis are smart people, they shouldn’t have to stand for this.
Re: I think Bahrain should be able to vote for its leaders
Are you on drugs or worse, permanently mentally imballanced?
If you don’t know enough about a situation, people or a country, stay out of it rather than throwing some idiotic and incindiary comment like this.
Is it worth it?
an intersting note i want to add
the ministry of “dis”information traced Ali’s name and address because he put his “real” details in the ICANN whois record “and its still there by the way!”.
That is a big no no. No one puts his real details in a controversial website no matter where he is. Of all the websites i own and maintain “NONE” of them have my real details and I use a free email account to register them. This is the normal practice in any contoversial website on the web, no matter where you live. Being a computer engineer, he should have known that. Having said that, he, as all of us are, have the right to free speech and what the police did is an insult to the democratic reforms in Bahrain.
Re(1): I think Bahrain should be able to vote for its leaders
Interesting how you attack this poster in such a manner but Steve makes all sorts of much more inflammatory statements and hears nothing from you! Why not take Steve to task equally next time he talks about leveling Saudi cities or his recent statement that because he has never heard a Saudi with a different opinion they must not exist. Why not some consistancy in your responses?
Re(4): I think Bahrain should be able to vote for its leaders
I guess unlike brother Malik, we who have our own blogs don’t have a life.
Yet you spend most of your time at work on this and possibly other blogs forcing us to waste even more of our lives.
Doesn’t that raise a flag in your head that you’re using someone else’s time, resources and money surfing from the office? Doesn’t that amount to stealing? Isn’t that haram?
First you apologise (on the wrong thread mind you) for your behavior, send me an email copy so I don’t miss it which I accepted, then I come back here and see this?!
Malik, I’m sorry to say that I will join others on this blog and just ignore whatever you write. I’ll leave it open however in the hope that one day you yourself will see how ridiculous you sound.
Re(5): I think Bahrain should be able to vote for its leaders
Mahmood writes “Malik, I’m sorry to say that I will join others on this blog and just ignore whatever you write. I’ll leave it open however in the hope that one day you yourself will see how ridiculous you sound. ”
I didnt mean to sound like other people here do not have a life, it is just I do not have the time. I was not having a go at you or anyone else. I was just pointing out that I do not use the computer that much outside of work because I dont have the time. Sorry you took that as a swipe at you or anyone else, it was not meant that way.
As to what is Haraam, my job requires that I spend hours a day on the net for various reasons. I drop in here when I am on the net, nothing more. You need to keep in mind that I am not the only person here who posts from work, another worker here from DC comes to mind.
Sorry you seem to think that it matters where I posted the apology. I posted it on the newest thread from you, the cleanest one, so it would be much easier for everyone to see. It would seem that not even that is okay. I just didnt want it to get lost in the fray.
Is it worth it?
Go get’em Mahmood, “Are you on drugs or worse, permanently mentally imballanced?”
Hey, “That wasn’t me” , I post it comes up Anonymous also, but only because I’ve had problems trying to register on Mahmoods Den. Always put who I am at the end of the post.
While I try to keep up with world affairs. There are most likely things Americans do not know about Bahrain that maybe you can help us with (when you have time). Particularly the Structure & proceedings of Bahraini legal system.
When & are the Bahraini Authorities required to disclose the details of the charges?
Even if Ali Abdulimam is cleared of the charges at the end of 15 days are the authorities required to make public the details leading to these charges?
Or are the charges treated as a sealed indictment, released when presented to what in the U.S. would be a Grand Jury when it goes to court?
Should it come to that. Are trials in Bahrain by Jury, Judicial Tribunal? How are trails structured?
Walt in Texas.
Unwelcome
Malik, who do you think you are to tell me how to reply and how to conduct myself on MY BLOG? If you think you have the right to do so, then you are much more of a fool than I thought you actually are.
If you don’t like it, the solution is simple. Don’t come here. There is nothing forcing you from doing so.
The very least you people should realise is that you are here on my blog AS GUESTS. Even with some of your non-ending moans I never complained. Now you want to force my hand to come to your rescue?
Forget it.
And a fair warning: if *I* find anything or any comment that *I* don’t like. I’ll delete it without warning.
It would be better for YOU to start your own blog Malik, and start moaning and groaning there. Frankly we are no longer interested in your archaic points of views.
Re: Is it worth it?
Careful putting fake data in the ICANN info boxes. There’s a big push to make that illegal, which can end up terminating your license to the ownership of the domain name (at least for .com and .net TLDs).
Re(1): Is it worth it?
I don’t see the point in hiding really. If you’re moderately knowledgeable in the ways of the internet it is a simple exercise to find someone. How is it when governments pour heavy resources into it? They find a person in a lot less time.
Also, I bet if I started an anonymous blog now, I will be discovered in a couple of days because of my writing style, specific spelling mistakes and a plethora of other tell-tales.
That’s all beside the point though as far as I am concerned. What Abdulemam wanted to do, as I and many other Bahraini bloggers are doing as well is that we want to criticise so we can effect change to the better. This is constructive criticism. So if that is our premise, why hide?
Do you really think that the King or anyone in government gives a toss if some moron commentor or even a moderator curses them once in a while? That’s all part of their job description. You have to have a very tough hide in order to be King or any public official for that matter for you can be absolutely sure that someone somewhere will be swearing at you and trying to defame you.
So what? Does that change anything? He’s still the King and that commentor is still a schmuck with a grudge.
BUT, if you declare who you are and people know you, I believe your criticism will be well received and you naturally will be politic about your criticisms or at least be polite about it. Does that reduce the effectiveness of criticism? Not at all, they strengthen your critique and these might even be printed and forwarded to concerned authorities to do something about the situation.
So, as Les Horton said in his column today, there are far too many libelious snippits on these blogs (including this one I am sure) that if people really wanted to take us to court, we would have been hung and quartered (figuratively) a long time ago.
But then, the more experienced you get in writing generally, and blogging specifically, you do get to tone down your tirades because you suddenly realise that this is not your own beast exclusively any more and people do come over from all over the world to read your words. Hence, you start to actually check your sources, do some cross references and even think twice before libeling someone. All of these things again do not water down criticisms, but strengthen them.
If you read some of my early posts, you will see how libelous some of the content is! I knew very little then. I know a lot more now.
Re(1):Hmmm
Malik ..
Sorry for jumping in here, but I felt compelled.
Why, as an American, have you embraced one of the worse aspects of our culture which is to get personal with someone when we have differing points of view??? Why cant you keep the arguements to the ‘issues’ ?
If you want to start an opposition mobement against the Al Saud from Washington DC, be my guest. If you want to position yourself as the next Chalabi, be my guest too.
However, how the HELL do you equate Mahmood calling your views archaic with a perceived attack on Islam??? And, who the hell are you to determine what is an archaic view of Islam or not? Or what is modern and moderate? Leave religion where it belongs, between an individual and God. Focus on spreading love and compassion. Not on spreading hate. And for christ’ sake – dont do what most of the Jews do whenever they see a jew critical of israel and call them a self loathing Jew. In all honesty, the way I read your posts is that you are just one sentence away from calling Mahmood a self hating Moslem.
Leave him alone. Focus your energy on reinterpreting Islam and furthering understanding. Not to push just your own interpretaiton of what is ‘modern
Re(2): I think Bahrain should be able to vote for its leaders
Steve makes all sorts of inflammatory statements and then hears enough from just about everyone else, until we decide that he is set in his ways and just ignore him.
I’m not keeping score here, but I haven’t seen a lot of criticism from Mahmood towards you either. Most of the flack you receive is from other commenters, most especially Ethan and Steve.
Just to spell it out for you and the anonymous poster whose bandwagon you were all too eager to jump on; these are very sensitive and very uneasy times. Bahraini bloggers are losing sleep thinking about the situation. Most bloggers in Bahrain do so out of a genuine interest to express themselves and to build community, the kind of community that hitherto have been characterized by family and faith, possibly business. Not that we wanted to supplant those institutions, virtual relationships can only do so much. Blogging for us is a manner of enhancing the social structures that exist on the ground. Read our blogs, we’re NOT activists first (Free Ahmed Blog notwithstanding).
Unless the comment has been deleted, I suspect the post in question is the one suggesting an overthrow of the current government. News flash, the three in jail have been hauled in for less than that. Near every single one of us DO NOT WANT TO ENGAGE THE RULING FAMILY IN DIRECT CONFLICT. That’s not our aim. We want a protected environment where constructive criticism can be leveled across the board, and that criticism over time will bring POSITIVE change WITHOUT the need for a political power struggle. We don’t expect them to be perfect.
The erosion of trust between the ruling family and the people of Bahrain has been well documented, but it is never too late for both parties to make amends and to move along.
Mailk, you picked the wrong opinion to wave your flag for. The last thing any of us in the Bahraini Blogging Community want to hear is any talk of sedition, uprising or any nonsense like that.
Before you pull the “but Mahmood won’t let me criticize him” card, let me tell you that you were doing just fine until you backed him into a corner. At which point it wasn’t constructive anymore, it was aimed at getting political capital within this forum. I’ve referred to blogs as digital gahwas or diwaniyyas, where any topic is on the table and no holds are barred. I hate to let out an unspoken rule, but when you roast the host, don’t be surprised if your coffee is handed to you with the left hand.
Malik, you’ve obviously spent an awful lot of time on this blog. I would almost venture to say that you’ve posted more in the last two months than Mahmood has. Most of the time it is to say the same thing over and over again. As amazed as I am that Steve can find personal affront in any point of view unfamiliar to him, I am equally amazed that 15 posts into ANY discussion is Malik harping about the same thing that he was harping about on yesterday’s topic.
Face it Malik, you’re a broken record playing the same old song to the same melody. Steve has been trolling here longer than you have and has earned his criticism from near everyone.
Mahmood is his own man, and I doubt that he will ever go out of his way to court your approval. If he’s gone on record saying that he’s tired of you, then I can’t defend you one bit.
You’ve obviously got a lot to say, it’s well past time you created your own space and earned your own traffic. Start your own blog, my friend. Good luck to you.
As’salaam w’alaikum
Is it worth it?
“Inciting hatred” That sort of phrase is common to totalitarian governments. The government of Bahrein should realize that your country’s fame is not bad, at least for what I’ve heard in the last few years, it is quite tolerant by the Arab Peninsula standards. Al Jazeera is there, but also the most important US command post in the Gulf apart from Iraq. It’s a rich country with a small population who have quite a good standard of living…etc. etc. etc. So, in view of all of this standing in international public opinion, the government of Bahrein will be very inept if they tarnish such image, instead of being polishing it with moves such as Saudi Arabia’s and Jordan’s faint beginnings of democracy. Any crack down on democracy, any breech of human rights will play very bad for the Bahreini government vis-a-vis international public opinion. I surely hope they are not as stupid as that and realize the momentum pushing democray in the world right now. If they take the reactionary side, they will go against history now. I pray they think seriously about it. I’m a Mexican, very far from Manama, so please correct me in any mistake I might have made assesing your country, please. God bless all.
Is it worth it?
Oops! Suddenly I realized I was talking about Qatar. Doha, not Manama. Geez now I find I don’t know much about Bahrein. 🙁 At least I can use the excuse that I’m from so far away :p God bless Bahrein, anyway. That is very sincere.
Re: Unwelcome
Thanks Mahmood.
I hope people take the hint and this is the end of it.
It is so exhausting for us… wonder how u took it for so long.
c u soon.
Is it worth it?
I find it quite hard to talk of a ‘crack down on democracy’ etc as long as we don’t really know what the charges are – is it really only simple critique of the governemnt that lead to the arrests? Judging from this and similar blogs this seems to be tolerated to quite some extent. Or have there been posts calling for an overthrow of the ruling family on “bahrainonline” – I infer from previous American posts that you can publicly call for system changes in the US, but you most certainly cannot in the great majority of European states. Publishing of calls for undemocratic sytstem changes etc can (and does) bring you before court in Europe as well. The same is obviously true for inciting racial and religious harted and so forth.
What I find very alarming, though, is the complete lack of transparency with regard to the charges. I wonder whether anyone could enlighten us here … If the charges turn out to consist of simply criticising the government then one should think about international pressure etc
Re: Is it worth it?
Well, we do know what the charges are:
1. Defaming the royalty
2. Inciting hatred towards the regime
3. Violating the Press Laws
4. Violating the Communication Laws
There are many posts on BahrainOnline that insult the government and Royal Family.. but I haven’t read any that call for violent revolution. In any case, can the BahrainOnline moderators really be responsible for each of the hundreds of messages that are posted on the forum everday?
But even more worrying is that govt has detained these guys for at least 15 days “pending investigation”. Accused rapists can be released on bail, but these guys can’t?
Recall that in the US, Michael Moore released a feature length film that does nothing but insult the leader of the country. It was a mediocre film, but a testament of freedom of speech.
Proposed Press Law by the Shura Council
Someone over at Bahrania’s put the following very valuable link pointing out the new proposed press law [english] which has received unanimous accollades by the Shura members and the Parliament. However unfortunately it has not been adopted yet, although it has been (I think) with the government since 2003.
This law if adopted would most probably eradicate the problems we have now with the amended Press Law #47.
Is it worth it?
Thanks Chan’ad. Sorry if I was being unclear – I’d be interested to know which posts on Bahrainonline the charges refer to. Is it normal stuff or have there been somewhat ‘revolutionary’ lines? Do we know that?
As for Michael Moore … As I said freedom of expression is obviously more pronounced in the states than e.g. in Europe where people are being sued for a lot less. This of course – and that’s a major difference to Bahrain – to civil courts not involving the public prosecutor. cases of defaming government are dealt with as libel cases and they don’t have harsh consequences (as imprisonment).
On the other hand charges as inciting racial hatred are dealt with quite strictly so my argument is just that one would have to see what has been posted there. Does it have to be made public at some stage or will we never know?
(Sorry in case I double posted)
Re: Unwelcome
Mahmood posts “Malik, who do you think you are to tell me how to reply and how to conduct myself on MY BLOG? If you think you have the right to do so, then you are much more of a fool than I thought you actually are. ”
Nothing wrong with wanting to see some consistancy. Look Mahmood, I like you, doesnt really matter to me what you think about me. My only issue is that you seem to let hate mongers like Steve slide but then have a real go at so called “extremists”. I have no issue with having goes at extremists as long as people are consistant. Why pick one set of extremists over another?
Posted The very least you people should realise is that you are here on my blog AS GUESTS. Even with some of your non-ending moans I never complained. Now you want to force my hand to come to your rescue?”
I dont need anyone to come to my rescue, Steve is clearly an extremist with a large amount of hatred. I am not the only one that sees it here.
Posted “It would be better for YOU to start your own blog Malik, and start moaning and groaning there. Frankly we are no longer interested in your archaic points of views.”
Yes, a modern American Muslim who can still follow his religion and be completely modern and moderate. Archaic, hardly.
Re(3): I think Bahrain should be able to vote for its leaders
My intention was not to back anyone into a corner or to get anyone into trouble. Sorry if you think I am a broken record. I have not been here that long so I come and see what I think is Steve, and now Ethan, getting a free ride spouting all of their hatred and rubbish about Muslims and Arabs. If I sound like a broken record it is because I am responding, consistantly, to Steve’s and Ethan’s rubbish.
As to doing my own blog, I do not spend time on my computer outside of work. I have a life, I am active in local society, the Mosque, inter-faith groups, and I have two children and a third on the way. Starting my own blog would require far too much of a drain on my own time. My children, family and faith are more important.
Re: Is it worth it?
Yet Walt if we felt that our country was threatened that same group of people would raise up to defend her. We are a bunch of flag waving patriots who have historically distrusted [i]any[/i] politician in power, yet have no reservations about our political system. We constantly debate about how our laws fit within the framework of our constitution. Are highly skeptical towards anyone or anything that would roll back our civil liberties because instinctively we know how fragile those freedoms are.
Mahmood – Is it worth it? I know you have asked yourself this question before. Ultimately it comes down to the reason why you do it and therein lays your answer. We know your part of the world is facing a lot of changes and really appreciate your gift of sharing your world with us. God bless, keep safe and give Frances and your simian an extra hug tonight.
Re: Is it worth it?
Thanks for the links Khalid;)
Trackback :: Blogging and Free Speech
TrackBack from Somewhere on A1A…
Here’s a more ominous report of the hazards of blogging than we see in Iran. We expect the Mullahs to crack down on free speech.. but in decidedly more liberal Bahrain??? Mahmood’s Den has a local report in English……