Tunisian bloggers push for national day to defend freedom of blogging

16/10/2008

Tunisian bloggers hope to found a national day to defend freedom of blogging from censorship, but critics say efforts will be fruitless.

By Jamel Arfaoui for Magharebia in Tunis – 16/10/08

[Facebook] Organisers of a new Facebook group defending blogging in Tunisia hope to have 1,000 members by November 4th.

Scores of bloggers and Facebook users in Tunisia have banded together to push for a national day to defend the freedom of expression.

A number of bloggers initiated the group "November 4th: A National Day for the Freedom of Expression" on Facebook. The group is now leading a campaign to promote the idea. Within two weeks, 300 people joined the effort, including human rights and political activists. According to group sources, the goal is to register 1,000 members by November 4th.

The choice of November 4th is not random; bloggers decided to gather in solidarity with journalist Zied El Heni, who filed a lawsuit against the Tunisian Internet Agency (ATI) accusing it of blocking Facebook in Tunisia. The courts will review the case on November 4th.

"This lawsuit", said blogger Lina ben Mhenni, "became a lawsuit for all internet users in Tunisia in general and the bloggers in particular, who were the first to join this movement."

Facebook access was interrupted in Tunisia in August but restored on September 2nd, upon what many suspect was the request of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

Mohammed Ben Ameur, a manager at ATI, publicly denied blocking the service purposely, citing technical issues as the reason.

"We took the opportunity provided by the trial to launch an intensive and co-ordinated media campaign to show the censorship, banning and blocking of Tunisian websites by ATI," said journalist and blogger Sofiene Chourabi.

Several blogs have been banned in Tunisia lately, like farda-we-laqat-okhtaha, perturbateur, naqed, radio 6, radion and others.

"This policy of blocking has caused more harm to Tunisia's reputation and its elites, and has made us the joke in many other countries, and has not benefited our country in any way," said Chourabi, a member of the new group and author of the blog farda-we-laqat-okhtaha, which was blocked several times before.

The group will approach freedom of speech NGOs for assistance. Chourabi said a number of these organisations have already promised support and will issue statements to show that. One other goal is to raise Tunisians' awareness of the dangers of restricting the freedom of expression, Chourabi said.

Khalid Hachemi gave a different view. Hachemi said that the internet more often than not needs censorship, for good reason.

"I support the authorities in their oversight of the internet," he said, "because it has turned into a danger that threatens the behaviours and morals of our children."

Hachemi believes the group won't be effective, and lacks the power to change anything.

"I think it is an important step," said Meriem Ammemi. "It paves the way for a new mentality, which is resorting to the available peaceful means to defend freedom of browsing the internet."

"It is no longer accepted or allowed for anyone, regardless of their power, to tell us what to read or where to go."