China’s internet culture is both thriving and repressed. These contradictions are examined in my book, The Blogging Revolution. This story below perfectly explains the power of the web, the inability of rural people to be heard in the country and sad gender politics: Recently, “Yunnan Naked Girl” has become one of the hottest topic in…
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In the midst of Afghan madness, freedom for one
With civilians the main victims of NATO and Western “liberation” in Afghanistan, a small piece of good news: Sayed Pervez Kambaksh, the student sentenced to death in Afghanistan for trying to promote women’s rights, has been freed from prison. The Independent has learned that he is now living outside the country after being secretly pardoned…
The Islamic Republic allows blogging from prison
Former Iranian Vice President Mohammad Ali Abtahi is currently suffering a sham trial for allegedly backing the recent “coup” against the elected government. It’s all bollocks, of course, as this Washington Post piece explains: Abtahi has been allowed to continue blogging from his prison cell by his “good friend the interrogator,” he writes, and he…
Iranians have long believed in the power of the net
American writer and broadcaster Cyrus Farivar has a forthcoming book about the web, The Internet of Elsewhere (Rutgers University Press, 2011). He’ll be focusing on a number of countries, including Iran. World Politics Online has published an extract (it’s mostly behind a fire-wall but free trial should help): On June 20, 2009, as she watched…
Twitter is vulnerable everywhere
Although there are signs that Saudi Arabia is ever-so-slowly liberalising, here’s the reality for anybody who speaks out: Saudi Arabia’s Communications and Information Technology Commission has recently blocked access to Twitter accounts of two Saudi human rights activists because the authorities didn’t like the human rights angle of theit Twittering.
Dump those Nokia mobile phones
The global campaign against Nokia, after it emerged the company is assisting the Iranian regime in its monitoring program, continues: “Nokia out of Iran!” demanded protestors gathering peacefully on Thursday outside the Nokia Flagship Store in New York City. “Iran has cracked down on nonviolent protestors with surveillance technology developed by Nokia,” observed rally co-organizer…
How much is that democracy in the window?
During last year’s war between Russia and Georgia, conflicting narratives were flying around the world, something I wrote about in the Guardian. One year on, it now appears that Western-led, PR companies are leading the way to capture the hearts, minds and wallets of the global elite (via the Guardian): The war between Moscow and…
Iran’s brutality spreads like a cancer
There have been countless allegations of torture and abuse at the hands of the Iranian regime since the disputed election in June. Now testimonies of rape and torture are being spread online. Here’s one: They took us with tens of others to Kahrizak camp. At least in that room that I were held there were…
Telling accurate stories about struggles in Gaza
Hamas recently premiered its first film in Gaza. Blogger Lina Al Sharif attended the screening and wrote the following observations: It’s not the best movie I have seen, but it’s a movie from Gaza. Putting in consideration all the circumstances, the resources and facilities that are needed to produce a movie with such plot; the…
Twitter is controlled by the Lord
Jews, feel the power of the man upstairs: Want to tweet God? An Israeli university student has opened a Twitter site, twitter.com/thekotel, where prayers can be sent for placement in the crevices of Jerusalem’s Western Wall, a Jewish holy site that faithful believe provides a direct line to the Almighty. “I take their prayers, print…