Tag Archives: Censorship

21May/08

Democracy Web

Freedom and the Internet, Middle East, Voices of Democracy, ,

 

August 23rd, 2004

By Nir Boms/Erick Stakelbeck

While the war on terror has left scores of Islamist terrorists worldwide on the run, there is still one place where they – or at least, their message – can find safe refuge: the Internet. 

In the past two weeks alone, a beheading, a graphic terrorist training video and several chilling threats against the West have all been posted on Islamist Web sites. In addition, the FBI announced on Aug. 9 that it was investigating Mazen Mokhtar, an Egyptian-born American citizen, for allegedly operating a radical site that solicited funds and recruited fighters for the Taliban and other jihadist groups. 

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14May/08

Libya’s Old Tricks

Lybia, Middle East, , ,

By Nick Grace and Nir Boms
Published December 16, 2005

Despite some positive steps taken by Libya in the past few years to normalize relations with Europe and the United States, the government of Col. Muammar Qaddafi has proven that it neither respects the fundamental rights of its citizens nor can be trusted to observe the norms of international law. The regime’s ruthless campaign to silence dissenting views, a campaign that until recently extended no further than Libyan borders, now targets the global telecommunications system and cannot be tolerated. 

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14May/08

Gaza’s Internet War

Freedom and the Internet, Islam and Democracy, Middle East, Palestinian Authority, , , , ,

Islamic war on freedom of thought in Gaza should concern Israelis as well

Niv Lillian, Nir Boms

Published:   06.04.07, 09:08 / Israel Opinion

At 3 am, in the shadow of the ongoing fighting, a giant blast shook Allah al-Shawa’s Internet cafe in Gaza. The owner, who rushed to his business in order to examine the damage, found one computer in working order in the rubble and decided to check his e-mail.

A surprise awaited him: An e-mail message from a group calling itself “Islamic Swords of Justice” explained that the cafe was blown up because it and those of its type “divert the attention of an entire generation to other issues that are not Jihad or worship.” In other words, the e-mail charged that his Internet cafe was used for distributing abomination and pornography.

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14May/08

Orwellian Censorship

Freedom and the Internet, Iran, , , ,

By Nir T. Boms and Elliot Chodoff
Published November 10, 2006

“Ignorance is power,” wrote George Orwell in his famous book “1984,” referring to the information police that kept bad ideas from the eyes of good people. The rationale of the Big Brother has, unfortunately, often appeared throughout history. According to this approach, the only way to maintain the strength of an idea is to eliminate all suspicion or doubt. If one has no reason to question a belief, then that belief will remain, and if the absence of questioning can be sustained indefinitely, then the belief will be upheld indefinitely. Welcome to Iran. 

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