Here’s the news in case you don’t know what I’m talking about. Read the whole thing (translated from Arabic to English by the wonderful Amira of GlobalVoicesOnline). I’m highlighting in bold the phrases which I think are ridiculous:
… To the attention of Maktoob’s administrators and the blogging community,
The Arab Bloggers Union has been following with great sorrow the emergence of some offensive blogs
… And because we believe that Maktoob is a pure Arab blogging site, those registered on it should adhere to our ethics and values
… and because the Arab Bloggers Union is a home for every blogger and a line of defense for the rights of bloggers and their opinions, supporting the freedom of belief and opinion, and differences which are constructive, we urge Maktoob to delete any blog which exceeds the limits of opinion and belief by trespassing on God, the Prophets, religions, religious books, morality and values.
I love how they say “Maktoob is a pure Arab blogging site” and then “the Arab Bloggers Union is a home for every blogger”.
First of all, who formed and selected the leadership of this so-called Arab Bloggers “Union”? Were they even elected? My guess is they did the usual: got a bunch of people together, put a gigantic, seemingly glamorous title on their foreheads and started dictating orders as if they represent those who didn’t even choose them.
Secondly, can’t they elaborate more on what exactly constitutes exceeding the “limits of opinion and belief”. Who gets to decide that? Did they bring people together to democratically agree on what the phrase specifically means? It can mean anything.
Maktoob has the right to offer their services and blogging platform based on whatever term of conditions they want whether we like them or not. Fine. However it’s not fine when a so-called Arab Bloggers Union fool themselves into believing they represent us when they just don’t.
SudaneseThinker
SudaneseThinker
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
I completely agree with you. Do we need more kings and lifetime presidents disguised as “bloggers”? I think not.
I totally oppose it too, Drima, but my voice probably doesn’t count with them since I’m not an Arab
That is insane and stupid at the same time! Do those peopel of the Union have any kind of website that represents them?
Lets have our own union! and ask maktoob to delete blogs with backward mentalities! We sure have to define what backward mentalities mean, but it woud most probably contains the blogs of the people in the Arab union! lol
Do you know if Maktoob replied to such email or not?
It’s like the Arab League got its blogging shadow council… Oh dear.
Hey what is wrong with the idea itself that a union of bloggers sets some borders for what to write and what not to write?
like if a sudanese union of bloggers will not tolerate under its fold any blogs that is offensive in the north/south thing (like discrimination, tribalism or even racism)?
i am just asking because i might have got the whole thing wrong so please explain it.
Thanks for your comments guys. Please spread the word. Plus the more information we can dig, the better.
Ahmad, salam ya basha.
The problem isn’t with forming a union but with how the union is behaving. They’re basically asking bloggers who agree with them to become informants and tell them about others blogs they think are “offensive” so that they can pressure Maktoob into deleting them.
Maktoob is website that offers Arabic blogging services. They have terms and conditions which you must abide by. Fine. No problem. The problem is that the Arab Bloggers Union wants to pressure Maktoob into deleting the blogs they think are not preaching “Arab values” (whatever the hell that means).
The Union has every right to kick those they disagree with out of the union itself. However what’s ridiculous is that they want to dictate to Maktoob which blogs they should allow and which should be deleted.
Deleting a blog is up to Maktoob. It’s not the business of the so called Union.
There have been allegations that Maktoob already began complying with the demands of the Union and is deleting some blogs. The allegations were confirmed to me when I read some Arabic blogs calling for a boycott of Maktoob.
It is a shame that this man did not learn anything from the country that he lives in, sweden, the land of the freeist and most democratic media, lurks an immigrant.
Trust that the media will be up his tail this week. Cheers for the tip!
It is a shame that this man did not learn anything from the country that he lives in, sweden, the land of the freeist and most democratic media.
Trust that the media will be up his tail this week. Cheers for the tip!
Wasalam ya akhi al3aziz,
Thank you, i thought that the Union and Maktoob was one. I understand you now.
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