Menassat:Bahrain's "anti-porn" campaign heightens censorship
Published on Menassat (http://www.menassat.com)
By ALEXANDRA SANDELS Created 23/03/2009 - 16:40
BEIRUT, MARCH 23, 2009 (MENASSAT) – In January, local newspapers in Bahrain made public a ministerial order by Bahrain’s new Minister of Media and Culture, Sheikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, that called on telecommunications companies and Internet service providers to tighten their measures in preventing access to websites previously banned by the ministry.
The resolution read, “Lifting the block on any site should only be on the instructions of the minister herself."
Al-Khalifa's campaign is being billed as an action against, "pornographic websites and public morality,” but activists cite several examples of websites that have been censored or banned, which fall outside of the minister's edict, including those of human rights, religious, and political organizations.
According to rights-groups, hundreds of websites have been blocked by the government on the grounds that they "incite violence," the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, BCHR, reported.
Nabeel Rajab of BCHR, whose website is on Al-Khalifa’s blacklist, told MENASSAT earlier this year that the majority of the sites blocked in Bahrain are dealing with human rights and political issues in the country and in “village chat forums.”
Sites that are currently inaccessible in Bahrain include independent newspaper Bahrain Times, the online current events forum Montadayat, and the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI).
Facebook censorship
The Bahraini authorities appear to have also turned their attention to social media, in an attempt to block dissident voices.
In a recent press release, BCHR accused Al-Khalifa of expanding the censorship campaign to social networking sites such as Facebook. The organization “discovered” that the national authorities had removed postings on Facebook pages belonging to Bahraini rights groups that reported on the human rights situation in the country.
Among the reports that mysteriously disappeared from BCHR’s page were Amnesty International's recent report on human rights defenders in the Middle East and North Africa, an AlJazeeratalk report on human rights violations in Bahrain, and a statement from the BCHR on the prosecution of Bahraini journalist Lamees Dhaif.
BCHR said it believes the motives behind the censoring of the “dissident entries” on Facebook is the “realization of the Bahraini authorities that this social site has extensive accessibility and distribution.”
Rajab also personally attacked Al-Khalifa in response to BCHR’s recent Facebook ordeal and accused the minister - often labeled as a “liberal" - of being the chief architect behind the censorship campaign.
“We are dismayed that this war is spearheaded by Mai Al-Khalifa, a lady modeled as liberal and presented with many medals in recognition of her support to culture and liberalism,” stated Rajab.
Not just politics and porn targeted
A Bahraini human rights activist speaking on the condition of anonymity told MENASSAT that the current censorship campaign is “getting out of hand” with regular sites that are unrelated to porn and politics falling victim to the government’s censorship campaign.
The activist added that this development has led to much frustration among Bahrainis.
“You should note that the outcry is amongst all citizens, even average business owners who rely on the web. There are some web services, like galleries, that are blocked despite being entirely unrelated to proxies or porn or local politics. We demand that a full investigation is put in place on how and why all these sites are blocked and not only those that are either porn-related or relevant to the authorities,” the activist told MENASSAT.
The activist agreed with the claims made by BCHR that the censorship campaign has expanded to social media sites, saying that authorities have been blocking Facebook links since the beginning of March.
“We can't even share articles on our Facebook profiles, which is something I do all the time,” said the activist.
Activist crackdowns
Along with censorship, Bahraini activists are facing gloomy days as several have been sent to court for defamation suits.
The most recent was Abdul Hadi Al-Khawaja, former president of BCHR who currently works for the rights group Front Line. Al-Khawaja was accused of "instigating hatred and disrespect," in a speech he made in January, where he had lashed out against the Bahraini authorities, calling the government an "oppressive regime," that "plundered public lands, degraded the people, and used mercenaries against them.”
Human Rights Watch has reportedly called on Bahrain to drop all charges against Al-Khawaja and lift the travel ban authorities have imposed on him.
Legal suits have also been filed against human rights activists Abduljalil Alsingace, Hassan Mushaima and Mohamed Habib Al-Muqdad, "in relation to their publishing activities and speeches about the political situation in Bahrain,” reports the London-based Article 19.
The three men are due in court on March 24 to respond to the 18 charges filed against them. One of the charges is related to Bahrain’s Article 6 of the Terrorism Code of 2006 and carries a penalty of life imprisonment.
In a press release today, HRW reported a "serious use of flaws" in the criminal trial of Mushaima, leader of the political opposition group Haq, and said that all coerced testimony in his trial and in that of 34 others "should be withdrawn and that those not charged with a genuine criminal offense should be freed."
Meanwhile, HRW has reported legal suits against two Bahraini journalists, Lamees Dhaif of "Al Waqt" and Maryam al-Sherooqi of "Al Wasat.”
Dhaif is supposedly facing three years behind bars for writing an article series on the Bahraini court system's failures in family law. Al-Sherooqi has been charged with "insulting and degrading the Civil Service Bureau" for exposing discriminatory hiring practices at the Bureau.
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Authorities block links posted on BCHR Facebook page
(BCHR/IFEX) - The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) is alarmed by the widening scope of a censorship and internet blocking campaign, led by Mai Al-Khalifa, Minister of Information and member of the ruling family, targeting dissident voices about Bahrain. This campaign has extended to social networking sites such as Facebook, blocking any discussions the authorities consider subversive.
BCHR has conducted some research on the extent of this battle against freedom of expression inside Facebook to report on the following recent incidents of censorship of Facebook entries. BCHR believes that these samples do not comprise an exhaustive list:
- "Discrimination and sectarian oppression in Bahrain, a Systematic Reality" a report, in English, by Nabeel Rajab, president of BCHR, displayed on PressTV ( http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=86562§ionid=3510303 ). This report is posted on the BCHR Facebook page
- A BCHR alert posted on IFEX, which appears on the BCHR Facebook page, on the prosecution of journalist Lamees Dhaif, in both English and Arabic. ( http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/101406 )
- "A Window Overlooking Bahrain," a report in Arabic by Kawther Ali, "Aljazeeratalk" reporter, covering some aspect of recent popular protests and human rights violations in Bahrain ( http://www.aljazeeratalk.net/portal/content/view/4152/56 )
- Amnesty International's recent report on human rights defenders covering Middle East and North Africa, posted on the BCHR Facebook page ( http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/as...0012009ara.pdf ). Brief coverage of this report was also posted on the BBC Arabic site
- An electronic forum by the University of Bahrain students, posted on the BCHR Facebook page, managed by a group of students covering issues of academic and public concern. An electronic vote is displayed on its main page ( http://www.uobvoice.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=747 )
- A "Washington Post" piece on a "Democracy Appeal", a petition addressed to US President Obama by 163 American and overseas politicians, human rights defenders, academics, and others, calling for the U.S.'s commitment to genuine democratization and support of human rights in the Muslim world and a promise to cease supporting autocrats and dictators in this part of the world. This article and the letter with signatories, was posted on Facebook by activist AJ Alsingace, Head of the Human Rights Unit in the HAQ Movement of Civil Liberties and Democracy
- A link to page 4 of the 14 February issue of "Alwasat" newspaper, showing different portraits of human rights violations, with an English comment: "UTTERLY untrue. Bahrain is a safe haven. People enjoy freedom of expression, assembly, religious practice, etc. Children, youth, women and seniors are enjoying it!" This remark and link was posted on BCHR's Facebook page by the activist AJ Alsingace. ( http://www.alwasatnews.com/pdf/default.asp?issue_number=2381&p=1 )
- Facebook provides a free SMS service for its members. The authorities blocked the downloading of the application software from the site, which is required for the Facebook chat service.
What is interesting is that these items and comments are accessible outside of Facebook. BCHR believes that the drive behind the eagerness of the Bahraini Authorities to block these and similar dissident entries on Facebook is the realization that this social site has extensive accessibility and distribution.
Nabeel Rajab, president of BCHR, responded to this campaign:"We consider this campaign to be a war against all forms of expression". He added: "This war has widened to include even social and worldwide renowned sites like Facebook. We are dismayed that this war is spearheaded by Mai Al-Khalifa, a lady modeled as liberal and presented with many medals in recognition of her support to culture and liberalism". Rajab concluded: "We are wary of these accolades. Mai Al-Khalifa's actions, with regards to restricting freedom of expression, should be the basis for the retractions of those accolades.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Send appeals to the Bahraini Authorities asking them to: - lift the ban and blockage of BCHR's Facebook entries and respect the freedom of expression of BCHR's Facebook group members - put an end to the campaign against all forms of freedom of expression and lift the ban on dissident voices on the web - repeal all administrative resolutions targeting web accessibility and restricting freedom of expression, and constrain the Minister of Information's involvement in media censorship - amend the Press Code of 2002, ensuring its conformity to international conventions
APPEALS TO: His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa King of Bahrain
Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa Cabinet Prime Minister Fax: +97 3 1 721 1363
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
MORE INFORMATION:
For further information contact Nabeel Rajab, President, BCHR, Manama, Bahrain, tel: +973 3963 3399 / 3940 0720, fax: +973 1779 5170, e-mail: nabeel.rajab@bahrainrights.org, info@bahrainrights.org, Internet: http://www.bahrainrights.org; Facebook: English Group: http://www.facebook.com/home.php/group.php?gid=44138766349, Arabic Group: http://www.facebook.com/home.php/group.php?gid=50727622539
FREE EXPRESSION SPOTLIGHT: HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS FACING LENGTHY JAIL TIME AMID CRACKDOWN ON FREE EXPRESSION
In the Bahraini government's ongoing crackdown on free expression, blogs and social networking websites have been censored, union leaders have been slapped with defamation suits and human rights activists are facing up to 10 years or even life in prison, report the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), Human Rights Watch and ARTICLE 19.
Last week, Abdul Hadi Al-Khawaja, former president of BCHR who now works for Front Line, was in court on charges of "instigating hatred and disrespect", stemming from a speech he made in January that was critical of the government. Human Rights Watch, which monitored the trial with Front Line, called on Bahrain to drop the charges and lift the travel ban on Al-Khawaja.
"Speaking out harshly against a country's rulers should not be a crime," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "A government that claims to be promoting democracy and human rights, as Bahrain does, shouldn't be putting people in jail for what they say and write."
In his speech, Al-Khawaja called the government an "oppressive regime," that "plundered public lands, degraded the people, and used mercenaries against them." He called for the public to demand the removal of the "ruling gang" through "peaceful means."
Al-Khawaja thanked the trial monitor, Andrea Rocca of Front Line, who reported back details of the proceedings to Human Rights Watch and the IFEX Clearing House. "It seems that the presence of Andrea as a representative of important international NGOs had a great impact in regard to the restrictions and the proceedings", he said. Rocca noted, "In previous occasions, there was a very significant presence of riot police both outside and inside the court building and access was restricted. However, this morning, the presence of riot police was minimal, although many policemen in plainclothes were present. Access to the courtroom was not restricted," and a representative of BCHR and Al-Khawaja's family were able to enter freely.
ARTICLE 19 reports that another trial is ongoing against human rights activists Abduljalil Alsingace, Hasan Mushaima and Mohamed Habib Al-Muqdad "in relation to their publishing activities and speeches about the political situation in Bahrain." They were arrested on 26 January, and Alsingace was freed on bail, while the other two remain in jail. They return to court on 24 March, facing 18 charges, the most severe being related to Article 6 of the Terrorism Code of 2006 and carrying a penalty of life imprisonment. On 6 February, 20 members of IFEX, led by BCHR, protested the arrests of the above three men.
In spite of a constitution that protects the right of free expression, recent weeks have seen a spate of censorship tactics aimed at journalists, bloggers and activists.
BCHR reported this week that the Minister of Information, Mai Al-Khalifa, is expanding an Internet censorship campaign to social networking sites such as Facebook. BCHR has discovered the government has taken down Facebook postings that link to critical news reports or press releases from rights watch groups. Already, hundreds of websites have been blocked by the government on the grounds they "incite violence," according to BCHR.
BCHR also condemns the defamation case against two members of the Bahrain Nursing Association, who are accused of smearing officials at the Salmaneyya Medical Complex, the main public hospital in Bahrain. The High Criminal Court will rule on their case on 24 March.
Meanwhile, the legal cases continue against two other newspaper journalists, Lamees Dhaif of "Al Waqt" and Maryam al-Sherooqi of "Al Wasat," HRW reports. Dhaif faces three years for penning a series that used case studies to demonstrate the Bahraini court system's failures in family law and al-Sherooqi has been charged with "insulting and degrading the Civil Service Bureau" for exposing discriminatory hiring practices at the Bureau.
Visit these links: - HRW's coverage of the Al-Khawaja case: http://tinyurl.com/d5jdn9 - BCHR website: http://www.bahrainrights.org/en IFEX joint action on three detainees: http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/100645/ - IFEX's Bahrain page: http://tinyurl.com/ytqq7w
Freedom House: Women's Rights in Bahrain 2009
Nondiscrimination and Access to Justice: 2.2 Autonomy, Security, and Freedom of the Person: 2.6 Economic Rights and Equal Opportunity: 3.1 Political Rights and Civic Voice: 2.3 Social and Cultural Rights: 2.9 (On a scale of 1-5, with 1 representing the least rights and 5 representing the most rights available)
INTRODUCTION
The Kingdom of Bahrain, a small island nation off the Arabian Peninsula, is generally considered more liberal in its interpretation and application of Islam than adjacent countries. Spurred by the political and economic reforms of hereditary ruler Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, women's rights have steadily improved since he took the throne in 1999. Shari'a (Islamic law) is the main source of legislation for family law courts, and the rights, duties, and gender roles of women in Bahrain are strongly influenced by the country's culture and religion. Bahraini citizens make up approximately one half of the resident population, which is believed to have reached one million.[1]
Bahrain is for the most part a peaceful nation, but friction between the Sunni-led government and the largely Shiite opposition persists. Although they constitute the majority of the population, Shiites face discrimination in employment, government services, and the education system. While the ongoing ethnic and