InfoAnda - Bloggers test boundaries in Saudi Arabia

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My Profile Top News Reuters top ten news stories delivered to your inbox each day. Subscribe You are here: Home > News > Technology > Article Home Business & Finance News U.S. Politics International Technology Internet Entertainment Sports Lifestyle Oddly Enough Health Science Special Coverage Video Pictures Your View The Great Debate Blogs Weather Reader Feedback Do More With Reuters RSS Widgets Mobile Podcasts Newsletters Your View Make Reuters My Homepage Partner Services CareerBuilder Affiliate Network Professional Products Support (Customer Zone) Reuters Media Financial Products About Thomson Reuters Bloggers test boundaries in Saudi Arabia Fri Jul 10, 2009 12:45pm EDT Email | Print | Share | Reprints | Single Page [-] Text [+] By Asma Alsharif JEDDAH (Reuters) - Armed with a computer, an internet connection and his own intellect Ahmed Al-Omran is one of a few Saudi bloggers trying to push for change and make themselves heard in the conservative Gulf Arab monarchy. Blogging provides a rare platform for speech in a country which has no elected parliament, where clerics have strong influence on public opinion, newspapers often parrot the official line and public demonstrations are banned. "I want to do this because I want to be part of the change that is taking place in the country, I want to push for the changes to go faster," said Omran, a student who writes on his Saudi Jeans blog (saudijeans.org). King Abdullah has tried cautious reforms since taking office in 2005 and removed two hardline clerics from top positions in a cabinet reshuffle in February while promoting reformers. Saudi Arabia recently allowed foreign media to expand their presence in the kingdom and the new information minister even signed up for his own facebook page, but analysts and diplomats say conservatives remain wary of changes. "In the end, we care about something, we desire something and through blogging we call for the change. We ask for it. We sponsor it," Fuad Alfarhan said in a rare gathering of bloggers in Jeddah, the kingdom's most liberal city. "Now for the first time we, as individuals in our society, have this power in our hands to call for change," Alfarhan told the meeting which was meant to encourage bloggers to continue despite difficulties. PROBLEMS Farhan himself has not resumed blogging since he was arrested in 2007 and held for five months after campaigning on behalf of nine detained reformers. He was released without charges. Saudi researchers say there are up to 10,000 blogs in the kingdom. But many are now inactive or have refrained from discussing politics since Alfarhan's arrest. Many blogs also steer clear of Islam, a sensitive issue, focusing more on daily life and challenges for society. "Alfarhan's incident showed that there are red lines that are not known," said Khaled al-Nasser, another blogger. Abdulrahman al-Hazza, spokesman for the information ministry, said blogs were generally not monitored. But bloggers are worried about a law enacted earlier this year under which anyone who "touches upon the general order, religious values, or general conduct" can be prosecuted, according to the information ministry. "Anyone can accuse me of that," said Omran. "My only fear is if the government would use the law against people who want to express themselves freely online. It could be used as a scare tactic." Continued... View article on single page Share: Del.icio.us Digg Mixx Yahoo! 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