Batir Wardam Blog
Blogging about media, science, development, culture and future trends from the perspectives of a Jordanian liberal observer.

Blogging Censorship: The case of Khader

A very interesting debate has been emerging on OmAr's blog regarding the decision of the "Jordan Blogs" aggregate to take the "Jordanian Issues" blog by Khader Kanaan off the list, presumably for ultra-open political statements that are directed against the Jordanian regime. The JB aggrehator committee is mainly aware of potential legal liability.
Khader is an anonymous blogger whose Arabic blog is centered around Jordanian politics. He does not hide his "resentment" to the Jordanian regime and is always critical of every little move or statement of measure taken by the regime and the governemnt. Apparently this level of "political charge" has made the Jordan Blogs management committee worried, maybe of potential legal liabilities and decided to take off the blog, as explained by the aggregate creator Khaled in a reply sent to Khader. Khader himslef wrote a lengthy post criticising JB's surrneder to the "dictatorship apparatus" in Jordan!
In Omar's blog, the debate was interesting were all issues and values of "blog freedom" and censorship were raised. I would like to elaborate on my own position here.
I am in no position to assess Khader's blog. I have made my opinion clear about his writings in many occasions in his blog. However I am a person who believes that censorship should be only applied for child pornography and advocating terrorism. Obviously Khader does neither. He is politically polarised and that is his right and no one can take it away from him. Any person's feelings towards a political regime are his own and he is free to display them as long as he/she does not call for violence that will cause harm to innocents.
Khader has the right to be on any Jordanian blog aggregator in principle, but what about the rights of the aggregator management?
Khaled has voluntarily created Jordan Blogs in a response to the surprise stoppage of Jordan Planet. He has done a great job in design and management and then a committee was formed to oversee the aggregator and they are all volunteers. It seems that the committee felt some threat from the "content" of Khader's blog and thought it was better to take it off to save them, and the aggregator from legal liabilities.
Was that decision democratic? within the framework of the committee it was. The question remains about the "stakeholders" in Jordan Blogs. The stakeholders are the bloggers themselves and it might be useful for Khaled to post a voting system on the aggregator to ask bloggers if they accept the return of Khader to the aggregator while understanding the potential legal liabilities associated with that decision. If the majority says yes Khader may be brought back.
For me I can start the voting by saying that I agree for Khader to be back although I am totally against the majority of his opinions, as I have indicated before and my "confrontations" with him, sometimes ugly are documented in his blog!
 
 
 


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(9) comments


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On February, 12, 2007 3:39 PM , The observer
from Jordan said:

I vote for democracy, let khader back.


On February, 12, 2007 5:50 PM , Hashmi Hashmi said:

What about the potential that some blog adminstrators were contacted by "some people" ? ha?


On February, 12, 2007 7:03 PM , hamede
from United States said:

I agree with the observer,and hashmi have a good point.


On February, 13, 2007 10:00 AM , salam
from Jordan said:

Blogging is about being able to say what you feel..however hosting blogs in one portal is about to chose what you find convenient and post it, if the administration of JB OR JP find blogs unsuitable , it is their complete and utter right to stop them,FULLSTOP. No one stopped him from blogging did they?If he or anyone else is so keen on having his blog featured,then let him start something himself..but don't expect others to host your opinions for you..what if someone has an explicit blog, something really nasty, should Khaled or Issam allow it on, for thr sake of freedom of opinion..ya akhi you can say your mind but on your own territory..don't you think?


On February, 14, 2007 10:09 PM , Khalidah
from Jordan said:

Thank you Salam :)


On February, 14, 2007 11:11 PM , batir
from Jordan said:

Hashmi if "some people" have a problem with Khader blog they would call him immediately and not the aggregator.
Salam your point is important and valid, although I personally would like to specify the boundaries of acceptable freedom of speech.


On February, 14, 2007 11:15 PM , خضر كنعان said:

في البداية شكرا للآخ باتر على تغطية الخير حول حجب مدونتي من موقع مدونات الإردن. واهتمامه بهذا الموضوع. إلا انني في نفس الوقت اود ان أوكد انني اكن كل الإحترام للأخوة في تلك المدونة وللأخ خالد تحديدا وصراحته.
رغم انني لست في موقع لآن ابرر لهم قرارهم كما ذكرت ذلك في تعليقي على الموضوع. ما يهمني مما حدث اساسا هي الآليات التي يعمل ويتسرب فيها القمع، قمع السلطة، الى دواخلنا - بما فيهم كاتب هذه السطور واللي قمع ممكن مش بس يتسرب بل وقع ورح يوقع على راسه - وهو ما يشار له احيانا في الإعلام بـ"المقص الداخلي " بالطبع فالأليات هذه اعم واشمل وتعمل باتجاهات عدة ليس فقط من اعلى للأسفل بل ومن الأسفل ايضا.. لننظر كيف نعامل العمالة الأجنبية من منزلية واخرى في الأردن وانا اتحدث هنا ليس على المستوى الرسمي بل والشعبي من الطبقة الوسطى اذا شئت والتي تتوفر لهم فرص التحكم بهذه الشرائح من البشر.

فيما يخص الموقع فقط دعوتهم إلى عدم التبرع بمثل هذا الإجراء اذا لم يكن له مبرر، ودعوتهم للعودة عنه. وان يفصحوا اذا تم عليهم اي ضغوط امنية فعلية وقد اعلنت تضامني معهم ومع كل المدونات في حريتها للتعبير عن رأيها.

ارجوا ان لا يحشر الموضوع في مسؤولية اصحاب الموقع المذكور عما حدث. انا اهتمامي في الموضوع هو من جانب تداعيات القمع الموجود في الأردن والطرق التي تكمم بها الأفواه. هذا هو البعد الأساسي لهذه المشكلة من وجهة نظري.

انا من جهة مدونتي ليست مدونة اخبار، انا فقظ اناقش ما تعرضه الصحف ووسائل الاعلام من اخبار عن الأردن من وحهة مصالح المواطنين في الأردن عامه كما اراها. كل ما اهدف له هو دائما ان افتح النقاش لا ان ادعى ان وجهة نظري صائبة اوخاطيئة بالمطلق اوحتى نسبيا. ان وضعنا الأقتصادي والإجتماعي والسياسي في غاية التعقيد ولا يمكن لآحد الإدعاء ان عنده حل سحري. ما اسعى اليه هو تقديم وجهة نظر او منظار قد يكون غائبا احيانا وان يتم عليه نقاش لأن قناعتي ان هذا الطريق الأولي والأفضل لنا جميعا لترسيغ معارفنا وتبادلها وللخروج مما نحن فيه من ازمات مركبة

الشئ المهم من كل ما حدث ان هنالك شبه اجماع من كل التعليقات على حرية التعبير عن الرأي بدون قيد اوشرط.

واعتقد انك تشاطرني الرأي في ذلك


On February, 15, 2007 5:59 AM , Jordan1st said:

I believe freedom of speech has boundaries, while some are against publishing child abuse materials, other say no porn period.
When it comes to politics, criticism is permitted and as a matter of fact it is welcomed, but to slander royalty and mock them without even offering a solution, that is just wrong.
I think freedom of speech does have boundaries and it is stretched to a certain extent.
We are all adults and there is no such thing as an absolute freedom of speech, specially when it is offending others, not to mention the royal family of the Blog portal.


On February, 16, 2007 1:48 AM , Alessandra
from Italy said:

Jordanfirst, as I can see also for your nickname, you support the Royal Family...You think that I'm Italian, I live in Italy and I also love them!:)
By the way they should accept to be critized, if they wanna create a better Jordan, as I think too. I think that accepting more freedom of expression, would help them to reach this goal and it would eliminate a "pretext" to criticate them.




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