But Kuwait - I just can't stomach it!
According to K the Kuwaiti this is what happened:
Bashar Al-Sayegh was arrested and beaten yesterday by the Kuwaiti Secret Police for an anonymous comment on Bashar’s forum regarding the Amir (which was deleted). Jasim Al-Qames (Al-Jarida Journalist) was also arrested and beaten by the Kuwaiti Secret Police for taking picture; and was forced to sign a unread document. Jasim has been released; Bashar is still in custody by the Secret Police, There was a press conference held today at Al-Tahaluf calling for the release of Bashar. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Bashar and his Family.
I don't know whether crying "What a shame!" would be taken out of context here too.. but for God's sake..it was a public forum.. so anyone could have posted that comment.. Why create this uproar? Why arrest the forum administrator when the comment has already been deleted and the 'insult' contained? Why add injury to an insult and drag the reputation of a country that has for long guarded its Freedom of Expression down the drain?
Had this been Bahrain.. I wouldn't have been too surprised for our legislators have again and again reacted with knee-jerk reactions, fueled further anger and rubbed our noses in the sand, before counter-reacting with wisdom and releasing the 'offenders' -- surely always after the stink of their actions reverberates around the globe a few times.. and then some more.
I don't know Bashar Al Sayegh and I haven't seen the insult. But what I know for a fact is that Kuwait has today etched a place of pride for itself among nations which have prided themselves as being the enemies of freedom of speech.
Way to go our Arab brethren! I just wonder which country will be next?
7 comments:
This is horrible. It's bad enough when bloggers get persecuted for their own opinions, but to be blamed for what a random commenter says? How does that make sense!? Would they apply the same standard if somebody made a grossly offensive comment on an official government website? Would they arrest the government employees who administer the website then?
Interesting question Craig. Let's hope they release him when they realise that they could have easily asked for the IP address of the anonymous commentator without making so much noise!
Kuwait should wake up!!! It's 2007 and not 1897.. Shame on Kuwait !! Don't mean to be sopund silly or cruel, but reality dictates that summer is Kuwait is terrible, everybody's on holiday, no decison makers, that's why Saddam invaded them in August. May their release come soon.
:(
I never thought Kuwait was a beacon of freedom of speech, but this is something even I couldn't have predicted.
I learned long ago to concentrate on the "lighter" topics in my blog while in the Middle East. Guess I'll be sticking to this rule.
Kuwait did wake up ... and the blogger has been released..
Here's a story I just (miraculously) came across: http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/
2007/08/22/kuwait-jailed-blogger-
released/
Good posting....I like this blog.....But need to be more informative.
Bathmate
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