As Global Voices' Executive Director Ivan Sigal has written, “there are powerful corporate and government forces who would prefer to see the openness and accessibility of the web restricted.” The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect-IP Act (PIPA) would both force websites to pro-actively censor potentially copyrighted information, and could, as Sigal wrote, “inflict broad damage on the work of digital activists living under repressive regimes, as well as restrict basic speech freedoms around the world.”

Because these bills have the potential to affect Internet users worldwide, members of the global community have joined Americans in protest. From German digital rights group Netzpolitik to Open Media Canada to individual bloggers and social media users, the sentiment is the same: Stop these bills.

Blacking out

French site https://linuxfr.org goes dark against #SOPA

Many sites have chosen to express their opposition by blacking out their sites, either entirely or with an interstitial page. Danica Radovanovic (@DanicaR), writing for Australian blog network DejanSEO, discusses Wikipedia's decision to join the blackout, a decision that affects the site's diverse global community:

Over the course of the past 72 hours, over 1800 Wikipedians have joined together to discuss proposed actions that the community might wish to take against SOPA and PIPA. This is by far the largest level of participation in a community discussion ever seen on Wikipedia, which illustrates the level of concern that Wikipedians feel about this proposed legislation. The overwhelming majority of participants support community action to encourage greater public action in response to these two bills. Of the proposals considered by Wikipedians, those that would result in a “blackout” of the English Wikipedia, in concert with similar blackouts on other websites opposed to SOPA and PIPA, received the strongest support.

French organization La Quadrature du Net has joined its American counterparts in blacking out its website, displaying the following image:

The Pirate Party of Catalunya blacks out in solidarity

Pirate parties are among the most stringent opponents of the anti-piracy bills. In Spain, Catalunya, Switzerland, Argentina, Canada, and Sweden (among, almost certainly, many others), local pirate parties have joined in blacking out their websites.

Also blacking out for January 18 are Germany's Chaos Computer Club and Green Party, and international organization Reporters Without Borders. The latter explained its decision, writing:

We have decided to close our English-language website for 24 hours to symbolize the oppressive gag that would spread over the Internet as we know it if SOPA and PIPA are adopted. These bills would affect an incalculable number of Internet users who are innocent of any kind of intellectual property violation by forcing websites to block access to other sites suspected of vaguely-defined copyright breaches.

For more images of sites blacking out in protest, check out Netzpolitik's SOPA blackout gallery.

Translating the importance of activism

In some countries, bloggers have taken it upon themselves to educate their communities about the importance of opposing SOPA and PIPA. Lebanese blogger Mireille Raad has written an explanation for why Lebanese citizens should care about these bills. She writes:

Being a lebanese, doesn’t stop you from being an internet user – the SOPA will affect the internet in a bad way and it involves websites outside the US, and that’s yours…

…You should care and be pissed of, because, like it or not, the internet doesn’t exist in the clouds, it is made of companies that exist in countries and have to answer to local laws despite the fact that internet is “global”. This fact is making people worldwide care about the SOPA legislation – and even though you may feel powerless, you still should care and take online action – because all citizens in cyberspace are created equal and so their actions resonate equally

An earlier post Taiwanese freedom of information activist CK Hung dubs the anti-piracy bills “The Great Firewall of Chinamerica.” In a graphic [zh], the blogger demonstrates his point:

Edit: An English version of the graphic is also available:

He also writes:

掌權者很樂意用 「保護智財」 或 「阻絕色情」、 「和諧社會」 當做永遠不可能吃到口的誘餌來說服公民支持其強化管制網路的法律和政策 (例如選擇便利管制的工具)， 然後藉由這些法律和政策來強化它對公民的資訊監控。 掌權者很樂意公民只看見海市蜃樓， 卻忽略通往海市蜃樓的道路上， 威脅著社會自由民主的 collateral damages。 不論最終的掌權者到底是微軟、 蘋果、 共產黨、 民主黨、 還是共和黨， 受害的永遠都是絕大多數的公民。

而臺灣， 正是這兩大監控勢力交會處的絕佳實驗場所。

Global Voices' own Venezuelan contributor Marianne Diaz explains why she doesn't like the bills [es]:

De cualquier modo, Estados Unidos no es el mundo, y las leyes de propiedad intelectual tienen limitaciones territoriales y varían de país a país. Por ejemplo, en Venezuela, la obra entra en dominio público sesenta años después de la muerte del autor. Sin embargo, mediante la aplicación de SOPA y PIPA, Estados Unidos pretende que a mí, a ti y a cualquier siberiano se le pueda forzar a cumplir unas limitaciones que no le son aplicables de acuerdo a la ley.

On Twitter, similar conversations are happening. From the UK, @GokhanKaratay writes:

I really do hope #SOPA and #PIPA bills aren't passed through the senate. Legislation against piracy is needed, but that really isn't the way

Pointing out the participation of Argentine video platform Cuevana, @Gaby_xoa points out:

#Cuevana uniéndose al apagón #ANTISOPA que cuarta la libre expresión!!! twitpic.com/88nzkg

What you can do to stop SOPA and PIPA

Although the international community is limited in how they can affect an American bill, the solidarity expressed in opposition to both bills is certainly helpful to U.S.-based activists.  Aside from the aforementioned examples, bloggers have found numerous creative ways to do so, such as adding an anti-SOPA or anti-PIPA Twibbon or blacking out their WordPress blog.  Fight for the Future is encouraging the international community to sign a petition to the State Department. But just writing about the implications of the two bills can help.

American citizens, on the other hand, have plenty of options. Here are just a few ways to get involved:

• The Electronic Frontier Foundation has a petition as well as a guide to meeting with representatives.
• Fight for the Future's Stop American Censorship project is hosting a letter-writing campaign.
• Free Press has a campaign to petition television networks to report on the bills.

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With all of the social media successes throughout the Middle East and North Africa in 2011, it would be all too easy to overlook the struggles faced by bloggers and netizens throughout the region. And yet, 2011 was an extraordinary difficult year for free expression, from Egypt's shutdown of the Internet to the numerous harassed, arrested, and detained bloggers from the Maghreb to the Gulf.

Iran: No room for free expression

Less than a week into 2012, Reporters Without Borders puts the number of jailed netizens globally at 126. Within the list, Iran stands out, as my colleague Fred Petrossian writes:

In 2011, the Iranian regime was faithful to its reputation as an enemy of internet as it continued to repress bloggers and even threaten their lives. Blogger Sakhi Rigi got a record breaking 20-year jail sentence. Hossein Ronaghi Maleki, who is serving 15 years in prison, struggled for his health and for a period was deprived of contact with his family and lawyer. RSF talked about the plight of seven netizens in Iran in July 2011. These cases are just the tip of the iceberg. While a few bloggers likeShiva Nazar Ahari andHossein Derakhshanwere released on bail, others like Mohammad Reza Pour Shajari may face charges of ‘Waging War Against God' (moharebeh), for which a death sentence can be pronounced. As Omid Reza Mirsayafi's tragic death shows, the more a blogger is isolated and deprived of a network, the more he is in danger.

Egypt, Syria, Bahrain among the region's worst

But while Iran may rank worst in terms of the number of bloggers detained, life for bloggers in much of the rest of the region has been no picnic. In Syria, where the uprising that started last spring shows few signs of abating, several prominent bloggers were arrested in 2011, threatening countless more into silence. Razan Ghazzawi, a former Global Voices contributor, spent fifteen days in prison in December until being released on bail, but still faces trial for “weakening the national sentiment,” among other charges. Hussein Ghrer, released in early December, also faces trial. Meanwhile, Tal Al-Mallohi, the teenaged blogger imprisoned in 2009, is serving a five year sentence.

Egyptian blogger Alaa Abd El Fattah poses with his wife and fellow blogger Manal Hassan in Tunis just one month before his arrest

Egypt–where social media had arguably the largest impact in 2011–has also seen numerous bloggers struggle for their freedom. Blogger Maikel Nabil Sanad, who was arrested in March, was recently sentenced to two years in prison for criticizing the interim military regime on his blog. Sanad has spent much of his incarceration on hunger strike. Alaa Abd El Fattah, who was released on December 25 after nearly two months in prison, still faces trial on a number of trumped-up charges, a clear indication of his being a target for his outspokenness against the military.

Another blogger, Ayman Youssef Mansour, was sentenced in October by a civilian court to three years in prison for insulting religion on his Facebook page. Several other netizens have faced military questioning for online postings. The Egyptian campaign to end military trials for civilians has been instrumental in highlighting such cases.

A third country in the region ranks among the worst in 2011, though one wouldn't know it from following mainstream media coverage. Bahrain, where a nascent uprising was all but quashed early in the year, levied harsh punishments on several bloggers in 2011, including Global Voices Advocacy contributor Ali Abdulemam, who was sentenced in absentia to fifteen years in prison and is currently in hiding.

Bahraini blogger Ali Abdulemam at the 2009 Arabloggers Workshop in Beirut

Similarly, Abduljalil Al-Singace was given the same sentence. Earlier in the year, authorities briefly detained prominent bloggers Mahmood Al-Youif and Mohamed El-Maskati, while closer to the end of 2011, Zainab Al-Khawaja was briefly imprisoned, her brutal arrest caught on video. And most tragically, Zakariya Rashid Hassan Al-Ashiri became the second blogger ever to die in prison in March.

Elsewhere in the region, the struggle continues

Though perhaps less systematically, other countries in the region targeted bloggers as well in 2011. Prior to the fall of Ben Ali, Tunisian bloggers Slim Amamou (a Global Voices Advocacy contributor) and Azyz Amami were briefly imprisoned. Amami was then arrested again and beaten by police in September. Though the arrest was not for his blogging but for a joke told near a police station, it demonstrated the tenuous state of free expression in the country.

In Morocco, a blogger and several activists were arrested in September, while Saudi Arabia went after video bloggers who had been documenting poverty in the oil-rich country. And in the UAE, a female blogger was summoned for interrogation over a tweet.

Fighting for a better 2012

Though this represents only a fraction of those intimidated, harassed, and imprisoned in 2011, it is illustrative of the continued struggle faced by bloggers, activists, and other netizens in the region. And as 2012 kicks off with such a large number of bloggers in prison, it is apparent that there is more work to be done to ensure that the right to free expression is guaranteed for everyone. And fortunately, a growing number of grassroots organizations in the region are taking up the fight for digital rights. But nevertheless, bloggers must be ever vigilant, and consider the risks they face as they take their activism online. Global Voices salutes these brave bloggers and will continue to make sure their voices are heard throughout the world.

This post is part of our special coverage 2011 on Global Voices.

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Eight days after her arrest, Razan Ghazzawi has been charged, according to an article from the Lebanese Daily Star, which reports:

According to her lawyers, Razan has been charged with “establishing an organization that aims to change the social and economical entity of the state” and “weakening the national sentiment, and trying to ignite sectarian strife” and “weakening national sentiment” — all of which can lead to a penalty of three to 15 years in prison.

On Twitter, supporters had strong reactions to the charges. Syrian blogger @anasqtiesh wrote:

The logo of the global Free Razan campaign

@anasqtiesh: The charges against Razan Ghazzawi are a farce. Just like everything else the Syrian regime does. #FreeRazan #Syria

@anasqtiesh: ”weakening the national sentiment, and trying to ignite sectarian strife” Should be charges against Assad. #Syria #FreeRazan

Al Jazeera journalist Dima Khatib was similarly dismayed:

I am very sad to read the news about @RedRazan being charged with “crimes”.. Razan is not a criminal. Razan is a freedom fighter #FreeRazan

Karl Sharro was angered by the charges, but especially by one in particular, writing:

But “trying to ignite sectarian strife” is more offensive than anything. Razan is very dedicated to anti-sectarianism. #freeRazan

Global Voices author Laura Vidal, from Venezuela, wrote:

When a government silences a blogger it proves him/her right #FreeRazan

Solidarity campaigns in support of Razan continue. Palestinian blogger Abir Kopty tweeted:

Palestinian bloggers are working on a statement calling to #Freerazan and all Syrian political prisoners. #Syria

A Facebook page is being used to coordinate campaign efforts, while the #freerazan hashtag is used by supporters on Twitter to share updates.

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.

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The protests - which broadly focus on all aspects of the Israeli occupation - have garnered some international attention in recent years, with footage filmed by protesters making it into the New York Times. Israeli forces have cracked down on protests in Nabi Saleh and elsewhere throughout the West Bank, at times arresting demonstrators.

This past Friday 9 December, 2011, however, Nabi Saleh experienced tragedy as activist Mustafa Tamimi, 28, was “critically injured after Israeli soldiers fired a tear gas canister at his face, and died at a hospital after his treatment was delayed by the occupation forces who had invaded the village to repress the weekly demonstration,” according to Linah Alsaafin, who also wrote:

One difference that distinguishes Nabi Saleh from other villages with popular resistance committees, like Nilin, Bilin, Biddu and Budrus is that no one has been killed, or martyred in the protests. Beaten up, yes. Arrested, ditto. But never a death. Until yesterday.

Photo of Nabi Saleh protest by Flickr user zaid amr, July 2011 (CC BY-ND 2.0).

On blogs, Twitter, and Facebook, Palestinian activists are mourning the loss of one of their own. Blogger Abir Kopty writes:

I remember your braveness during Nabi Saleh’s weekly rallies, facing the army with open chest. I apologize to you for not having your courage. Your life doesn’t worth less than mine.

…

Dear Mustafa, for the time being I’m afraid to make promises, as we have learned not to make promises bigger than us. I can only promise you that I will continue going to Nabi Saleh, I will not give up the hope, exactly as you didn’t. I promise you that your courage will keep inspiring me and giving me strength.

Rest in peace comrade.

Kopty also tweeted:

Everyday i say tomorrow is a new day, but the anger doesn't go away. #Mustafatamimi

On collective blog Front Line Echo, @amraamra writes:

For those who tell me that I take things too personal, I will continue to take it too personal and at heart because I’m human! I breathe, feel, cry, laugh, love and hate. So when someone hurts me, I hurt. When someone tickles me, I laugh. When we mourn the loss of a fellow Palestinian brother and other desensitized Palestinians are watching on the streets, smirking and making ridiculous comments, I will feel fury. When someone steals the life of another comrade in such a brutal and grotesque way, I will grieve. I will grieve… just like others are grieving.

The blogger continues:

When the international community tells Palestinians to adopt to more peaceful resistance in resisting the ongoing Israeli occupation, that is what we do. Yet, we are met with the same and even more brutal suppression. At this point I do not know what gives me the hope to continue, and I think many will agree. Nothing seems to make sense now. But one thing does make sense. Mustafa Tamimi’s soul has not gone in vain. We will carry him with us in our continuous struggle against occupation. We will not give up Mustafa… and that is for sure!

On Monday 12 December, Israeli soldiers came under fire for seemingly defending the use of fatal force on social media, a story covered by The New York Times. Their defense largely revolved around the fact that Tamimi had thrown rocks at an armored vehicle as it drove away. In response, Israeli-American Joseph Dana tweeted:

Should throwing stones at an antagonistic armored military jeep be a crime punishable by death?

Journalist Haggai Matar, in a post translated for and republished by +972 Magazine, shares one perspective from Israel:

It is simply shocking. Truly shocking. I look around, and I don’t see my society shocked. Not shocked at all of these people, or at the two head injures in Nabi Saleh yesterday, or at the two arrests in a peaceful demonstration in Ma’asara, which didn’t even get any coverage. I see the careful reports reading, “Palestinians claim that…” and the blind faith in the stance of the IDF Spokesperson. And the lack of shock shocks me even more…

This Friday's protest will be in honor of Tamimi; a Facebook page has been set up for coordination.

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As the uprising in Syria enters its eighth month, activists are getting creative to ensure global attention toward the situation does not cease. An initiative by the popular Sham News Network–a grassroots news organization that emerged during the Syrian revolution to aggregate and publish news footage–asks individuals to submit videos in solidarity with Syrian protesters. The videos, which are then posted to the SyrianSitIn YouTube account, contain versions of one statement:

I am in solidarity with the Syrian people. I reject the brutality and killing that the Syrian authorities are committing against the unarmed Syrian people. And because silence is participation in this crime, I declare my participation in the Syrian Sit-in on Youtube.

In this video [ar], a Syrian from the Occupied Golan Heights, expresses his solidarity:

A young woman from Algeria, with the flags of both Syria and her country in the background, shows her support [ar]:

The Syrian Sit-in initiative has received more than 200 submissions

The submissions are mainly in English and Arabic. In some videos, the submitter's face is turned away from the camera or covered by a mask, presumably because he or she is located in Syria and doesn't want to be discovered. Most submitters record the provided statement, while some add their own thoughts or wishes. So far, the initiative has received nearly 250 videos from across the Arab world, as well as from the United States, Germany, Iceland, and Canada.

From Toronto, Canada, ‘The Ugly Truth' posts a video in solidarity:

Member of Icelandic Parliament and NATO Parliamentary Assembly Birgitta Jonsdottir contributed a video:

“I wish to express my solidarity and my support to the brave Syrian people that have been protesting day after day, month after month, against all odds.”

Syrian-Spanish Global Voices contributor Leila Nachawati also contributed to the effort:

“I am joining the Syrian sit-in because Syrian people are an inspiration for anyone who believes in freedom, and justice, and human rights…And I'm very proud of my Syrian people and horrified by the level of brutality the Syrian regime is displaying.”

Those who wish to join the Syrian sit-in can do so by submitting their videos to SyrianHub@Gmail.com.

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.

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Syria has been on the minds and lips of many participants of this week's Third Arab Bloggers Meeting in Tunis. The celebratory spirit provoked by the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt has been dampened by discussions about Syria, where regime violence is increasing, the death toll is nearing 3,000, and many see no end in sight.

Several sessions on Syria have taken place at the meeting. On Wednesday, bloggers discussed the impact of digital activism in Syria, focusing heavily on the Syrian Electronic Army, the pro-regime hacking group recently responsible for defacing Harvard University's website. Noting that President Bashar Al Assad had thanked the Electronic Army for its efforts, Amira Al Hussaini commented: “SICK.”

A symbol used by Syrian digital activists, urging an end to repression

One Syrian participant stated that the impact of digital activists in Syria has been “minimal,” and quoting another participant, @weddady remarked that “many of #Syria electronic activists impact was strictly limited to mobilizing foreign media, they're not organizers on the ground.”

The discussion also touched upon the issue of authenticity, with some Syrians inside the country emphasizing the legitimacy of diaspora voices, as @redrazan tweeted:

Treating the voices of Syrians inside as authentic and the ones in disapora as not so much, is ridiculous. #Syria

Anonymously quoting a Syrian participant, @ahmed tweeted:

How can Syrians abroad help protesters on the ground in Syria? Is there ways to do that? #ab11

Bloggers also discussed organizing in Syria, where protests are often quickly dispersed and movement is restricted. @ahmed translated and transcribed the comments of Syrian participants, noting the difficulty of organizing and remarking that Syrians “invented “flying protestes”: quick 2-min protest that gets filmed & uploaded.”

Syria is “pulling at my heart strings”

Thursday morning, one of the Syrian participants who had recently spent time in the country gave a talk on the dire situation in the country, prompting Jordanian blogger Naseem Tarawnah (@Tarawnah) to note:

Hands down, #Syria has been the most emotional talk of #AB11 & as a Jordanian its pulling at my heart strings. #BlessSyria

Quoting the speaker, Tarawnah also wrote that, after seven months, “no opposition group has demonstrated its ability to break the regime,” asking “Where do we go from here?”

Syrian-Spanish blogger Leila Nachawati also quoted the speaker, explaining:

Syrian participant explained the ways in which the Syrian government is trying to ignite sectarianism to provoke a civil war.

Although the situation is dire, the Syrian speaker injected hopefulness into the discussion. According to Lilian Wagdy, the blogger also proclaimed that the only hope for #Syria is #Egypt 's revolution ending in success, and that Syrians don't want to “co-exist together, [they] want to ‘live' together.”

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.

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Around the world, and particularly in the United States, Twitter is in a state of morning. The hashtag #RIPTroyDavis is currently trending, and individuals are expressing their feelings about Davis's case, as well as about the state of capital punishment in the United States.

From Philadelphia, @ShamaraOnAir reports:

Watching CNN 11:08 was time of death #RIPTROYDAVIS

From Iowa, @Jasminenkelly tweets:

Troy Davis campaign image, by Tricia Wang uploaded by Flickr user dabnotu (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).

Racism and injustice still exists just on a different scale… we dnt have KKK's in sheets anymore they are our law makers. #RIPTROYDAVIS

Journalist Dan Gillmor rails against the death penalty, saying:

Bad enough that death penalty exists. But tonight, our system of “justice” killed another person whose guilt was hugely in doubt. Travesty.

From Barbados, @bajanswaggboy remarks:

#RIPTroyDavis. No murder weapon, no DNA, 7 of 9 witnesses recant their testimonies. Seriously? How do you execute someone without evidence?

And from the UK, @tweety_coco says:

Still in shock. Just cannot believe this can happen in 2011. #riptroydavis

Linda Sarsour (@lsarsour), a Palestinian-American activist, states:

#TroyDavis will be the fuel I need to continue my quest for social justice. He will never be forgotten. #RIPTroyDavis

While the case of Troy Davis has certainly drawn interest from the public, many are cynical that the case is a one-off, and that US citizens will not continue to fight against the death penalty. Or as Palestinian @Falasteeni put it shortly before the execution took place:

What saddens me most abt expected murder of #TroyDavis is tht nothing will happen, no movement will grow to make sure it never happens again

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Davis was given the death penalty, and his first execution scheduled for July 17, 2007. After appeals by Davis's lawyers, NGOs, and numerous celebrities, Davis was granted a stay of execution. Twice his execution was re-scheduled, and both times Davis was granted a stay; then, following a federal appeal in 2010 - which was rejected - his execution was once again scheduled, for September 21, 2011.

Photo credit: BigBoi, Twitpic

Along with Davis's lawyers, organizations like Amnesty called for a stay of execution, prompting even celebrities like Kim Kardashian and rapper BigBoi to appeal to their Twitter followers.

In the hours and minutes leading up to the execution, scheduled for 7pm local time, individuals from all across the globe continued to rally for a stay of execution. Using the hashtags #Troy Davis, #TooMuchDoubt, and #TheWholeWorldIsWatching.

From the UK, @Rachel_McCormack tweeted:

Georgia I am outside the US Embassy in London freezing and watching #thewholeworldiswatching

Also from the UK, @CatherineBee shared her thoughts:

“It is better to risk sparing a guilty person than to condemn an innocent one.” Voltaire #thewholeworldiswatching #troydavis

@LizLemonCologne expressed a sentiment likely shared by many:

Following the #thewholeworldiswatching hashtag is just breaking my heart. #troydavis

@monstris lamented:

Watch Democracy Now. Now. Watch democracy fall apart for #TroyDavis. And people wonder why I left America…. #thewholeworldiswatching

And from Greece, @helion spoke:

a western democracy, a supposed bastion of human rights, should not take the life of a possibly innocent citizen #thewholeworldiswatching

In the end, their tweets–along with ample offline activism–served as a rallying cry against the execution of a potentially innocent man. Just a few minutes after 7pm, news broke on Twitter that Davis had been granted a stay of execution. Said @Colorlines:

Speechless! @democracynow is reporting a literal last-minute stay of execution! Livestream: http://democracynow.org #troydavis

From the UK, @GrahamSimmons commented:

tonight is a victory for humankind #troydavis #thewholeworldiswatching #fb

But amidst the excitement, @graceishuman - relaying news from @DemocracyNow reporters in the room - clarified the news, explaining:

SCOTUS has issued a reprieve for #troydavis execution - which means it's delayed (for further review?) not stayed. (via Democracy Now)

ABC News confirmed the story, stating that “The Supreme Court could decide at any time tonight or in the next seven days whether to go through with his execution.”

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Last Thursday evening, riders of San Francisco, California's Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) discovered that their mobile phones weren't working. By the next morning, rumors were circling as to whether service had been disconnected on the system, and by 10:00, BART had made a statement (since updated), confirming that they had shut off networks on subway platforms, in anticipation of a protest.

Last month, local activists protesting the shooting deaths of Charles Hill (warning: violent content) and Oscar Grant succeeded in shutting down BART stations in protest.

BART's actions provoked ire from civil liberties groups and activists, as well as Anonymous, which immediately sprung to action, planning #opBART on Twitter. By Sunday, they had defaced the website mybart.org. At the same time, local activists planned a protest for Monday, August 15.

While the protests were taking place in San Francisco, an Egyptian solidarity campaign was taking form on Twitter. Coining the hashtag #MuBARTek, Egyptians compared BART's actions with those of former president Mubarak who in January famously shut down Internet networks in an attempt to quell protests.

Tarek Amr (@gr33ndata) explained the hashtag to followers:

In case you're wondering, yes, the Egyptians now have a mockery hastag combining #opBART with #Mubarak farce, and it's called #muBARTek

Ahmed Kamal added:

@magyj compared the media coverage of BART protests with the Egyptian state media's coverage in January:

#OPBart there is nothing on CNN about #SanFran !!! It's look like z Egyptian media on #jan25 #MuBARTek

Adding humor to the conversation, Gigi Ibrahim (@GSquare86) noted Mubarak's role:

Mubarak's great achievement: a new verb “To Mubarak” to the english dictionary meaning to oppress&cut communication on ppl #MuBARTek #opBART

In response to @3arabawy jokingly asking if Egyptian mobile provider Mobinil had networks in San Francisco, @SalmaNoshokaty referenced another network's famous gaffe remarking, “In light of recent events, I am almost sure @VodafoneEgypt does!”

From the US, Zeynep Tufekci (@techsoc) quipped:

Next, BART will send camels and thugs to Embarcadero Station. #OpBart #MuBARTek

She added:

BART decides to recklessly, needlessly & possibly illegally shut down cell service & then overreacts to the reaction? Brilliant. #OpBart

To which Rasha Abdulla responded:

@techsoc Once again, we need to criminalize blocking access to mobile and wireless communications #OpBart #FreeSpeech

This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.

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Following the worst day of violence Syria has seen since protests broke out across the country in February, Syrian opposition and their supporters around the world have begun an attempt to raise global awareness of events in the country, utilizing a hashtag, #RamadanMassacre, that was started on Sunday to keep track of reports from the city of Hama.

@nmoawad, from Lebanon, summed up the purpose of the campaign in a tweet early Monday morning:

Join us in raising awareness by tweeting using the hashtag #RamadanMassacre for #Hama | 2am Cairo Time

Brazilian cartoonist Carlos Latuff depicts Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad atop a tank

Syrian Twitter user @LeShaque shared his thoughts:

I'll leave it to my Kurdish compatriots to provide you with a list of massacres they've suffered at the hands of Assads. #RamadanMassacre

@BachaarArnaout offered a tweet of support to Syrian protesters:

Since march, +2000 have been killed by #Assad in #Syria but the brave people are determined to topple the regime. #RamadanMassacre

An avatar in remembrance of Sunday's events in Hama, used by Twitter users

Utilizing an avatar created for remembrance of Sunday's events in Hama, US-based @ran00n95 posted in solidarity:

u will not silence us we the world know what u have done and we will not stay silent and let it continue #RamadanMassacre #Syria

@rallaf issued a call to Muslim readers, asking:

What did you have for Iftar today? #Hama residents had tank shells. #RamadanMassacre #Syria

But in response to a tweet from @zmossabasha that stated, “A tweet can prevent a massacre!!”, NPR journalist Andy Carvin asked, “Can it?”, echoing the sentiment of many who have suggested that, while social media can most certainly expand awareness, it may have little impact on events in countries like Syria, where the state clearly has the upper hand.

Nevertheless, the campaign continues, as Syrian opposition and their supporters attempt to get the #RamadanMassacre hashtag to trend on Twitter's trending topics list.

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.

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On the eve of Ramadan, Syrian troops have entered the city of Hama, reportedly killing as many as 45 people by 11:00 am on Sunday, July 31. The assault has particular resonance for Syrians, as the city of Hama was the site of one of the most horrific massacres in modern history.

Most tweets at this early hour are links to news, though many from within Syria, and abroad have condemned the killings, with some expressing anger at a perceived lack of international outrage. Still others, such as deekelgen963, expressed doubt about the reporting from Hama.

Of the view original reports coming across the Twitter lines, one stands out. Debkafile reports: “Water, power, phone lines cut for Hama's 400,000 inhabitants”.

Meanwhile, from inside Hama, a few videos have emerged.

One shaky video from the Shams News Network shows tanks entering the city:

Another video shows black smoke rising up from within the city:

BBC journalist Shaimaa Khalil pointed to live streaming video coming from Hama, the archive of which is available here.

Without the presence of professional journalists in Hama, reporting is reliant on activists and citizen journalists, for whom capturing images and videos comes with considerable risk. As a result, news is often slow to trickle out, but some Syrian activists, such as @wissamtarif and @malathaumran are continuously tweeting news.

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.

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First, a post in late May from Egyptian blogger Nadia Elawady caused a stir in the blogosphere and collected hundreds of comments. In the post, Nadia tells us about her “dirty little secret”:

I experimented last week. I took off my hijab – the headscarf many Muslim women wear to cover their hair.

I have been wearing a headscarf when I leave the privacy of my home for 25 years, since I was 17. That’s a long long time in human years.

I took my hijab off during a recent trip to Europe. I wanted to know what it would feel like. I wanted to know how people’s perceptions of me would change and how my perception of myself would change.

Woman in desert near Sharm el Sheik, Egypt. Image by Flickr user DavidDennisPhotos.com (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Nadia goes on to tell readers about why she made her decision and how it felt, describing in succinct prose the process that led her to it. She concludes:

I’m back home in Cairo, wearing my hijab. I don’t feel regret for having experimented. And I don’t currently feel like I want to permanently take off my hijab. There are a few reasons I feel that way. I don’t expect people’s reactions to me taking off the hijab in Egypt – people I know – to be positive or supportive or we-could-care-less. There would be lots of drama involved and I don’t know that I’m up for that. There’s also a part of me that still feels that the hijab might be obligatory. Maybe God really does want me to cover up from head to toe. I still need to figure that one out.

More recently, Fatma Emam also in Cairo, wrote about her recent to remove her hijab permanently. In discussing how she came to such a decision, Fatma explains:

I felt I was imprisoned in a narrow vision, which saw the world, power relations, modesty and women agency is a very parochial way, I felt that I need to read other visions, by that time I never thought my theoretical beliefs will lead to me to any personal decisions, it was for me a theoretical battle to prove that there are diversity in the Islamic paradigm .

Shani Pathan understands their feelings better than most. In a post entitled “Hijab Undecided: Keep it On… Take it Off… Keep it On…” she explains how she put on then removed hijab after just a month. Shani then discusses what she sees as disconnect between the act of wearing hijab and the broader concept of modesty:

Before even considering wearing a Hijab think twice about it, although it’s obligatory to dress modestly and also a sunnah of the Prophet SAW. Can you really represent the Hijab correctly? Will you be able to change your ways and wear it for the right reasons.

There’s no point in wearing the Hijab just to cover your head if you can’t behave like a modest woman. I may not represent the whole religious side of things correctly but what I do know is I can walk proudly on the road being modest as well as not tarnishing the value of the Hijab.

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On Wednesday, a Croatian woman living in London named Jelena Lecic spoke on BBC television, stating that photos of “Amina” that appeared in most major news media (as well as on Global Voices) were actually photos of her that were stolen from her private Facebook account. Now, as reporters and bloggers analyze “Amina's” many online postings, even more confusion reigns.

Jelena Lecic speaks to BBC (screen capture from interview)

One contentious story is that of Amina's girlfriend, Sandra Bagaria, who was one of the first people media sought to speak to. It soon emerged that Sandra, like many others, had only communicated with Amina online. When suspicions arose that Sandra could be the author of the elaborate story, she spoke to National Public Radio in the United States, to debunk the rumors.

Jerusalem-based student Elizabeth Tsurkov (@Elizrael) who was in touch with Amina prior to the alleged arrest, and has since spoken to Sandra, tweeted:

@Elizrael: Despite what some outlets have suggested, #Amina's online girlfriend had no knowledge of this fraud. She is more devastated than anyone.

There are also questions surrounding why someone would create a hoax about a Syrian blogger's arrest, given that arrests for speaking out are not uncommon in the country (for more information, see Threatened Voices' Syria page). Evidence that Amina's online identity has existed since at least 2007 on various platforms, including dating sites and MySpace, further confounded bloggers.

Social media strategist of NPR, Andy Carvin tweeted:

@acarvin: I just don't see anyone creating a sleeper-cell online persona years ago, waiting for unrest to start just to blog it. Some truth somewhere.

American blogger Liz Henry, who has conducted substantial research on “sockpuppetry” and has hosted discussions with outed fictitious bloggers in the past, writes on her blog:

In this case, how could I tell from this distance? I hope you can see why my spidey sense went off for Amina. I don’t disbelieve in her becuase she’s a great writer with a sense of drama and rhetoric, or because of her sexual orientation or her activism. For example, I don’t for a second doubt the existence of Riverbend, who blogged so eloquently and for so long from Baghdad and then fled to Syria with her family. But I start to really, really, want some trustable and deep sources for Amina. How can an activist whose life is in danger provide that credibility? It’s a very hard question.

Meanwhile, there is ample concern throughout the blogosphere and Twittersphere that the extensive discussion around Amina's identity could cause people to ignore the fact that thousands of Syrians have been detained since February for demonstrating in the country.

Marietje Schaake, a member of the European parliament, tweeted:

@MarietjeD66: And let's not forget the thousands of people who are detained, killed and repressed without being known at all #amina

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.

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Update (June 9, 2011): Since this post was published questions have been raised about the true identity of “Amina Arraf”. The photo below proved to be of a Croatian woman who lives in London. Read more here.

Amina Arraf has seen a quick rise to fame. Blogging pseudonymously, as Amina Abdullah, she writes about politics, the recent uprising, and being a lesbian in Syria. A dual citizen of the United States and Syria, her powerful words have shown the reality on the ground in Syria over the past few weeks.

Today, on Amina's own blog, it was reported that she had been kidnapped by authorities. Her cousin, Rania O. Ismail, reported:

Earlier today, at approximately 6:00 pm Damascus time, Amina was walking in the area of the Abbasid bus station, near Fares al Khouri Street. She had gone to meet a person involved with the Local Coordinating Committee and was accompanied by a friend.

‘Amina Arraf' (now known to be a stolen photo of Jelena Lecic)

Amina told the friend that she would go ahead and they were separated. Amina had, apparently, identified the person she was to meet. However, while her companion was still close by, Amina was seized by three men in their early 20’s. According to the witness (who does not want her identity known), the men were armed. Amina hit one of them and told the friend to go find her father.

One of the men then put his hand over Amina’s mouth and they hustled her into a red Dacia Logan with a window sticker of Basel Assad. The witness did not get the tag number. She promptly went and found Amina’s father.

The men are assumed to be members of one of the security services or the Baath Party militia. Amina’s present location is unknown and it is unclear if she is in a jail or being held elsewhere in Damascus.

A few hours after the first post, Amina's cousin updated it with news:

I have been on the telephone with both her parents and all that we can say right now is that she is missing. Her father is desperately trying to find out where she is and who has taken her.

Unfortunately, there are at least 18 different police formations in Syria as well as multiple different party militias and gangs. We do not know who took her so we do not know who to ask to get her back. It is possible that they are forcibly deporting her.

From other family members who have been imprisoned there, we believe that she is likely to be released fairly soon. If they wanted to kill her, they would have done so.

That is what we are all praying for.

Amina's rise to fame was profiled in The Guardian just a few weeks ago, in an article which called her an “unlikely hero of revolt in a conservative country”.

On Twitter, Amina's friends and supporters are tweeting in solidarity, using the hashtag #FreeAmina, and a Facebook page has been created to urge global citizens to contact their local US Embassies, as well as journalists and other public figures.

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.

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Just a day after President Bashar Assad announced a general amnesty for political prisoners, a varied group of Syrian opposition members are meeting to create what one report referred to as a “‘roadmap' for a peaceful and democratic transition in Syria.” The group is comprised mostly of exiles, including members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood.

Syrian-American academic Dr. Mohja Kahf, a professor at the University of Arkansas, is live-tweeting the event, which is taking place at a resort in Antalya, Turkey.

Syrians attend the Antalya conference, flanked by images of Syrian martyrs

Late Wednesday, she wrote of the event: “Antalya:This is not your daddy's old opposition conference #Syria New groupings forming, young faces,fresh energies.”

Dr. Kahf also tweeted that the members of the meeting would be holding a day-long hunger strike in solidarity with their fellow Syrians.

Also on Twitter, @abulyas was quick to point out that the conference was not an “opposition conference,” noting:

“#Antalya conf isn't “opposition” conf. It brought many independent Syrians from the world united in purpose to end Syrian regime #march15″

Though the conference attendees are united in their cause, the conference has not been without its disagreements. Dr. Kahf noted a conversation she witnessed in the hotel lobby:

“Younger generation that is carrying this rev:don't care abt old lines of diffs:Ikhwan,secularists” -lobby conversation Antalya conf #Syria.”

An article in NOW! Lebanon notes a young/old divide as well. There have also been reports that some Syrian opposition members refused to attend the conference, as well as some expressions of disappointment on Twitter from Syrians in the country.

But while the conference was well-attended, pro-regime protesters managed to make their way to Antalya, just a few hundred kilometers from the Syrian border, to demonstrate against the opposition meeting. But as CNN reporter Ivan Watson points out on Twitter:

“Antalya deputy police chief says he's keeping hundreds of pro-regime demonstrators at a distance from Syrian opposition conference.”

The conference attendees were preparing a declaration to be released on June 1.

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.

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