The editor-in-chief of Alt.Muslim, an online Muslim news community, discussed the actions governments in the Middle East are taking against bloggers, the complex position the United States would be in if they were to fully support these bloggers, and what Muslim bloggers need to do to support each other: Blogging Your Way Into Prison.

Excerpts:

Blogging Your Way Into Prison
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Some bloggers in the Muslim world have put themselves on the front lines in the struggle for open political expression – and are paying a severe price for it.
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By Shahed Amanullah, February 4, 2007

It probably was not wise (or productive) for Abdel Kareem Nabil, who goes by the blogger name Karim Amer, to call his alma mater, Cairo’s Al-Azhar University, “the university of terrorism.” But few expected that his blog would land him in an Egyptian jail on charges of “incitement to hate Islam” and “defaming the president of the republic.” His case has sparked international outcry and many say his imprisonment represents an alarming and growing trend in Egypt tostifle [sic] bloggers. In response to a growing movement called “Kifayeh” (“Enough” in Arabic), Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has renewed his Draconian emergency laws which have been in place nearly continuously since 1967. Nabil’s arrest is particularly alarming, says Amnesty International, because Egypt’s blogs provide perhaps the only avenue to document human rights abuses in Egypt and to encourage civic dialogue.

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When speaking of bloggers in the Muslim world, one cannot ignore the larger picture. Many in the US government are looking eagerly at the emerging voices in the Muslim world, hoping to see in them the seeds of a reformist transformation. Some policymakers are even trying to throw the weight of the US behind beleaguered bloggers, a move that will surely backfire. While it is necessary and proper for the US to insist on the right of Muslims to freely express themselves, specific advocacy on behalf of individuals may cause more harm than good. First of all, while these bloggers are certainly challenging the limits of expression in their country, they are not necessarily aligning themselves with America or US foreign policy. In fact, many decry the American role in providing their countries with the equipment and logistics needed to suppress their online activities. Second, the alignment of US political might on behalf of these bloggers will transform any politically liberating thinkers from voices of independence to perceived agents of the US, adding insult to injury (though, to be fair, most people in government circles that I have spoken to recognize that in this case, US hands are indeed tied.)

Organizations such as Amnesty International, Reporters Without Borders, and Human Rights Watch are, however, providing the most meaningful support for these bloggers. These organizations must be supported and strengthened by people of conscience in the West. Muslims, too, need to get involved. As has been shown with Iraq, it is difficult to impose freedom from without. The best chance that Muslim bloggers have of cultivating from within an atmosphere of open inquiry and vigorous political debate is through creating links with supportive Muslims around the world. Insightful and compelling blogs from the Muslim world will lead to an international fan base, and this increased exposure can provide an additional degree of protection. While restrictive governments may indeed feel threatened by political debate, they are also fearful of PR debacles in an increasingly globalized world. So while blogging from parts of the Muslim world may get people into prison, reading their blogs just might help keep them out.

Read the entire article here.