I’ve gotten a good bit of mail and attention the past two weeks via this blog, comments on posts and so on …
Most of it is wonderful; I wish I had the time and ability to send personal thanks to every single person who has been so awesomely nice to me, sent me good thoughts, publicized what’s happening here in Syria and so …
But there have also been comments and emails I’ve received that are not so pleasant … some I have ignored because I know that they are from mukhabarat and are meant to draw me out … and I’m not that stupid!
Others though … repeat regime talking points and worse; there’s a cyber-war on as well as one on the streets. They have hackers working busily to bring down hostile websites (I know of at least one friendly newssite where I might have drawn their attention; oddly, it’s now blocked in this country). They are hacking facebook and other social media. And they are all over every site spewing forth regime propaganda.
So I know not to get in arguments with them on my own site
I have also had numerous anti-Islam screeds posted here …
And I have a bit of a quandry … on the one hand, I have a strong urge to make point by point refutations of both the pro-Assad and anti-Islamic comments. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m not shy about getting in verbal arguments! Not long ago, I was expelled from a science fiction list dedicated to one author’s works; I had picked one too many fights. On another list, I once shot off some ill spoken words when another member posited a scenario where the US had started a nuclear war to eliminate both Islam and the Arab nation and Damascus had been evaporated. I said, if I were in the US, I’d load up my gun and go out to shoot any Christian or Jew I saw. Harsh words … and said in anger but that’s the kind of talk first, think later person I am
(I am a lifelong SF afficiando – well, a geek in other words – and I have always spent too long on line … and a number of years ago, I was deeply disturbed by the pervasive anti-Arab and anti-Muslim bias in both the genre and in fandom. So, I started getting involved in discussion lists, usually emphasizing my own Arab and Muslim credentials (it is far harder to argue in such circles for equal rights for Arab Muslims than for LGBT people!) and picked lots of fights …)
In other words, I don’t back down … even when it makes no sense.
So, with my trolls … I am so biting my tongue … and then it occurred to me to simply delete comments I disliked …
And then I found myself in a conundrum: I am fighting for free expression and for a free press … I am preaching that … how can I censor?
Thoughts?
12 comments:
I had similar thoughts when I saw some of the comments on your posts. I don't think you need our advice though. This post in itself is the perfect response to all trolls who can henceforth be ignored.
By the way, Mukhabaratis should take note, this is what democracy looks like. A blogger, who's activism endangers her life and freedom, is even worried about the freedom of speech of trolls on her site.
Dedicato ad AMINA,
alla tua SETE di LIBERTA' (Per te stessa e per tutti i Cittadini del tuo Paese), al tuo desiderio, alla tua cocciutaggine, alla tua determinazione.
Libertà, Libertà, Libertà per tutto il popolo Siriano e per tutti i popoli oppressi (Mediterraneo, Golfo Persico,...).
In ogni caso, sappi che nessun carro armato potrà mai fermare la sete di libertà del popolo. Il mondo democratico e libero ti sarà sempre vicino. Abbi cura di te. Un abbraccio. Domus
I don't think it's possible to put it better than Sahand just did. Bravo, both of you.
I'm speculating and I could well be wrong, but I suspect the reason that the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia succeeded is because eventually those in government saw how ugly their actions were in ordering thousands of unarmed peaceful civilians to be mown down by their soldiers. This stark image has great transformative power, because it's obvious which side is full of shit.
The image of some dumbass posting about how Islam is the source of all the abuses of the world on a forum run by a muslim who is actively risking her life fighting for freedom and equality has I think a similar quality, and is worth preserving.
It's really up to you though.
This is the eternal dilemma of those who believe in freedom. Can we limit the freedom of expression of those who would limit our own freedom of expression? Can a democracy allow anti-democrats? Can we tolerate fascism? If we don't are we not fascists ourselves? - if we do are we not undermining our own principles?
As for the 'antis' (anti-arab, anti-muslim, anti-semitic, anti-american etc) They exist everywhere and we are all guilty of this crime at some point or other and all we can do is try to remember not to get sucked in to easy all-encompassing generalizations about people because they are inevitably mistaken
People spout off and I think it's pretty clear that their opinions aren't relevant, at least in this context. I mean this is just my opinion, but I would let them rant and just ignore them. People will make up their own minds about those opinions.
I imagine your itinerary as something like...
1) Survive revolution
1a) Topple dictatorship in bloodless coup and establish open democratic society, if possible
2) Find editor
3) Publish novel
......
37) Argue with know-it-all atheists on the internet
Anyway my point is, most of the people reading your blog know what's important, and we're behind you.
Rock on, good lady.
Regards,
Strum
Seattle, WA
Tough call.
I think you are not using censorship if you remove something that is both offensive and off-topic but that in itself is a hard call.
I feel bad that I was guilty of responding to and feeding one of the trolls in an earlier post. I will do better to follow the example of others and ignore them.
@Philip - Great comment. It is indeed to Amina's credit that, while trying to bring about change in a state that practises extreme censorship, she is still concerned about her own power to edit replies in her own bog.
Comments on blogs are about making a conversation happen. You don't have the same duties in a conversation as in a legal system - in law, you don't want to stop conversations occurring , so you want to minimise censorship to exceptional cases. But within a conversation, you have a different goal - especially as a blogger - and that is to create something specific. If you had people to dinner and one started to change the nature of the conversation, you'd be quite entitled to shut them up in whatever way appropriate. Same on a blog, except the means are different.
My favourite way of intervening in blog comments that don't take the dialogue in the desired direction is to go in and replace the comment with "comment edited for unhelpful racism/sexism/rudeness/stupidity or whatever." That way, there is some trace that someone acted in this unhelpful way; it even tells them why it was unhelpful; but it does not give them the satisfaction that they still have some influence on the conversation as it was recorded by the ŵeb.
Amina,
If you saw me in the US, you might shoot, based on your comment above, but I am continuing to read your blog anyways because of what you represent-- not that comment above, but more broadly, freedom-loving in a non-free society. I am enamored by you and your struggle, and I hope that one day soon you will experience true freedom in your country. And with that freedom, you will talk with others like and unlike you and your new society will be better off because of it. In that vein, I agree with everyone above-- ignore the comments and posters who wish to stir a fight and get under your skin. Don't let them win. That's exactly what you are fighting for.
Good luck and stay strong.
Amina,
editing is not censorship. if you prohibited them from speaking on their blogs that would be censorship. freedom of expression means that those who disagree with you have the right to voice their disagreement. freedom of expression does not mean that you are required to give them a platform to voice their opinions.
please accept our trust in your editing skills. post whatever you think is important to post. leave out whatever you think is not important.
also, i am sure you are aware but from time to time it never hurts to remind ourselves, some of our enemies use the tactic of disruption by introducing contrary views specifically for the purpose of causing confusion and tying us up with useless arguing. you don't have to help your enemies sabotage your work.
i am a black male usa citizen who blogs daily. i have posted your writing about your father defending your life choices even as he was putting his own life at great risk by doing so. your work is important. your work is widely read. your work is inspirational. many of us follow your blog because we want to read what you have to say and because we are in solidarity with your struggle. if i want to hear from your opposition, i know where to find them.
finally, there is a saying that you probably know: "the dogs may bark but the caravan continues on..." keep singing my sister. let them bark as you pass them but you do not have to let them join your journey. besides, most of us prefer to hear your song rather than their noise. sing on. pay no attention to the dogs we leave behind.
kalamu ya salaam
new orleans, usa
Hey Shackson, I think it was Sahand who expressed the sentiment for which you credit me. Cheers anyway.
You're right Kalamu, the barking of dogs is meaningless, but if that's the case then why gag the dog? Sure, if someone floods the forum with identical comments then that's good grounds for deletion, but beyond that I think the wit and reason of the commenters here are the best way to demonstrate that the other side is wrong. That's why freedom of speech is the better system after all; the truth will out. Personally I like debate and I like seeing what other people think, and debate is impossible on websites run by authoritarians because they cannot tolerate it. Where else will discussion happen but on places like here?
Besides, as I said, I think it looks amazing when someone sitting on their backside at home hurls insults or posts a daft screed aimed at another person who is risking their life to fight against a monstrous tyranny. Any attempt by the former to gain the moral high ground, any dumb generalization, any casual bigotry is negated by the very existance of the latter. They pick their field and the fucking game and even without playing they are beaten soundly. There aren't many places on the internet where the contrast between sides is so obvious.
So if this were my blog, I'd take the light touch when moderating. The most interesting things here are of course Amina's reports from the ground and she has no duty to make this into an open forum - of course I would still read if she decided not to, but the environment here is potentially unique.
Sorry to Sahand
My scanning is not as good as it used to be and I should have given you the credit for the inciteful comment. Not that your commant, Philip, wasn't also insightful.
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