Re: Fearing friendship, Syrians block Facebook (Naomi Ragen)

On Wed, 28 Nov 2007 15:43:35 +0000 (UTC), moshes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

Another facet of Annapolis.

Friends,

The regime in Syria is comprised of such fanatics that they are
terrified their people might strike up friendships with Israelis
even on the internet. So -- get this-- they've banned Facebook!
Everybody out there saying: We have to start a dialogue. Hello?
With whom? Not this regime. Maybe if they weren't being courted
by the U.S. and were treated like the pariahs they
should be, there would be a regime change, and a chance for real
peace and real dialogue.

Naomi
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Monday, November 26, 2007



Syria blocks Facebook, citing fears young people might make
friends with Israelis

Hmmm.

I read the link, and then did a quick search on the story. Truly, as
the paragraph below states, Damascus has not formally commented on the
actual reasons for blocking Facebook. Consensus from what I've read is
that the Baathists there seek to reduce the possibilities of
"untoward" political activism. Reasoning not that dissimilar from the
Chinese goverment's censoring of Google and Yahoo.

Needless to say, I couldn't disagree more strongly with that policy.

But no one claims Syria's a democracy or open society.

What I don't see, however, is how Regan can claim that Syria is
"citing fears that young people might make friends with Israelis".

I can find no evidence from a Syrian source that possible friendship
with Israelis was a primary or principle motivation behind the
government's censorship. Regan, and Goss, whom she cites, are
perfectly free to *infer* the above. But they have no right to claim
it as fact, particularly when the text of the article clearly states
that Damascus *hasn't* commented directly on the issue.

Why is this a problem?

Perhaps because not everything that happens in Syria or Iran or
Lebanon or any of the Arab/Muslim nations is connected to Israel.

Syria's comitted of well-documented transgressions against Israel. Why
is there a need for mendacious journalists to make up others out of
whole cloth?



By Tom Gross <http://media.nationalreview.com/author/?q=NDI0NA==>
]

The Syrians have reluctantly accepted the Bush administration's
invitation to join over 40 other countries - including Israel -
at tomorrow's Annapolis peace conference.

But back home they are concerned that young Syrians might go
farther and - horror of horrors - actually befriend Israelis.

In a move that has angered many, particularly young people, the
Syrian government has blocked the Facebook website, reports the
Lebanese paper, Al-Safir.

The authorities in Damascus have not explained the meaning of the
move, but observers said that it was motivated by a fear that
Syrians might strike up friendships with Israelis, reports
Al-Safir.

Facebook is not alone in being blocked. As I have reported
previously, Hotmail is also regularly blocked in Syria.

Indeed over the past few months the Syrian regime has intensified
a campaign against bloggers, virtual opinion forums, and
independent media sites. And Syrian human rights groups report
that there is now an "Internet political crimes" ward at one
prison.

One wonders why the Bush administration - which says it is
committed to promoting democracy - has even invited the
representatives of such a regime to participate in tomorrow's
conference.

*I* used to wonder how the Regan and first Bush administrations could
make the same claim while actively applying the "Kirkpatrick Doctrine"
(i.e. that "engagement" with rightist authoritarian governments was
preferable to isolating or sanctioning them).

To exclude a player in the ME politics as significant as Syria on
abstract moral grounds would be tantamount to saying that this or any
forthcoming conference expects to accomplish absolutely nothing in
the way of real progress.

Andy Katz
.

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