Free Fouad - Fouad Freed!

A friend sent me this article from the Christian Science Monitor on Sunday, but I didn't get a chance to post it. Here's the BBC article.

Fouad has been freed!!!!!! I'm very excited about this. Officially, I think the government was near or just past the time where they could hold him without charges. That doesn't mean he still couldn't end up in jail, but for now he's at home with his family. I hope this hasn't scared him away from blogging. It will be interesting to see what happens over the next week or two.

Free Fouad Top Post

I wanted to keep this near the top. Please read my post on Fouad al-Farhan and Fouad's Week.

UDPATE:
BBC article on Fouad

Free Fouad Top Post

I wanted to keep this near the top. Please read my post on Fouad al-Farhan and Fouad's Week.

Where to begin?

I had intended to leave up the Free Fouad II post all week, but there is so much going on I feel the need to post about it. Please read the post about Fouad al-Farhan, though, and sign the petition. I would also like to address the dearth of postings on Iraq. I haven't been ignoring Iraq, but there is so much information in the mainstream media that I only post when something extra interesting happens.

Free Fouad II

This week is Fouad's Week. You may have noticed the quotes on the right side of my blog. They're all from Fouad al-Farhan. He's a blogger from Saudi Arabia, who blogs under his real name, not anonymously. He was arrested 2 months ago and it still being held in jail without being charged with a crime. I'm participating in Fouad's Week because he asked that he not be forgotten. Please go to his site and sign the petition to free him.

This is a copy of his post Why Do We Blog? (in English) :

Why Do We Blog?

1. Because we believe we have opinions that deserve to be heard, and minds that should be respected.
   
2. Because societies do not progress until they learn to respect opinions of their members. And we would like to see our society progressing.
   
3. Because blogging is our only option. We do not have a free media, and freedom to assemble is not allowed.
   
4. Because we want to discuss our opinions.
   
5. Because we think.
   
6. Because we care.
   
7. Because blogging has had a positive effect on other societies and we want to see the same result in our society.
   
8. Because blogging is a reflection of the life of society members. And we are alive.
   
9. Because blogging is gaining increasing attention from media and governments. We want them to listen to us.
   
10. Because we are not scared.
    
11. Because we reject the cattle mentality.
    
12. Because we welcome diversity of opinions.
    
13. Because the country is for all, and we are part of it.
    
14. Because we want to reach out to everyone.
    
15. Because we refuse to be an “echo”.
    
16. Because we are not any less than bloggers in other societies.
    
17. Because we seek the truth.
    
18. Because our religion encourages us to speak out.
    
19. Because we are sick and tired of the Saudi media hypocrisy.
    
20. Because we are positive.
    
21. Because blogging is a powerful tool that can benefit society.
    
22. Because we are affected and we can affect.
    
23. Because we love our country.
    
24. Because we enjoy dialogue and don’t run away from it.
    
25. Because we are sincere.
    

Free Fouad

I missed a lot over the holidays. Bhutto was assassinated & Pakistan is imploding; attacks in Iraq, Algeria; problems with Turkey and Kurdistan; it never seems to end. But the focus of my current post is the Saudi blogger Fouad al-Farhan. He's been arrested and is being held without charges, as far as I can tell. His main crime seems to be criticizing the wrong people in his blog. Check out the links to find out more. The publicity this is getting can't hurt his chances.

Links: Fouad's Blog, Free Fouad, BBC article, Crossroads Arabia.