Some Arabs Using Blogs "To Agitate For A Better Future'

Bahraini blogger Esra’a al-Shafei, co-founder of mideastyouth.com and the Middle East Interfaith Blogger Network, contends that

with the introduction of the Internet in the intellectually sheltered countries of the Arab world, blogging is now challenging Arab rulers. Most Middle East blogs, or online journals, are dedicated to politics because the Internet has allowed bloggers, who are effectively citizen journalists, to discuss taboos in their societies and reveal or criticize state information.

There never was a public forum in the Arab world that specifically served to help average citizens practice and bolster their right to freedom of expression. This is why blogging has become an essential communication strategy for many frustrated Arabs who use blogging as a tool to promote democratization.

Esra’a said, "Many have been encouraged to join, and as a result the number of blogs initiated every day is multiplying dramatically. It is particularly attractive to Arab youth, who use blogging to agitate for a better future."

To read more, please see "Democracy is possible, Arab bloggers assure us every day, which "was first published at bitterlemons-international.org, an online newsletter," according to "Mideast Youth."