Saturday, January 31, 2009
<http://persecutedchurch.blogspot.com/2009/01/why-is-blogger-blocking-saudi-weblog.html>Why is Blogger blocking a Saudi weblog? http://persecutedchurch.blogspot.com I have been doing some searching around this afternoon, trying to discover why Blogger has blocked access to the Saudi weblog <http://christforsaudi.blogspot.com>http://christforsaudi.blogspot.com which I referred to yesterday. If you click on the link, you get the following message... <http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8tdzoRv_yCc/SYSeWSffKYI/AAAAAAAABpE/di3iP8b8ObU/s1600-h/bloggerviolation%5B6%5D.jpg> bloggerviolation I can understand why the Saudi government would try to block access to this weblog where a Saudi citizen tells of his conversion to Christianity from Islam. But I wonder why Blogger (which is run by Google) is blocking access to the site as well for the rest of the world, stating that it is in violation of Blogger's <http://www.blogger.com/terms.g>Terms of Service? I would be curious to know what terms Google thinks this young Christian violated apart from running afoul of the Saudi government ? I cannot even get any cached versions of this site. It is totally locked down. Google, of course, leaves its options open in Section 10 of its Terms of Service by stating, "Google may, in its sole discretion, at any time and for any reason, terminate the Service, terminate this Agreement, or suspend or terminate your account." Is this loophole that they can slip through when a totalitarian government leans on them for blogs that they would like to see shut down? Might be worth asking Google about. Why not log on to <http://groups.google.com/group/blogger-help-howdoi/browse_thread/thread/fb64670f445858cc/6e86d4cbbbca9f38#>a discussion on the Blogger Help Group that is asking this very question? Be civil, please. Let's see if Blogger/Google will give someone an answer. If you do get some sort of response, please be sure to post it here. Thanks Posted by Glenn Penner at <http://persecutedchurch.blogspot.com/2009/01/why-is-blogger-blocking-saudi-weblog.html>1/31/2009 <http://persecutedchurch.blogspot.com/2009/01/why-is-blogger-blocking-saudi-weblog.html#comments>1 comments <http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=20271097&postID=2312693937341659813> [] <http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=20271097&postID=2312693937341659813> Friday, January 30, 2009 <http://persecutedchurch.blogspot.com/2009/01/saudi-blogger-arrested-site-blocked.html>Saudi blogger arrested; site blocked <http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8tdzoRv_yCc/SYO3Gz7vnbI/AAAAAAAABo0/If17TbiVZuw/s1600-h/christforsaudi%5B3%5D.png> christforsaudi Having all of my blogs hosted on Blogger, I felt a degree of solidarity when I learned of the recent arrest of a Saudi Christian blogger (now that is something I didn't expect to type out anytime soon) named Hamoud Bin Saleh who wrote about his conversion to Christ from Islam. Like myself, he hosted his blog "Masihi Saudi" on Blogger (<http://christforsaudi.blogspot.com>http://christforsaudi.blogspot.com). On January 13, the young blogger was arrested by Saudi authorities and jailed at the infamous Eleisha political prison in Riyadh. Saudi authorities then blocked his site (and which remains blocked). Previously arrested for nine months in 2004 and again last November, he was interrogated about some articles he had written that condemned the Saudi regime’s violation of human rights and the rights of converts to Christianity. According to <http://anhri.net/en/reports/2009/pr0114.shtml>Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI), Bin Saleh was released in November during a <http://persecutedchurch.blogspot.com/2008/11/lofty-words-conceal-intent-to-restrict.html>Saudi-sponsored, inter-faith dialogue conference at U.N. headquarters in New York involving representatives from 80 countries on November 12-13 in order to avoid tarnishing Saudi Arabia's image and exposing the government's false allegations. <http://www.compassdirect.org/en/display.php?page=news%E2%8C%A9=en&length=long&idelement=5779>Compass Direct reports that Bin Saleh wrote on his web site wrote that his journey to Christ began after witnessing the public beheading of three Pakistanis convicted of drug charges. Shaken, he began an extensive study of Islamic history and law, as well as Saudi justice. He became disillusioned with sharia (Islamic law) and dismayed that kingdom authorities only prosecuted poor Saudis and foreigners. “I was convinced that the wretched Pakistanis were executed in accordance with the Muhammadan laws just because they are poor and have no money or favored positions, which they had no control or power over,” he wrote in Arabic in his December 22 posting, referring to “this terrible prejudice in the application of justice in Saudi Arabia.” After reading how Jesus forgave – rather than stoned – a woman condemned for adultery, Bin Saleh eventually received Christ as savior. Pray for this young man as he languishes in prison. There is little question that his life is in danger. The Saudi government refuses to conform or comment on Bin Saleh's arrest. Posted by Glenn Penner at <http://persecutedchurch.blogspot.com/2009/01/saudi-blogger-arrested-site-blocked.html>1/30/2009 <http://persecutedchurch.blogspot.com/2009/01/saudi-blogger-arrested-site-blocked.html#comments>0 comments <*}}}>< <http://astore.amazon.com/halthekin-20>Catholic on Amazon <*}}}>< <*}}}>< <http://www.holypostage.com/>Holy Postage <*}}}>< <*}}}><<http://www.halfthekingdom.org/>Half the <http://www.halfthekingdom.org/>Kingdom!<*}}}>< + "The fruit of abortion is nuclear war" - Bl. Mother Teresa + --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Please note that I do not send or open attachments sent to this list. You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Catholics on Fire" group. 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