Isam Bayazidi’s Blog

I wasn’t able to blog or access the internet much while I was in Tunis, so I will start in the next days blogging about the event, and the last days.

As soon as I was in the ICT4ALL Exhibition, I started to look for the societies and people I know. I met Ethan who introduced me to Hivos people in the event. As well I met Hossein Darakshan, and Isaac Mao whom I met in the Wikimania last August.

There I knew about a session that will take place on the 17th-18th Nov, titled “Expression under Repression”. It was a joint effort between Hivos and Global Voices. The seminar had some very interesting panel speakers, and discussions about freedom of expression and censorship on the internet.

Cases from Zimbabwe, China, Iran and Malaysia were introduced, giving a picture of the status of freedom and censorship in those countries as an example. There was supposed to be a blogger from one of the Arab countries present as well, but certain “censorship” efforts made it impossible. Read more in Ethan’s blog.

As well, Internet filtering and censorship was introduced, explaining the methods, technologies, and giving examples of sites censored in different arab and non-arab countries. After the session I tried to get more information about Internet censorship in Jordan, and basically they are aware of only one site that is censored from Jordan, which is a US-based e-newspaper that is almost censored in all arab countries, as it’s editor is known to be attacking all rulers and governments of the Arab world.

For me, attending this session was worth going to Tunis, I am glad that light is being shed on Freedom of expression in the internet, specially for bloggers.

Pictures:

Next: Wikimedia in WSIS

Blogging, Internet & Technology, Jordan, WSIS

OK, I got the Visa to Tunis this morning, got the brochure printouts for Wikimedia yesterday, packing my bags now, leaving in 4 hours to the airport. I really look forward for the event, and Tunis, I had been following some very interesting discussion about the event in the Global Voices mailing list. I will arrive around 1am to Tunis, won’t settle until 3-4 AM probably, yet I am looking forward to it. Beside the event, and Tunis, I am looking forward to meet the Tunisian bloggers, I really hope that it will be possible.

I will try to take as much pictures as I can, and see if I can continue posting from there. Until then, bon voyage to myself :)

About Me, WSIS, Wikimedia

Today when I passed around 2pm in front of the 3rd circle I saw a stage being set up. After 2 hours, I got a call from a friend telling me that Rum is performing at the 3rd circle. Minutes later I was there. It was a performance by Rum, Amer Al-Khaffash, Osama Jabour, and other Jordanian singers. it was a short, yet emotional. Pictures below:

Jordan

A comment that I heard the most in the first hours of the event, is that “It couldn’t be a Jordanian who did this”, I even heard it from officials. Well I disagree … I think it could have been Jordanians. The sick brain-washed people are among us, and had been bombing themselves in Iraq for the last 2 years. So, I think that the mentalities that could justify bombing people in a market, a wedding, or police stations in Iraq, could justify bombing hotels in Amman.

We can’t, and shouldn’t, act as if it is an “External” attack, because we call know that the radical mentalities that justify killing innocent people was home-grown in Jordan before it moved else where, and now it is backfiring on us. So, fixing the situation won’t be through more strict border checks, and hotel door security, but I think that it should be as strong and radical as those movements. The nests that grow those people, and brainwash them is here, and this is where we should look, and target.

This post was greatly moved by Jameed’s latest post

Jordan, News & Politics

I’ve never been in one, and I hope that I won’t have to be in one again. In front of the Radisson SAS and Hyatt people gathered for candle litting. It was emotional, stronger than shouts and words.

Full Night Protest Gallery

Jordan, News & Politics

We all felt that we should do something, but nothing much could be done after the attack. I got a message from Roba about a protest at 1pm, starting from the third circle (few meters away from Al-Hyatt Hotel) passing in front of Radisson Sas, and ending at Dakhleyeh Circle. And so I headed there with 3anan.
I met Ammar, Roba, Lina and many other friends. It had some emotional moments. Check the pictures from the protest that I took.

30 seconds of the protest (Video) (3MB)
Click for the full gallery

As well check Roba’s pictures of the demonstrations

Jordan, News & Politics

I just read in Al-Jazeera, and called a friend who confirmed.. it seems that there was a strong explosion in Amman near the Radisson SAS and Hyatt. I am a little nervous, don’t know what to say or think. Allah Yostor

UPDATE1: 5 were killed, many wounded (Source Yahoo News).

UPDATE2: Explosion happened in 8:50pm, in Radisson-Sas, wedding hall. Special forces were deployed in the area 15-20 minutes after it. Evacuation is in place now for the near-by Hyatt.

UPDATE3: There was 3 explosions in Amman at Radisson SAS, Al Hyatt, and Days Inn. Jordan Television reported 20 killed.

UPDATE4: Petra News Agency (The official state news Agency) reported that the explosions could be caused by by suicide bombers. (Source Petra News

UPDATE5: Jordan announces tomorrow off for all public and private sector. One of the dead is the Manager of Cairo Amman Bank.

UPDATE6: Latest count: 57 dead, 150+ wounded

Live Update will be blogged here and in Global voices

Jordan, News & Politics

Now as I expected earlier this year, many companies started introducing blogs as part of their service offering, as well I heard of many companies and efforts that is having blogs, and blog-related services part of their start up plans.

Shortly after Fastlink started their blog service for fastlink subscribers (which I am not one of), Al Bawaba Blog service started in beta as well. Read more…

Internet & Technology, Jordan

I’ve been trying hard for the last 2-3 weeks to hold Hotel reservations in Tunis for the WSIS 2005. It seems that either the event is taking all hotel rooms in Tunis, or we have very lame travel agents in Amman. I hope that now that Ramadan is over, and companies are back to “Normal” working hours, they will actually be able to get some work done, and make the needed arrangements and reservations.

I’ll be part of the Wikimedia team that will attend the summit, I really look forward to it, as well looking forward having the chance to meet Tunisian Bloggers. It will be my first time in Tunisia, but I really feel that I had been there :) My father used to travel there a couple of times each year, for few years. So our house is filled up with things from Tunis :)

I hope that the agents will be at office tomorrow (although it is the 3rd day of Eid), I really want to get over this and move on to preparing other things for the event.

WSIS, Wikimedia

As part of my routine everyday, I woke up a couple of days ago, started to read the newspaper, to find a very unexpected feature of Jordan Planet in Al-Ghad newspaper. It was in my preferred bi-monthly Technology supplement, in the “Your Internet Guide” pages. JP was the first of a list of 6 internet sites that are featured in the supplement. I’d like to thank Ghassan Hozayen, editor of those pages, and Al-Ghad for featuring Jordan Planet. I am glad that media is playing a major role in promoting such projects.

Internet & Technology, Jordan Planet