[WSIS CS-Plenary] RE: Call for silence

[west Asia]

Dear Ronald

Thanks for clarification, it is exactly the same pretext that Islamic regime
in Iran is misusing to deny freedom of expression and closing every week a
newspaper in this country, the say we should obey the Islamic values and
cultural values, what the hell these two have anything to do with freedom of
expression and human rights, its just an excuse to keep us quiet.

Human rights and freedom of expression are global values, beyond religion
and country, we should all respect and advocate it.
I ma also very happy that the international and especially the western
community is pushing for this and criticizing governments, otherwise they
will mute us inside.

Thanks

Amir

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ronald Koven" <rkoven at compuserve.com>
To: <plenary at wsis-cs.org>
Sent: Thursday, July 22, 2004 9:52 PM
Subject: [WSIS CS-Plenary] RE: Call for silence


Dear All --

There is a name for what the Nile Basin Society is asking us to do.

It is called self-censorship.

Neither Tunisian hospitality nor Arab culture are the issues.

Tunisian regression from the free speech and human rights situation
inherited from Habib Bourguiba is the issue.

Human rights, by definition, concern everyone -- not just citizens of the
host country. When freedom of expression and press freedom are diminished
in one country, they are diminished for all humanity.

Sorry if that sounds preachy, but it is one of those self-evident truths of
which we need to keep reminding ourselves.

It certainly would be nice if we didn't need to keep repeating such home
truths.

The broken record that human rights advocates feel they must keep replaying
merely reflects the bad human rights record with which they are confronted.

Rony Koven

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