So how many Kurds are on Facebook? A sizable number in fact. Two Facebook groups (where membership is invitation only) sport fairly large numbers: How Many Kurds are on Facebook? has 1,367 members, and Support an Independent Kurdistan has 1,452 members. Of course this begs the question, with so many members on Facebook, how come more Kurds aren't blogging? After his site was hacked multiple times From Holland to Kurdistan closed his blog to private readers only; and after similar persecution in Iran, Medya from MedyaDaily was forced to stop blogging. As one poster on the Facebook site I (heart) Kurdistan put it:

I want to tell you that I knew a lot of kurdish blogs, which were full of turkish idiots people ( I don't mean that turkish are all idiots, but those ones were) who posted insults on those blogs, and it always became very violent, no discussion was possible, and the website host had to delete those blogs because of this violence !
So how can we have blogs from kurdish people when others enjoy breaking all hopes of sharing our culture !!?? All kind of people can go on Internet so fortunately other ways are possible to get stronger and respected !

And in response:

It's sad about the blogs, and giving so easily up. People should not response to them and let them bark, and let the people know how they are. I've blocked/deleted countless many of such people who come and curse at the entire kurdish nation. Because they are not worth to waste my time to reply.

What can be done to counteract the quietening of voices in the Kurdish blogosphere? Facebook poster Rezan offers the following list:

10 simple things you can do right now for Kurdistan!
* 1. Create a blog about Kurds. The more blogs we have about Kurdistan and Kurdish culture the better.
* 2. Be active on Wikipedia, add articles, and be active in promoting Kurdish history and culture.
* 3. Create a group IRL in your city, that you meet each week to discuss politics. Be creative. Do not be afraid to discuss politics. We HAVE to learn to discuss our difference not our common. Find activities to do, like create a dance group, open a seminar at your university or school.
* 4. Create a website with photos from your Kurdistan trips. Power up Google Images with Kurdish and Kurdistan.
* 5. Promote Kurdish Language. Go to courses or ask for help from friends and schools to learn your mother language. If you are good at it, offer your help to those Kurdish youth that cannot speak Kurdish.
* 6. Write an article about Kurdistan to your local newspaper. Give your hope and dreams of a country of our own. Promote the greater Kurdistan.
* 7. Donate money in several Kurdish organizations. If you don’t have money, find sponsors from companies that could donate money for Kurdish youth non-political organizations.
* 8. Become active your local non-Kurdish political parties. Having Kurds in American or European political organizations has the most profound effect on foreign affairs.
* 9. Send a letter to your local politicians to include the Kurdish struggle in their events and discussions.
* 10. Be a role model for other Kurdish youth. Be active. Become productive. Promote Kurdistan and Kurdish culture. Make sure that follow your steps!

If you are interested in seeing more of the Kurds online, here are just a few of the Kurdish Facebook sites:
How Many Kurds are on Facebook?
Kerkuk-The Heart of Kurdistan
I (heart) Kurdistan
I am a Kurd
Friends of Kurdistan
Fundraising for Kurdish Rights
Asimilasyon bir insanlık suçudur…
Free Kurdistan
Happy is the one who says, “I'm a KURD”.
Support an Independent Kurdistan

In recent years, some Iranian bloggers have been sent to jail and many have had their sites filtered. If the Iranian parliament approves this draft bill, bloggers fear they could be legally executed as criminals. No one has defined what it means to “disturb mental security in society”.

Such discussion concerning blogs has not been unique to Iran. It shows that many authorities do not only wish to filter blogs, but also to eliminate bloggers!

A state policy to control blogs

About a year and a half ago, the Iranian government demanded that bloggers should register and provide their names and addresses on a site called Samandehi. Many people believed such a process would facilitate legal action against them.

Bloggers resisted and many published an “I do not register my blog/site” banner on their blogs. The Government then realised it cannot have real control of the situation, or force bloggers to register.

In the footsteps of Yemen?

Unfortunately, the Iranian case is not unique to the Middle East and to the world. In April, MidEastYouth talked about new repressive measures adopted by Yemen, quoting Walid Al-Saqaf, YemenPortal.net's administrator:

“This week, the government’s Minister of Information threatened to file lawsuits against news websites on the justification of ‘inciting hatred’ or ‘harming national interests’ and the other usual excuse they often use to prosecute journalists. The threat is even more severe for websites because the government would use the penal code instead of the press law. This means that website owners could receive even death penalties.”

“Don’t be upset, we'll execute you legally”

Nikahang, a leading Iranian online cartoonist and blogger, says [Fa]:

if this draft bill becomes law, everything will be based on interpretation and a simple blogger will be considered a center to destroy people’s religion! What can I say? Only people who disturb people’s mental security could support such a thing.

Mirza Kasra Bakhtyari writes [Fa] that Ali Larijani, the Iranian Parliament's President, supported discussing this draft bill and added that they have talked for hours with the Judiciary about it.

Ghomarashegahneh says [Fa]:

Mentioning ‘blogging' among crimes such as kidnapping, raping, armed robbery makes accusing bloggers easier than before… Such a law will harm the mental security of society more than the poor bloggers, who do not know what awaits them.

The blogger adds that the real causes of mental security problems are the economic crisis and repressive government policies.

Bazri warns [Fa]: “We should do our best to stop members of parliament from approving this draft bill. Tomorrow it will be too late. It is easy to accuse a blogger of apostasy and corruption. Let's tell the Parliament that to think differently is not a crime that should be punishable by death.”

Balocuh has published a cartoon where a cleric tells a woman about to be executed: “Don’t be upset, we'll execute you legally.”

Students at other Iranian universities including Kirmanshah University have previously made allegations of sexual harassment from officials, without consequences. In this case, the evidence of citizen media was clear: students protested for one week, before the vice president was finally suspended. The President of the University apologized and thanked students.

Here is the video showing a very confused university vice president listening to the orders of the students who filmed him. This film has been watched more than 67,000 times in less than 10 days.

Iranian blogger, Asmoun Abi writes [fa]:

I am living in a country where the only thing I get is a veil. I am living in a country where you look at me as somebody to sleep with. I am living in a country where in its most secure and cultured place, a woman gets violated.

The blog, Zanjan1387 was launched by students in Zanjan University to keep readers updated about their protest movement. In this blog we read [fa] that more than 1500 students signed a petition asking the Minister of Science to fire the President of Zanjan University. The blog has also published several photos and videos from different protests.

Sano claims [fa] that the vice president put pressure on this girl to have sex with him and wanted a 7 month “temporary marriage”. The blogger adds that before this incident there were other cases too.

Tourjan says [fa] that the interesting point is that Madadi, the vice president who has acted in a very immoral way, a few weeks ago told the Association of Islamic Students that they would be shut down for doing immoral things!