The internet as a last resort

August 4, 2009 at 12:02 pm · Filed under Arabisms, Geek Culture & Tech

The Egyptians constantly amuse me at their ability to make use of the internet and social media to press for changes, no matter how minute they are.

أنا هبة نجيب محتجزة في السعودية من ٣ سنوات ، وأريد العودة لمصر

The latest example is the case of Heba, a young woman who lives in Saudi Arabia with her fanatic parents, and who has exhausted every possible method of getting her self back to Egypt. She contacted the Egyptian Embassy, the Saudi Police, Human Rights organizations, even the American Embassy.

Then she started a Facebook group, and the internet saw the snowball effect.

As a person who spent most of my life in Saudi Arabia, I understand how desperate her case is. Meanwhile, the internet just started talking, and everyone’s holding their breath to see if Heba’s last resort is going to work.

Heba’s Blog
Video of Heba giving a Skype interview to Al-Masry Al-Yawm
Blog Post on Justice For Everyone
Blog Post on Ma Bada Li




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  • Nick Fraser

    This is a very sad story. I shared the Facebook group with 200 of my friends. I hope the campaign snowballs and gathers pace.

    But something worries me – if the campaign really goes international, how will the Father react? Would Saudi law protect him (on the grounds that she was bringing shame on his family) if he did something drastic and terrible.

    I suppose Heba’s stand is one tiny battle in the long war towards equal rights for women within the Kingdom.

    I should mention something else to you – the Economist magazine (last week) had a major special on the Arab world. It was well-researched, wide-ranging and quite fascinating. I thought of young liberal Arabs like yourself as I was reading it. Worth getting hold of if you haven’t already.

  • http://www.alimetalhead.blogspot.com Ali

    God help her, I hope she gets out soon, Her father is a retard!

  • http://bambamworld.com bambam

    You know what ? effing hypocrites that would rather join a facebook group rather than tell their family and parents that they should support cedaw and put their voice behind something tangible …
    eff them all

  • Ohoud

    Say her issue is resolved, would that make the society any better?

    Our problem doesnt lie in Hebas problem or any other person,it lies that we take everything case by case.

    A paradigm shift needs to take place starting from the whole upbrinding of children in the Middle east and the mentality that is engraved with that upbringing.

    Off the subject this reminds me exactly of how people reacted when the Gaza masacre took place. I cannot mention how much was written, blogs, facebook pages…etc. The cause dies and with it dies the attention.

    Proactive people its PROACTIVE not reactive…

  • http://ma3t.blogspot.com ma3t

    It wasn’t just the facebook group. She also got in contact with Kolena Laila http://kolenalaila.com/ and everyone in this group felt they had to support her. Since there is actually no legal way fo her to deal with this, and since all institutes there have failed her, her only way is to raise alot of media attention to pur pressure on the Egyptian Counslet there.

    And we need to focus all our efforts and attention- atleast for now- on Heba as an indevidual case. Because it is not just a matter of letting everyone know what’s happening, it is also her ONLY hope of solving her problem. Maybe later on after this is solved we can discuss all the issues Heba’s case brought to our attention.

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  • http://meshx86.wordpress.com Mesh

    The problem that her dad is waiting for abu le7yeh wo dishdasheh binjapi (pakistani) 3shan eyjawwezha ..

    wallah ya 3amma el mar2a bel islam kanat tetla3 wo ettajer la7alha
    cd .. lessa hay 3endha net et3abber feeh,

    am sure 3′erha mamno3a testa5dem el computer kaman..

  • http://andfaraway.net Roba

    Nick, actually, I haven’t seen it, but I’ll definitely check it out. Thanks for the heads up!

  • http://happyarabnews.blogspot.com/ Nobody

    Thanks for the Koran (Kindle Edition) link on The Traveller Within blog. You made my day

    :D :D

  • http://www.questfortherightone.blogspot.com Quest

    well i just hope she finds better things ahead cuz sometimes life can be a witch. though i see bambam’s point there and would rather that her community help her.

    sigh