Internet blogging has become increasingly popular in Saudi Arabia, giving many of the country's young people a new sense of freedom. The Washington Post reported on the rise of blogging in the Arab world, a place where Internet access has increased fivefold since 2000.
So from zero to what, exactly? Enough that they come visiting here, at least, looking to impress us.
Blogs have reportedly become popular forums across the Arab world as a place to share personal stories, have heated debates on political topics or religion or to share erotic fantasies. One popular female blogger who goes by the name of Mystique is well-known for her erotic fiction, the newspaper said.
Blogs, the Post reported, are serving as a way for modern Arabs to bypass the cultural restrictions they live under. Feminist blogs, where women share and rant about the restrictions put on them, are reportedly growing more popular. A small number of people in the Middle East have been jailed for blog content and some traditionalists are calling the new electronic media "dangerous."
As indeed it is to the ruling elites everywhere. |