A Petition Against Censorship in Tunisia
Since 2006, I have lost contact with almost everyone. I became increasingly isolated, especially as they frequently cut off my internet access and blocked all my websites in Tunisia. Each time, I had to find a new proxy to access the network, only for them to track it down within days and cut off my access again, bringing me back to square one.
Even Google imposed censorship on me, preventing me from running ads on my websites or earning any revenue from them.
In February 2006, I published a petition on the islamla.com forum and my personal website labidikm.com to expose the censorship imposed in Tunisia. The petition read as follows:
“How long must we wait before freedom of expression becomes a fundamental right in Tunisia? We trivialize freedom to please this religion or that doctrine, yet we lack the courage to condemn and denounce censorship loudly and clearly.
My website “islamla.com” and my Arabic website “labidikm.com” were blocked on February 18, 2006, following the Danish cartoon controversy, in which I supported the right to freedom of expression. What is sacred to you is not necessarily sacred to others. Words should be countered with words, not censorship and bans. I founded these websites based on this principle—the right to dissent, to critique, and to express oneself. They serve as a personal platform for analyzing and questioning Orthodox Islam. Their purpose is to provide Muslims with the opportunity to confront their doctrinal and cultural heritage and to break free from the total dogmatism they are subjected to.
“islamla.com” offers a space for free-thinking individuals from all backgrounds and beliefs to express themselves according to their perspectives and fosters a participatory environment for critical thinking. It is a repository of information, accumulated through a collection of constructive critical readings, sourced from valuable contributions by individuals truly worthy of attention and consideration.
I live in Tunisia, and from here, I have voiced my concerns and urged the Tunisian authorities to lift this unjustified censorship, which has lasted far too long.
My website is a purely free voice—I have never banned an article or a message, nor have I excluded anyone from debate. I urge you to sign this petition so we can show the relevant authorities that we are many. We are the ones demanding freedom of expression.
And finally, I hope this call finds attentive ears…”
This petition gained significant attention and helped shed light on the issue of censorship in Tunisia.
