Arabisc: Rebelling Bloggers from Syria to Tunisia  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Ever heard of the rebellious bloggers? Well, this is what some bloggers in the Middle East refer to themselves because they are breaking the norm – speaking their minds on blogs without censorship or editing but paying the price for the consequences of free speech later on.
Tunisian blogger Sami Ben Gharbia, who is also Global Voices Online Advocacy Manager, is one such blogger. Living in exile in The Netherlands, Ben Gharbia was invited to Dubai to take part in a television programme on Arab bloggers, following a surge in interest in the phenomena after Egyptian blogger Kareem Nabeel Sulaiman was sentenced to four years in prison because of posts he wrote on his personal blog.
Ben Gharbia, who spoke along with Syrian blogger Roukana Hamour and Egyptian blogger Rami Seyyam  on the programme, gives us his take on that interview here.
The blogger admits he was enchanted by meeting the other two fellow bloggers more than appearing on the silver screen and preaching the viewers about the importance of blogs and citizen journalism.
Ben Gharbia  then takes us to Syria and shows us why Hamour was dealt with in this manner.
Ben Gharbia claims that Hamour‘s plight was given a cold shoulder by international media as well as blogs and aggregators, which usually rally for the support of other ‘more prominent’ bloggers.
Moving from Syria, Ben Gharbia  narrates to us the plight of Seyyam, who also had his stint behind bars.
This talk with Seyyam, is giving Ben Gharbia thoughts, such as returning to his homeland and fighting his war on the ground.
Ben Gharbia, also shares with us his story – that of leaving his homeland and living abroad where he operates a virtual war to ensure a better home and more freedom and human rights for the people he has left behind.
Sadly, his experience with Arab countries leaves him bitter and angry.
This is all today. See you on Monday with a new take on Arab blogs.