Scandal: In Lebanon, Facebook Comments Can Land You In Jail
A case involving four Lebanese university students being jailed for “insulting” a woman on Facebook shows just how backward our justice system can be.
Last year in the U.S, a girl by the name of Megan Meier was found dead in her room. She had hanged herself.
Megan wasn’t particularly attractive and she had troubles with her parents. Fortunately, she found solace at Myspace with a boy who regularly complimented her and told her how wonderful she looked. The couple would chat everyday, and Megan got out of her depressive mood.
A few weeks later, the boy suddenly turned on her and used a barrage of hurtful language: I wonder why anyone would want be your friend! He told her. The troubled girl ended up killing herself.
Later it was found out that the “boy” never existed. He was a fictional Myspace character designed by the Meiers’ next-door neighbors specifically to cause them harm (although they didn’t mean to have the girl kill herself)
Everyone in the neighborhood knew about this, but it took national TV coverage and intense pressure for legal action to finally take place. The reason? Internet privacy rights that many Americans take for granted.
Why am I bringing this up?
Just to contrast it with the silly Lebanese legal system that jailed 4 university students simply because they had gossiped on Facebook about one woman’s singing.
How backward do you have to be to do that? The act wasn’t very nice, but come on, hasn’t each one of you at some point made fun of someone else on Facebook?
Sometimes, Lebanese officials just need to get a life.
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Hello, my name is Mustapha and I blog in The Beirut Spring about Lebanese society and politics. I started in February 2005 after the killing of P.M. Rafik Hariri.
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they just have to join Hatebook :p
would be alright to make such comments there?
cant agree with you on that
lebanese people must learn about their real rights. insulting a woman in a matter related to her feminity is sexual offense, something that seems to be acceptable in lebanese masculine society, but its god damn illegal in human rights respecting countries.
How come all of the previous comments were deleted?
Ali, they weren’t deleted. In fact, they were amazing! I just had a problem where I think my Database reset to a day back and took away the latest post (Frangieh) and the last 5 comments..sorry
insulting a woman in a matter related to her feminity is sexual offense, something that seems to be acceptable in lebanese masculine society, but its god damn illegal in human rights respecting countries.
Uhm what universe is this in?
Let me say, Yoko Ono is a terrible singer. I’ll wait here for the cops.
That’s why I blog anonymously (and from a foreign country).
That’s why Lebanon is a backward country slipping further back.
Waiting for the day when treason, blowing up MPs, and beating your friends in a Faraya chalet become as UNACCEPTABLE as badmouthing some singing nincompoop.
tata
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_harassment
its in this universe, but you seem to be unemployed and dont get frequent sexual harassment memos.
I dont care about the singer, I dont even know who she is. And yes its unacceptable that people get killed while other party. Or that politician betray lebanon but still are considered as leaders.
But i stoped wondering why are things going so badly when I figured out that its not just related to politics but to civic manners.
havent you seen the cheering people when they hear aoun call other politicians animals? they applaude him just on that word!!!!
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