Moroccan bloggers create first association

2009-04-30

Bloggers in Morocco have organised a new association to provide legal representation in case of trouble and to establish clear rules and ethics.

Interview by Imane Belhaj for Magharebia in Casablanca – 30/04/09

[Imane Belhaj] Blogger Said Benjebli will serve as the president of the Association of Moroccan Bloggers.

Moroccan online writers formed the Association of Moroccan Bloggers early this month at a conference in Rabat. The goal of the Association, bloggers said, is to support digital media and to promote more involvement in training and education.

Said Benjebli, author of the blog Tahiya Nedaliya, was elected president of the new association. He said the fledgling group will serve to defend the rights of bloggers and internet users and promote the principles of public freedoms and human rights.

Benjebli spoke to Magharebia recently about the motives and aims behind the establishment of the new association, and the future of blogging in Morocco.

Magharebia: This was your first conference; can you tell us more about how it went?

Said Benjebli: The conference was a complete success; more than 60 Moroccan bloggers from different intellectual and political backgrounds took part. They were young and old, males and females, and they submitted their proposals and nominations, and then voted in full transparency and democracy. Although the conference lacked the atmosphere of recreation due to our limited means, there was a consensus among the participants that it was a successful and distinguished event.

Magharebia: What are your motives behind the establishment of this association?

Benjebli: Blogging has imposed itself in the media as a type of people's journalism, and in the field of literature as an independent genre of art. It has opened new horizons for political and human rights action in a remarkably fast way. It has also created a boom in spreading and exchanging knowledge. Therefore, we thought about forming a Moroccan association concerned with blogging, which now enjoys an outstanding place on the Arab level, so that it may be a tool that speaks for the bloggers and discusses their concerns and problems. We have been preparing for this event for two years, and the idea witnessed several developments. The aims, which were focused on representing the bloggers and defending their rights, were expanded. We now focus on the priority of training and qualifying bloggers. And in the meantime, we seek to integrate blogging into all fields of activities as a factor for development and progress that doesn't only serve politics and rights.

Magharebia: Do you think that blogging in Morocco is mature enough to be a tolerant platform, where all have the right to participate?

Benjebli: Blogging in general is qualified to play a leading role in Morocco. However, today we are faced with a major challenge. Given the diversity of cultures, inclinations and ideas of bloggers, who are a mix of intellectuals and semi-literate people, teachers and students, conservatives and progressives, politicians and adolescents, the challenge today is how to understand the freedom provided to us by blogging. It's a gain that we must keep and at the same time we must avoid any misuse of that tool and avoid using it to harm others. Therefore, we are about to write what we called "Code of Ethics of Blogging and Citizen Media." It addresses the rights and responsibilities of the blogger, and it adopts an approach aimed at preserving the freedom of opinion while shouldering the responsibility towards society and public opinion. We have postponed the ratification of such a document, pending the completion of an in-depth discussion involving all the parties concerned.

Magharebia: To what extent can blogging contribute to the creation of constructive dialogue, rejection of violence and extremism and spread of ideas of tolerance?

Benjebli: Above anything else, bloggers are people of culture. Blogging is a modern culture and industry that can achieve what the old means have failed to do in promoting the culture of dialogue, mutual respect and co-operation in common issues. This is because blogging is being practiced in a virtual sphere that crosses many of the influential barriers in the real world. It is also because blogging was created by independent people whose only concern is to find a space for expressing their ideas. Therefore, blogging has a human dimension that is more important than the ordinary means of expression that reflect opinions in a rough and inflexible language that no longer has an effect on the readers.

Magharebia: How many Moroccan bloggers are out there, and how many are members of your association?

Benjebli: There are more than 30,000 Arabic language bloggers, and a bigger number of French language bloggers, excluding the personal spaces in social networks, some of which fall under the category of blogging. As to our association, its membership today is 500 bloggers. However, I think that this number will grow after the success of the conference and after we receive legal recognition. Meanwhile, the beneficiaries of the activities we are organising will exceed the number of members.

Magharebia: What are the limits of your interventions to protect bloggers against legal proceedings?

Benjebli: We are working on two fronts: the first is prevention, through providing training on rights and training on the basics of journalism and publishing. In the event that bloggers are subjected to harassment because of their opinions, we will support and back them up against the authorities and in court. We provide them with the necessary legal assistance in co-ordination with the other rights associations and lawyers. We also try to contribute to the finalising of a law that organises the practice of blogging in a manner that would protect the freedom of expression and protection of bloggers against unjust penalties.

Magharebia: It seems that anyone who wants to create a blog can create it without any conditions. What are the criteria for accepting bloggers into your association?

Benjebli: The association is open to all bloggers. We don't exclude any bloggers based on their opinions or political, religious, ethnic and linguistic backgrounds. However, we don't accept those who use their blogs for criminal or fraudulent activities, those who incite violence or racism, or those who deride any religions. We also don't accept "virtual bloggers" who want to hide their identities from everyone, including the office of our Association. This is because we are a legal association rather than a virtual network.

Magharebia: In your opinion, what are the red lines that the bloggers shouldn't cross?

Benjebli: A crime is a crime regardless of its means and its multiple forms: targeting minors, cheating, fraud, charlatanry, information theft, threats, extortion, publishing sensitive and personal information, publishing of false information for the purpose of hurting others, spreading rumours, and other electronic crimes. In addition, sectarian mobilisation, incitement of violence, terrorism, racism and hatred, and misuse of means of publishing are acts that contradict the true role of bloggers who are supposed to be responsible citizens.