Iraqi bloggers and social media activists speak up for their country
By Maryam Mohammed Jaafar*
Published on December 1, 2011
The 27-year-old Sahab gives a long laugh: “The Iraqi government doesn’t bother me when I publish news and facts about the situation in Iraq in my blog.”
“I write under a pseudonym so no one knows my real identity,” he says, explaining this choice: “If the government finds out who I am, it will start to follow me and restrict me.”
Sahab’s smile is filled with hope when he adds: “I know it’s dangerous to write but it’s important to document the suffering of the people and help them by letting others know the truth. I don’t want the crimes that happened in my country to be forgotten.”