For the past decade and a half, a large part of my belief in Jordan as a homeland has been based on the fact that we had a free uncensored internet (yes I know about the Arabtimes.com exception, but let’s just agree that the net in Jordan was largely free and uncensored).

What does the internet have to do with my belief in Jordan and it’s future and my future in it?

The internet is our public arena.

It has helped Jordanians gain the world’s knowledge.

It is a platform for education. A totally new form of education.

It is where we are having our important political debates as we try to find a way forward for the country.

It is a medium where a new generation of Jordanian have learned the culture of self expression and the exchange of ideas.

It is a source of income and business opportunities for so many entrepreneurs and knowledge workers.

It was a symbol of hope that Jordan can someday be a truly free a democratic country.

But no.. The dark forces of moral lecturing and the dark forces of political authoritarianism just couldn’t handle that.

We have a Minister of Information Technology who wants to police us morally. And a Minister of Information who find no problem in proposing a law that allows the government to block news sites.

These are people stuck in the analogue world.

They are stuck in a mentality that dictates that citizens cannot be fully free.

These forces are taking away the last bright thing about Jordan.

We have a failing political reform process.

We have a government that thinks by putting a fence around the 4th circle is a solution for public protests.

And now they want to take the internet away from us.

Our silence would be criminial.

That’s why I am joining the Jordan Blackout tomorrow Wednesday!

Go to 7oryanet to joint too.