Santa Cruz Indymedia: "Repeating the Question" Debate
Nalin | 28.10.2006 08:00 | Indymedia
There appears to be a decent discussion going on at Santa Cruz Indymedia (part of the Indybay network) concerning what content is allowed to be posted at their affiliate. Both Indymedia Watch and my personal blog are referenced in the discussion. In fact, the piece and the comments that precede it clearly sum up the ethical problems most Indymedia websites face.
Within the thread, there is some wonderful evidence showing Indybay’s systematic censorship of all ideas that fall outside of the accepted party line.
“There is a difference between moderation and censorship. Moderation means banning things like spam, physical threats (an illegal form of speech), and gutter language, especially gutter language directed at people because of their race, religion, or ethnicity.
Saying that the Palestinian government oppresses gay people and mistreats women is not hate speech or uncivil, and the moderators' decision to remove such postings is proof that Indybay was lying about its "progressive" stand on these issues. You are either for women's and gay rights (rights = the basic right to not be killed or brutalized for being who you are) or you are not, and that team of Indybay moderators showed where they stood. This was of course very damaging to Indybay's credibility.” - Bill Levinson
Well said. Levinson goes on to confront yet another hot button topic so often spread amoungst Indymedia affiliates.
“"Would you be offended by a posting sayings " Olmert says, 'Kill a Palestinian for Moses.'?"
If Olmert actually said something like that, I would repudiate him as a dictator every bit as bad as Ahmadinejad (or Hitler) but neither he nor any other responsible Israeli leader has said anything like it. There are some ultra-right-wing Israelis who believe this sort of garbage and I consider them every bit as reprehensible as Islamofascists, but they are a tiny minority and Israeli law does not condone their position. In contrast, Israeli law would punish them for killing innocent Palestinians.
The Palestinian Authority's laws sanction and condone the brutalization and murder of gay people, and often look the other way when a woman is killed by her family for "dishonoring" herself
through sexual intercourse, which included being raped.”
The entire thread is worth checking out.
*** Comments***
Permalink # posted by Roland Dodds @ 12:56 PM | Trackback (0) |
Comments:
looks like the site is imploding for the same reason the UK site is - an unhealthy desire to excuse all Islamist and Palestinian wrongdoing and attempt to blame Jews for everything.
What a bunch of bigots
Comment Permalink # posted by Anonymous : 10/26/2006 02:10:20 AM
The issue of Gay and Lesbian rights in Muslim countries is one that on many occasions has caused brain explosions for Indymedia moderators the world over.
In the UK a group called OutRage has been listing oppression of Gays in many countries with general support however the moment the group lists problems in Iran or Palestine they receive loads of posts calling the Islamaphobic and a part of the Neocon plan to destroy Islam !
Repression of Gay rights is of course OK in Cuba as far as Indymedia is concerned but not when it happens in Europe, the US or (yes you've guessed it) Israel.
Comment Permalink # posted by Anonymous : 10/26/2006 09:23:59 AM
Sanchez visit 2004
Carlos Sanchez, the male representative of the International Lesbian and Gay Association for the Latin America and Carribean Region, visited Cuba in 2004 to participate in the Third Hemispheric Meeting Against the FTAA (Free Trade Area of the Americas).
While there, he also made some enquiries into the status of lesbians and gays in the country. In particular, he asked the Cuban government why they had abstained from the vote on the "Brazilian resolution", a 2003 proposal to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights which would symbolically recognise the "occurrence of violations of human rights in the world against persons on the grounds of their sexual orientation."
Sanchez also wanted to ascertain the possibility of creating a lesbian and gay organization in Cuba. They responded that the formation of an LGBT association would "distract attention" from national security.
This information was posted on a number of Indymedia sites - it was removed or hidden on them all
Comment Permalink # posted by Anonymous : 10/27/2006 12:28:11 AM
Within the thread, there is some wonderful evidence showing Indybay’s systematic censorship of all ideas that fall outside of the accepted party line.
“There is a difference between moderation and censorship. Moderation means banning things like spam, physical threats (an illegal form of speech), and gutter language, especially gutter language directed at people because of their race, religion, or ethnicity.
Saying that the Palestinian government oppresses gay people and mistreats women is not hate speech or uncivil, and the moderators' decision to remove such postings is proof that Indybay was lying about its "progressive" stand on these issues. You are either for women's and gay rights (rights = the basic right to not be killed or brutalized for being who you are) or you are not, and that team of Indybay moderators showed where they stood. This was of course very damaging to Indybay's credibility.” - Bill Levinson
Well said. Levinson goes on to confront yet another hot button topic so often spread amoungst Indymedia affiliates.
“"Would you be offended by a posting sayings " Olmert says, 'Kill a Palestinian for Moses.'?"
If Olmert actually said something like that, I would repudiate him as a dictator every bit as bad as Ahmadinejad (or Hitler) but neither he nor any other responsible Israeli leader has said anything like it. There are some ultra-right-wing Israelis who believe this sort of garbage and I consider them every bit as reprehensible as Islamofascists, but they are a tiny minority and Israeli law does not condone their position. In contrast, Israeli law would punish them for killing innocent Palestinians.
The Palestinian Authority's laws sanction and condone the brutalization and murder of gay people, and often look the other way when a woman is killed by her family for "dishonoring" herself
through sexual intercourse, which included being raped.”
The entire thread is worth checking out.
*** Comments***
Permalink # posted by Roland Dodds @ 12:56 PM | Trackback (0) |
Comments:
looks like the site is imploding for the same reason the UK site is - an unhealthy desire to excuse all Islamist and Palestinian wrongdoing and attempt to blame Jews for everything.
What a bunch of bigots
Comment Permalink # posted by Anonymous : 10/26/2006 02:10:20 AM
The issue of Gay and Lesbian rights in Muslim countries is one that on many occasions has caused brain explosions for Indymedia moderators the world over.
In the UK a group called OutRage has been listing oppression of Gays in many countries with general support however the moment the group lists problems in Iran or Palestine they receive loads of posts calling the Islamaphobic and a part of the Neocon plan to destroy Islam !
Repression of Gay rights is of course OK in Cuba as far as Indymedia is concerned but not when it happens in Europe, the US or (yes you've guessed it) Israel.
Comment Permalink # posted by Anonymous : 10/26/2006 09:23:59 AM
Sanchez visit 2004
Carlos Sanchez, the male representative of the International Lesbian and Gay Association for the Latin America and Carribean Region, visited Cuba in 2004 to participate in the Third Hemispheric Meeting Against the FTAA (Free Trade Area of the Americas).
While there, he also made some enquiries into the status of lesbians and gays in the country. In particular, he asked the Cuban government why they had abstained from the vote on the "Brazilian resolution", a 2003 proposal to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights which would symbolically recognise the "occurrence of violations of human rights in the world against persons on the grounds of their sexual orientation."
Sanchez also wanted to ascertain the possibility of creating a lesbian and gay organization in Cuba. They responded that the formation of an LGBT association would "distract attention" from national security.
This information was posted on a number of Indymedia sites - it was removed or hidden on them all
Comment Permalink # posted by Anonymous : 10/27/2006 12:28:11 AM
Nalin