Tunisian bloggers discuss holidays, internet censorship and Algeria

Eid Ul-Adha is just around the corner," blogged Subzero Blue, adding that the Muslim holiday "will coincide with the end of the year this time". One of the rituals associated with this holiday is sacrificing animals.

"Muslims who can afford it buy and slaughter animals and distribute the meat among the poor and relatives … However, many Muslims in Western countries are unable to perform the ritual because of the laws of the countries they live in," he added.

The blogger didn't know what to make of internet sites that offered a solution.

"They can now buy an animal over the internet and even watch it being slaughtered, before its meat is given away … I don't know what to think about this really; I know a lot of people could end up using this, and it's somehow funny too, but on the other hand it just feels a bit weird and somewhat wrong."

Zizou from Djerba, who lives in the United States, writes that Seattle "is getting ready for Christmas". A Christmas tree in the airport has caused controversy, and Jewish groups want it taken down. This is causing "a war against Christmas … and anti-religious commentaries, anti-Jews anti-X and anti-Y emanating from everywhere."

The blogger wondered if the airport management wanted to represent all the religions, "what would have been the symbol of Islam … None … and I do not think that the tree is a Christian symbol."

In his post "laisse passer! Police!" Sami III, Espace Dictateur blogged about police forces abusing their authority. "At the weekend, everyone was waiting their turn at the car wash and 'voila', the police enters and they get priority." The Tunisian complained about how "they enter, pick, and serve themselves and leave, free of charge."

But the day after the blogger posted his observations about the police, his site was blocked by the Tunisian authorities. "Apparently I talked too much about the police yesterday so my site was blocked … I will consider this an end of the year vacation. In the meantime, I will continue to comment on other blogs," Sami III said.

Felsfa's blog has also been blocked, but the blogger still found it in her to wish everybody "Aïd Mabrouk and happy and good year 2007."

Chanfara wrote in support of the bloggers whose sites were blocked by the police.

"It is fear, my friends. The dying regime is afraid of any criticism (direct or indirect) that could come from Tunisians … Especially youth. It is the fear that this 'contamination' could spread and reach more young people who could rise and demand what is forbidden. …fear of a youth asking for a better tomorrow," noted the Tunisian blogger.

Nadia From Tunis contributed with a piece of a positive news. "A Tunisian opposition party was given the authorisation to publish a newspaper." The Democratic Forum for Labor and Freedom will have its newspaper.

Zizou from Djerba, has an interesting post about the years of terror Algeria has gone through because of fundamentalists. The two-hour French television France 3 production is "a documentary that every Tunisian should watch and a story that every Maghrebian has to know," a lesson so "we do not forget: Algeria and the FIS (Front islamique du Salut)," noted the blogger.