Irakische Blogger kandidieren fürs Parlament

--- Zwei irakische Blogger wollen nicht nur mediendemokratisch aktiv sein, sondern auch ins Parlament einziehen. Sie kandidieren für die Iraq Pro-Democracy Party: The internet, as countless regimes have discovered in the last decade, is a democratising force. So it's appropriate that the bloggers -- Ali Fadhil and Mohammed Fadhil -- are standing as members of the newly formed Iraq Pro-Democracy Party. The bloggers, who are brothers, have been writing their popular weblog www.IraqTheModel.com since November of 2003. Their weblog has been quoted in major world media, including the BBC, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, National Review, Sydney Morning Herald, Australian Bulletin, Dallas Morning, and New York Post. ... "We believe that we represent an important segment of the Iraqi people that was never organized before under any category as a result of the oppression of the past regime. Now this segment has come to see the necessity to contribute to the building of a new Iraq in a way that is entirely different from the old ways that are still dominant in the Middle East and that are governed by religious fanaticism and pan-Arab nationalism. "We see that remaining silent is not an option in our battle towards democracy and freedom and that everyone who seeks a better future should take part in this battle," wrote Ali. Not to be outdone, brother Mohammed said: "Through our writings in our weblog and communication with different opinions and view points we find ourselves committed to reconsider the way in which we can serve our nation." Gewählt werden soll Ende Dezember 2004.