The Mubarak regime’s desperation for total information control across Egypt is growing, and what started as censorship of certain social media websites and text messaging, and which eventually grew to banning news networks and downing the entire Internet is still growing tonight, with the government announcing that all cell phone networks across Egypt will now be shut down.
According to the Information Ministry, the cell phone networks will be brought down in the hours leading up to the “million man marches” in Cairo and Alexandria, an apparent effort to prevent protesters from communicating with one another. Apparently even the phone-tree is a threat to Mubarak’s rule.
But as the government looks to censor its revolution, the Egyptian public are finding more and more ways to communicate, with leaflets and posters replacing websites, and fax machines and ham radios replacing social media.
Incredibly, however, it seems that the Mubarak government is even looking at ways to move against these forms of communication. Unconfirmed reports suggest that Egypt is actually attempting to jam radio signals coming out of the nation in an effort to prevent the ham radio operators from getting messages to listeners in Europe and beyond.
Ahh the death throes of a despotic regime- what an epic scene being played out for the world to see. And, interestingly enough, the US and Israel- for once- seem to be on opposing sides on the issue… is the honeymoon with Tel Aviv finally over so we can begin the divorce proceedings? Pray for those in Egypt fighting for a better country; may Allah(swt) give them the strength to see it through to better days.