Iranian bloggers are reporting that the Persian-language website of collaborative "free encyclopedia" Wikipedia has been filtered in Iran, although it is unclear whether such blocks remain in place or have since been removed. They've posted this screen shot as evidence of the filtering.
A number of reactions are out there via blogs and Twitter.
Blogger Arman Dekami writes to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei:
A young Iranian activist, Vahid online, writes on Twitter: "Are you so afraid of your people's awareness and knowledge that you filtered Wikipedia? You filter an online dictionary so no one doubts your dictatorship?"
Blogger Mamoli says: "Wikipedia is not Balatarin (editor's note: a popular Persian community web portal), which you can block and say counterrevolutionaries were involved in it. It's a blow to your reputation. Of course your reputation has been damaged since last year -- for the past thirty years -- when I saw Wikipedia has been filtered I felt sick."
Mamoli later adds, though, that the block on Wikipedia content appears to have been removed.
Iran is one of the world's toughest Internet censors.
-- Golnaz Esfandiari
A number of reactions are out there via blogs and Twitter.
Blogger Arman Dekami writes to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei:
I'm really confused about the actions of this government, they tell us, Don't go to the Emirates, Don't watch Farsi 1 (editor's note: a satellite Farsi television), don't play with Facebook and Twitter, don't look at the neighbor's girl, and now it has blocked Wikipedia. Now you tell us: How should we spend our time?
A young Iranian activist, Vahid online, writes on Twitter: "Are you so afraid of your people's awareness and knowledge that you filtered Wikipedia? You filter an online dictionary so no one doubts your dictatorship?"
Blogger Mamoli says: "Wikipedia is not Balatarin (editor's note: a popular Persian community web portal), which you can block and say counterrevolutionaries were involved in it. It's a blow to your reputation. Of course your reputation has been damaged since last year -- for the past thirty years -- when I saw Wikipedia has been filtered I felt sick."
Mamoli later adds, though, that the block on Wikipedia content appears to have been removed.
Iran is one of the world's toughest Internet censors.
-- Golnaz Esfandiari
