The War On Information

As we spent the last couple of weeks pre-occupied with the High Holidays and Sukkot the world has kept on turning. The protests and violence in the Muslim world have continued. America has even prepared for the UN visit of Iran’s President. The furor over the now infamous YouTube movie still has all of us wondering what will be next.

 It was against the background of these events that I noted a news item coming out of Iran. The Iranian government has announced plans to block parts (or all) of the internet. Soon, it seems, Iranians will only be able to access on-line information that their government has approved. The expectation seems to be that the Iranian government will create an “Iran-net” that will filter what can be seen and read on-line.

Do you remember the theory of the “big lie?” Repeat something often enough and it will be believed. How about keeping people shut off from the world and only letting them know what you want them to believe? If Iran blocks the internet Iranians will have no (legal) way to get information. Not only is this an injustice to the population but it makes the Iranian government that much more dangerous. Iranians will not be able to access real news, they will not be able to use social media, and a war against Israel and the West will be that much easier to justify. An uninformed citizenry is a threat to the entire Middle East. Any voice of protest or resistance to the Ayatollah’s rule will have even less chance of mobilizing a democratic movement.

Ignorance is the most effective tool to build hatred. For my readers who are not so computer savvy let me make a comparison: our government outlaws TV and newspapers, your information is limited to word-of-mouth rumors and whatever “news and views” the government chooses to give you. What kind of a society do you think that would create? That is the kind of society that Iranians will face without the internet.

The violence that continues to unfold around the Muslim world is the product of a mob mentality. When thousands of people gather and are motivated by rumors, lies, and fanaticism it can only result in an anger that can be directed by those who want to use the mob to their own ends. Participants become willing to commit any act of anger because they are part of a “mob” that takes on a life of its own. One of the few forces that can combat this mob mentality is information.  It is only when people can hear all sides of a story or situation that they can make a real judgment. I believe there are many people in the Muslim world who are willing to hear the voice of truth and reason. Right now they are helpless and unable to spread their message.

We have seen (as if we needed proof) that it takes very little to set the Muslim world on fire. Any excuse will do. Iran remains a real threat to the world- even other Muslim nations could be the target of Iranian aggression. Having just finished the Holiday season it may be a little chutzpadik to say, but I sure hope that HaShem heard all our prayers for peace. I can’t think of a time when such requests were so needed.