Iraqi bloggers and social media activists speak up for their country By Maryam Mohammed Jaafar Published on December 1, 2011 The 27-year-old Sahab gives a long laugh: “The Iraqi government doesn’t bother me when I publish news and facts about the situation in Iraq in my blog.” “I write under a pseudonym so no one knows my real identity,” he says, explaining this choice: “If the government finds out who I am, it will start to follow me and restrict me.” Sahab’s smile is filled with hope when he adds: “I know it’s dangerous to write but it’s important to document the suffering of the people and help them by letting others know the truth. I don’t want the crimes that happened in my country to be forgotten.” Sahab launched his blog Shelters of death in March 2008. “I receive 50 visitors per day and a lot of comments,” he says. The media landscape in Iraq, strictly controlled under the dictatorial rule of Saddam Hussein, started recovering and opening up after his fall from...