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February 19, 2007
Free Abdul Kareem
Abdul Kareem is an Egyptian journalist and blogger who has been imprisoned by his government for criticizing Islam and advocating for liberalizing Egyptian society. Unlike most Egyptian bloggers, he uses his real name.
He is the first person to be prosecuted in Egypt for online writings; observers fear this may mark a new clampdown on freedom of speech. Amer, 22, a former student at al-Azhar University, wrote blog entries criticising Egypt’s al-Azhar religious authorities, President Mubarak and Islam. Charges against him include ’spreading information disruptive of public order and damaging to the country’s reputation’, ‘incitement to hate Islam’ and ‘defaming the President’.
Last year another Egyptian blogger, Alaa, was detained, but then released after the blogosphere generated mainstrem media publicity about his case.
The latest in this story is that his family has disowned him and his father says he should be killed. I would think this family is under immense pressure to do this, but it seems to be voluntary; their cowardice and lack of loyalty are despicable.
His father, a retired mathematics teacher, has demanded applying the Sharia [Islamic law] ruling on him by giving him three days to repent, followed by having him killed if he does not announce his repentance.The father of the Al-Azhar student, who is accused of contempt of the Islamic religion, harming the reputation of Egypt, and inciting to disrupt the peace and to overthrow the regime, has decided to rescind from boycotting his trial hearing sessions. [He has decided] to attend the court verdict session with his four brothers, who completely memorized the Holy Quran, to announce disowning the accused Abdul Kareem inside the court room, in order to reduce the embarrassment and pressure that civil rights organizations are applying on the court panel. [my emphasis-JSW]
The father of the accused also described the organizations that are working on having his son acquitted as “monkey rights” organizations, in his own words. He also described his son as the “monkey” who has imitated the atheists of the West in their intellectual thinking.
Judith | 02/19/07 at 01:07 PM | Categories: - Power to the People
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