We have already covered the issue here, here, and here. Unlike the traditional mediablogs offer an easy platform for religious and communal minorities to have their say. Ehab el-Zalaky, who writes at length on bloggers said:
Despite their small number, the bloggers have established themselves as an alternative media outlet.
The case filed against Suleiman (using the name Kareem Amer) was an upshot of a complaint by al-Azhar University about his eight posts written since 2004. He had pointed the finger at the conformist Sunni institution of promoting extremism and labeled some cohorts of the Prophet Mohammad as “terrorists“. Another charge made against him was ‘defaming the President of the Republic.’
Many bloggers raised their voices against the verdict. Amnesty International also asked for immediate release of Kareem Amer. But the foreign ministry disapproves of all these harsh reactions by the Egyptian bloggers.
One of the last posts written by Amer read:
I am not scared at all... I will not back away one inch from what I wrote and handcuffs will not prevent me from dreaming of my freedom.
Another Egyptian blogger named Wael Abbas cited:
Egypt’s blogosphere has changed. I cannot say I am not afraid. With this government one has to expect the worst.
Bloggers created a buzz when they reported of a minibus driver being sodomized at a police station in November. The whole coverage resulted in the arrest of two policemen. In the end of 2006, Abbas, along with another blogger, reported of a shameful incident of mass sexual pestering of women in downtown Cairo by young men. Anyway, the government denied any such incident.
Another blogger by the name of Hala Botros was enforced to close down her blog ‘Copts Without Borders‘ and was accused of hurting national security and bringing out bogus news. She says that she has been maltreated by security officers for exposing many sectarian conflicts between Muslims and the Christian minority in southern Egypt.
The international group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has added Egypt to its list of Internet Black Holes. Well, Egypt has become a hell for the bloggers. Because blogs can create a buzz, authorities have sorted out a way to keep a tab on this by putting such bloggers behind bars. All these happenings are a shame on Egyptian government’s face. Do you think they are doing the right thing?
Via: Cnetnews
