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rug

(82,333 posts) Thu Mar 29, 2012, 02:56 PM Mar 2012

Atheist and pro-Israel, Maikel Nabil tests free speech in Egypt

A year ago this week, Maikel Nabil became the first Egyptian blogger to be arrested solely for his opinion. Now released, he talks about his fight for one of the key principles of democracy.

By Kristen Chick, Correspondent
March 29, 2012
Cairo

Maikel Nabil's views are controversial in Egypt in almost every way – his open atheism, his support for gay rights, and especially his support for Israel.

But it was his opposition to the military that made him the first Egyptian blogger to be imprisoned for his opinions after the uprising that overthrew former President Hosni Mubarak.

The rail-thin blogger, a pacifist, had become a thorn in the Egyptian Army's side well before Egyptians took to the streets en masse last year by publicly refusing mandatory military service.

He started a campaign against conscription on his blog, where he also posted poetry and nonpolitical musings.

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2012/0329/Atheist-and-pro-Israel-Maikel-Nabil-tests-free-speech-in-Egypt

8 replies

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Atheist and pro-Israel, Maikel Nabil tests free speech in Egypt (Original Post) rug Mar 2012 OP

Speaking out in a revolutionary situation can be extremely dangerous. Jim__ Mar 2012 #1

He must be really brave! LeftishBrit Mar 2012 #2

He wasn't the first - Bonehead Reporter Alert onager Mar 2012 #3

"... the first Egyptian blogger to be imprisoned for his opinions after the uprising ..." Jim__ Mar 2012 #4

We also have to do some reading... onager Mar 2012 #5

In that case, screw Maikel. rug Mar 2012 #6

Yeah, that's what onager is implying. Of course. 2ndAmForComputers Mar 2012 #8

I think they meant 'the first since the revolution'; but I agree that they put it misleadingly LeftishBrit Mar 2012 #7

Jim__

(14,076 posts)

1. Speaking out in a revolutionary situation can be extremely dangerous.

Reply to rug (Original post)

Thu Mar 29, 2012, 04:07 PM

Mar 2012

He sounds like he knows what he is doing. Good luck to him.

LeftishBrit

(41,205 posts)

2. He must be really brave!

Reply to rug (Original post)

Thu Mar 29, 2012, 05:45 PM

Mar 2012

Good luck to him - and to all Egyptians for a better and freer future.

onager

(9,356 posts)

3. He wasn't the first - Bonehead Reporter Alert

Reply to rug (Original post)

Thu Mar 29, 2012, 07:11 PM

Mar 2012

Jebus! Even the laziest scribe nowadays should be able to use Google and Wikipedia.

The first Egyptian blogger arrested "solely for his opinion" was Kareem Amer (full name Abdul Kareem Nabeel Suleiman Amer).

He was arrested in 2005 for insulting Islam and Pres. Hosni Mubarak, among other insultees.

Amer was tried in 2007 and spent 3 years in prison, finally being released in November 2010.

I was living in Alexandria, Egypt when Amer was arrested and tried. At his trial, his OWN FATHER said he should get the death penalty for insulting Islam. (Amer wrote on his blog that the Koran was written by ordinary human beings.)

Even the mostly neutered Egyptian media covered Amer's case, which was also taken up by Amnesty International and other human rights organizations. It was huge, and I'm surprised it didn't even rate a mention in that article.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kareem_Amer

Jim__

(14,076 posts)

4. "... the first Egyptian blogger to be imprisoned for his opinions after the uprising ..."

Reply to onager (Reply #3)

Thu Mar 29, 2012, 08:00 PM

Mar 2012

But it was his opposition to the military that made him the first Egyptian blogger to be imprisoned for his opinions after the uprising that overthrew former President Hosni Mubarak.

Even with google and wikipedia, we still have to do some thinking.