NationStates Jolt Archive

February 22, 2007
A young Egyptian has become the first person in Egypt sentenced to a jail term for opinions expressed on the internet.

Human-rights groups condemned what they called the "chilling precedent" set by an Alexandria court when it sentenced Abdel Kareem Suleiman to four years in prison for insulting Islam and President Hosni Mubarak.

Some of Suleiman's blog opinions were decidedly outspoken. He described companions of the prophet Mohammed as "terrorists" and he compared President Mubarak to the pharaohs who ruled ancient Egypt.

But that last barb, at least, is hardly new. Two years ago, businessman Mohammed Farid Hassenein got into no trouble for making essentially the same comment during his unsuccessful bid to challenge Mubarak for the presidency.

Outside the courtroom today, there was a surprising development in another story, involving an Egyptian who was allegedly tortured by the CIA after being kidnapped from Milan.

The Egyptian cleric Hassan Nasser, better known as Abu Omar, came forward to say he wants to return to Italy to testify in the case against the Americans who allegedly kidnapped him. An Italian judge last week issued indictments for 26 Americans, most of them CIA agents, as well as Italy's intelligence chief.

Abu Omar says he was seized in Milan and sent to Egypt, where he says he was tortured. After remaining largely quiet since his release, today he said he was risking the wrath of the Egyptian security services to demand that he be allowed to return to italy.

"I was subject to the worst kind of terror in Egyptian prisons," Omar said. "I know I will be arrested after giving this statement but this is a truth that the whole world should know. I will show you some torture marks in my body. "

Omar displayed marks on his wrists and ankles that he said were evidence of torture. But it's not clear if he will ever have his day in court. None of the indicted Americans is still in Italy, and Rome has not requested their extradition.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7555505&ft=1&f=1004
my2cents: I dont think he is the first.. he may be the first one "officially" Jailed for speaking up against the Egyptian Dictator.. the others were probably picked up by their secret police..

Clearly it's a Jewish conspiracy.

This was mentioned yesterday.

It really does suck though

Then there’s Hosni Mubarak. Don’t even get me started on that chump chicken head. Needs a slap, Mubarak. 500 thousand army personnel for what Mubarak? Arrest and torture those who speak what you deplore Mubarak? You give no orders to release them what they for Mubarak? Over the border they implore but you ignore Mubarak. Obese, secret police, give Israel peace, Mubarak. You cease, pack up leave, oh and *!&*$* afkarak!!

Got to love US backed dictators.

Got to love US backed dictators.

Happy 100th.

On topic: Yeah, this is quite sad. And I thought Egypt was heading in the right direction when it had that reasonably open election a couple of years back. Oh well, maybe it'll get better next time.

Bad as Mubarak may be - and he is very bad - he's a saint compared to most other regional leaders. Not that it excuses him, but even so.

Got to love US backed dictators.

The alternative at the moment in Egypt is letting the Muslim Brotherhood take power. Here is their slogan. "God is our objective, the Quran is our Constitution, the Prophet is our leader, struggle is our way, and death for the sake of God is the highest of our aspirations." Would you trust them with running Egypt? Do you think they'll be any more tolerant of dissent against their opinions?

Their goals include conquest of Spain.

Their goal as stated by founder Hassan al-Banna was the “doctrine of reclaiming Islam’s manifest destiny; an empire, founded in the seventh century, that stretched from Spain to Indonesia.”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim_Brotherhood

Their goals include conquest of Spain.their football team is not all that good :D

Clearly it's a Jewish conspiracy.

Especially since the guy was convicted of insulting Islam (roflmao).

Especially since the guy was convicted of insulting Islam (roflmao).

Kind of like how talking about the Armenian Genocide is "Insulting Turkishness." A convenient state apparatus both of them, but why let that get in the way of your "Death to Islam" wankfest eh Kimchi?

Kind of like how talking about the Armenian Genocide is "Insulting Turkishness." A convenient state apparatus both of them, but why let that get in the way of your "Death to Islam" wankfest eh Kimchi?

Once again, you are unable to prove a connection between me and the object of your ardor.

You're boring me.

Once again, you are unable to prove a connection between me and the object of your ardor.

You're boring me.

If he's boring you so much, maybe you could STFU about it. You're spamming threads with this "object of your ardor" crap, and frankly you look as mindlessly confrontational as DK is so the difference between you, other than IP addresses, is not that relevant. Although DK had a couple of opinions I agreed with, and you just look like a troll. You being a different person would neither surprise me nor interest me.

If he's boring you so much, maybe you could STFU about it. You're spamming threads with this "object of your ardor" crap, and frankly you look as mindlessly confrontational as DK is so the difference between you, other than IP addresses, is not that relevant. Although DK had a couple of opinions I agreed with, and you just look like a troll. You being a different person would neither surprise me nor interest me.

Just Kimchi's typical Bushevik attention-whoring. Kind of like how the right used to scream about Cindy Sheehan being a bigger threat to the U.S. than Bin Ladin when the news media actually bothered to cover any of her public appearances.

If he's boring you so much, maybe you could STFU about it. You're spamming threads with this "object of your ardor" crap, and frankly you look as mindlessly confrontational as DK is so the difference between you, other than IP addresses, is not that relevant. Although DK had a couple of opinions I agreed with, and you just look like a troll. You being a different person would neither surprise me nor interest me.

Maybe Gauthier could stop saying it. I'm not the one bringing it up.

Their goal as stated by founder Hassan al-Banna was the “doctrine of reclaiming Islam’s manifest destiny; an empire, founded in the seventh century, that stretched from Spain to Indonesia.”

IIRC such a united Islamic empire never existed. And isn't spain in NATO, might the US react badly to an Egyption invasion?

IIRC such a united Islamic empire never existed. And isn't spain in NATO, might the US react badly to an Egyption invasion?

The Caliphate. The Ottoman Empire was pretty large as well.

Maybe Gauthier could stop saying it. I'm not the one bringing it up.

"He did it first, mommy."

I don't care, son. Stop egging him on and dragging out this silly cyber-melodrama. I for one don't care if you are DK or not. If you are though, you've fallen into childish trolling and mindless AOL-pundistanian methods and are a great disappointment to me. Just sayin'.

"He did it first, mommy."

I don't care, son. Stop egging him on and dragging out this silly cyber-melodrama. I for one don't care if you are DK or not. If you are though, you've fallen into childish trolling and mindless AOL-pundistanian methods and are a great disappointment to me. Just sayin'.

I'm not the one egging him on. It's his response to ANYTHING I post, no matter what I say.

The Caliphate. The Ottoman Empire was pretty large as well.
The old empires were big but they were not unified to the extent tha they extened from spain to indonesia.

BTW what does your sig say?

The old empires were big but they were not unified to the extent tha they extened from spain to indonesia.

BTW what does your sig say?
http://www.cafepress.com/buy/thanksgiving/-/pv_design_prod/p_1029999.80836387/pNo_80836387/id_15080956/fpt_/opt_/c_360/pg_

http://www.cafepress.com/buy/thanksgiving/-/pv_design_prod/p_1029999.80836387/pNo_80836387/id_15080956/fpt_/opt_/c_360/pg_

Eat more pork?

Eat more pork?

Yes.