Letter campaign shows support for jailed Egyptian blogger Kareem Amer
With an eye on the upcoming Olympic Games, the organization Reporters without Borders hopes to increase awareness of China’s repression of freedom of speech.
A new letter campaign for jailed Egyptian blogger Kareem Amer, 23, invites people to send letters to him at the prison. Kareem was convicted and sentenced to four years in prison for criticizing Islam and Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.
Letters may be sent in English or Arabic.
Kareem was arrested shortly after writing a scathing article about an attack on a Coptic liquor store. “The naked truth about Islam as I saw it” was posted October 22, 2005. He told how thugs broke into the store, vandalizing and stealing. He explained their actions were not because of Islam’s prohibition on alcohol—a liquor store owned by a Muslim merchant was untouched.
The Free Kareem Web site was hacked in June, but content is now restored.
It’s hard to imagine being imprisoned for something you write on a blog. In America, we have a proud tradition of criticizing the government. Here blogging drives the news and citizen journalism is a trend turned institution.
Although Mubarak promised to reform laws governing the press in his country, a 2007 report from Reporters without Borders called the president’s efforts “just a show,” pointing out at least seven journalists were arrested during the year and dozens threatened or physically attacked.
Kareem’s family has disowned him, according to advocacy site Free Kareem.
Recommended links:
http://www.freekareem.org/
Advocacy site for Egyptian blogger Kareem Amer.http://www.freekareem.org/2007/06/05/updating-kareems-prison-address/
Kareem’s prison address in English and Arabic at Free Kareem.http://www.rsf.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=20
Reporters without Bordershttp://creativewriterus.blogspot.com/2007/02/media-alert-egyptian-blogger-kareem.html
The first story I wrote about Kareem, at Creative Writer US.
Word Press, Technorati, Tags, Kareem Amer, Freedom of the Press, Freedom of Speech, Reporters without Borders, jailed Egyptian blogger, Egypt, Olympics
February 6th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
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