Egyptian Bloggers live up to their Human Universal Commitment

Many questions have been thrown about the Egyptian blogosphere. I was asked last summer whether the Egyptian bloggers can become a political movement in Egypt. My personal answer was no, because I thought blogging is an individual activity in the first place, however it could be highly engaging. But as the time passes while observing the gruesome government clampdown on the Egyptian blogosphere, I am realizing that Egyptian bloggers have become a vocal power and highly respected by the entire the world. Everyday, they are snatching part of the information power that has remained in the hands of the government for decades. I have been following the Egyptian blogosphere with admiration for over three years now. I agree and disagree but I still have very high appreciation to all of them. From what I have seen over the past three years I can say that:

• Egyptian bloggers embraced the universal culture of freedom of expression exercised everywhere without really saying it. So the world embraced them as result.
• They are a bunch of young Egyptians, many of them students or young professionals who started blogs for honest lucid dialogues with themselves or with others without fear.
• They made themselves global citizens without traveling anywhere with a high level of interaction with nationalities from all over the globe despite the complicated visa and immigration procedures in today’s world.
• They believed in themselves and in the power of knowledge and information after decades of state-run media and government monopoly.
• They were heard by other fellow bloggers all over the world that they had never met, because they were able to speak the same language. They succeeded in striking real honest partnerships with peoples who share their concerns.
• Egyptian bloggers showed exemplary level of patriotism by standing next to other fellow helpless citizens who are abused and harassed by the government and helping them get their rights.
• They have worked as independent human rights organizations, without being paid by anyone except their own conscience, by exposing frequent torture and abuse cases and fraudulent political processes.
• They are taking the level of media to unprecedented level of freedom of expression in a very short time after decades of censorship exercised by state security armored by the crippling Emergency Law.
• Egyptian bloggers succeeded in making Egypt the priority number one after decades of media diversion to other regional and international issues that do not bring much dignity to the Egyptian citizen. Addressing Egyptian issues and fixing home before looking outside became a genuine concern. Domestic issues are no more neglected or overlooked as the case with domestic media outlets. They are trying to make the government accountable.
• They won international awards for best blogs on their own away from the widely-spread corruption and nepotism in Egypt. They believed in themselves and the world believed them.
• Their ideas have shown continuous evolution, flexibilty maturity and development over the course of events.

US Department of State's Human Rights Report Scandalizes Egypt's Regime

The United States' Department of State released its annual human rights report for 2006 in a major event inaugurated by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The report brings to the attention human rights violations worldwide by country.

The number of incidents for human rights violations in Egypt in the report is scandalous. The report is extremely comprehensive and detailed. Literally if you were abused by the regime of Egypt and you could not find your name or your incident you have to report back to the Department of State. The report is a reminder and sum up to all incidents of human rights violations in the year 2006 in Egypt.

Internet Freedom for the first time!
This is this the first time in the history of the annual human rights of the US Department of State to dedicate one whole section for Internet Freedom in Egypt with specific emphasis on all human rights violations against Egyptian bloggers like Alaa Seif Al-Islam , Malek Mostafa, Karim Al Shaer, Mohamed Adel, Mohamed Sharkawy, Hala Helmy Boutros and Abdel Karim Nabil Suleiman.

Other Areas where Human Rights are Violated in Egypt from the Report:
Respect for the Integrity of the Person
Prison and Detention Center Conditions
Role of Police and Security Apparatus
Arrest and Detention
Amnesty
Trial Procedures
Political Prisoners and Detainees
Civil Judicial Procedures and Remedies
Freedom of Speech and Press
Internet Freedom
Academic Freedom and Cultural Events
Freedom of Assembly
Freedom of Association
Freedom of Religion
Societal Abuses and Discrimination
Freedom of Movement within the Country, Foreign Travel, Emigration, and Repatriation
Protection of Refugees
Elections and Political Participation
Government Corruption and Transparency
Women
Children
Trafficking in Persons
Persons with Disabilities
Worker Rights

Here is the Report: Egypt's Human Rights Violations in the Year 2006 by the US Department of State.

Egyptian Blogo-activisim By the Daily Star, Egypt

I came across an article by Frederick Deknatel, published by the Daily Star, Egypt. The article is about blogo-activisim. And I guess I am coining a new word here, blogo-activisim. At the forefront of the article, Deknatel is referring to my blog post about the first Israeli Arab Muslim Minister's appointment.

The article also starts with the dilemma of Karim Amer, the Egyptian blogger who was sentenced to four years in prison for insulting religion and the President. He almost got a sentence like the imprisoned political leader Ayman Nour who is spending five years in prison for challenging the President at the presidential elections.

The article also referres to some very popular bloggers in Egypt like Sandmonkey, 3arabawy, authored by journalist Hossam El-Hamalawy, Big Pharaoh, Wael Abbas’s at misrdigital.blogspirit, Arabist’s Issandr El Amrani, and “Torture in Egypt" . The article is just mentioning samples of what is going on in the Egyptian blogosphere that has become a role model and exemplary for many other Arab countries in the region.

The successful and stronger the Egyptian blogosphere turns, the more ferocious the state security agencies in Egypt will become.... The clamp down that has started early by Karim Amer and Alaa Abdel Fataah in 2005 and 2006 was just a beginning to new successful meduim or a giant that revealed the real status for the freedom of expression and speech in Egypt that government keeps mouthing off about in all international fourms.

Here is: Political activisim continues to create a buzz on Egypt’s political by Frederick Deknatel.

March 12 set For Egyptian Blogger Abdel Kareem's Appeal Court Hearing

Here is the news from the Washington Post. More support and presence are still needed for Egyptian blogger Abdel Kareem who writes under the name of Karim Amer. Kareem was sentenced last Thursday four years in prison for insulting Islam and the President of Egypt.