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Alaa Has Been Detained
ahmed saad writes "Alaa (read the slashdot interview) was detained yesterday for activism while in a protest to support Egyptian judges . He's one of the most well known Egyptian activists in human rights, free software (leading Egypt LUG) and free speech in Egypt and worldwide. The Egyptian regime is currently trying to suffocate any movements that are active against it's highly inhuman and dirty practices to keep holding power in Egypt yet are trying to fool the world about their support for democracy and free speech.
Please don't let that happen! Contact to the Egyptian embassy in your country and/or your country's embassy here in egypt, tell your congressmen and thanks in advance for your support!"
However, because their representatives are elected and the government employees consider themselves servants instead of power brokers, the "big governments" in those countries aren't locking up political prisoners.
Sounds like someone needs to educate themselves.
It's later than you think.
I don't believe that the Patriot Act is truly trying to usher in a fascist state, but I can see where a later administration could really abuse it.
You might want to check out the following links:
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~ |rip/\/\aster /\/\onkey
WMD actually have been found in Iraq
Really? Your source, please. Rather odd that Saddam completely failed to defend himself with WMD if he had them.
as well as the intent to manufacture them.
Intent is not a crime. I intend to punch you in the face if I ever meet you in person, but I am not guilty of assault.
Ties to Al Qaeda have also been found.
Really? Your source, please. Rather odd that there were ties to al-Qaeda when the downfall of Saddam was one of bin-Laden's goals and when Iraq was the most secular state in the region. Of course, a lot of al-Qaeda terrorists moved in after the invasion, but they weren't there before it.
Saddam's regime was no threat whatsoever to Americans.
Unless you count continued attempts to shoot down US planes patrolling the UN-sanctioned no-fly zone. Or the continued development of weapons that violated UN restrictions in terms of range. Then there's the financial support for the families of suicide bombers...
Don't get me wrong, I'm not a big fan of the USA PATRIOT act and other sorts of legislature. It makes me sick that, at least in the initial bill, only 1 (one) person voted against it. But Saddam was far from a downtrodden lamb.
"It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education." -Albert Einstein
Alaa Abd El-Fatah, one of the Egyptian political activists, and one of the first bloggers in Egypt was arrested today together with around ten more activists during a peaceful demonstration in solidarity with sixty activists who were arrested over the past two weeks in a non-violent sit in, as well who were held in custody for two weeks under investigation for "crimes" that if anything would raise only mockery including, humiliating the president, possession of "publishing equipment"(graffiti spray) and blocking traffic. The first group of activists arrested two weeks ago was supposed to have their cases reviewed by prosecution today, so as to release or renew holding them under investigation. In solidarity with them 200 lawyers approached as a defense council, a number of judges, and a number of activists among whom were Alaa and his colleagues gathered around the court house. Authorities denied the activists entry to the court house, in addition to attempting to present the "detainees" files only, and not the detainees themselves to prosecution. For hours, Alaa and his fellow activists shouted slogans against the government, sang and showed solidarity with their detained fellow activists.... Read more at http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2006/05/07/promi nent-egyptian-blogger-arrested-and-several-other-a ctivists/...