Egyptian law student and blogger Kareem Amer has been in jail 795 days for opposing his university’s gender segregation policy and criticizing Islam in articles and on his blog .
He writes:
“Freedom’s denial of restrictions does not mean that the human being has the complete freedom to do everything he is able to do. Being powerful does not mean that I am free to subjugate he who is less powerful than I am. For one of the most important principles of freedom is to not trespass on the limits of others’ freedoms; this is so that freedom will be meaningful, and not be merely a justification for the actions of those who take advantage of their power to subdue others. ……
The arrival of the individual preceded the formation of the societal organization, and this formation is what founded the law. And as is known, one of the most important functions that this organization was formed for is the protection of the rights of the individuals from degradation under the protection of the law. Therefore, it is the individual, whose arrival had preceded these legislations, who must enjoy sanctity and respect, and not the law (the follower), which is supposed to protect the rights of the individuals, not degrade these rights.”
And, more controversially, here is a sample of his criticism of Islamic extremism that some people have argued doesn’t deserve protection because it “insults Islam”:”I have seen with my own eyes the thugs as they break into our Christian brothers’ stores after the whole area of Maharram Beh was completely out of control of the government authorities, and I saw them as they ransack the contents of the store right and left, amidst cheering and shouting extremist Islamic slogans, and I saw them stealing the money from inside the drawers of the cash registers and splitting it among themselves as if it is justified by being owned by what they call the infidels and the worshippers of the cross….”
Read more of his articles here.
And here’s a site where you can sign the petition to release him from prison.
Comment:
I am not being anti-Islamic in posting this. My primary training is in American government, politics, and culture and so my criticism is usually directed at corruption and crimes that affect me here. But I need to be even-handed in criticizing other governments for the sort of things I oppose here. And I need to show solidarity with bloggers who face dire threats to their physical existence in a way people here don’t. So while I don’t know if Kareem’s portrayal of Islamic extremists attacking Christians in Egypt is accurate or not, I am comfortable with supporting his right to voice his opinion on politics and religion without restraint – the core of the First Amendment rights we in the US sometimes take for granted… and which are being eroded when government constantly encroaches on our privacy.