Standing with Egyptian bloggers

May 9, 2006 in Africa, Human Rights, Politics by Mentalacrobatics | 2 comments

Elijah Zarwan writes on Global Voices about the arrest of Egyptian human rights activists amongst them Egyptian bloggers. According to an eye witness Aida Seif El-Dawla, the Assistant Interior Minister Sami Sedhom told the protesters, “You bitc***. You sons of bitc***. This is how it is going to be from now on if you do not behave and know your limits. If you do not behave you’ll have the bottom of my old shoes all over you.” Her full email is posted at Arabist.net.

We have a responsibility to raise the profile of illegal actions like these wherever they occur. Blogs played their part in turning the raids on the East African Standard into a global story. We can do the same with this story.

This Sami Sedhom, Assistant Interior Minister of Egypt, reminds me of Kenya’s National Security minister, John Michuki and his threat that, “when you rattle a snake you must be prepared to be bitten by it.” What is it with our ministers in charge of security attacking their own people, the very people they are meant to be protecting?

Eight people are still in custody