The Thought Police Cometh

First Google bowed to Chinese pressure for censorship. Now 'internet policing' has been taken to a whole new level. Egypt - famed for its moderate response to reformers such as Ayman Nour, leader of the liberal opposition, who was imprisoned on trumped-up charges - has become one of the first nations to sentence a blogger. In this case, the unfortunate Abdel Kareem Soliman, aged only 22, who has been given four years in jail for denigrating Islam and one for insulting President Mubarak. I can see the value in anonymity myself...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6385849.stm

To express your disgust at his treatment why not try writing to one of your major newspapers or your country's Egyptian ambassador. As Adam B says on the Sandmonkey's blog, 'I think I’ll author a nice little acidic letter to one of our major newspapers… Not much in itself, but if enough people follow suit, it might amount to a nasty slap in the face of the egyptian government around the western world - not a pleasant thought for a culture obsessed with keeping a straight face…! '

Right On!! And lest we forget, I'll leave you with the words of Pastor Martin Niemöller -

'First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for meand there was no one left to speak out for me.'

Freedom of speech is a right, but one that is too easily taken away.