Egypt sentenced a blogger, for 4 years in prison, for insulting Islam; what is your opinion?

Question

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=internetNews&storyid=2007-02-22T130227Z_01_L22432925_RTRUKOC_0_US-EGYPT-BLOGGER.xml&src=rss&rpc=22

By Alaa Shahine

ALEXANDRIA, Egypt (Reuters) - An Alexandria court convicted an Egyptian blogger on Thursday for insulting both Islam and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and sentenced him to four years in jail over his writings on the Internet.

Abdel Karim Suleiman, a 22-year-old former law student who has been in custody since November, was the first blogger to stand trial in Egypt for his Internet writings. He was convicted in connection with eight articles he wrote since 2004.

Rights groups and opposition bloggers have watched Suleiman's case closely, and said they feared a conviction could set a legal precedent limiting Internet freedom in Egypt, the Arab world's most populous country.

1) Please state the country that you live in
2) Your opinion on the conviction

THANKS...

Answer 1

US.

We can't choose which nation's laws we follow. Over here, we can't use drugs, view several types of porn, or play betting games in most locations. Other nations can. I don't see any other nations banging on our government's door to unshackle us!

As an Egyptian, Mr. Sueiman was aware of his nation's laws.

Answer 2

I'm from the USA, North Carolina. I also blog and I respect the rights of other bloggers to express themselves.

Here's the problem...different countries have different traditions when it comes to freedom of speech. The Internet doesn't have a government; it isn't a sovereign country to make laws. It is simply the medium, the wall upon which we paste our posters and slogans.

Americans have more freedom in what we stick up on that wall than Egyptians do, apparently. I believe every nation will eventually have to face the fact that they cannot completely control instantaneous electronic communication...we are still working our way through all the implications here. I also believe that a large helping of discretion on the part of individual bloggers is always in order.

Answer 3

1. I am Egyptian

2. I dont agree with what happened .
.. but the story for me that karim was sentenced a one year for
a really strange case wich is insulting the president .. and another something i want to say this government attach the word islam to
any case to play with the people feelings thats all . but i dont agree that he is prisoned for any reason because this something could happen to me in the future and Islam is a great thing people like karim cant harm it

Answer 4

It's not as if Egypt is or ever has been a democracy. No surprise therefore, to us Americans.

Maybe we ought to take this case up as a cause to shame islamist Egyptians and in support of moderate Egyptians.

Answer 5

1. I live in the USA.

2. I'm glad that our founding fathers had enough insight to write "Separation of Church and State" into our Constitution. The reason that religion should not dictate law is clearly because religious zealots can not be reasonable. Not ,and I stress this most vehemently, people of faith because there is a difference. Religion divides people where faith and spirituality unites them. It is fascinating to me that Islamic zeolites can not see killing and incarcerating people in the name of their religion will eventually lead to their own down fall.

Answer 6

Ireland

We're still in the Dark Ages.
Wars were fought for freedom of speech,ideology and thought.
Probably half of all Yahoo writers would do well to steer clear of the place

Answer 7

Im a egyptain and i live in north america. I could tell u that in egypt the goverment is the religion. When u insult the religion they kill u. And the president is muslim so by insulting him u insult the religion. in Egypt, muslims could spit and insult christians and if christians say a word they get killed. the same thing if your the minority islam in the country. (it's not fair but there's nothing u could do or else u dead) You'll be safier if u don't open your mouth

Answer 8

I think it's great! All bloggers should be imprisoned!

Seriously, though - why are you even asking this question? Do you actually think anyone will say anything besides "it's a travesty"?

Answer 9

USA. If the Egyptians have a problem with this then they need to make changes. If they don't raise a stink about why should we?

Answer 10

This is what happens in countries that do not have the freedoms we do..