Blogger jailed for Islam insult

[wilhelm]

Alexandria - An Egyptian blogger was convicted of insulting Islam and President Hosni Mubarak, and sentenced to four years in jail on Thursday, in Egypt's first prosecution of a blogger.
Abdel Kareem Nabil, a 22-year-old former student at Egypt's Al-Azhar University, an Islamic institution, had pleaded innocent to all charges, and human rights groups had called for his release.
Nabil, who used the blogger name Kareem Amer, had sharply criticised Al-Azhar on his web log, calling it "the university of terrorism" and accusing it of suppressing free thought.


http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_2073524,00.html

[2Sheds_Jackson]

Nothing says "we don't suppress free thought" like jailing the speaker for expressing free thought.

[Firetxmi]

Yeah, it happens in Germany too:

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?t=105170&highlight=holocaust

[Danik]

Yeah, it happens in Germany too:

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?t=105170&highlight=holocaust


Theres a difference in discussion of religion, an ideology, and denial of historical facts. Yes the idea that jailing these morons gives them more support, but on the other hand also points out that it must be widespread enough for the govt to take measures to jail people for excessive stupidity. Jailing them wont make any dents, if their plan is to scare the others away, then it will work in Egypt, but it wont in the West. If that kid even lives through the four years in prison he will regret what he said and be too scared to voice his opinion again. The conditions in western prisons dont serve as a deterent to idiots.

[Lazy Lob]

Yeah, it happens in Germany too:

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?t=105170&highlight=holocaust

I’m not too happy jailing people for expressing their thoughts however misguided they may be as long as they don’t incite physical harm, harassment etc.

But how the hell do you equate the mass murder of 6 million + humans to insulting a leader or an abstract thought?

[Firetxmi]

I’m not too happy jailing people for expressing their thoughts however misguided they may be as long as they don’t incite physical harm, harassment etc.

But how the hell do you equate the mass murder of 6 million + humans to insulting a leader or an abstract thought?

Because no matter how horrible either one of them is, they are still covered under Free speech (at least in the U.S......For now).

Granted this happened in Egypt, I was just trying to point out that this is not unique to Egypt, or Islamic countries.

[Danik]

Because no matter how horrible either one of them is, they are still covered under Free speech (at least in the U.S......For now).

Granted this happened in Egypt, I was just trying to point out that this is not unique to Egypt, or Islamic countries.

Yes in the US, where neonazis march around in front of city hall and have holocaust denial events, and still complain about being "harassed". The US is not involved in either of the cases, so your point is?

It certainly is unique to "Arab/Islamic countries"( frankly its unique to any countries with dictatorships, theocracies, etc). STILL it is not equatable. If you and I were to have a discussion about cultural relativism and I did not agree with you, theres no reason you should be placed in jail. Where as If I tried to argue that you are not male(Im assuming) and are not (whatever race you are) for some malicious purpose, I would put the handcuffs on myself and take a cab to jail.

[Firetxmi]

If you and I were to have a discussion about cultural relativism and I did not agree with you, theres no reason you should be placed in jail. Where as If I tried to argue that you are not male(Im assuming) and are not (whatever race you are) for some malicious purpose, I would put the handcuffs on myself and take a cab to jail.

I guess that is the difference between freedom of speech in the U.S. and freedom of speech in Germany.

[Danik]

I guess that is the difference between freedom of speech in the U.S. and freedom of speech in Germany.

Yes. There are many differences to our evil fascist Bush military complex government/sarcasm off. For instance we have freedom of speech to say anything, inculding portesting at soldiers funerals. Germany chose its own path, theres no need to judge that, it makes sense to them, so it really is not a big deal. Freedom of speech comes with responsibility, and they think if you get very irresponsible, then you get a ticket to jail. France has laws that would make even the leftest of the left declare Bush the beacon of freedom. For instance I think they can hold people without arresting them for up to 96 hours, bug people with much easier warrants, and I think hearsay evidence is accepted in court( I dont remeber the exact details, if you like I can find the Wall Street Journal article about it from this week).

[TuRRiCaN]

http://www.black-iris.com/2007/02/23/about-kareem-amer-about-freedom

[Cpl Steiner]

You Americans are lucky that your freedom of speech is protected with your constitution.

We Europeans do not have such rights of freedom of speech.

We have the right to say what ever the goverment tells us to say and nothing more.


"If you want a vision of the future winston,imagine a boot stamping down on a human face!"

[Danik]

You Americans are lucky that your freedom of speech is protected with your constitution.

We Europeans do not have such rights of freedom of speech.

We have the right to say what ever the goverment tells us to say and nothing more.


"If you want a vision of the future winston,imagine a boot stamping down on a human face!"

Huh?

Germany

Freedom of expression is granted by Article 5 of the German Basic Law (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_Law_for_the_Federal_Republic_of_Germany)[4] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_speech#_note-3):
(1) Every person shall have the right freely to express and disseminate his opinions in speech, writing, and pictures and to inform himself without hindrance from generally accessible sources. Freedom of the press and freedom of reporting by means of broadcasts and films shall be guaranteed. There shall be no censorship. (2) These rights shall find their limits in the provisions of general laws, in provisions for the protection of young persons, and in the right to personal honor. (3) Art and scholarship, research, and teaching shall be free. The freedom of teaching shall not release any person from allegiance to the constitution.What exactly is your complaint?

The freedom of speech, is not an infinite freedom, it comes with responsibility. The US govt has made it clear that your freedom of speech should not limit the freedoms of others or cause violence against others.

Aside from Holocause denial, I dont grasp how your laws are different.

PS. I assumed your German because of the referance to the movie Cross of Iron and you being European.