Kareem Amer
Encyclopedia
Abdul Kareem Nabeel Suleiman Amer (born c. 1984) is an Egypt
ian blog
ger and former law student. He was arrested by Egyptian authorities for posts on his blog that were considered to be anti-religious and insulting to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak
. On February 22, 2007, in his native city Alexandria
, Amer was sentenced to three years of imprisonment for insulting Islam
and inciting sedition
and one year for insulting the Egyptian President
Hosni Mubarak
. He was the first blogger in Egypt explicitly arrested for the content of his writing, and was released on November 17, 2010, but not before he was beaten and illegally detained by Egyptian security forces.
. He wished to complete a biology degree, but family pressure forced him to enroll in al-Azhar's Department of Shari'a and Legal Studies instead.
In 2004, Kareem began expressing his reformist views at Modern Discussion, as well as Copts United by 2005. By mid-2006, he discontinued publishing at Copts United because he accuses them of limiting his writings to only criticizing Muslims and not Copt
s as well.
in Alexandria
in 2005, the result of a play performed at a Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, and the violent reaction of the Muslim community over the play's 'insult to Islam'.
On October 26, 2005, Amer was arrested for the first time by Egyptian state security agency Amn al-Dawla for anti-religious posts on his blog
. He was detained for twelve days, and his books and personal writings were confiscated.
Amer referred to the university as "the university of terrorism" and said that the institution stifles free thought.
University administrators also filed a communiqué to the Public Prosecutor Office against their former student, alleging he was "spreading rumours endangering public security" and "defaming President Mubarak".
that were considered by authorities to be of an irreligious nature, and because of al-Azhar's complaint to the Public Prosecutor Office.
The interrogation process involved violations by the Public Prosecutor's Office, according to the human rights lawyer of The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) who represented Kareem Amer before the prosecutor. The observed violations include the illegal attendance of three interrogators, their laughing at Kareem Amer while interrogating him, and their addressing unwarranted questions to him (e.g. "Do you fast during Ramadan?", "Do you practice prayer?").
The Public Prosecutor told Kareem that if he did not abandon his views, even though personal, he may be imprisoned. Nevertheless, Kareem Amer insisted on his right to freedom of expression. Consequently, Egyptian prosecutors ordered that Amer be held in a detention center in Alexandria
until November 22 at least. His detention was renewed four times before his trial opened in an Alexandria court.
During the hearing, a lawyer in the court room introduced himself as Mohamed Dawoud, and immediately submitted a claim against Kareem for his "incitement to hatred of Islam". The new claim was added as a new case that Kareem will be held accountable for, even if he were to be acquitted from all the current charges made against him.
The trial was adjourned to February 1, 2007.
Prosecution arguments in the February 1, 2007 session were given by a team of Muslim lawyers who volunteered to serve as the 'representatives of the people,' an arrangement allowed under Egyptian law. The government's state prosecutors, who drew up the legal case against Nabil, were not present.
In a heated exchange during the court session, prosecution lawyers accused Kareem of being an 'apostate' and called on judge Ayman al-Akazi to hand Kareem the maximum punishment. As a result, a heated exchange occurred between the prosecution and defence until the judge demanded order.
Kareem defended himself by saying:
Defence lawyers argued that crimes related to the Internet were new in Egypt and that the penal code did not cover them.
Prosecution lawyer Mohamed Dawoud told The Associated Press:
The trial was adjourned to February 22, 2007 where the judge said Nabil was guilty and would serve three years for insulting Islam and inciting sedition, and one year for insulting Mr Mubarak.
The Blogger's father "Nabil Sulaiman" has mocked the human rights organizations which tried to release his son and called for applying Islamic Law "allowing him to repent within three days before killing him in case he will not do" according to the Egyptian newspaper "Al-Masri Alyaum".
United States Congressmen Trent Franks
(R-AZ) and Barney Frank
(D-MA) wrote to Egyptian Ambassador Nabil Fahmy regarding the arrest and imprisonment of Kareem. Congressman Franks also said:
, President of the 10th Permanent Commission (Productive Affairs, Trade and Tourism) Daniele Capezzone
, and Senator Gaetano Quagliariello.
(UKIP) Member of the European Parliament
(MEP) Derek Clark
made a speech at the EU parliament in Strasbourg on the matter of Abdeel Kareem Nabil and human rights in Egypt. The MEP for the East Midlands region called for the European Union to take advantage of a recently signed trade agreement with Egypt, which states 'Support Egyptian government efforts to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms in line with international conventions to which Egypt is party'. http://ukip.org/ukip_news/gen12.php?t=1&id=2912
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
ger and former law student. He was arrested by Egyptian authorities for posts on his blog that were considered to be anti-religious and insulting to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak
Hosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
. On February 22, 2007, in his native city Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
, Amer was sentenced to three years of imprisonment for insulting Islam
Islam and blasphemy
Blasphemy in Islam is any irreverent behavior toward holy personages, religious artifacts, customs, and beliefs that Muslims revere. The Quran and the hadith do not speak about blasphemy. Jurists created the offence, and they made it part of Sharia. Where Sharia pertains, the penalties for...
and inciting sedition
Sedition
In law, sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that is deemed by the legal authority to tend toward insurrection against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent to lawful authority. Sedition may include any...
and one year for insulting the Egyptian President
President of Egypt
The President of the Arab Republic of Egypt is the head of state of Egypt.Under the Constitution of Egypt, the president is also the supreme commander of the armed forces and head of the executive branch of the Egyptian government....
Hosni Mubarak
Hosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
. He was the first blogger in Egypt explicitly arrested for the content of his writing, and was released on November 17, 2010, but not before he was beaten and illegally detained by Egyptian security forces.
Background
Kareem Amer, a secular Egyptian, accused of Atheism, completed elementary and secondary school at al-Azhar UniversityAl-Azhar University
Al-Azhar University is an educational institute in Cairo, Egypt. Founded in 970~972 as a madrasa, it is the chief centre of Arabic literature and Islamic learning in the world. It is the oldest degree-granting university in Egypt. In 1961 non-religious subjects were added to its curriculum.It is...
. He wished to complete a biology degree, but family pressure forced him to enroll in al-Azhar's Department of Shari'a and Legal Studies instead.
In 2004, Kareem began expressing his reformist views at Modern Discussion, as well as Copts United by 2005. By mid-2006, he discontinued publishing at Copts United because he accuses them of limiting his writings to only criticizing Muslims and not Copt
Copt
The Copts are the native Egyptian Christians , a major ethnoreligious group in Egypt....
s as well.
First arrest
Amer first came to the attention of Egyptian authorities after he published a series of blog writings highly critical of the Muslim role in the deadly sectarian riots2005 Alexandria riot
The 2005 Alexandria riot was an anti-Christian riot in the Egyptian port city of Alexandria. The riot erupted on 21 October when 5,000 Muslims staged a demonstration outside St. George's, a Coptic church, to protest a play they said offended Islam. The situation got out of hand after some...
in Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
in 2005, the result of a play performed at a Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, and the violent reaction of the Muslim community over the play's 'insult to Islam'.
On October 26, 2005, Amer was arrested for the first time by Egyptian state security agency Amn al-Dawla for anti-religious posts on his blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
. He was detained for twelve days, and his books and personal writings were confiscated.
Expulsion from al-Azhar
Early in 2006, Amer was expelled from al-Azhar University, Damanhour Campus, for criticizing some of the university's conservative instructors, writing in his blog that the "professors and sheikhs at al-Azhar who ... stand against anyone who thinks freely" would "end up in the dustbin of history". He also posted writings that promoted secularism and women's rights.Amer referred to the university as "the university of terrorism" and said that the institution stifles free thought.
University administrators also filed a communiqué to the Public Prosecutor Office against their former student, alleging he was "spreading rumours endangering public security" and "defaming President Mubarak".
Second arrest
On November 6, 2006, Amer was again detained by the public persecution after they questioned him aboout his writing in modern disscutionthat were considered by authorities to be of an irreligious nature, and because of al-Azhar's complaint to the Public Prosecutor Office.
The interrogation process involved violations by the Public Prosecutor's Office, according to the human rights lawyer of The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) who represented Kareem Amer before the prosecutor. The observed violations include the illegal attendance of three interrogators, their laughing at Kareem Amer while interrogating him, and their addressing unwarranted questions to him (e.g. "Do you fast during Ramadan?", "Do you practice prayer?").
The Public Prosecutor told Kareem that if he did not abandon his views, even though personal, he may be imprisoned. Nevertheless, Kareem Amer insisted on his right to freedom of expression. Consequently, Egyptian prosecutors ordered that Amer be held in a detention center in Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
until November 22 at least. His detention was renewed four times before his trial opened in an Alexandria court.
Charges
Specifically, Kareem was charged with:- AtheismAtheismAtheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
. due to some blog posts, for instance, the one titled "There is no God except the Human being" (in Arabic لا إله إلا الإنسان). - Spreading information and malicious rumors that disrupt public security;
- Defaming the president of Egypt;
- Incitement to overthrow the regime based upon hatred and contempt ;
- Incitement to hate "Islam" and to breach public peace standards; and
- Highlighting inappropriate issues that harm the reputation of Egypt and spreading these publicly.
Trial
On January 25, 2007, a hearing took place before a court in Alexandria. Kareem's defence lawyers requested the trial be adjourned so that a computer expert could be called to identify where the Web site Modern Discussion is hosted. It was argued that if the site was not hosted in Egypt, the Egyptian courts may be unable to persecute Kareem for his writings on that site.During the hearing, a lawyer in the court room introduced himself as Mohamed Dawoud, and immediately submitted a claim against Kareem for his "incitement to hatred of Islam". The new claim was added as a new case that Kareem will be held accountable for, even if he were to be acquitted from all the current charges made against him.
The trial was adjourned to February 1, 2007.
Prosecution arguments in the February 1, 2007 session were given by a team of Muslim lawyers who volunteered to serve as the 'representatives of the people,' an arrangement allowed under Egyptian law. The government's state prosecutors, who drew up the legal case against Nabil, were not present.
In a heated exchange during the court session, prosecution lawyers accused Kareem of being an 'apostate' and called on judge Ayman al-Akazi to hand Kareem the maximum punishment. As a result, a heated exchange occurred between the prosecution and defence until the judge demanded order.
Kareem defended himself by saying:
"I don't see what I have done," he said from the defendant’s cage. "I expressed my opinion...the intention was not anything like these [charges]."
Defence lawyers argued that crimes related to the Internet were new in Egypt and that the penal code did not cover them.
Prosecution lawyer Mohamed Dawoud told The Associated Press:
"I want him [Nabil] to get the toughest punishment," Dawoud told . "I am on a jihad here ... If we leave the likes of him without punishment, it will be like a fire that consumes everything."
The trial was adjourned to February 22, 2007 where the judge said Nabil was guilty and would serve three years for insulting Islam and inciting sedition, and one year for insulting Mr Mubarak.
The Blogger's father "Nabil Sulaiman" has mocked the human rights organizations which tried to release his son and called for applying Islamic Law "allowing him to repent within three days before killing him in case he will not do" according to the Egyptian newspaper "Al-Masri Alyaum".
United States
Trent Franks
Trent Franks is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party.The district takes in the entire northwestern corner of the state, including Kingman and Lake Havasu City, but most of its vote is cast in the western Phoenix suburbs.-Early life, education and...
(R-AZ) and Barney Frank
Barney Frank
Barney Frank is the U.S. Representative for . A member of the Democratic Party, he is the former chairman of the House Financial Services Committee and is considered the most prominent gay politician in the United States.Born and raised in New Jersey, Frank graduated from Harvard College and...
(D-MA) wrote to Egyptian Ambassador Nabil Fahmy regarding the arrest and imprisonment of Kareem. Congressman Franks also said:
"Democracies must allow for freedom of speech and certainly for the tolerance of diverse religious beliefs. I laud Mr. Amer’s recognition that violence in the name of religion is unacceptable. I urge the Egyptian government to free Mr. Amer and to protect its citizens from persecution."
Italy
Three Italian MPs have written letters to the Egyptian Ambassador to Italy: Former Minister of Defense Antonio MartinoAntonio Martino
Antonio Martino is an Italian politician, who has been Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1994 and Italian Minister of Defense from 2001 to 2006. He is a founding member of Forza Italia, holding party card no. 2.-Career:...
, President of the 10th Permanent Commission (Productive Affairs, Trade and Tourism) Daniele Capezzone
Daniele Capezzone
Daniele Capezzone is a centre-right Italian politician.He currently is the spokesman for the People of Freedom.From July 14, 2001 to November 4, 2006, he was secretary of the Italian Radicals, a liberal, pro-market economy, libertarian movement associated with the Transnational Radical Party...
, and Senator Gaetano Quagliariello.
UK
United Kingdom Independence PartyUnited Kingdom Independence Party
The United Kingdom Independence Party is a eurosceptic and right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. Whilst its primary goal is the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, the party has expanded beyond its single-issue image to develop a more comprehensive party platform.UKIP...
(UKIP) Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
(MEP) Derek Clark
Derek Clark
Derek Roland Clark is a British politician, and Member of the European Parliament for the East Midlands region. He is a member of the United Kingdom Independence Party, first elected in 2004, and subsequently re-elected in 2009.He is a retired science teacher.-External links:**...
made a speech at the EU parliament in Strasbourg on the matter of Abdeel Kareem Nabil and human rights in Egypt. The MEP for the East Midlands region called for the European Union to take advantage of a recently signed trade agreement with Egypt, which states 'Support Egyptian government efforts to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms in line with international conventions to which Egypt is party'. http://ukip.org/ukip_news/gen12.php?t=1&id=2912
Rallies
- January 12, 2007: The DC Coalition for Blog Freedom organized a rally in front of the Egyptian Embassy in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to call for Kareem Amer’s release. A petition was presented to the Embassy, but there appeared to be no plans by the Egyptian government to take any further steps concerning Kareem’s detention.
- January 31, 2007: New York City residents have held a peaceful protest in front of the Egyptian Consulate in New York. The aim of the gathering was to protest Egypt’s treatment of Kareem and to plead for all charges against him to be dropped.
- February 15, 2007: Dubbed Free Kareem Day, a series of peaceful rallies will be held in front of Egyptian Embassies and Consulates worldwide to protest Kareem’s imprisonment. Protests will be held in Ottawa, London, Berlin, Rome, Bucharest, Paris, Chicago, New York City, and Washington, D.C. A Web site has been set up to provide times and locations for each city.http://kareemamer.blogspot.com/
Press
- Jimmy WalesJimmy WalesJimmy Donal "Jimbo" Wales is an American Internet entrepreneur best known as a co-founder and promoter of the online non-profit encyclopedia Wikipedia and the Wikia company....
discussed Kareem Amer's case during the WikiMania 2008 conference as reported by the NYTimes blog http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/17/wikipedia-goes-to-alexandria-home-of-other-great-reference-works/index.html?ref=technology.
External links
- Amer's blog, كريم عامر- (in Arabic)
- "Jailed for blogging," Dalia Ziada and Jesse Sage, International Herald TribuneInternational Herald TribuneThe International Herald Tribune is a widely read English language international newspaper. It combines the resources of its own correspondents with those of The New York Times and is printed at 38 sites throughout the world, for sale in more than 160 countries and territories...
, December 27, 2006 - Free Kareem Campaign to free the Egyptian blogger Abdel Kareem Nabil Soliman
- Kareem Amer Profile The Alliance for Essential Liberties in the Middle East's profile of Kareem Amer