The
article explains about the situation of an atheist man in Egypt named Alber
Saber. Alber has been recently sentenced to three years in prison for
downloading and blogging about a "blasphemous" video. The video
offended many Muslim Egyptians because it talked about Mohammad in a negative
manner. Because of this, Alber was
unlawfully arrested and sentenced for merely exercising his natural right of freedom
of speech. Alber's rights were infringed
upon when the Egyptian police searched his property and when Muslim citizens
threatened the security of his family members. His rights were further violated
when he was assaulted in jail and when his Christian family was forced to leave
their home due to inadequate protection.
This
current event demonstrates the prevalent injustices that occur in Egypt today.
When compared to the freedom of speech we have in America, it is surprising to
hear how cautious people in Egypt have to be when downloading videos or posting
their opinions online. While we have the freedom to say whatever we want,
people in Egypt are restricted on what they can post. This is because opposing
beliefs to the majority opinion of Egypt can ultimately lead to unfair
punishment and danger to one's family. Additionally, Alber's situation emphasizes
the widespread discrimination that still exists today. The persecution of
Alber's Christian relatives, despite their lack of involvement with Alber's
actions, demonstrates the discrimination against non-Muslim people and other
minorities in Egypt. It is shocking to hear about all the harsh retributions upon
Alber particularly when he did not do anything more than just expressing his thoughts
and downloading a video. Alber's situation raises many serious questions about
the state of human rights in Egypt, particularly involving the rights of
freedom of speech, expression, security, and religion. Human rights organizations around
the world are seeking amnesty for Alber. I would like to follow up on this
story to see how the Egyptian government and its citizens react to such
violations of natural human rights.
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