Another one that must be worth analysing is the Free Josh Wolf campaign (he got out last week). Personally I think the focus on the ‘citizen journalist’ might be a weakness rather than a strength, but i’d be interested to hear your view.

In my discussion of Josh Wolf’s case i end up asking ‘do we need reporters or do we need defenders?.

I know that Global Voices aims to go beyond amplication in to advocacy, and I’m looking forward to see how that develops.

As well as simplifying issues, I agree that it’s a danger that campaigns like Free Kareem focus on individuals. As Ethan reports about the Free Alaa campaign:
“Alaa is clearly bemused by the “Free Alaa” campaign some of my friends helped organize. “The other 700 weren’t important – you see, I’m cool.”

On the other hand, there is a great power in humanising the issues by looking at individuals. I have several times been very affected by reading the last few blog posts of arrested cyberdissidents, as it often shows (as in the case of Kareem) that they are ordinary people who also care about films and social life as well as politics.

dan

Firstly you failed to address the clarifications of the word “success.” The author did not mean to say that the campaign achieved its main mission. In terms of media and public relations, this was indeed very successful. The team achieved many of their targeted goals which helped add an excess amount of pressure on the Egyptian government, which is the direction that we are taking in this campaign. An excessive amount of pressure means that the government will think twice before comitting the same error against another blogger. This is why Kareem’s case stands for many other similar cases.

Secondly, why focus on his thoughts? This is not about what he said or what his personal opinions are. This is about him being in prison merely for having a specific opinion. A campaign does not attack the subject of its campaign! So do not expect us to attack Kareem’s thoughts. Having met him, Kareem’s views were challenged on a personal basis. We do have opinions, but this is not about us and our opinions. This is not about what WE, the team, think about what he said. We are not willing to analyze and attack what he said. We merely wish to fight for his rights to say it, regardless of what we personally think of this.

Please read the article again and realize that it is about a campaign, NOT about whether or not what Kareem said is true. You fail to realize the significance of campaigning for Kareem’s cause primarily as Muslims who disagree with him. We will not kiss our freedoms goodbye. Instead we will find new ways to embrace and protect any freedoms, and we will always fight for our rights as humans. No matter what the opinions are.

And yes, this campaign is about the freedom to critice Islam, because that it was criticizing Islam that put Kareen in jail (the remarks about Moubarek were secondary).

Kareem’s only ‘crime’ was to tell the truth as he witnessed it with his own eyes, and as is recordered in Islam’s own traditions. He saw Muslims attacking Christian Copts and he wrote about it. He said that the Quran is full of hate and violence against non-Muslims. He said that Islam’s own hadiths tell of many vile things done by Islam’s prophet (murder, plunder, raids, enslavement, oppressions, etc..). Kareem said that there was, in his opinion, a link between the two things. The facts are that these things are exactly what are written in Islam’s own writings. Kareem was just being honest, much more honest than his critics and even his supporters – who felt the necessity of putting a big disclaimer on their blogs and the Global Voices entry concerning the content of this young man’s writings (Ie, We do no agree…). They were, in fact, undoing their own support by taking a position that said Kareem was wrong but even so they support this fool. They, the so-called supporters, didn’t even have the courage to say where or why he was wrong. It was, at best, a timid, half-hearted support without any moral basis or intellectual reasoning.

Kareem stands alone. No Muslim has the courage to look at Islam and tell the truth – or more likely, it is a matter of fear. This is why the problem is Islam. The lack of freedoms and rights in Muslim societies is a consequence of Islamic ideology that not only imposes abhorrent and inequitable moral values on society, but seeks to silence any voices that question those values. If people cannot be honest about basic concepts of right and wrong, or be able to analyze so-called sacred texts without fear, then there is no hope for Muslim societies. Worse yet, Muslims in the West are demanding that we, too, give up our right to criticize Islam and its prophet.

Kiss your freedoms goodbye.

John, Old Man kactuz

The campaign for Kareem is about freedom. It’s about supporting everyone’s right to express their views, whether you agree with them or not. Kareem was lucky to have met people who would put principle first and support him, even though they did not agree with his views. Supporting his case brings world attention to the plight of the arrested, regardless of their opinions or their country, and highlights the importance of freedom for everyone, not just for those with whom we agree. I hope that if my government were to arrest me, I would be supported like Kareem has been supported.