For our friends and supporters in India (please click on the photo for the larger and clearer document.) The translation is of this post.
We would like to thank our friend Sandeep for providing this translation!
More information about Kareem in Hindi can be found here.
Kareem has been arrested since November 6th, 2006. He is about to spend his 600th day in prison! We are planning an event for this day and hope that you will all be involved.
Here are the details.
Date: Saturday, the 28th of June
Occasion: Day 600 for Kareem in prison!
Theme: Increase awareness for Kareem in prison, and get in touch with him!
How you can get involved:
On the 28th, dedicate a post on your blog/website to Kareem.
You can do this in two ways:
Option 1: Write a post/letter directly to or about Kareem. Make people aware of what Kareem is going through. Express your opinions or concerns over the fact that he is still in prison just for sharing his personal views on radical Islam, extremism within Al Azhar, and the president of Egypt.
Option 2: Write about something controversial, fearlessly, the same way as Kareem did (whether be it about free speech, human rights, religious freedom, political rights, et al) and then dedicate this post to him.
You may also choose to directly write to Kareem using the following address:
Prisoner Abdul Kareem Nabil Suleiman
Alexandria
Borg Al-Arab Prison
Room 1 Section 22
The Arab Republic of Egypt
Please attach the Arabic address on your letter:
As President Bush prepares to meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak this weekend, U.S. Reps. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and Barney Frank (D-Mass.) sent a letter with 13 of their colleagues to President Bush urging him to call for the release of Kareem.
Kirk, Frank to President Bush: Pressure Egyptian Government to Release First Imprisoned Arab Blogger
Abdel Kareem Nabil Soliman imprisoned for condemning Islamic extremism and defending women and minorities
First blogger in Egypt convicted for peaceful Internet expression
WASHINGTON – U.S. Reps. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and Barney Frank (D-Mass.), along with 13 other Republicans and Democrats sent a letter to President Bush today urging him to press Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to release human rights activist and blogger Abdel Kareem Nabil Soliman. Soliman was convicted for condemning Islamic extremism for its poor treatment of women and minorities on his blog. The case has attracted strong international attention and the personal interest of the President.
“Over the past year, the human rights of Egyptians have deteriorated, specifically with regard to freedom of expression,” said Congressman Kirk, a member of the State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee and the Congressional Human Rights Caucus. “Hundreds of prisoners of conscience are sitting in Egyptian prisons, but perhaps the most troubling case is that of young human rights activist and blogger Abdel Kareem Nabil Soliman. His only crime was speaking out against extremists who seek to persecute women and minorities. For that, the Egyptian government sentenced him to rot in prison for four years. We have a unique opportunity to right this injustice – President Bush should call on Egyptian President Mubarak to release Soliman and reestablish the freedom of expression that every person, regardless of location, deserves.”
Mr. Soliman is known more commonly by his Internet pen name “Kareem Amer.” In March 2006, he was expelled from his religious university for comments posted on his blog denouncing the university’s discriminatory teachings and practices. “I call on Egyptian government officials to take the necessary procedures to protect the Egyptian youth from the spread of subversive religious ideologies among them by permanently shutting down religious institutions in this country,” Soliman wrote. “Shutting them down will stop the prevalence of the tone of hatred and sectarian enmity, heated by what [religious university] students study from things that incite [the] hatred and scorn of non-Muslims.” Soliman was later arrested by the government and convicted of “contempt of religion” and “defaming the President of Egypt.” On February 22, 2007, he was sentenced to four years in jail.
“It is inevitable that the Internet will grow, and so too must the freedoms that founded it,” the lawmakers wrote. “We therefore request that you press President Mubarak to commute the sentence of or grant amnesty to Mr. Soliman as a way to show that Egypt is a force for moderation on the Internet, our new global village. By accepting broad liberties within this vast new medium, Egypt can demonstrate its role as a pioneer in showing tolerance to different and new ideas.”
Egyptian prisoners are occasionally released by the President in honor of various national holidays, including the recent release of 861 prisoners to mark the anniversary of the start of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. July 23, Revolution Day, is Egypt’s next national holiday.
Bush will meet with Mubarak on Saturday. The bipartisan Kirk-Frank letter is below.
________________________________________
Dear Mr. President:
As Members of Congress concerned about freedom of speech in Egypt, we are writing in advance of your visit with President Mubarak to respectfully request that you strongly urge him to release human rights advocate and blogger Abdel Kareem Nabil Soliman.
Egypt and the United States are allies in the fight against extremism in the Arab world. A new part of this effort is the establishment of Internet rights, such as blogging. The right to peaceful, free expression through newspapers or now the Web will have an enormous impact on the reputations of nascent democracies, especially for the new generation under forty that now seems to live on the Internet.
Mr. Soliman, known more commonly by his Internet pen name Kareem Amer, was convicted for statements made on his personal web blog condemning Islamic extremism for its poor treatment of women and minorities. On February 22, 2007, he was sentenced to a total of four years in prison. While we recognize his comments were offensive to many Egyptians and Muslims around the world, this sentence sets a troubling precedent. Mr. Soliman is the first blogger in the Arab world to be convicted for the expression of personal views.
We recognize that Egyptian law is sensitive to all denigration of religion and protects Islam, Christianity and Judaism from any religious defamation. However, Egypt must honor these laws under its commitment to the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the United Nations Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. These solemn international agreements state that “everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference” and “everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression.” Such rights include “the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice.”
It is inevitable that the Internet will grow, and so too must the freedoms that founded it. To continue on the path of modernization, development and reform, it is critical that Egypt expand the scope of acceptable Internet dialogue such that expressing views on religious extremism does not constitute a violation of law.
The Egyptian judiciary has on occasion commuted the sentence of political prisoners. Journalist Howayda Taha Matwali was convicted of making or possessing pictures likely to harm the country’s reputation in January, 2007, but the Court vacated her prison sentence just this past February.
The Egyptian Constitution also affords the President the right to grant amnesty or commute a sentence. President Mubarak has exercised this right on a number of occasions, including the release of 861 prisoners to mark the anniversary of the start of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. Revolution Day, July 23, would seem the perfect opportunity to commute Mr. Soliman’s sentence to time served, seventeen months.
We therefore request that you press President Mubarak to commute the sentence of or grant amnesty to Mr. Soliman as a way to show that Egypt is a force for moderation on the Internet, our new global village. By accepting broad liberties within this vast new medium, Egypt can demonstrate its role as a pioneer in showing tolerance to different and new ideas.
Thank you for your attention to this precedent-setting case. We look forward to working with you on this and other human rights abuses around the world.
Sincerely,
Mark Steven Kirk, Member of Congress
Barney Frank, Member of Congress
Frank R. Wolf, Member of Congress
William D. Delahunt, Member of Congress
Christopher H. Smith, Member of Congress
Al Green, Member of Congress
Ted Poe, Member of Congress
Bob Inglis, Member of Congress
Robert B. Aderholt, Member of Congress
Shelley Berkley, Member of Congress
Trent Franks, Member of Congress
Thaddeus McCotter, Member of Congress
Howard Berman, Member of Congress
John Conyers, Jr., Member of Congress
Joe Courtney, Member of Congress
Below is a picture of the very successfull rally that took place for Kareem in New York on Friday, the 22nd of February. Thanks to everyone who made it! Excellent big banners were created for this event.
A few weeks ago, we shared with you an exceptional portrait by a young high school student who wanted to express his support for Kareem via art. You can view the artwork and the author’s description here.
Kenny has written us back with an update:
At the local art-show where “Kareem” was exhibited lots of people truly enjoyed it and asked me about Kareem’s story. Yet, there also were people who felt uncomfortable with the image at the show. I don’t know exactly why. None of these people have spoken to me. To make it short: Kareem was later hung aside from the “eye-catcher wall” due to the “Provocation” felt.
Currently, Kenny’s taking part in a competition where he’s applying his portrait of Kareem. Please vote for this artwork here! It will significantly help increase awareness and support for Kareem.
17 year old Kenneth Bergfeld came across Kareem’s story in Germany. He felt that such an injustice must be fought. He wishes to share his artistic contribution with the Free Kareem campaign and the rest of the world, and thus, here is Kenneth’s portrait of Kareem, followed by his description of it:
My painting may not look 100% like Kareem, but it probably is the most “famous” picture of him and the facial expression of his give reason enough for a spectator to recognize Kareem or at least to assume it is him.
The painting has the measurements of 120 cm times 80 cm and the medium is acrylics on canvas.
I’d like to stress why it was important for me to paint Kareem. When reading the newspaper article concerning Kareem’s situation it felt awkward to me that although we live in a globalized world issues such as the freedom of speech can not be taken for granted everywhere.
I had difficulties imaging myself being imprisoned for sharing my own opinion in school (Kareem’s case is that of university). It seems so normal that we say what is on our heart, that we speak out our concerns, criticize government, leaderships and various institutions. Yet, there are countries where these freedoms are not granted to the people.
So the question for me was what I could do in order to feel with these political prisoners. What could I do to understand their destiny? How could I show my concern and bring it into public so that more people knew about Kareem? And most important: How can I show those regimes that although there are vast oceans and thousand of miles between them and me I get in on the injustices taking place there? The answer was simple to me.
I sketch and draw since I was a little kid telling stories of my vacations, field trips or of fictional fantasies. Now, at my age of 17, I am politically concerned and I felt that it was lain on my heart to paint Kareem.
I am hoping to study arts after graduating from high school and aspire that then I can reach even more people with my message. There are millions of people who are interested in stories like the one of Kareem, but in our modern age of mass media with advertisements and billboards robbing any free squarefoot of our skies it seems hard to really see what is relevant and what not. Stories of people like Kareem have to be made public in any thinkable way that there is.
I have experienced this during the process of painting Kareem and hope to do so when “Kareem” will be hanging at a local art exhibition this Saturday and Sunday (15th and 16th of December).
Nonetheless, I have a specific view on why it is important to fight for people like Kareem.
As already said before, we can show governments far away that we do not support them (furthermore, feel grievance at the way they act) through the internet and sites like FreeKareem.org.
It is such people like this that do their part for the good fight and you out there that can make a change. If we unite globally, we cannot be defeated. Maybe your contribution is art, writing to Kareem, blogging, or any other way of showing your participation. But, the most important thing is that no matter how minor your contribution may seem at first sight someone in the world may be inspired to take even bigger action. The future is unwritten. And we can write it for the good of people like Kareem who do not experience the same advantages as we do and need support so that they have the feeling that someone out there is listening to them.
Anyone can feel free to contact me. Thank you very much for your interest.
This is an excellent and unique contribution and the Free Kareem Coalition is extremely honored to be sharing Kenneth’s work.
Thank you, dear Kenneth, for your time and dedication to Kareem’s cause and for the willingness to fight this grave injustice which was committed by the Egyptian government! Thank you!
The 16th Reporters Without Borders – Fondation de France prize awarded today [5th of December] in Paris:
The young Egyptian blogger Kareem Amer is the laureate in the Cyber-dissident category. The 23-year-old was sentenced to four years in jail for criticism posted on his blog of President Hosni Mubarak and of the Islamist grip on the country’s universities.
Read full report here.
This news has been featured in Le Monde, France’s most prominent newspaper:
RSF récompense le blogueur égyptien Kareem Ader, emprisonné pour quatre ans
Premier blogueur jugé et condamné en Egypte pour ses écrits, le jeune Abdel Kareem Nabil Suleiman, plus connu sous le nom de Kareem Amer, a reçu le prix “Reporters sans frontières (RSF) – Fondation de France” pour l’année 2007 dans la catégorie “cyberdissident”, mercredi 5 décembre.
Read full news article here.
The Christian Science Monitor also reports:
RSF’s cyberdissident laureate was Egyptian blogger Abdel Kareem Nabil, sentenced in February to four years in prison for insulting Islam and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. The 23-year-old former student at Egypt’s Al-Azhar University, who used the blogger name Kareem Amer, sharply criticized conservative Muslims in his blog. His lawyers allege he is being held in solitary confinement and tortured in prison.
Read full article here.
Heise online also contributed a special report on the RSF award ceremony:
Egyptian blogger receives human rights prize:
In Paris, Egyptian blogger Kareem Amer was awarded this year’s Human Rights Prize in the category “Internet dissident” by Reporters without Borders and “Fondation de France”. In February, Abdel Kareem Nabil Suleiman, as he is called in real life, was sentenced to four years of imprisonment for publicly criticizing President Hosni Mubarak and the way the country’s universities are strictly operated according to Islam. In his weblog, Amer showed how Mubarak put pressure on religious leaders to support him.
[...]
As Reporters without Borders puts it, the prizes are awarded to those who make a special contribution to freedom of the press and human rights. Each of the four prizes in the categories of journalists, Internet dissident, medium, and organization, include 2500 euros.
Read the full article here.
Read HRINFO’s press release [Arabic] here.
Rawda, Kareem’s lawyer, traveled to France to get the prize on behalf of Kareem.
Erin Wildermuth, the video production manager at Bureaucrash.com, sent us these great videos which they created to help promote Kareem’s cause around the world. Please watch it, favorite it, link to it, or embed it into your own blogs!
The Coalition would like to thank the Bureaucrash team for their amazing and consistent efforts in helping Kareem. They have shown a wonderful and much needed commitment which we appreciate very much!
Today, the 16th of November, is what the UN considers the “International Day of Tolerance.”
We welcome the Egyptian government to embrace this day by showing respect for freedom of speech and having tolerance for anyone who holds a different opinion or believes in a different faith (or chooses not to believe in anything at all.) Both of these factors are essential in any democracy, which Egypt should not dare call itself should it continue carrying out its human rights abuses.
How does Egypt define religious tolerance and human rights? Because the Baha’i faith is still unrecognized within Egypt. The Egyptian Baha’i minority lack the most basic rights because they cannot officially get their ID cards, the key to civil life in Egypt. As for human rights, people like Kareem are still in prison simply for expressing their personal opinions. Kareem’s 4 year sentence violates every definition of tolerance, free speech and democracy.
Is this really how Egypt wants to be viewed by the world?
Is this really what Egypt wants to put its citizens through?
Will Egypt admit that it’s operating under a merciless dictatorship?
When will Egypt correct these grave mistakes?
Today, the 15th of November, is the day the PEN organization dedicates to writers in prison all over the world:
Once a year, on 15 November, PEN stages its Day of the Imprisoned Writer where its membership of writers use their combined force to work towards change.
PEN has a profile of Kareem. He is also considered an Honarary Member of English PEN. On the 7th of November, PEN also published a press release to promote the worldwide rallies as well as to condemn his unjust sentence.
On this day we would like the world to remember the injustice that Kareem is being put through, merely for writing his personal opinions on his blog.
