About 40* Egyptian journalists from independent newspapers (those not controlled by the government) are protesting being denied membership to Egypt’s Press Syndicate on 19th October. The Syndicate asked the journalists in their entrance interviews what kind of political organizations they belonged to:
Said confirmed the political nature of some of the questions asked during the examination.
“Not only were invalid questions asked during the oral examinations, but some of them had a state security aspect: I was asked whether I am a member of a workers organization or not, and other people were asked about their political views — about their opinion on the events of April 6, for example,†Said told Daily News Egypt. – Daily News Egypt
They began a hunger strike, and three were hospitalized. The sit-in continues.
This is exactly the kind of anti-press-freedom politics that got Mohammed and I arrested. It’s anti-democratic, illegal under Egypt’s own government, and detrimental to freedom everywhere. Care about spreading democracy in the Middle East? Here’s a good place to start.
Let your friends, professors and editors know what’s going on. Write a letter to the editor, contact your congressional representatives, or email the Arabic Network for Human Rights to find out what you can do. Contact the Egyptian Embassy in D.C. or our local Egyptian representatives in SF.
* Number still uncertain — I’ve read from 18 to 142. I went with Sarah Carr’s 40 on strike, but I don’t know many were denied membership altogether.
