Alber Saber – Arrested for Atheism

Alber Saber, photo from his blog.

Egyptian blogger and computer science student, Alber Saber, has been arrested and charged with insulting Islam.  He is being held in while the investigation continues. There are concerns for his safety in custody as he has already apparently had his neck slashed with a razor blade after guards told the prisoners of the reason for his arrest. It is almost certain the guard’s words were meant to encourage exactly this outcome.

Saber has also announced via family that he is starting a hunger strike.

On Wednesday, September 12th, a Muslim friend and neighbor using Saber’s computer reportedly discovered that he was the admin for the Egyptian Athiests Facebook page, which is the largest of several such groups online with over a thousand “likes”.  On September 10 the notorious “Innocence of Muslims” had been posted on the site. Over the next two days crowds began to gather outside his house, threatening Saber and his mother.

On Thursday night Saber’s mother called the police, hoping for protection. When the police arrived however, rather than fending the threatening mob outside, they arrested her son.

The charge according to his lawyer and supporters, focuses on videos in which Saber discusses his own Coptic faith or lack thereof.  This makes sense as to charge anyone for posting the “Innocence of Muslims” video would set an impossible precedent. Even conservative broadcasters have also shown the video, or sections of it on their shows. It is not yet clear however, which materials will be included in the case against him, which is currently in the hands of the General Prosecutor. The next hearing is expected in four days.

After talking with Saber’s friends it seems likely to me that Egypt’s Islamist leaders are hoping to create a local issue where they can be seen as the tough guys, to distract Egyptians from how the furor in the international arena, in the context of which they seem impotent.

You can show your support by liking the Free Alber Saber page on Facebook.

Morsy finds his Mojo

Had the following published over at New Matilda

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Egypt’s president, Mohammad Morsy of the Muslim Brotherhood, has asserted civilian presidential control, or at least the appearance of it, over the Egyptian military. Today he released a surprise statementrevealing he had demanded the resignation of several top generals, including Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi.

Tantawi, as the minister of defence and the head of the Supreme Council of Armed Forces, had been the country’s effective ruler during the transition from Mubarak. He was seen by many as holding more real power than the President himself. The statement also named Mahmoud Mekki, a former senior judge, as vice president (leaving Morsy’s promise to include a female and a Christian among a group of co-vice presidents unfulfilled).

A constitutional amendment annexing presidential powers, issued by the military as the president was being elected, will be revoked. This also reverts powers previously held by the parliament (which the Supreme Constitutional Court dissolved on an electoral technicality). Morsy has, it seems, vested his presidency with both full executive powers and the legislative responsibilities that SCAF had assumed from the parliament after Mubarak’s fall.

Perhaps most important of these is responsibility for guiding the drafting process of the new constitution. Should the constituent assembly named for the task by parliament be unable to complete the document, a new assembly shall be selected not by SCAF or by parliament (the status of which remains ambiguous) but by Morsy himself…

Read the rest here.

Letter for Melbourne Assange Rally

Have been honoured once more by those agitating for Assange, who asked me to provide a letter to be read at today’s Melbourne rally;

I’m an Australian freelance journalist, who was arrested, along with my colleagues, in the textile town of Mahalla, a couple hours north of Cairo, where I had gone to interview an important dissident labour leader on the anniversary of Mubarak’s demise. After being held for more than 56 hours by various authorities, and charged with inciting unrest (it is specifically alleged we promised to give money to children if they threw rocks at a police station), we were released, but placed on travel ban pending a decision. The charges carry a maximum penalty of seven years.

My equipment, including all data back ups, has been taken (both what I had with me and things taken from my apartment in a separate raid) and the information trawled through by the authorities.  At least one of my sources (a dissident police officer) has been harassed about his connection to me.

For nearly five months now,  I have been stuck here, dependent on the unions benevolent fund and other organisations set up to help journalists in crisis. During this time, while the embassy staff has made what efforts they can, there has been no leadership or action from the government on my behalf, with the exception of a private letter from the foreign minister to his Egyptian counterpart.  Comparing this with his vigorous engagement on behalf of Ms Melinda Taylor, an Australian lawyer detained in Libya, just country over, shows a deep inconsistency in his, and indeed the governments, commitment to the rights of Australians abroad.

Nowhere is this inconsistency more painfully obvious than in the case of Julian Assange. His abandonment by the Australian government is now so complete that he has been forced to seek refuge in Ecuador.

It is my belief, also, that it is the Assange case lurking in the background that is at least partially to blame for the government’s failure to act on my case. After helping me, a journalist of little note facing pollicised charges in Egypt, how could they fail to act on behalf of Assange, one of the premier journalists of his generation, facing the wrath of the worlds super power in the form of a secret grand jury?

This should be a reminder to all of us, especially my colleagues in the press, that when the freedom of one of us is forfeit, it not only morally, but also practically, imperils the freedom of us all.

The Brotherhood Takes Egypt’s Presidency

My piece on the Muslim Brotherhood’s victory in Egypt’s first post revolution presidential election, published on over at New Matilda.

The Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohamad Morsy may not be the ideal revolutionary president, but he’s not military or a Mubarak crony, and that counts for something.

 

Hold your nose and cheer. Egypt’s revolution has prevailed — sort of.

After tense days of delay, the Muslim Brotherhood’s candidate Mohamed Morsy, was announced as the official winner. Tahrir Square, already host to throngs of Muslim Brotherhood supporters, erupted with the news of the announcement. Fireworks were let off and chants of “God is Great” and “long live Egypt” resonated throughout the square and many of Cairo’s suburbs.

The party in Tahrir raged into the night, with some voices from within the Brotherhood threatening to keep up their mobilisation should the SCAF not backtrack on its pre-announcement power grab.

Morsy’s first speech as president, however, consisted mainly of boilerplate talk of building a brighter future together, Egypt being “one big family” and a series of reassurances. First he restated his admiration for the armed forces, aiming to cool fears of an Islamist-military confrontation, or even civil war, like that of Algeria or Sudan.

Next he restated his loyalty to the martyrs, and those injured in the revolution, promising to honour their memory by continuing the goals of the revolution. He promised to move towards a modern democratic state and be a president for “all Egyptians”.

To allay fears about minority mistreatment at the hands of an Islamist government, Morsy stated all would be equal before the law. He stressed his peacefulness, and Egypt’s continuing commitment to all international agreements (a reassurance about peace with Israel).

Bearded and bespectacled, the middle aged Morsy presents more like a headmaster than a warrior chief. While Egypt is in desperate need of a President with solid administrative capacity, without there first being a major cleansing to root out widespread clientism and corruption administration may prove difficult. It is unclear whether the Brotherhood has either the inclination or capacity to do so…

Read the rest here.

Another Letter for Assange

The following was read on my behalf at a rally in Sydney calling on the Government of Ecuador to grant political Asylum to Julian Assange, Editor in Cheif of Wikileaks.

I would like to start once more by saying how honoured I am that the organisers sought to include my sentiments in today’s events, and for the continuous support I have received from so many of those who also fight for Assange and Wikileaks.

For those of you unfamiliar with my case, I am an Australian journalist who was arrested in Mahalla, a textile town outside of Cairo, while trying to interview a union leader. My colleagues and I were held for a total of 56 hours by the police, the state security services and military intelligence, as well as a few hours in the care of the general prosecutor’s office, where we were charged with inciting vandalism. Specifically it is alleged we promised to give money to children if they threw rocks at a police station. The charges carry a maximum penalty of seven years in prison. Four months has passed without a decision about whether to set a trial date or let us go. While embassy staff have done all they can without leadership from Canberra, the Australian government is yet to speak out or act on my behalf.

It is my belief that one reason for their reluctance, is that by acting on my behalf, they would be setting their failure to act on Assange in too sharp a contrast. It is a reminder, one that should be heeded by the Australian press in particular, that giving up on the freedom of one, not only morally, but also practically, compromises the freedom of all.

Our arrest was part of an ongoing attempt by the corrupt and oppressive regime, which has survived the ousting of its leader, to paint all those who protest, strike, or dissent, as agents of an enemy force.

The great hypocrisy is of course, that it those who kill and imprison protesters, are themselves backed by a nefarious foreign power: The United States funds the oppressive Egyptian Military to the tune of 1.3 Billion dollars a year.

As I write this a coup is taking place in Egypt. Martial Law has been declared. Parliament has been dissolved. Truckloads of troops and police, and armoured vehicles are deployed around the country. The Supreme Council of Armed Forces, a group of generals who appointed themselves the countries leaders following the fall of Mubarak, are dropping the pretence that they intend to give up power.

The People and government of Ecuador, know better than I what horrors this may bode for Egypt. No one needs to tell them what terrible crimes the American empire is willing to commit.

It is these crimes, this empire in all its violent dirty detail, that Assange has exposed so extensively. In doing so he has shown great courage, and those he has embarrassed wish him a terrible retribution.

I urge the government of Ecuador to honour his courage, to protect his rights, and to take the side of truth against the side of power. To all of you gathered here today, congratulations, you have already chosen the right side. Keep up the struggle

Yours in solidarity

Austin G Mackell

Mubarak’s Zombie Regime Rises Again

Had the following published over at New Matilda.

The Egyptian Parliament has been dissolved and security forces are back in the streets – signs that Mubarak’s regime is making a comeback even as the old dictator’s health is reportedly failing, writes Austin Mackell

Watching the internet light up following official claims that Mubarak was “clinically dead“, it was impossible not to think of the classic Simpsons double episode Who Shot Mr Burns. Near the start of the second episode Springfield’s anchorman Kent Brockman tells us “Burns was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead. He was then moved to better hospital, where doctors upgraded his condition to alive.” The main difference being that in Mubarak’s case the first hospital was inside a prison and the second was not.

During his reign, it was illegal to spread rumours about his health. Since his downfall such rumours have been constant. As a result, many were sceptical. Ismubarakdead.com didn’t flinch. Their page confidently stated “NO” throughout.

 Of course, it is possible the geriatric autocrat’s condition did deteriorate, and even as official sources claimed, that his heart stopped. This raises the question whether a normal Egyptian prisoner would be rushed out to a military hospital in the same situation. Has no one ever died before in an Egyptian prison hospital? Given the reliability of official statements in Egypt we don’t have much more of a reason to believe this narrative than we have to hold, as this author and others have speculated, that Mubarak is a zombie.

Read the rest here

The End Of Egypt’s Revolution?

Had the following published over at New Matilda

The Egyptian presidential election is imminent and the fallout from the Mubarak trial is far from settled.

Nearly a year and a half after the fall of the dictator, two critical political battles are taking place in Egypt.

One is the presidential contest which will likely see a Ahmed Shafik, a long term minister (and short term prime minister) under Mubarak face off against the Muslim Brotherhood’s candidate, Mohamed Morsy, in a second round of voting to be held on 16 and 17 June.

The other is the more profound battle between the amorphous street politics of the revolutionary youth and the realm of formal politics, which has delivered Egypt into what some have called the “worst possible outcome“.

New Matilda spoke with Sharif Abdel Kouddous, a highly respected Egyptian-American reporter and commentator, about the intersection between these two trends.

The revolutionaries who had so forcefully set the agenda in the protests following January 25 last year, have so far garnered “no representation in the formal political process”, Kouddous told NM.

Instead this contest is taking place between the entrenched political elite which is “fighting for its life, tooth and nail” and its “mirror establishment” in the Brotherhood.

Read the rest here.