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Expanding Discourse and Personal Expression
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¶4. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights told us that blogging allows Egyptian youth to air their views about social and political issues in ways that
were „unimaginable five years ago.“ XXXXXXXXXXXX said that blog debates currently cover formerly „taboo“ topics, such as Christian-Muslim tensions and the military’s potential role
in succession.
XXXXXXXXXXXX, a blogger who now concentrates on journalism and film-making, described how bloggers began public discussions of issues, such as sexual harassment and the legal status of Bahai’is, that were previously too sensitive to discuss. XXXXXXXXXXXX attributed the media’s sympathetic treatment of the Bahai’is‘ national identification card case in January 2008, in comparison with skeptical media coverage of the issue in 2004, to bloggers‘ efforts.
¶5. (C) Two young upper middle-class bloggers told us that expressing themselves on their blogs is a „bright spot“ for them in the current atmosphere of political, economic and
social malaise. They noted that blogging provides them with an outlet, which they perceive as relatively anonymous, to disseminate criticism.
One of them expressed satisfaction over being able to attack the „religious hypocrisy“ and the „serious problems“ in the society. A third blogger told us that she uses her blog to discuss whatever issues may be bothering her: her views on dysfunction in the Sinai, the
prime minister’s latest speech, or the Obama administration’s Middle East diplomacy. She has written critically about issues, such as the XXXXXXXXXXXX (ref F), without any GOE
attempts to silence her.
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Relationship with the Independent Media
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¶6. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX noted that the open atmosphere created by bloggers has positively influenced the independent media, especially satellite television, to discuss sensitive issues such as sexuality and abortion. XXXXXXXXXXXX of the American University in Cairo’s Adham Center for Media Studies, explained that while bloggers originally pushed the
independent press to tackle new issues in 2006, the independent press has now overtaken the blogs in breaking important news.
XXXXXXXXXXXX asserted that while bloggers did ground-breaking reporting on sexual assaults in 2006 before the independent press covered the issue, bloggers are now recycling news stories that the independent press breaks.
According to XXXXXXXXXXXX, the relationship between bloggers and the independent press has come full circle, as bloggers now depend on the independent press for news.
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Originally an Activist Movement
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¶7. (C) While the voices of individual bloggers are currently making their mark on expanding public discourse and personal expression, bloggers originally saw themselves as a cohesive
movement of political activists. XXXXXXXXXXXX, said that in 2006, bloggers with diverse orientations — secular, Islamist, and leftist — worked together to organize events, such as a sit-in protest at the Judges‘ Club (ref I) and demonstrations in Tahrir Square. XXXXXXXXXXXX characterized bloggers during this period as activists who worked closely with civil society organizations to raise public awareness of issues, such as sexual assault. Because of bloggers‘ independent, relatively anonymous identities, XXXXXXXXXXXX continued, they were able to engage on these issues more freely than NGOs.
XXXXXXXXXXXX believes that female bloggers‘ personal accounts of being harassed put an important personal face on the problem.
¶8. (C) Since 2006, XXXXXXXXXXXX said, bloggers have not been able to replicate the same kind of political activism for a number of reasons. He cited growing tensions and divisions within the blogger community, where Islamist bloggers are openly critical of secular and Christian bloggers.
As part of the GOE’s increasing crack-down on political reformers since 2005-6, XXXXXXXXXXXX said, State Security (SSIS) began to target bloggers. He accused SSIS of orchestrating his ouster from a job at the XXXXXXXXXXXX, and of pressuring western news organizations to dismiss other bloggers who challenged the GOE.
XXXXXXXXXXXX noted that many bloggers have abandoned their blogs due to this pressure, and are focusing instead on careers in journalism and civil society.
¶9. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX explained that as political activism waned after 2006, bloggers lost their context for advocacy. He concluded that there is currently no political opening for bloggers to push for significant change, and predicted that the next opportunities may be during the 2011 presidential election.
Human rights activist XXXXXXXXXXXX separately echoed XXXXXXXXXXXX‘ assessment, opining that there is a current „despondency“ among bloggers, whom she considers to be part of the roader activist community. She asserted that in the current „political stagnation,“ bloggers are bereft of compelling and achievable political causes, but she predicted they would
play a crucial role „during the eventual succession.“
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Bloggers as Human Rights Activists
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¶10. (C) While XXXXXXXXXXXX minimizes bloggers‘ current impact as activists, veteran civil society advocates view bloggers‘ contributions as significant. XXXXXXXXXXXX of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, stressed the importance of bloggers‘ concern with torture and press freedom. At a public lecture in February following the screening of a documentary film about blogging, human rights lawyer Gamal Eid lauded XXXXXXXXXXXX for posting an alleged police sodomy video a few days earlier (ref B), and for breaking the El-Kebir police brutality case.
In November 2007, a court sentenced two polic officers to three years in prison for assaultin and sodomizing bus driver Imad El-Kebir. The cse gained notoriety after XXXXXXXXXXXX posted a cell phoe video recording of the attack (ref H).
¶11. (C Eid cited the „3,000 hits per day“ on XXXXXXXXXXXX‘ blogas evidence of his influence, asserting that XXXXXXXXXXXX is more widely read than „Rose Al Youssef,“ th SSIS-backed daily newspaper. Separately, a human rights lawyer specializing in torture at the Hisham Mubarak Law Center marveled at XXXXXXXXXXXX‘ power to expose police brutality on his blog. Bloggers have also been active on other issues. For example, Tamer Mabrouk, who has blogged about corruption, gained attention in January when a court fined him for accusing a chemical company of dumping toxic waste into the Suez canal and a nearby lake (ref D); his lawyers are appealing the fine. SCOBEY
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