Middle East Politics
One journalist pardoned, but a free Egyptian press still needed
While scanning the BBC Middle Eastern news section I came across come good news: Egypt’s president, Hosni Mubarak, has decided to pardon a journalist who had the temerity to question his state of health — please realize I’m being sarcastic here.
Although this pardon was welcome news, this whole situation brings to light an ugly side to Egyptian politics: a total lack of freedom of the press.
There is no doubting that Egypt has had its share of extremist activity the past, something it dealt with swiftly and, often times, with merciless force. But, in what Egypt views as ways of “protecting” the country, has mostly amounted to little more than Draconian measures to cover its own corruption.
These are Egyptian journalists who care about the betterment of their country, not some extremists with the overthrow of the government as their mindset. Mubarak has no right to detain journalist if they express their opinions in a constructive and non-violent way.
So the question still remains, when will Mubarak allow for a more free press? Giving the Egyptian people a medium to express their frustrations could act as a cathartic hedge against extremist ideas.
Derrick Peat is a senior journalism student with a focus in on-line media. He is the current president of Islam on Campus at UF, and he will be blogging about Middle Eastern politics.