January 2012 Archives

From Foreign Policy (via DG's Mideast Media Sampler):

On Saturday, SCAF chief Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi pardoned Nabil, along with 1,959 other prisoners subjected to military trials. Adel al-Mursi, the head of the military prosecution, said that the decision to pardon the detainees was taken to commemorate the revolution's anniversary. He was released on Jan. 24, flashing the "V" for victory signs to photographers as he marched out of prison.

This is very good news, no question.  But here's another headline that puts the prisoner release in a broader context:

Egypt pardons nearly 2,000 prisoners; Islamists take three quarters of parliament

Sanad, a secularist, an atheist, an advocate for gender and affectional preference equality and a supporter of Israel, has consistently called for the Egyptian army to get out of the way and let the voice of the people be heard.  And yet, those whom the people have now given political power ruthlessly oppose all of those stands and the people who take them.  The only force standing in the way of Egypt's Islamists today is the army.  How does he square that circle?

David Keyes writes at the Huff Post about "Why the World Should Care about Freeing Maikel Nabil Sanad." 

Sanad's freedom is a litmus test for Egypt's future. So far it is failing miserably.

Sanad, as you may recall, is the Egyptian blogger who was arrested last March for "insulting the military."  He's still in jail and, since August, has been on a hunger strike.  Keyes reminds us why it's important to keep the spotlight on him.  Thoughts and prayers may also help.

More here.

Emerging from my most recent ... pause ... to convey warm congratulations to David Gerstman for having yet another excellent essay published at PJ Media last week.  Tom Friedman vs. Israel neatly encapsulates the high (or rather low) points of Friedman's inconsistency, hypocrisy and (perhaps inadvertent?) malice in his columns on and about the Jewish state.  Don't miss.

Meanwhile, speaking of low, I must also convey my utter disgust with the miserable excuse for a journalist that Aussie Dave (editor of the terrific blog Israelly Cool) appropriately refers to as Doucheblogger^TM Richard Silverstein, who has proven conclusively (as if there was previously any doubt) that not only is he a sloppy and rabid anti-Israel extremist but also a totally unethical one.  The details are here, and here and here.

If you've never heard of Richard Silverstein, consider yourself lucky.  If you've never been to Israelly Cool, go now.