From Speaking His Mind To Expulsion From Al Azhar:
Abdelkareem Nabil Soliman’s New Dilemma
October 30th, 2006
Abdelkareem Nabil Soliman has had a tough time of it.
First, the 22-year-old law student attending Egypt’s world-famous Islamic university, Al Azhar, witnessed late 2005’s Alexandria Riots firsthand.
Then the young man was arrested for posting his decidedly un-Islamic thoughts on his BLOG.
While he claims he wasn’t treated horribly (as many are in Egyptian prisons), the fact that he was even detained for speaking his (nonviolent) opinion in a country, no, region of the world where people routinely kill Copts and other Christians because we aren’t “smart” enough to believe in “the better religion,” as Islam is often called, is very sad. Sadder still is the fact that these violent acts are rarely, if ever, prosecuted.
Back to the “Abdelkareem’s Raw Deal Timeline,” the beginning of 2006 had young Kareem expelled from Al Azhar University. Keep in mind that this University bans Copts (Christian Egyptians) from attending, even though they pay the taxes that keep Azhar’s doors open.
After the expulsion, the Alexandrian native was featured on an Al Jazeera documentary about bloggers and freedom. Surprisingly, several famous Moslem bloggers supported Kareem, despite the fact that he dragged their religion through the mud. It should be noted here that Abdelkareem was born a Moslem.
Things had seemed to settle down for a while, until this week, when it turns out that Kareem is being interrogated again (in the Egyptian “neyabah al 3amah”) for his writings and sentiments.
Thankfully, lawyers from a big Human Rights Organization in the Middle East will be with him.
Unfortunately, however, all the lawyers in the world won’t be able to keep Kareem out of prison this time if the powers that be realize how many people in the Western World care about his fate.
Or perhaps it is the ever-growing assembly of eyes that are peering in on the pitiful practices in Egypt that have the power to save young Kareem.
Spread the word, keep him in your prayers, and don’t forget to say a prayer for the safety and freedom of all Egyptians.. and all human beings everywhere.
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For more information on Abdelkareem Nabil Soliman, read
“Egyptian Blogger Arrested, Expelled from Al Azhar for Exposing the Truth
(alternate links:
http://www.faithfreedom.org/oped/AhmedSalib60326.htm
http://www.annaqed.com/english/under/expelled_from_al_azhar_for_exposing_the_truth.html)
and
By J. Ahmed Salib, M.D.
www.ahmedsalib.com