Save Facebook in Egypt
According to Sherif Mansour, the government of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is considering blocking Facebook because young citizens mobilized 80,000 supporters to protest rising food prices. Facebook networking also played a crucial role in organizing a textile workers’ strike but the Egyptian government has responded heavy-handedly by jailing young dissidents and torturing Ahmed Maher, a young activist who tried, unsuccessfully, to organize a second demonstration in early May. For more, check out Mansour’s article in the L.A Times.
Sherif Mansour works at Freedom House, a human rights organization that has been monitoring political rights and civil liberties in Egypt since 1972. He can be reached at smansour@freedomhouse.org.
Tags: Egypt, Facebook activism, Freedom House, Sherif Mansour