Links for February 20th through February 21st:
- The tea war – Kenya's troubles will mean more expensive cup of Arousa
- Egypt?s Parties Committee Seizes Ayman Nour?s Asset – When will the hounding of Ayman Nour cease?
- Egypt bans Western papers over prophet cartoons – WSJ, Observer, Die Welt and Allgemeine Zeitung banned
- Egypt Govt Summons Danish Ambassador Over Caricatures – Egypt continues to fan the Danish cartoon flames
- Embattled Middle East Hand Strikes Back At Political Critics – Obama advisor strikes back at slur campaign
Is it me or is it ridiculous that Egypt BAN these newspapers? Egypt is “supposed to be secular” but the regime obviously wants to court the islamists in any way possible to please them. Banning the newspapers isn’t going to punish them, boycotting Danish products won’t punish the newspapers either (obviously didn’t work the first time), certain Muslims have gotten so sensitive nowadays, this is absolutely ridiculous.
It’s to please public opinion, not “Islamists” per se. Many practicing Muslims were upset by these cartoons. You didn’t need to be an Islamist to be angered. By and large, the government tends to jail and torture Islamists, not please them. It is, however, concerned to present an image of itself as a pious government for the benefit of the average Egyptian.