Khaled Hamza

Khaled Hamza is the editor of www.ikhwanweb.com , the Muslim Brothers' impressive English website. I met Khaled several months ago and he's a very affable, intelligent man. Last week he was arrested after meeting a human rights activist in the Nasr City neighborhood of Cairo and thus become the latest Egyptian web activist to be imprisoned. Even for those who don't agree with the MB's religious, political or social views, Khaled is the type of person you wish you saw more often in Egyptian journalistic life. The way Ikhwanweb has been run, notably the inclusion of many points of views that are critical of the Ikhwan, is a testimony to his own open-mindedness (note to current MB leaders: you could learn something here about not being thin-skinned, as you were when your political program was criticized).

There is an online petition calling for Hamza's release here.

Update: What he says.

Comments

[Mohamed Arabi]

May peace and God's mercy and blessings be upon you
I like to say in the introduction that I miss Engineer / Khalid Hamza
Engineer / Khalid Hamza
His brother great Barouh good and moral man of democratic already good-hearted on the degree of science creates join you and call for freedom for all those who want reform

[Mark E]

This is really a point where almost anyone should be willing to rally to his defense. Have there been any updates?

[arabist]

He has been released, AFAIK