Egyptian Blogger Appeals Prison Sentence
By NADIA ABOU EL-MAGD
The Associated Press
Tuesday, February 27, 2007; 1:29 AM
CAIRO, Egypt -- Lawyers filed an appeal Monday on behalf of a blogger who was sentenced to four years in prison for insulting Islam and Egypt's president.
Abdel Kareem Nabil, a former law student at the Al-Azhar University in Cairo, used his blog to advocate secularism and criticize conservative Muslims.
He accused Al-Azhar, Egypt's foremost Islamic institute, of encouraging extremism, calling it "the university of terrorism."
One of Nabil's lawyers, Rawda Ahmed, said an appeal was filed Monday and a court hearing was set for March 12.
Thursday's conviction has brought a flood of condemnations from international and Egyptian human rights groups, as well as from fellow bloggers. Washington also has said it was concerned about the verdict and sentence.
But the Egyptian government has defended the court's decision.
"No one, no matter who he might be, has the right to interfere with Egyptian legal matters or comments on Egypt's decisions," Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said in a statement on Friday.
Judge Ayman al-Akazi sentenced Nabil, 22, to three years in prison for insulting Islam and inciting sectarian strife and gave him a fourth year for insulting President Hosni Mubarak.
Nabil, who describes himself as a secular Muslim, did not react as the verdict was read. His family, devout Muslims, did not attend any of the trial sessions.
Egypt, a top U.S. ally in the Mideast, arrested a number of bloggers last year, most for connections to a political movement whose goal is democratic reform. All but Nabil were released, a sign of how sensitive this country is to religious criticism.
Nabil's frequent attacks on Al-Azhar led the university to expel him in March, then push prosecutors to bring him to trial.
Here is a prime example of why public blogs can lead to criminal charges, or sometimes civil. This relates to the post I put up earlier about UMass blogging. If a student used the UMass blogging system to post something slanderous against UMass, would the school take disciplinary action? Shouldn't a blogger be able to publish freely whatever he chooses? Although Egypt and UMass are quite different, it wouldn't be a far stretch to imagine the consequences of writing something controversial.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Blogs at UMass
Introducing Blogs at UMass Amherst
OIT is pleased to announce our new blogging service – Blogs at UMass Amherst. All UMass Amherst faculty, students, and staff can create their very own UMass Amherst blog. Just go to http://blogs.umass.edu, log in using your NetID and UMail password, and start blogging.
This service is a BETA version. This means:
* OIT Help Services can only help you if you are having trouble logging in to the software. If you need help setting up or using your blog, see the WordPress documentation.
* We’ll be making changes over the course of spring and summer of 2007 based upon what we hear from you. Use our feedback form to give us your blogging wish list (we’re especially interested in hearing about widgets or themes you’d like us to install).
* Although we’ll make every attempt to provide a stable environment for the Blogs at UMass Amherst service, we cannot guarantee it will be up-and-running 24/7, and/or that certain tools and/or themes are bug-free.
Blogs at UMass Amherst is powered by WordPress Multi-user (MU), an open source blogging platform in use at other universities, including Arizona State, Harvard Law School and University California San Diego. For more information about WordPress, see www.wordpress.org.
This service is the result of an ongoing initiative to make it easier for the campus community to create and maintain Web sites. We hope that students, faculty, and staff will use blogs to create simple personal and course Web sites, like those currently hosted on our OITUNIX servers.
Last revised ,
Although this isn't a legal issue exactly, I thought it was interesting that UMass is setting up a blogging system. I wonder if this would be enticing for students to have a blogging network through UMass or a deterrent because oftentimes a blog is like an online journal. Either way, it would seem that this would create a lot more work for OIT.- E. Decker
OIT is pleased to announce our new blogging service – Blogs at UMass Amherst. All UMass Amherst faculty, students, and staff can create their very own UMass Amherst blog. Just go to http://blogs.umass.edu, log in using your NetID and UMail password, and start blogging.
This service is a BETA version. This means:
* OIT Help Services can only help you if you are having trouble logging in to the software. If you need help setting up or using your blog, see the WordPress documentation.
* We’ll be making changes over the course of spring and summer of 2007 based upon what we hear from you. Use our feedback form to give us your blogging wish list (we’re especially interested in hearing about widgets or themes you’d like us to install).
* Although we’ll make every attempt to provide a stable environment for the Blogs at UMass Amherst service, we cannot guarantee it will be up-and-running 24/7, and/or that certain tools and/or themes are bug-free.
Blogs at UMass Amherst is powered by WordPress Multi-user (MU), an open source blogging platform in use at other universities, including Arizona State, Harvard Law School and University California San Diego. For more information about WordPress, see www.wordpress.org.
This service is the result of an ongoing initiative to make it easier for the campus community to create and maintain Web sites. We hope that students, faculty, and staff will use blogs to create simple personal and course Web sites, like those currently hosted on our OITUNIX servers.
Last revised ,
Although this isn't a legal issue exactly, I thought it was interesting that UMass is setting up a blogging system. I wonder if this would be enticing for students to have a blogging network through UMass or a deterrent because oftentimes a blog is like an online journal. Either way, it would seem that this would create a lot more work for OIT.- E. Decker
Sunday, February 18, 2007
The Web and Sexual Assault
Judge dismisses suit against MySpace stemming from alleged sex assault
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - A judge has dismissed a lawsuit against the social networking Web site MySpace filed by the family of a 13-year-old girl who says she was sexually assaulted by a 19-year-old man she met online.
The $30 million lawsuit accused the site of having no measures to protect children who use it. The lawsuit also named MySpace's parent company, News Corp., and the 19-year-old, whose criminal case has not yet gone to trial.
In a ruling issued Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks said MySpace is protected under the Communications Decency Act and cannot be expected to verify the age of every user because that ``would of course stop MySpace's business in its tracks.''
The decency act cited by Sparks generally grants immunity to interactive computer services such as MySpace so that they are not liable for content posted by users. Without immunity, companies such as MySpace ``would be crippled by lawsuits arising out of third-party communications,'' Sparks wrote.
An attorney for the girl and her family said they will file an appeal.
``This is allowing sites like MySpace to avoid the responsibility to make the Internet safe for children,'' Jason Itkin said. ``MySpace knows its Web site is a playground for sexual predators. Because of that, MySpace should be doing some very basic safety precautions.''
In a statement, MySpace officials applauded the judge's decision that the company isn't responsible for ``wrongdoing committed by individuals who visit our site.''
The lawsuit was brought by the Austin girl, who alleges that Pete Solis, of Buda, lied in his MySpace profile about being a high school senior to gain her trust and phone number. Solis was arrested May 19 on a charge of sexual assault of a child.
MySpace, which has become a lightning rod for warnings about online sexual predators, is a social networking Web site that lets users post photos, blogs and journals. There have been scattered accounts of sexual predators targeting minors they met through the site.
The site has more than 100 million registered users and purports to be the most visited Web site in the United States.
On the one hand, it seems like a good idea to verify users' information, to prevent sex crimes and potential fraud. On the other hand, it would be bad for business and it is too intrusive to pry into the lives of account users. I think the privacy of the MySpace users as a whole is more important.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - A judge has dismissed a lawsuit against the social networking Web site MySpace filed by the family of a 13-year-old girl who says she was sexually assaulted by a 19-year-old man she met online.
The $30 million lawsuit accused the site of having no measures to protect children who use it. The lawsuit also named MySpace's parent company, News Corp., and the 19-year-old, whose criminal case has not yet gone to trial.
In a ruling issued Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks said MySpace is protected under the Communications Decency Act and cannot be expected to verify the age of every user because that ``would of course stop MySpace's business in its tracks.''
The decency act cited by Sparks generally grants immunity to interactive computer services such as MySpace so that they are not liable for content posted by users. Without immunity, companies such as MySpace ``would be crippled by lawsuits arising out of third-party communications,'' Sparks wrote.
An attorney for the girl and her family said they will file an appeal.
``This is allowing sites like MySpace to avoid the responsibility to make the Internet safe for children,'' Jason Itkin said. ``MySpace knows its Web site is a playground for sexual predators. Because of that, MySpace should be doing some very basic safety precautions.''
In a statement, MySpace officials applauded the judge's decision that the company isn't responsible for ``wrongdoing committed by individuals who visit our site.''
The lawsuit was brought by the Austin girl, who alleges that Pete Solis, of Buda, lied in his MySpace profile about being a high school senior to gain her trust and phone number. Solis was arrested May 19 on a charge of sexual assault of a child.
MySpace, which has become a lightning rod for warnings about online sexual predators, is a social networking Web site that lets users post photos, blogs and journals. There have been scattered accounts of sexual predators targeting minors they met through the site.
The site has more than 100 million registered users and purports to be the most visited Web site in the United States.
On the one hand, it seems like a good idea to verify users' information, to prevent sex crimes and potential fraud. On the other hand, it would be bad for business and it is too intrusive to pry into the lives of account users. I think the privacy of the MySpace users as a whole is more important.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Sex offenders and new web law
Law Would Expand Sex Offender Web Site
Monday February 12, 2007 12:02pm Reporter: Amanda Manatt Posted By: Amanda Manatt
Instant Message this Article
___ KATV Interact ___
Watch the KATV e-Video Law Would Expand Sex Offender Site
Little Rock -
An Arkansas lawmaker works to put all level sex offenders on the state's public Web site.
Right now, only high and moderate risk offenders are put on the list for the public, but a bill expected to be filed this week could change that. Rep. Dawn Creekmore says there are sex offenders out there who abuse the current law and she hopes to stop it.
Thousands of registered sex offenders appear on the Arkansas Crime Information Center's Web site. However, those are only level three and four, or the higher risk offenders. Creekmore says most Arkansans don't realize all convicted sex offenders aren't listed. She says some offenders know that and use it to their advantage.
(Rep. Dawn Creekmore (D) Hensley) "They even say, ‘I'm not a sex offender. Go ahead and look. I'm not on there.’ They're not. "
Creekmore says her legislation would change that.
(Creekmore) "One aspect of this bill will put all level sex offenders, one, two, three and four on the public Web site, if the offender was 18 or older at the time of the crime and their victim was 14 years old or younger."
One grandmother, who doesn't want to be identified, says her young granddaughter was abused by a level two offender.
(Grandmother) "We did go check all of the lists we could find. Everything we could pull up and he was nowhere on the lists."
She believes it could have protected her granddaughter.
(Grandmother) “If we had been able to pull his name up on that list, he'd have never been close to any of us, ever again."
(Creekmore) "I just hope this legislation saves one child. If it saves one child, it's all worth it."
The ACIC supports the legislation, and the bill already has several co-sponsors. Rep. Creekmore expects to file the bill Tuesday or Wednesday.
Copyright 2007 KATV, LLC
This is a good example of how the web can be exploited in more than one way regarding legal issues. Although there are many ways in which the internet is manipulated, this seems like a good idea to expose all sex offenders. Although it may seem that these offenders have no possibility of a second chance, it is important to notify the public in a quick and effective manner. I can see how there will be some protest to this move, but the majority of people will likely support it.- Elizabeth Decker
Monday February 12, 2007 12:02pm Reporter: Amanda Manatt Posted By: Amanda Manatt
Instant Message this Article
___ KATV Interact ___
Watch the KATV e-Video Law Would Expand Sex Offender Site
Little Rock -
An Arkansas lawmaker works to put all level sex offenders on the state's public Web site.
Right now, only high and moderate risk offenders are put on the list for the public, but a bill expected to be filed this week could change that. Rep. Dawn Creekmore says there are sex offenders out there who abuse the current law and she hopes to stop it.
Thousands of registered sex offenders appear on the Arkansas Crime Information Center's Web site. However, those are only level three and four, or the higher risk offenders. Creekmore says most Arkansans don't realize all convicted sex offenders aren't listed. She says some offenders know that and use it to their advantage.
(Rep. Dawn Creekmore (D) Hensley) "They even say, ‘I'm not a sex offender. Go ahead and look. I'm not on there.’ They're not. "
Creekmore says her legislation would change that.
(Creekmore) "One aspect of this bill will put all level sex offenders, one, two, three and four on the public Web site, if the offender was 18 or older at the time of the crime and their victim was 14 years old or younger."
One grandmother, who doesn't want to be identified, says her young granddaughter was abused by a level two offender.
(Grandmother) "We did go check all of the lists we could find. Everything we could pull up and he was nowhere on the lists."
She believes it could have protected her granddaughter.
(Grandmother) “If we had been able to pull his name up on that list, he'd have never been close to any of us, ever again."
(Creekmore) "I just hope this legislation saves one child. If it saves one child, it's all worth it."
The ACIC supports the legislation, and the bill already has several co-sponsors. Rep. Creekmore expects to file the bill Tuesday or Wednesday.
Copyright 2007 KATV, LLC
This is a good example of how the web can be exploited in more than one way regarding legal issues. Although there are many ways in which the internet is manipulated, this seems like a good idea to expose all sex offenders. Although it may seem that these offenders have no possibility of a second chance, it is important to notify the public in a quick and effective manner. I can see how there will be some protest to this move, but the majority of people will likely support it.- Elizabeth Decker
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