Posted on 12/30/2005 4:40:40 AM PST by unionblue83
The cause of democratic reform in the Middle East suffered a significant setback on Saturday when Ayman Nour, Egypt’s leading political dissident, was sentenced to five years of “hard labor” on the dubious charge of electoral fraud. Surrounded by security agents and encased in a steel cage, Nour -- founder of the progressive “Tomorrow” Party and former Presidential candidate -- defiantly yelled out “Down with Mubarak!”
Nour’s willingness to challenge authority is not new. For over a decade, Mr. Nour has led a tireless crusade on behalf of economic and political reform, assailing both Mubarak’s corrupt bureaucracy and Egypt’s powerful Islamists. His arrest in September served as a testament to his success in challenging the status quo.
(Excerpt) Read more at frontpagemag.com ...
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