US embassy cable - 05CAIRO8700

UNCLAS CAIRO 008700 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
NSC STAFF FOR SINGH 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, KISL, EG, Freedom 
SUBJECT: DETAINED BLOGGER RELEASED; AUC STILL STYMIED IN 
EFFORT TO OVERTURN AZHAR BOOK BAN 
 
REF: CAIRO 8498 
 
Sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect accordingly. 
 
1.  (SBU)  Blogger Abdul Karim Nabil Soliman has been 
released after spending more than two weeks in the custody of 
Alexandria's State Security Investigative Service.  Abdul 
Karim announced his November 13 release with a post on his 
blog (www.karam903.blogspot.com).  Aside from his post, Karim 
has kept a low profile, declining so far to meet with the 
media.  A leading Cairo-based blogger with whom we spoke 
opined that the vigorous campaign of e-mails to the GOE and 
other governments by Internet freedom advocates in Egypt and 
abroad had played a role in pressuring the GOE to release 
Abdul Karim. 
 
2.  (SBU)  In another freedom of expression controversy 
reported reftel--the case of Al-Azhar's ban on an academic 
monograph on the history of the Wahhabi movement by 
Georgetown University scholar Natana De Long-Bas, 1000 copies 
of which the American University in Cairo sought to import 
for distribution in Egypt--Al-Azhar appears to be sticking to 
its guns, despite a formal request by AUC that Azhar 
reconsider its position.  In a November 15 report in the 
weekly "Aqeedati" (published by Al-Gomhoriya newspaper), AUC 
reportedly has said that it will continue to urge Al-Azhar to 
withdraw the ban on the book.  In the same article, author De 
Long-Bas has announced her willingess to debate publicly the 
book with an Azhar official, and so that she could prove that 
it an objective and respectful study.  Al-Azhar has not 
responded to De Long-Bas's offer. 
 
 
RICCIARDONE