The Egyptian military, which currently controls the government and supposedly will turn it into a democracy at some point, announced today that it is extending the detention of a prominent activist and blogger. The blogger, Alaa Abd El Fattah, was arrested for allegedly "inciting violence" during the Maspero Massacre on October 9th. The massacre occurred when a protest, led by Christians upset by an attack on a church in the south of Egypt, was violently repressed by the military.
The government claims that El Fattah and other protestors started the violence, while protestors claimed the military acted first. Whatever actually happened, this case brings up several big concerns about the future of Egypt. Leading activists during the revolution of course cannot be above the law, but on the other hand the military government should not be oppressing protests just as violently as Mubarak. Is the military actually moving toward a democratic government, or will it simply keep power for itself and rule with the same iron fist as Mubarak? What will the role of Egyptian Christians be in the new government?
See this article from Al-Jazeera for more information.
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