Blogger's release 'reignites' Egypt: Google executive speaks after release from Egyptian custody

[Turborama]

Source: Al Jazeera English

Google executive Wael Ghonim speaks after release from Egyptian custody, sparking outpouring of support from protesters.

Last Modified: 08 Feb 2011 01:59 GMT

Egyptian anti-government protesters have welcomed the release of a Google executive who disappeared in Cairo last month after playing a key role in helping demonstrators organise.

Wael Ghonim was released on Monday by Egyptian authorities, sparking a fast and explosive response from supporters, bloggers and pro-democracy activists on the internet.

Ghonim's release came nearly two weeks after he was reported missing on January 28 during protests against Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.

"Freedom is a bless that deserves fighting for it," Ghonim, Google's head of marketing for the Middle East and North Africa, wrote in a message posted on his Twitter account shortly after his release. He said he was seized in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, late last month as he joined tens of thousands of protesters in the city's Tahrir Square, the focal point of protests aimed at calling on Mubarak to step down from his 30-year-rule in Egypt.

Read more: http://english.aljazeera.net//news/middleeast/2011/02/20112722535988460.html

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Much more at the link, including a video of a subsequent, emotional interview to the privately owned Egyptian channel Dream TV on Monday.

[EFerrari]

1. I'm so grateful he made it out.

It easily could have gone another way.

[earcandle]

2. Me too! Makes me think maybe Assange won't be renditioned in this climate.. better not be.

[L. Coyote]

3. We authorise Wael Ghoneim to speak on behalf of the Egyptian revolution = 86,582 likes

REC it up:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x370888

That was 15 minutes ago. Now at 87,528 People Like This and climbing!

[Lisa0825]

4. I searched but did not find on FB.

Can you provide the direct link to the FB page?

[L. Coyote]

5. Now at 90,274 People Like This = LINK:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/afwd-wayl-ghnym-llthdth-basm-thwar-msr/199691716707528

[Turborama]

9. 135,535 people now

Thanks for the link.

[Turborama]

14. It's gone up to 262,937

I wonder how long before it becomes a million...

[suffragette]

6. Caught part of a discussion about this on PBS

Found the transcript. Much more there, but of note is something Mona Eltahawy said in speaking about Wael Ghoniml:

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/world/jan-june11/egypt2_02-07.html

And he is the Google manager for the Middle East and North Africa, but he also came to be known as this -- the anonymous administrator of a Facebook page that was instrumental in launching this uprising on Jan. 25. Now, he was released after 12 days in jail.

And the youthful protesters that we heard about in the story had made it as one of their conditions before negotiating with anyone that he be released. And, upon his release, he gave a live TV interview that captivated the entire country, and dare I say the entire region, because I was -- I was following it on Twitter.

And people across the entire Arab world were watching it and crying with him, because he -- he was told that people had died over the past few days while he was in jail. And he -- he broke down. And he said: This is not our fault. This is the regime's fault.

And in those few moments that he spent on live television, he managed to snatch back the revolution that young people in Egypt had launched and that was being threatened by takeover by these older people who are negotiating with Omar Suleiman, the Egyptian vice president.



Very powerful.

[Ghost Dog]

7. Very powerful indeed.

I smell an awakening.

Edit: An awakening capable of reaching, and of changing, this entire 'globalized' world.

[UndertheOcean]

13. heartbreaking

[nalnn]

8. Very glad to hear he was released.

Terrifying what he went through however. I strongly recommend watching the video.

[golddigger]

10. 148,531 as of Feb. 8th.

[goforit]

11. So will the protesters go easy on Suliman (sp)?

[Uncle Joe]

12. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Turborama.:thumbsup: