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Home Front: WoT
US rights report names and shames the Mideast
2009-02-26
The United States Wednesday singled out regional ally Egypt as well as Iran, Libya and Syria in the Middle East for jailing rights activists because of their beliefs. In particular, the State Department's human rights report for 2008 said the situation in arch-foe Iran had worsened and that respect for human rights in Egypt remained poor.

It said there were "continued serious challenges for the promotion of democracy and human rights" in the region during the year, "though there were some notable steps forward."

" Along with greater access to information through the Internet and satellite television came greater restrictions on media, including Internet bloggers "
However, technological progress also resulted in steps backwards. "Along with greater access to information through the Internet and satellite television came greater restrictions on media, including Internet bloggers," the report said, naming Egypt and Iran.

The report, the first released under the administration of President Barack Obama, said there was a decline in the Cairo government's respect for freedoms in 2008. Respect for human rights in Egypt "remained poor, and serious abuses continued in many areas," it said.

The report said Iran also intensified its crackdown on dissent "through arbitrary arrests, detentions, torture, and secret trials that occasionally end in executions."

On Israel and the Occupied Territories the reports said the government generally respected its citizens' human rights, although discrimination against Arabs, non-Orthodox Jews and other religious groups persisted. Also it said the Israel maintained unequal education systems for Arab and Jewish students.

Many Middle East nations continued to restrict religious freedoms, the report said, citing members of the Bahai faith detained in Iran.

"Legal and societal discrimination as well as violence against women continued throughout the region," the report said. "Iranian women's rights activists were harassed, abused, arrested, and accused of 'endangering national security' for participating in peaceful protests and demanding equal treatment under Iranian law."
Posted by:Fred

#2  Cynical people may ask why it's OK in China but not in the middle east.
Posted by: DoDo   2009-02-26 10:42  

#1  they screw goats and camels i don't think you can shame thenm anymore
Posted by: rabid whitetail   2009-02-26 00:45  

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