An Egyptian court this week sentenced three al-Jazeera journalists to long jail terms despite international outcry over the attack on the freedom of the press. To further guarantee that nobody would mistake this for a real court, the judge further accused them of being guided by the devil in their work as reporters. Australian journalist Peter Greste, Egyptian-Canadian Mohamed Fadel Fahmy and Egyptian producer Baher Mohamed were convicted in June of aiding the Muslim Brotherhood by covering the “civil war” in Egypt. The court gave Greste and Fahmy seven-year terms and Mohamed a 10-year term. It also tried eleven defendants in absentia, including one Dutch and two British journalists. They were given 10-year sentences.
The Court insisted that the reporters “took advantage of the noble profession of journalism … and turned it from a profession aimed at looking for the truth to a profession aimed at falsifying the truth.” It then added that “The devil guided them to use journalism and direct it toward activities against this nation.” That “devil” work was reporting on the crackdown on the supporters of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.
Source: Yahoo
Scalia is an Italian catholic. Yes he is going to believe that there is a Devil. Congress knew that when they approved his nomination to the Supreme Court.
I may have shared this before, but here in America, family court judges are jailing people, and taking away their children for doing nothing more than reporting their experiences in those courts on the internet; even those reporting on the corruption have to hide their identity for fear of retribution from the family courts:
Family Court’s Violations of the First Amendment
http://www.tinyurl.com/1stAmendcourts
Egypt has now come full circle. It has returned to the days of Mubarak, and the economy is much worse now as travel and foreign investments have slowed. The Arab spring is over for Egypt.
pete:
…the devil is a real person and makes pigs run off of cliffs but doesn’t do it much any more.”
Paul:
“mespo – just because we are non-believers does not mean everyone has to be. You need to be more tolerant of alternative lifestyles.”
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If the “believers” would stop trying to foist their world view on everyone else that would work but they don’t. They are compelled to “evangelize.”
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
~Matthew 28:19-20
Scary stuff. See, Hobby Lobby.
mespo – what is the difference between the Hobby Lobby suits and suits for same sex marriage? Aren’t gay believers trying to ‘foist’ their lifestyle on the rest of us?
pete:
“Let me get this straight, in an interview a supreme court justice of The United States of America said that the devil is a real person and makes pigs run off of cliffs but doesn’t do it much any more.
Please tell me that the interview was with “The Onion.”
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We are judged by those who lead us.
mespo – just because we are non-believers does not mean everyone has to be. You need to be more tolerant of alternative lifestyles. 🙂
“But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself. A dependence on the people is, no doubt, the primary control on the government; but experience has taught mankind the necessity of auxiliary precautions.” Federalist 51
John Oliver,
Maybe he’s an unsubstantiated, finger-pointer; eh Dredd?
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You would know Ollie:
Maybe he’s an unsubstantiated, finger-pointer; eh Dredd?
1st of all, the condescend about seeking to advance career by taking great risks is uncalled for. (Especially when one of the worst case scenario’s occurs).
Secondly, it is NOT humorous that persons are imprisoned unjustly.
Finally, Greenwald, Taibbi etc., “were” the closest thing we had to true journalism; and its our (U.S.) fault they are (currently) by the wayside. America has to turn off the dial of the B.S.’rs (ABC, CNN, WaPo etc) and turn to the InterNet News networks – ONLY.
Until we focus only on those telling the truth;
we are wasting our time in banter over the lies.
On the 8th Day God Created Dog. The Devil already existed. The Devil prevails in pirate territories such as Egypt where the humans eat dogs.
It would be fitting for those journalists to escape and seek sanctuary in Russia like Snowden had to do.
America is as bad as Egypt when it comes to a so called free press.
You will notice too that mainstream media in America (none dare call it a free press) ignores this continuing story of these journalists in Egypt. CNN is a spokes vehicle for the American CIA. The letters in the two names are not that far apart.
Folks, read No Place To Hide by Glenn Greenwald.
Paul C. Schulte,
Scalia said “Yeah, he’s [devil is] a real person” … so maybe he is a corporation in the U.S.eh?
Dredd – maybe he’s the government. There was a European theologian (name escapes me) who contended that governments could be immoral or amoral, but never moral. Since this particular government is clearly both immoral and amoral, maybe it is the Devil.
From a religious standpoint, if you believe in the concept of evil it is not a big jump to believe in the devil who controls that evil. Just as if you believe in good there is a short jump to angels, who are messengers of God, among other duties.
So, the Devil made them do it. Not sure what kind of a defense you could build here, except to prove that you were angel driven not devil driven.
Well, I am certainly NOT in favor of arresting reporters, but I kinda snickered when I read the line : ” a profession aimed at looking for the truth. . .” No, I think far too many journalists are ersatz missionaries for their own personal beliefs and prejudices.( See MSNBC and the Smirk School of Journalism). Unfortunately, these real journalists probably got tarred with the same brush.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
pete,
Mespo is correct:
(New York Magazine).
Journalists working in a war zone do it for many reasons. Most try to fast track their career path to those cushy anchor jobs.
Pick a place: Ukraine, Iraq, Libya, Gaza, Nigeria, Somalia, and Sudan. You might be judged on the spot and executed. If your lucky, Al-Jazeera, Fox, NBC, CBS, CNN, might offer that cushy talking head job.
Here’s Geraldo Rivera’s war coverage take. It was a great gig.
mespo
Let me get this straight, in an interview a supreme court justice of The United States of America said that the devil is a real person and makes pigs run off of cliffs but doesn’t do it much any more.
Please tell me that the interview was with “The Onion”.
The Middle-East is a source of humor, especially their courts, once the military takes over.
Another humorous litigation is one concerning the Ukraine, which has some strange bedfellow litigants too.
It is the case of the demon rockets.
Is that really shocking? Seems to be standard procedure across the globe. Reward the liars and punish the truth tellers. Maybe the Egyptians are following US example of the treatment given Assange, Snowden, Jesselyn Radack, Thomas Drake, John Kiriakou, Aaron Schwartz, James Risen etc. Yet Clapper and co. can lie to Congress and get padded on the back.
While this list is a bit dated, it shows that US treatment of the press leaves much to be desired.
Paying the Price: A recent census of reporters jailed or fined for refusing to testify | Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press http://www.rcfp.org/jailed-journalists
If Saudi Arabia can be a friend of US and not allow any real reporting, I guess US can still befriend and give billions$ to Egypt and its new US backed draconian leaders.
“To further guarantee that no would mistake this for a real court, the judge further accused them of being guided by the devil …”
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Scalia recently told New York magazine in an interview that he believes in the devil. “Of course! Yeah, he’s a real person,” the justice said. “In the Gospels, the Devil is doing all sorts of things. He’s making pigs run off cliffs, he’s possessing people and whatnot. And that doesn’t happen very much anymore.”