Where writers fear no censorship
The week's news at a glance.
Egypt
Editorial
Asharq al-Awsat (U.K.)
Blogging has come to Egypt, said the London-based, pan-Arab Asharq al-Awsat in an editorial. Published authors and beginners alike are setting up blogs as “a means of expressing political opposition” or “exploring taboo topics.” You won’t find much in Egyptian newspapers on conspiracy theories or alternative Islamic movements, but such articles abound on the Web. Novelist Mohammed Al-Ashri says that only on his blog can he be truly free. Elsewhere, he says, “there is censorship of ideologies, and even if it is not repressive, it is a boundary that limits one’s imagination.” He and other literary bloggers find that they can experiment with the language in ways that print media doesn’t allow. Nael Al-Toukhi, for example, writes “in the Egyptian colloquial dialect,” which he finds more expressive than “classical Arabic.” Political bloggers are less numerous, but they’re starting to make their presence felt. Several have banded together to raise support for causes ranging from Sudanese refugees to women’s rights. Arab bloggers are truly becoming “the new voices of freedom.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Why are student loan borrowers falling behind on payments?
Today's Big Question Delinquencies surge as the Trump administration upends the program
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Not there yet: The frustrations of the pocket AI
Feature Apple rushes to roll out its ‘Apple Intelligence’ features but fails to deliver on promises
By The Week US Published
-
George Foreman: The boxing champ who reinvented home grills
Feature He helped define boxing’s golden era
By The Week US Published