Detained Palestinian Journalist Twitters Police Interrogation

From GroundReport.com, a global citizen news platform of 4,000 international reporters.

By Rachel Sterne

Palestinian journalist and media activist Laila el Haddad was detained nearly 24 hours ago at Cairo International Airport en route to her native Gaza. Mrs. Haddad, a US resident, is traveling with her two young children and currently still in custody.

Using Twitter and the Cairo Airport's free wireless internet, Mrs. Haddad has made her experience public. Posting regular status updates, asking for help with government connections, and reaching out to her swelling 'follower' ranks, the blogger known as @Gazamom is reporting in real time.

She is also documenting her journey, stating in a tweet that "i'm recording my ordeal and journey with my flip mino." Mrs. Haddad is seasoned in social media, and maintains a blog called Raising Yousuf and Noor: diary of a Palestinian mother. In her blog description she writes, "My husband is a Palestinian refugee denied his right of return to Palestine, and thus OUR right to family life. Together, we endure a lot, and the personal becomes political."

In her last updates, Mrs. Haddad said she was considering going on a hunger strike, and that she may be deported to the United States this evening.

Go to GroundReport.com for more on-the-ground, breaking news and opinion on Egypt. GroundReport is a citizen media platform that allows anyone to publish global news and earn money.

Comments

[stardust835]

This is shameful for Egypt, for Israel and for the U.S.
Why can't this woman and her children return to their home?

[davidwayneosedach]

I'll withold any comments until I follow her a while on Twitter.

[JerryLevy]

At least she was not the victim of a vile hate group like Daniel Pearl who was beheaded in Pakistan.

[PoliticalAmazon]

Well, I woldn't call the Agency a"hate group," exactly....tearist, yes. Hate---not.

[longtimegone]

What does that have to do with Laila al-Haddid? Nothing. How does it illuminate anything to do with this story? It doesn't. It's agenda is unstated and clandestine: to distract and deflect. As an outsider to discussions regarding Israel and Palestine, it's my observation that either side, when faced with a set of uncomfortable facts, resorts to claiming that the other is worse, citing other incidents, as if that proved their point. As a technique, that is valid neither logically nor rhetorically; worse, and one senses that this is at least in part its purpose, it essentially prevents the possibility of progress and preserves the status quo. Worst of all, it wholly ignores the suffering or death which was the focus of the initial story, and we cannot evolve out of these dead end situations unless and until we allow ourselves to experience the pain of the other. Since Pearl was barbarically murdered in Pakistan, its inclusion is particularly bewildering in this context, which leads me to suspect even another purpose.

[stardust835]

Good post!
longtimegone

[msfsi]

excellent post!

[littlelordfauntleroy]

very aptly put. people are catching on

[JerryLevy]

Posting about Pearl is relevant to this discussion. The story is about a Palestinian Journalist (and media activist whatever that is) who was detained in Egypt. She is advocating constantly for "right of return" which is a euphamism for allowing 4 million decendents of Palestinians who left pre 1967 Israel to come into Israel and live. She was facing a detention for some unknown reason and it was big enough news that she was going to go on a hunger strike. Pointing out that her challenges are just the tip of the iceberg for journalists in the Middle East is relevant. Many journalists who are not "advocating" a position are subject to much worse treatment than she has been. Nothing wrong with pointing that out.

[Hank007]

Or Somali pirates, who are equally relevant.

[jeanrenoir]

Have Israel and AIPAC caught on to what it means for the whole world, especially American voters, to be wired now? There is literally no place to hide anymore, and no way to hide anything. There's no NY Times/CBS News filter anymore. The whole world is watching now, 24/7. This a great thing for justice.

[hahahamas]

That's what I thought you'd do with a truthful comment !!!Bury it!

[msfsi]

see? I told you Egypt is doing your dirty work. And here you are still thinking it 1973.