[Foundation-l] [Wikimania-l] Wikimania 2008 will happen in Alexandria, Egypt

[Aude]

In this thread, I see people raising the issues regarding the Egyptian
government.  As we know, it's not a democracy and the Egyptian people did
not choose the government.  The government there is more repressive, but not
so much so (like Burma) that we can't have Wikimania there.  To penalize
Egyptian Wikimedians (and those from Jordan and other nearby places), for
what their government does is not cool with me.

At the same time, I know plenty of people from Europe, Canada, the Middle
East and elsewhere in the world... I don't necessarily approve of things my
government does, and it's important that they distinguish me (as an
individual American), from what my government does (including providing
enormous amounts of aid to the Egyptian government and other undemocratic
regimes).

http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0412/p07s01-wome.html
http://www1.usaid.gov/our_work/features/egypt/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/12/AR2006061201286.html

Thinking about that, if you are not happy with repressive things the
Egyptian government does, maybe it's time to write congress, ask questions
of the U.S. presidential candidates, etc. about our policy of supporting
such regimes.

http://www.house.gov/writerep/
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

-Aude