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

[Oldak Quill]

On 10/10/2007, Aude <audevivere at gmail.com> wrote:
> 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.

Deciding to not hold Wikimania in a particular country is not
penalisation of those who live there. People from that country would
be free to attend Wikimania, where ever it is held.

> 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

My objection to Egypt is more pragmatic than this. The fact that GLBT
Wikimedians may be put in danger of arrest (and female Wikimedians in
danger of harassment) by holding the conference in Egypt is enough to
rule it out by my standards. This worry is particularly apparent if
GLBT Wikimedians wish to attend the conference with their partners.
Are two people of the same sex allowed to share double rooms in hotels
in Egypt?

Prosecution of homosexuality in Egypt:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4302213,00.html

en.wikipedia's "LGBT rights in Egypt" article
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_Egypt) details arrests of
gay tourists in Egypt.

-- 
Oldak Quill (oldakquill at gmail.com)