On October 24, a young woman made Egyptians proud [1]when, in an unprecedented case, sexual harasser Sherif Gommaa was sentenced to three years behind bars, hard labor, and was also ordered to pay a 5,001 Egyptian pound fine to Noha Roshdy Saleh for groping her in the street.
On October 30, Noha made Egyptians angry [2]when Al Masry Al Youm newspaper published an article saying that Noha's lawyer Naglaa El Emam – who also allegedly encouraged Arab youth to sexually harass Israeli women [3]as a form of resistance – decided to appeal in favor of the harasser Sherif Gommaa after she found out that Noha was born in Jaffa and carries an Israeli passport. The lawyer also said that Noha had sued a French officer for harassing her a year and a half ago when she was in France.
Today, rumor has it that President Hosni Mubarak pardoned the convicted sexual harasser, Sherif Gomaa on the occasion of Eid Al Adha [4](Big Feast). Zeinobia wrote [5] quoting and commenting on Al Youm 7 newspaper's announcement [6] [Ar] saying:
It is not confirmed yet but I will try to find more reliable sources.
What kind of a social message you sending to the society here ?? To the young men in the streets ?? To harass as they want, yes they may go to jail but the President in feasts will pardon them !!??
Does the President want them to harass women and girls other than to harass his rule !!?
I do not know what to say , I am so angry. Why is he insisting on losing all connections to the people !!??
On the other hand Ayman Nour [7] did not receive the Pardon he deserves for his medical condition and his position and I am not surprised !!??
If he is so kind and believes in giving second chances,why does not he pardon bloggers Mohamed Adel and Mossad Abu El-Fagr along with others “I apologize these two names are in my mind now but I am sure there are others like them who deserve to be pardoned”
Already I do not know why Mohamed Adel was detained in the first place so he could be pardoned !!?
Mubarak pardons a grope !!
I want this holiday to be nice away from all that frustrating news but it seems impossible in this country !!
Blogger Mohamed Hamdy investigated the news further and decided that it was fiction. He wrote on his page on Jaiku [8]:
بعد الإشاعة التى أطلقتها الأستاذة نجلاء الإمام موكلة نهى رشدى السابقة، حول حصول المتهم فى القضية شريف جمعة جبريل، على عفو رئاسى من تنفيذ الحكم.. توصل اليوم السابع إلى أن محامى المتهم الأستاذ نبيه الوحش، تقدم بطلب لوقف تنفيذ العقوبة لإعادة المحاكمة. اليوم السابع اتصل بشقيق المتهم عادل جبريل وقال إنه فوجئ باتصال هاتفى من المحامية مساء اليوم، تخبره فيه بأنه تم الإفراج عن شقيقه فى العفو الرئاسى بمناسبة عيد الأضحى. وهو ما أكده الوحش فى اتصال هاتفى مع اليوم السابع، حيث اعتبر خروج المتهم ضمن العفو الرئاسى أمرا مستبعدا تماما. يذكر أن المحامية نجلاء الإمام قد أشاعت نبأ الإفراج عن المتهم فى العفو الرئاسى بمناسبة عيد الأضحى، بينما أكدت العديد من المصادر القانونية صعوبة حدوث العفو الرئاسى، قبل انقضاء نصف مدة الحبس على الأقل بحد أدنى تسعة شهور، وأكدت أن عدد الذين تم الإفراج عنهم 649