شريف منصور يكتب عن (لماذا أصبح داعية لحقوق الإنسان ) .

في الأربعاء ١١ - ديسمبر - ٢٠١٩ ١٢:٠٠ صباحاً

For human rights day this year, let me tell you why I became a human rights defender.

It's Egypt. 1986. An Egyptian policeman awakes my 6 years old self and my even younger brothers in bed. He is one of dozens who came equiped with 3 huge cars and pointing big guns. This is what is customarily called a "dawn raid."

I immediately ask: who are you? What are you doing in my bedroom? He hesitates. Looks back towards the living room where higher ranking officers surround my parents then leaves.

Later, we would joke about how the policeman missed the bulk of "evidence" against my father when he didn't finish looking into our makeshift beds. My bed had shelfs for cloth, but also more space to store copies of my father's newest university book. He dared to claim, among other things, that all human beings are equal and have a fair chance on judgment day in front of God.

My father will come home from State Secuity in 40 days or so. But our lives would never be the same. He has a case of "insulting religion," hanging over his head. He would be fired from teaching at Al-Azhar university. He and many of our friends and family will be frequently harrassed, detained, questioned, and smeared.

What choice would you have?

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