Manal and Alaa's bit bucket

يا سلام يا أخويا، هي لما انضربت مايو 2005 كانت عارفة أنها هتاخد جايزة في أغسطس 2006

و بعدين أنت تعرف الجايزة شغالة ازاي؟ يعني ليه متصور أنها رشحت نفسها أو كان ليها دور في الموضوع كله؟

Dear Alaa,

You are quite right. Abeer sought neither a nomination nor a prize. Actually, she was reluctant to send us a sample of her work and information that were required by the nominations committee. As a result, we finally managed to complete her file only one day before the closing date. As far as I am aware, none of the nominators knew her in person. What is impressive about Abeer not that she was beaten by the state security thugs but the fact that she has the will to fight back. As a nominator I was in full support of her nomination after i saw her interview with two senior state security officers on the "Dreams" channel (June probably). Her strength of convictions, composure and determination to ridicule and expose the fallacies of the officers’ arguments was impressive. The message that she sent to all viewers by her action is that she is not afraid. That state security failed to humiliate her into submission. Anyway the prize is not for Abeer alone, it is also for all of you new generation of journalists and activists determined to bring back decency and civility to our country