MEMRI on Islamists and Intellectual Freedom

The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) has been an invaluable source of translations and analyses of the views of Arab and Islamic extremists. Today, they have published a new compilation documenting some of the violence and intimidation directed at writers and intellectuals in the Arab world:

The restrictions placed on intellectuals' freedom of expression in the Arab world and the death threats from Islamists are hampering the activities of reformist, secular, and moderate Arab intellectuals. Many of them have found asylum in Western countries, and are attempting to impact Arab and international public opinion from there. Some have stopped writing; others have been forced to request protection from the authorities.[1]

Recently, several reformist intellectuals have faced threats from both the Islamists and the Arab regimes. The following are a few examples of threats, and Arab media reactions to them:


Arab Intellectuals: Under Threat by Islamists