Egyptian blogger Alaa Abd El-Fatah, arrested with other peaceful demonstrators in Cairo on May 7th, 2006, is known around the world for his blogging (he won the international Best of the Blogs award from Reporters Without Borders in December). Like many American bloggers I believe that this was the reason he was targeted.

I think this is a very important cause, and I am writing letters to the following:

The Honorable C. David Welch
Assistant Secretary of State,
Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20520

The Honorable Nabil Fahmy
The Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt
3521 International Ct. NW
Washington DC 20008

The above link (via InstaPundit) has all the information you need. Dismissing this as a "typical" Mideastern matter is exactly what Egypt is counting on us doing, so it's important not to do that.

As I see it, if democracy and human rights in the Mideast don't mean anything, then neither does the war.

UPDATE: For more background, be sure to read Glenn's "Free the bloggers!" piece.

UPDATE: Pajamas Media links to the Free Alaa website. Be sure to go there and sign this online petition.

UPDATE: You can download and use this banner too!