FYI I don't know many Egyptian activists from our generation who spoke consistently out loud against violence committed by all entities and groups - friends and foe- across the past 20 years like Alaa did He spoke out against police violence and torture (even when he was inside their prisons facing threats from the officer who supervised Alaa's torture) He spoke out against violence targeting Egyptian Christians in Maspero 2011, and faced prison, challenged a military trial to make sure the real victims are exonerated. At the peak of revolution in 2011, when confrontations between revolutionaries and the state were happening on the ground, Alaa was the only one -not an exageration- to speak out against "revolutionaries" using weapons against civilians, and he used his body to physically prevent them in May 2011 Abbaseya sit in. He was then attacked and called a traitor by fellow revolutionaries, because the majority of people back then thought even if you don't agree don't speak out about it! He spoke out loud against secterian violence fueled by muslim brotherhood in Egypt- and alot of them hate him till now for it He spoke out against the massacres committed by Egyptian military against thousands of Egyptian families in 2013 (the majority were Muslim Brotherhood) He defended LGBTQ right so early on in Egypt (early 2000) at a time when it was not a common position/stance amongst the "progressive" movement there He defended the Baha'is religious minorities in Egypt, pre revolution, at a time when only a handful of people spoke out about minorities rights and equalities He taught me early on (as a child) to distinguish between judism and zionism, and not to be swept by people's tendency around us -in Egypt- to attack jews when their issue is Israeli crimes. And he led by example, he is one of the few people I know who has solid friendships with muslims, copts, jews, atheist, very religious people, and others who loath religion And has real understanding and connection with every one of them and knowledge of their beliefs/cultures regardless of how vastly different. Alaa never ever withheld a testimony of human rights violations he knew of or was witness to -as a prisoner - even if it compromised his own safety. And yes he has expressed a lot of anger towards 1- War machines that have been obliterating people and children left and right all around us since we grew up enough to follow news around us! 2- State institutions responsible for massive systemic humanrights violations and crimes (the Egyptian police comes on top of that list and I am not sure why is that surprising when he was unjustly imprisoned for more than a decade, he was tortured, his family was beaten up, and we have a long line of friends and comrades who are currently imprisoned, were tortured and/or were killed by this police state!) There is something incredibly heartbreaking and infuriating to be witnessing this vile campaign against him -and our family- with people portraying him as something completely opposite to who he really is, and while he paid a steep price for his convictions. And there is something so sad about how friends and supporters feel they have to declare their religion while supporting him -particularly if jewish- publicly hoping to instil some truth and clarity in the face of this madness. Never ending nightmare ..