Maggie Michael of Associated Press reports that Mohammed ElBaradei, the Nobel Peace Prize winner and former U.N. nuclear chief, has accused President Hosni Mubarak’s government of posting Facebook photos of ElBaradei’s daughter in swimsuits and at events where alcohol was served in an attempt to discredit him.
Michael reports, in part:
The more than 30 photos were posted under the title: “Secrets of the ElBaradei family.” Some show his daughter in swimsuits at the beach and sitting at events in front of what appeared to be bottles of alcohol. Drinking is forbidden in Islam and conservative Muslims would generally consider a woman appearing publicly in a bathing suit to be immodest.
The government denies any involvement in the matter and has condemned the privacy invasion. Whoever’s involved, it does seem likely that the purpose is to tarnish ElBaradei’s image or discredit him. ElBaradei has been active politically in opposing the government and promoting change.
Accusing ElBaradei of being an agnostic might be on a par with the wingnuts in America who keep claiming that Obama is a Muslim, but involving his daughter by reportedly claiming that she is married to a Christian and that she is an agnostic?
Leave the kids out of the political game-playing, please. They didn’t ask to be in the public spotlight and deserve to have their privacy respected.
Try the high road, folks. The air’s purer up there.