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Egypt’s ongoing crisis in letters

Letters released by an activist, a journalist from prison and an Islamic scholar reveal the depth of the polarization in Egyptian society.
Egyptian blogger and activist Alaa Abdel Fattah gives a TV interview at his house in Cairo on December 26, 2011, a day after his release. Abdel Fattah, who was remanded into custody on October 30 and who was also jailed under ousted president Hosni Mubarak, was accused of inciting violence during an October 9 demonstration by Coptic Christians.   AFP PHOTO / Filippo MONTEFORTE (Photo credit should read FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images)

CAIRO — Three letters written by prominent Egyptians — two from inside jail — are making the rounds on social media, punctuating the fallout of government crackdowns in a politically charged climate that appears far from reconciliation, despite calls to end polarization on the third anniversary of the revolution.

One of two letters released from jail was written by activist Alaa Abdel Fattah in late December inside Tora prison. It reappeared this week after being translated into English and shared on social media. The second was written by Al Jazeera journalist Abdullah Elshamy, jailed for five months without charges.

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