The silencing of Sand Monkey

What a shame. He will be missed.
Cairo, 30 April (AKI) - The Egyptian Sand Monkey - one of the country's most popular and straight talking blogs - has closed down his site. In a farewell message, the blogger explained "that there has been too much heat around me lately," adding he feared for his anonymity with "State Security agents lurking around my street and asking questions about me." He went on to say that his bowing out was also due to changes in the Egyptian blogosphere, "too much media attention, too much hype," and the need for a period of reflection.The news of the farewell to the web of the "sand monkey" because of alleged repression by the Egyptian regime, has captured the interest of the local media and on Monday the story was carried by most of the main Arab-language dailies.