US reverses decision to honor Egyptian woman

Thursday March 7, 2013 2:30 PM

By BRADLEY KLAPPER

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration is postponing an award for an Egyptian activist who was subjected to a "virginity test" after protesting in Cairo's Tahrir (tah-HREER') Square.

The State Department had said Samira Ibrahim would be among recipients of an International Women of Courage award presented by Secretary of State John Kerry and first lady Michelle Obama on Friday.

Now the State Department says she won't be honored Friday because of anti-American and anti-Semitic comments on her Twitter account.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Thursday officials will first study the tweets, which include support for attacks against U.S. diplomatic installations and praise for a terrorist assault against Israeli citizens in Bulgaria.

Ibrahim is already in the U.S. She says her account was hacked, though the comments stretch back several months.

©2013 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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