Egypt

[Ibrahim]

Egyptians wont settle for more despotism. It may remain chaotic, but it won't return to dictatorship under a new figurehead. Whether you think that's progress or not is up to you.

[Hans Bulvai]

So, doomed?

[Crocus sativus]

.


On November 19, 1951, Mossadegh stepped off the plane at Farouk Airport to the applause of a huge crowd of admiring Egyptians. Chanting “Long live Mossadegh” and “Long live the leader of anti-imperialism”, the people carried him off to his car, taking him directly to Abdin Palace to sign the royal register, where another crowd estimated at 20,000 waited to greet him in its square. “Mossadegh has won freedom and dignity for his country” wrote Al-Ahram, and “Iran and Egypt have taken up the sacred duty of freeing themselves from the shackles of colonialism”.

Mossadegh went directly to his room, using the excuse of fatigue. He then accepted Pasha while lying down on his bed. Nahhas Pasha welcomed Mossadegh to Egypt and kissed his hand. The roaring crowd and sounds of “Long live Mossadegh” in the street prompted Pasha, speaking in French, to invite Mossadegh to the balcony to greet the people gathered to see him. When Mossadegh saw the highly jubilant crowd, he excitedly told Pasha, "Brother, with these people you must push the British out from the Suez canal"

"We have not nationalized our oil industry only for commercial interest and the amount of revenue it brings to us", he remarked. "The fact is that as long as the former oil company continues to operate [in Iran], our independence will remain severely tarnished"

Mossadegh capped his trip with a friendship treaty, signed jointly with Premier Pasha, stating that ‘A united Egypt and Iran can destroy British Imperialism’. He left Cairo on November 23, 1951

Well, Hans , same situation right now .. Iranians have gotten rid of the shackles .. Arabs still in shackles



.

[Hans Bulvai]

.


On November 19, 1951, Mossadegh stepped off the plane at Farouk Airport to the applause of a huge crowd of admiring Egyptians. Chanting “Long live Mossadegh” and “Long live the leader of anti-imperialism”, the people carried him off to his car, taking him directly to Abdin Palace to sign the royal register, where another crowd estimated at 20,000 waited to greet him in its square. “Mossadegh has won freedom and dignity for his country” wrote Al-Ahram, and “Iran and Egypt have taken up the sacred duty of freeing themselves from the shackles of colonialism”.

Mossadegh went directly to his room, using the excuse of fatigue. He then accepted Pasha while lying down on his bed. Nahhas Pasha welcomed Mossadegh to Egypt and kissed his hand. The roaring crowd and sounds of “Long live Mossadegh” in the street prompted Pasha, speaking in French, to invite Mossadegh to the balcony to greet the people gathered to see him. When Mossadegh saw the highly jubilant crowd, he excitedly told Pasha, "Brother, with these people you must push the British out from the Suez canal"

"We have not nationalized our oil industry only for commercial interest and the amount of revenue it brings to us", he remarked. "The fact is that as long as the former oil company continues to operate [in Iran], our independence will remain severely tarnished"

Mossadegh capped his trip with a friendship treaty, signed jointly with Premier Pasha, stating that ‘A united Egypt and Iran can destroy British Imperialism’. He left Cairo on November 23, 1951

Well, Hans , same situation right now .. Iranians have gotten rid of the shackles .. Arabs still in shackles



.

I don't expect a change soon. And not because of lack of trying.

[Doc]

.


On November 19, 1951, Mossadegh stepped off the plane at Farouk Airport to the applause of a huge crowd of admiring Egyptians. Chanting “Long live Mossadegh” and “Long live the leader of anti-imperialism”, the people carried him off to his car, taking him directly to Abdin Palace to sign the royal register, where another crowd estimated at 20,000 waited to greet him in its square. “Mossadegh has won freedom and dignity for his country” wrote Al-Ahram, and “Iran and Egypt have taken up the sacred duty of freeing themselves from the shackles of colonialism”.

Mossadegh went directly to his room, using the excuse of fatigue. He then accepted Pasha while lying down on his bed. Nahhas Pasha welcomed Mossadegh to Egypt and kissed his hand. The roaring crowd and sounds of “Long live Mossadegh” in the street prompted Pasha, speaking in French, to invite Mossadegh to the balcony to greet the people gathered to see him. When Mossadegh saw the highly jubilant crowd, he excitedly told Pasha, "Brother, with these people you must push the British out from the Suez canal"

"We have not nationalized our oil industry only for commercial interest and the amount of revenue it brings to us", he remarked. "The fact is that as long as the former oil company continues to operate [in Iran], our independence will remain severely tarnished"

Mossadegh capped his trip with a friendship treaty, signed jointly with Premier Pasha, stating that ‘A united Egypt and Iran can destroy British Imperialism’. He left Cairo on November 23, 1951

Well, Hans , same situation right now .. Iranians have gotten rid of the shackles .. Arabs still in shackles



.

I don't expect a change soon. And not because of lack of trying.

Don't make excuses.

[Crocus sativus]

.


On November 19, 1951, Mossadegh stepped off the plane at Farouk Airport to the applause of a huge crowd of admiring Egyptians. Chanting “Long live Mossadegh” and “Long live the leader of anti-imperialism”, the people carried him off to his car, taking him directly to Abdin Palace to sign the royal register, where another crowd estimated at 20,000 waited to greet him in its square. “Mossadegh has won freedom and dignity for his country” wrote Al-Ahram, and “Iran and Egypt have taken up the sacred duty of freeing themselves from the shackles of colonialism”.

Mossadegh went directly to his room, using the excuse of fatigue. He then accepted Pasha while lying down on his bed. Nahhas Pasha welcomed Mossadegh to Egypt and kissed his hand. The roaring crowd and sounds of “Long live Mossadegh” in the street prompted Pasha, speaking in French, to invite Mossadegh to the balcony to greet the people gathered to see him. When Mossadegh saw the highly jubilant crowd, he excitedly told Pasha, "Brother, with these people you must push the British out from the Suez canal"

"We have not nationalized our oil industry only for commercial interest and the amount of revenue it brings to us", he remarked. "The fact is that as long as the former oil company continues to operate [in Iran], our independence will remain severely tarnished"

Mossadegh capped his trip with a friendship treaty, signed jointly with Premier Pasha, stating that ‘A united Egypt and Iran can destroy British Imperialism’. He left Cairo on November 23, 1951

Well, Hans , same situation right now .. Iranians have gotten rid of the shackles .. Arabs still in shackles



.

I don't expect a change soon. And not because of lack of trying.

.

Don't make excuses.

.

exactly

did not want hurt feelings

but

tryin what ?

siding with Petro-colonial beasts against our beloved Ahmadinejat ? ?

Come on, Hans , Arabs in western-Zionist "headlock" .. need (a new) Saladin to chase the beast away

but, NO, Iran this, Shia that


.

[Doc]

.


On November 19, 1951, Mossadegh stepped off the plane at Farouk Airport to the applause of a huge crowd of admiring Egyptians. Chanting “Long live Mossadegh” and “Long live the leader of anti-imperialism”, the people carried him off to his car, taking him directly to Abdin Palace to sign the royal register, where another crowd estimated at 20,000 waited to greet him in its square. “Mossadegh has won freedom and dignity for his country” wrote Al-Ahram, and “Iran and Egypt have taken up the sacred duty of freeing themselves from the shackles of colonialism”.

Mossadegh went directly to his room, using the excuse of fatigue. He then accepted Pasha while lying down on his bed. Nahhas Pasha welcomed Mossadegh to Egypt and kissed his hand. The roaring crowd and sounds of “Long live Mossadegh” in the street prompted Pasha, speaking in French, to invite Mossadegh to the balcony to greet the people gathered to see him. When Mossadegh saw the highly jubilant crowd, he excitedly told Pasha, "Brother, with these people you must push the British out from the Suez canal"

"We have not nationalized our oil industry only for commercial interest and the amount of revenue it brings to us", he remarked. "The fact is that as long as the former oil company continues to operate [in Iran], our independence will remain severely tarnished"

Mossadegh capped his trip with a friendship treaty, signed jointly with Premier Pasha, stating that ‘A united Egypt and Iran can destroy British Imperialism’. He left Cairo on November 23, 1951

Well, Hans , same situation right now .. Iranians have gotten rid of the shackles .. Arabs still in shackles



.

I don't expect a change soon. And not because of lack of trying.

.

Don't make excuses.

.

exactly

did not want hurt feelings

but

tryin what ?

siding with Petro-colonial beasts against our beloved Ahmadinejat ? ?

Come on, Hans , Arabs in western-Zionist "headlock" .. need (a new) Saladin to chase the beast away

but, NO, Iran this, Shia that.

You are not afraid the "new Saladin" won't chase your love away Azari?

[Hans Bulvai]

.


On November 19, 1951, Mossadegh stepped off the plane at Farouk Airport to the applause of a huge crowd of admiring Egyptians. Chanting “Long live Mossadegh” and “Long live the leader of anti-imperialism”, the people carried him off to his car, taking him directly to Abdin Palace to sign the royal register, where another crowd estimated at 20,000 waited to greet him in its square. “Mossadegh has won freedom and dignity for his country” wrote Al-Ahram, and “Iran and Egypt have taken up the sacred duty of freeing themselves from the shackles of colonialism”.

Mossadegh went directly to his room, using the excuse of fatigue. He then accepted Pasha while lying down on his bed. Nahhas Pasha welcomed Mossadegh to Egypt and kissed his hand. The roaring crowd and sounds of “Long live Mossadegh” in the street prompted Pasha, speaking in French, to invite Mossadegh to the balcony to greet the people gathered to see him. When Mossadegh saw the highly jubilant crowd, he excitedly told Pasha, "Brother, with these people you must push the British out from the Suez canal"

"We have not nationalized our oil industry only for commercial interest and the amount of revenue it brings to us", he remarked. "The fact is that as long as the former oil company continues to operate [in Iran], our independence will remain severely tarnished"

Mossadegh capped his trip with a friendship treaty, signed jointly with Premier Pasha, stating that ‘A united Egypt and Iran can destroy British Imperialism’. He left Cairo on November 23, 1951

Well, Hans , same situation right now .. Iranians have gotten rid of the shackles .. Arabs still in shackles



.

I don't expect a change soon. And not because of lack of trying.

.

Don't make excuses.

.

exactly

did not want hurt feelings

but

tryin what ?

siding with Petro-colonial beasts against our beloved Ahmadinejat ? ?

Come on, Hans , Arabs in western-Zionist "headlock" .. need (a new) Saladin to chase the beast away

but, NO, Iran this, Shia that


.

Excuses??
Yup. I'm making up all this lavender about people rising up to throw out the cronies, dying by the thousands (Syria), and, and, and...

Arabs are not in "Western-Zionist headlock". Their unrepresentative 'leaders' are. Maybe it is easier for you guys to just lump everyone together?

And c'mon Azari. Not Iran this , Shia that. Remember, ALL Sunnis and Arabs are Wahhabi traitors in bed with "Zionists", no?

[Crocus sativus]

.

backers say 56.5 per cent of the voters voted YES . .
opposition National Salvation Front, an umbrella group led by liberal and leftist politicians, claimed a 66 per cent no vote

“It’s not only pro-Morsi or pro-Brotherhood people who are going to vote yes. There are people who are tired of the transition and the instability who are going to vote yes. That makes the liberal case very tough. You’re not going to rally a majority at this tenuous time with a message of negation.”

C U @ Tahrir Square



.

[Hans Bulvai]

.

backers say 56.5 per cent of the voters voted YES . .
opposition National Salvation Front, an umbrella group led by liberal and leftist politicians, claimed a 66 per cent no vote

“It’s not only pro-Morsi or pro-Brotherhood people who are going to vote yes. There are people who are tired of the transition and the instability who are going to vote yes. That makes the liberal case very tough. You’re not going to rally a majority at this tenuous time with a message of negation.”

C U @ Tahrir Square



.

Am surprised you read Annahar Azari...

[Hans Bulvai]

Watch this video.
What is interesting to me is that on both sides there were victims that were shot int he head...

4DdtwbKN_MU

http://www.democracynow.org/2012/12/17/ ... transcript

[monster_gardener]

Thank you Very Much for the Comedy Gig oops I mean Thread, Ibrahim.

Was on the radio this morning.......

Hosni Mubarak is in the Hospital

Seems he fell
In his cell

The radio host commented: Hosni had been Held in prison so long.........

That he had forgotten how to "Walk Like an Egyptian"

yVrNV_5LhNE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVrNV_5LhNE

[Heracleum Persicum]

.


European papers reporting voter participation in Egyptian referendum for Sharia based constitution was 33%

and

68% of those who voted, apparantly voted Yes


meaning

33% x 68% = 22.44% of eligible voters voted YES to Sharia based constitution

a sure recipe for trouble ahead


.

[Heracleum Persicum]

.


Mr. Morsi's affectionate letter to Shimon Peres

Morsi Letter to Israel.jpg (50.69 KiB) Viewed 1769 times

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[Heracleum Persicum]

.

Egypt’s Parliament Speaker Mohamed Saad El-Katatni.jpg (30.89 KiB) Viewed 1756 times

You see that spot on his forehead ? ? should tell you something


Egypt’s Parliament Speaker Mohamed Saad El-Katatni has lauded Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution as a source of inspiration for all the popular revolutions across the region

.

At a Monday meeting with Iran’s Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani on the sidelines of the 8th General Assembly Meeting of the Islamic Inter-Parliamentary Union in Sudanese capital, Khartoum, El-Katatni also underscored the Egyptian nation’s opposition to any interference by global powers in Iran’s internal affairs and slammed the West’s double standards with regard to the Islamic Republic and Israel.

" The top Egyptian legislator pointed to the North African nation’s resolve to consolidate ties with Iran and hailed the two countries’ common principles as a good ground for further enhancement of bilateral relations"

Larijani, for his part, underlined the importance of Egypt for Iran and expressed optimism that political reforms in the North African country will bring about prosperity.

“Since the beginning of the developments in Egypt, we have been constantly following up on the situation and changes in Egypt and consider your victory as a political earthquake for the country,” he added.

.

.

[Alexis]

Eat Less, Egypt’s Government Tells Its People

The trouble, the government says, is that Egyptians are eating too much. In a separate report, the government proposed to cut back its bread subsidy to three hand-sized loaves of pita bread per person per day, about 400 calories’ worth.
(...)
According to the Post report, the government is telling Egyptians (almost half of whom live on less than $2 a day) to eat less. You can’t make this sort of thing up. Egypt lost another $1.4 billion in foreign exchange reserves in January, and probably is flat broke after figuring in arrears to oil and food suppliers, and it imports half its food, so something had to give. In response, Egypt’s Islamist government is emulating North Korea’s approach to food shortages:

Egypt’s government is recommending that Egyptians avoid overeating in order to cope with rising food prices and chronic household shortages, according to local media reports.

!

Congratulations to "Spengler" for having seen this dreadful threat coming so long a time in advance.

Trying to add up a few facts:
- Egypt’s wheat imports were 10.5 million tons in 2010
- Wheat is presently priced circa 350 $ / ton
So Egypt imports circa 3.5 billion $ of wheat every year

- Egypt exports 155,000 barrels of oil per day, out of a production of 630,000
- Oil is presently priced circa 100 $ / barrel
So Egypt exports circa 5.5 billion $ of oil every year, which could be increased markedly at the price of more limited use of oil in-country. Even allowing for production costs, oil exports alone are enough to cover Egyptian imports of their most basic and essential foodstuff.

These few facts would seem to demonstrate that mass hunger in Egypt is ENTIRELY AVOIDABLE, even in the absence of external help.

The Egyptian government could just put the payments on Egypt’s foreign debt on hold, then direct the proceeds of Egypt’s exports towards buying first what’s essential for physical survival of all of Egyptian population
(consumer electronics and 4×4 for the rich would have to wait )
This as a stopgap measure while the economy recovers. Which in the short term, has to mean ensuring stability and order in order to attract back tourism.

Distressingly, the above little calculation doesn’t guarantee that no mass hunger will take place! It only shows that if mass hunger does happen, it will be because of kleptocrats, profiteers and other irresponsible politicians

David Goldman unfortunately may well be right on this one. But not because of any financial impossibility for Egypt to escape the catastrophe on her own…

[Azrael]

Thanks, Alexis. Great research and analysis. This is the first time I've seen those calculations together to show that mass starvation in Egypt is avoidable.

The Egyptian government should raise taxes on gasoline so that they consume less oil and can export more.

They should also put high taxes on the import of luxury goods so that more of their income from oil exports can go towards the import of basic foodstuffs, medicine and other essentials.

[Ibrahim]

Congratulations to "Spengler" for having seen this dreadful threat coming so long a time in advance.

Spengler predicted imminent mass-starvation immediately after the Tahir Square uprising. I guess since that never happened he's going to fall back on any economic downturn as evidence of his "prediction" coming true?

Who would have thought there would be economic fallout from a revolution? Insightful stuff, truly. On the upside for Spengo many Arabs may die, but to his eternal disappointment there are always more Arabs.

[Heracleum Persicum]

.


Evidence abounds that Egypt's political elite, both within and outside of its ruling Muslim Brotherhood, aren't engaged with the issue that brought them to power



.

[Hoosiernorm]

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2 ... ypt/62712/

As if we hadn't already seen enough Biblical events this year, a plague of over 30 million locusts swarmed over Egypt's cities and farms just three weeks before Passover begins. But put your apocalyptic fears to rest. This happens every year as part of the locusts' natural migration pattern, though this year's swarm is especially large. That doesn't mean Egyptians aren't freaked the heck out by millions of nasty bugs buzzing through the air at all hours of day and night, possibly descending upon the agriculture fields where they're known to destroy entire crops, just like in the actual Passover story.

[Ibrahim]

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2 ... ypt/62712/

As if we hadn't already seen enough Biblical events this year, a plague of over 30 million locusts swarmed over Egypt's cities and farms just three weeks before Passover begins. But put your apocalyptic fears to rest. This happens every year as part of the locusts' natural migration pattern, though this year's swarm is especially large. That doesn't mean Egyptians aren't freaked the heck out by millions of nasty bugs buzzing through the air at all hours of day and night, possibly descending upon the agriculture fields where they're known to destroy entire crops, just like in the actual Passover story.

Imagine how many of these swarms Egypt has seen in the past 5000 years of their recorded history. On the upside you can eat locusts, and they aren't forming a political party.

[Doc]

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/26/world ... .html?_r=0

Arrest of Anti-Islamist Figures Is Ordered in Egypt
Khalil Hamra/Associated Press

An injured Muslim Brotherhood supporter was captured by opposing protesters during clashes on Friday in Cairo.
By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK and MAYY EL SHEIKH
Published: March 25, 2013

CAIRO — The public prosecutor on Monday ordered the arrest of five anti-Islamist political activists on charges of using social media to incite violence against the Muslim Brotherhood. The order stirred accusations of a vendetta by the group’s close ally, President Mohamed Morsi.

Egyptians are already on guard against the possibility that their first freely elected president may seek to become a new autocrat, and some said they feared that the arrest warrants might be the first clear example that Mr. Morsi’s government was using law enforcement as a political tool to punish his critics.

A search of the online comments by several defendants found no messages urging others to violence. Some, in fact, argued strongly against it.

But the arrests arose out of an attack by anti-Islamist activists on the Muslim Brotherhood’s headquarters in Cairo on Friday night. As many as a thousand of the group’s opponents arrived armed with sticks, knives and at least a few guns, and they seemed intent on burning down the headquarters.

A roughly equal number of Brotherhood supporters surrounded the building to defend it, many bused in for the night, and for a time the two sides clashed in the streets. Then an overwhelming force of riot police officers separated the two sides, using tear gas to drive back the attackers. By the end of the night several Brotherhood buses had been burned. Health officials reported more than 100 injuries, although it was impossible to confirm how many were on each side.

Afterward, Mr. Morsi sought to blame his political opponents for the attack and vowed action against those who had incited the violence. In a message on Twitter on Sunday, he castigated opposition leaders, accusing them of “providing a political cover for violence.”

“Whoever is found to be involved in promoting violence through the media will not escape punishment,” Mr. Morsi said in a short speech later on Sunday. He also said he was prepared “to impose exceptional measures to restore domestic order.”

Mr. Morsi’s political opponents have already denounced him since last fall for picking his own public prosecutor, Talaat Ibrahim, by using a presidential decree to circumvent Egyptian law under which a president cannot normally replace a public prosecutor. The appointment immediately raised questions about the potential political use of the post.

On Monday, Mr. Morsi’s critics said Mr. Ibrahim appeared to be following through on precisely the threat Mr. Morsi made just a day earlier. In a statement, the public prosecutor said the five defendants singled out for arrest had used Facebook and Twitter to urge others to “burn down the headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood and to murder some of its members.”

A search Monday night of the defendants’ Facebook and Twitter accounts, however, found no such statements in the period leading up to the clashes on Friday night. Before the disturbance, one defendant, Alaa Abdel Fattah, argued against violence, but he suggested in an online commentary on Saturday that what he considered Mr. Morsi’s authoritarianism might make a violent response legitimate. But Mr. Abdel Fatah, a prominent activist previously imprisoned for months for challenging military rule, was writing as part of an abstract, intellectual discussion, after the fact.

The others named in the arrest warrant are the activists Ahmed Douma, Kareem al-Shaer, Hazem Abdel Azeem and Ahmed al-Sahafy.

In television interviews on Monday night, several defendants accused the public prosecutor of selectively targeting Mr. Morsi’s critics while ignoring testimony, videos and other evidence that Islamists had also used violence on their opponents that night as well as in street clashes over the last four months. One video posted on the Internet, in fact, captured footage of one of Mr. Morsi’s Islamist opponents beating Mr. Douma outside the headquarters earlier last week.

The prosecutor is either “literally blind” or “complicit,” Mr. Douma said in a television interview, contending that the prosecutor was “only following orders.”

In response, Mr. Morsi’s supporters argued that earlier in the week the prosecutor arrested three bodyguards of a Brotherhood leader, Khairat el-Shater, on charges of using violence against the opposition protesters.

Pakinam el-Sharkawy, a political adviser to Mr. Morsi, complained that the president’s critics had applied a “double standard.” The president did not prejudge this case and expected a fair trial, she said, but at the same time the law must distinguish between political expression and criminal violence. “Here,” Ms. Sharkawy said, “the law must have a just sword capable of protecting rights, freedoms and social peace.”

[Ibrahim]

So a lateral then? Obviously the US/Israel preferred it when the military arrested "Islamists," now the Brotherhood is arresting people opposed to their regime, meaning that at worst the whole thing was a game of musical chairs. We'll see how long the Morsi government lasts.

[Doc]

'Egypt's Jon Stewart' turns himself in after arrest warrant issued

Published March 31, 2013

Popular Egyptian television satirist Bassem Youssef, who has come to be known as Egypt's Jon Stewart, waves to is supporters as he enters Egypt's state prosecutors office to face accusations of insulting Islam and the country's Islamist leader in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, March 31, 2013. Government opponents said the warrant against such a high profile figure, known for lampooning President Mohammed Morsi and the new Islamist political class, was an escalation in a campaign to intimidate critics. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil) (AP2013)

CAIRO – A popular television satirist known as Egypt's Jon Stewart was questioned by Egyptian prosecutors Sunday over allegations he insulted President Mohamed Morsi.

The case is regarded by Morsi’s critics as the most recent proof of a crackdown on dissent.

Bassem Youssef, the host of the weekly show "ElBernameg" or "The Program," turned himself in after an arrest warrant was issued for him on Saturday, Reuters reported.

Government opponents said the warrant against such a high profile figure, known for lampooning President Mohammed Morsi and the new Islamist political class, was an escalation in a campaign to intimidate critics. It followed warrants for five prominent anti-government activists accused of instigating violence.

Youssef tweeted a series of quips from the prosecutor's office. "They asked me the color of my eyes. Really," one read.

Youssef’s popularity grew, according to a Reuters report, with an online satire show after the uprising that swept through Egypt and led to the downfall of former President Hosni Mubarak in 2011. Youssef’s program, which has been compared to Jon Stewart’s “Daily Show,” is now broadcast on television.

The comedian is accused of mocking Morsi and insulting Islam. The prosecutor filed the warrant after at least four complaints filed by supporters of Morsi, a Muslim Brotherhood politician.

The arrest warrant for Youssef comes as opposition figures have expressed concerns about freedom of expression and assembly for what they call a crackdown on dissent at a time of deep polarization in Egypt's politics.

On Monday, Egypt's top state prosecutor, Talaat Abdullah, issued arrest warrants for five of Egypt's most prominent democracy advocates and activists over allegations that they instigated violence last week near the Brotherhood's headquarters in Cairo.

It was one of the worst bouts of violence in months, where nearly 200 people were injured in clashes between anti-government protesters and supporters of the Brotherhood, from which Morsi hails.

Morsi harshly criticized his opponents, calling them hired thugs out to derail Egypt's democracy. The Brotherhood also blamed privately-owned media for fanning the violence.

The criticism was followed by a two-day protest by dozens of Islamists outside the studios of TV networks critical of Morsi. The Islamist protesters pelted police and prevented some talk show hosts and guests from going in and out of the complex west of Cairo.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/03/31 ... z2P9Nzihmt

[Doc]

http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article ... 409903.php

Kidnappers target Christians in Egyptian province
By HAMZA HENDAWI, Associated Press | April 4, 2013 | Updated: April 4, 2013 1:03pm

In this Wednesday, March 27, 2013 photo, Christian farmer Ishaq Aziz cradles a picture of his daughter, 17-year-old school girl, Nirmeen, who went missing on Valentine's Day and had not been heard of or seen since, in the Minya town of Matai, Egypt. A top official at the Interior Ministry, which is in charge of the police, said Minya saw at least 150 cases of Christian kidnappings in the two years since Mubarak's ouster, of which 37 took place recently. Photo: Thomas Hartwell

MATAI, Egypt (AP) — Ezzat Kromer's resistance to his kidnappers did not last long. One of the masked gunmen fired a round between his feet as he sat behind the wheel of his car and said with chilling calm, "The next one will go into your heart."

The Christian gynecologist says he was bundled into his abductors' vehicle, forced to lie under their feet in the back seat for a 45-minute ride, then dumped in a small cold room while his kidnappers contacted his family over a ransom.

For the next 27 hours, he endured beatings, insults and threats to his life, while blindfolded, a bandage sealing his mouth and cotton balls in his ears.

Kromer's case is part of a dramatic rise of kidnappings targeting Christians, including children, in Egypt's southern province of Minya, home to the country's largest concentration of Christians but also a heartland for Islamist hard-liners.

The kidnappings are mostly blamed on criminal gangs, which operate more freely amid Egypt's collapse in security since the 2011 fall of autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

Crime has risen in general across Egypt, hitting Muslims as well. But the wave of kidnappings in Minya has specifically targeted Christians, and victims, church leaders and rights activists ultimately blame the atmosphere created by the rising power of hard-line Islamists.
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They contend criminals are influenced by the rhetoric of radical clerics depicting Egypt's Christian minority as second-class citizens and see Christians as fair game, with authorities less likely to investigate crimes against the community.

Over the past two years, there have been more than 150 reported kidnappings in the province — all of them targeting Christians, according to a top official at the Interior Ministry, which is in charge of the police.

Of those, 37 have been in the last several months alone, the official told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information.

Kromer, a father of three, was snatched on Jan. 29 as he drove home from his practice in the village of Nazlet el-Amoden. By the next day, his family paid 270,000 Egyptian pounds — nearly $40,000 — to a middleman and he was released.

"I cannot begin to tell you how horrifying that experience was," Kromer told The Associated Press in his hometown of Matai, 110 miles (180 kilometers) south of Cairo. His left cheek where he was punched repeatedly is still sore, as is his index finger, which one kidnapper repeatedly bent back, threatening to break it.

He says he was left with the feeling that, as a Christian, the country is no longer for him. He has abandoned his profitable practice in Nazlet el-Amoden and is making preparations to move to Australia. "My wife would not even discuss leaving Egypt. Now she is on board," he said.

"There are consequences to Islamist rule," he ruefully said. "Things are bad now. What is coming will certainly be worse."

Responding to the allegations that authorities do not aggressively investigate crimes against Christians, Minya's security chief Ahmed Suleiman said it is because victims' families negotiate with kidnappers rather than report the abductions.

"We cannot be held responsible for kidnappings that are not reported to us," he said, blaming hardened criminals for the kidnappings.

Christians say they don't bother to report because they have no confidence in the police.

Essam Khairy, a spokesman for the hard-line Islamist group Gamaa Islamiya in Minya, said "there is not a single case of Christian kidnapping that has a sectarian motive or linked to the Islamist groups."

He blamed the "security chaos" in Egypt and said the way to stop kidnappings is to create popular committees — vigilante groups that the Gamaa Islamiya has been promoting since a spate of strikes in the police last month.

Egypt's Christians, followers of one of the world's most ancient churches, make up about 10 percent of the country's estimated 90 million people. They have long complained of discrimination that keeps them out of some top jobs and of inadequate protection by authorities.

But their fears have dramatically escalated with the political rise of Islamists. Election victories vaulted Islamist political parties to domination of parliament, and President Mohammed Morsi is a veteran of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Islamists in Minya and elsewhere in Egypt insist they do not discriminate against Christians. Morsi has repeatedly asserted the equality of Muslims and Christians. Last month, a hard-line cleric was referred to trial for insulting religion for anti-Christian comments.

The governor of Minya, Mustafa Kamel Issa, a Brotherhood member, has met several times with Christian leaders in the province and has spoken of encouraging "a consciousness of tolerance" among Christians and Muslims.

Still, ultraconservative Muslim clerics have become more overt in anti-Christian rhetoric in sermons and on religious TV stations. In rural areas like Minya, hard-liners often hold sway after decades of persecution, taking advantage of the chaos and lawlessness of the two years since Mubarak's ouster to flex their muscles as the only real power on the ground.

The Brotherhood and its political party frequently underline their respect for Christian rights. But at times members reveal an attitude suggesting a second-class status for the community.

On Wednesday, Yasser Hamza, an official in the Brotherhood's party, argued in a TV interview that while the campaign slogan "Islam is the solution" is permissible, the slogan "Christianity is the solution" would not be. He was addressing specific election rules, but then broadly declared, "This is an Islamic nation with an overwhelming Muslim majority ... The minority doesn't have absolute rights, it has relative rights."

In Minya, Christians make up an estimated 35 percent of the population of around 4 million, the highest percentage of any province in Egypt. In the 1990s, it and other parts of the south were the heartland of the insurgency of Islamic militants who attacked police and Christians in a campaign to create an Islamic state that was crushed by Mubarak's security forces. Now, those groups have forsworn violence and have political parties, and they wield a powerful influence.

Beyond kidnappings, Christians here say they are targeted by other criminals, including thugs who squat on Christian-owned land and refuse to leave until paid or gangs who run protection rackets targeting the community's businesses.

Ahmed Salah Shabib, a rights activist from Minya, said criminals are convinced they will not be held accountable.

"They feel that there is a political cover for their actions. Additionally, they see the Christians as second-class citizens to whom they can do whatever they want with impunity," he said.

Father Estephanos of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Samalout, a town that has seen multiple kidnappings, says the state has indirectly encouraged crime against Christians by not prosecuting Muslims blamed for attacks on churches and Christian-owned homes and business around the country.

"The state has made Christian blood cheap," he told the AP at his office, as he dealt with the latest kidnapping: a young boy, Andrew, who was snatched from his father's arms on a Samalout street a day earlier.

"Do you have news about Andrew?" he asked the boy's uncle on the telephone. "Did you hear his voice? Are the negotiations underway already?"

Estephanos said the kidnappers wanted a ransom equivalent to about $103,000 from the family, which has a lucrative animal feed business.

"The Islamists see Christians as a people who have no rights or even as non-citizens," he said.

The Interior Ministry official acknowledged that Christians are seen as less defended.

"Kidnapping Christians is an easy way to make money," he said. They "don't have the tribal or clan backup that will deter kidnappers and they are happy to pay the ransom to gain the freedom of their loved ones."

Christians also say they are seeing an increase in the disappearance of Christian underage girls, who are later found out to have converted to Islam and married Muslim men. They accuse conservative clerics of encouraging conversions, which often ignite deadly fights between families that can turn into a cycle of blood feuds.

Christian farmer Ishaq Aziz's 17-year-old daughter Nirmeen went missing on Valentine's Day, fueling speculation that she has converted and will reappear with a Muslim husband once she turns 18.

Aziz, 47, and his family are preparing for that day. They have sold some farmland to buy firearms, and Aziz explained matter-of-factly that Nirmeen and her husband will be killed first — "it is a question of honor" — and then the guns will turn against the groom's family.

"But we will happily take her back if she comes back with her faith intact," he said. "Even if she is pregnant, a cousin will marry her," he said, wiping a tear with the sleeve of his dark blue galabiya robe.