By Pakinam Amer
The Associated Press
Friday, March 14, 2008
CAIRO, Egypt: Egypt dismissed recent White House criticism of a wave of arrests against political opponents and rejected a U.S. State Department report that denounces the country's poor human rights record, saying Friday it was "un-objective."
White House spokeswoman Dana Perino had called on Egypt this week to stop its "campaign of arrests" against opposition candidates ahead of upcoming local elections.
Her remarks were considered a clear reference to the recent crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest opposition group, which has seen over 750 members rounded-up in a month.
The White House comments "reflect a lack of understanding of the political reality in Egypt," the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said it "questioned the real motivation" behind such U.S. statements, without elaborating.
The foreign ministry also rejected a separate State Department annual report on worldwide human rights, issued Tuesday, claiming it did not treat Egypt fairly because it ignored the social context in which human rights are being introduced here.
"The report was un-objective and unscientific, and it showed a blend of biased views by non-governmental organizations," the foreign ministry statement said.
The State Department evaluation said Egypt's government has little respect for human rights and maintains a tight grip on political life by stifling opposition and freedom of speech under a continued state of emergency since 1967.
It also said Egyptian women are subjected to several forms of discrimination and violence, including female genital mutilation. It further struck a deep cord with Egyptian authorities by citing numerous incidents of reported torture and prison mistreatment by police and guards.
Link(s): http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23635244/
http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/etn/news_content.php?id=620918&lang=eng_news&cate_img=83.jpg&cate_rss=news_Politics
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/03/14/africa/ME-GEN-Egypt-US-Human-Rights.php
Friday, March 14, 2008
Egyptian authorities arrest 22 more Muslim Brotherhood members ahead of local elections
By Pakinam Amer
Associated Press Writer
First Published: 11 Mar., 2008 12:37
Cairo - Police on Tuesday arrested 22 more members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood movement in an ongoing crackdown on Egypt's largest Islamic opposition group ahead of April local elections, a security official and the group said.
The arrests took place during separate raids in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, its twin city of Giza, in the northern coastal city of Alexandria, as well as in the towns of Beheira, Menoufia and Assiut, the official said.
He spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to release the information.
Most suspects were taken from their homes after dawn, according to the Brotherhood's official Web site.
The arrested include businessmen and senior Brotherhood leaders who were planning to run in the April 8 polling for 4,500 municipal councils that manage local utilities and resources in Egypt.
The latest arrests bring to about 750 the total number of Brotherhood members rounded-up by authorities since the date of the elections was announced in mid February.
So far only 60 of the group's 10,000 members have succeeded in getting their candidacies registered for the elections, which are usually dominated by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's ruling party.
The Brotherhood, which has the largest opposition bloc in parliament, has vowed to take part in the elections despite the crackdown. The group has been banned since 1954, but the government has not completely shut down the Brotherhood's activities.
Authorities have prevented the Brotherhood from forming a political party, so its members run as independents in local and national elections. The deadline for registration is Thursday.
Associated Press Writer
First Published: 11 Mar., 2008 12:37
Cairo - Police on Tuesday arrested 22 more members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood movement in an ongoing crackdown on Egypt's largest Islamic opposition group ahead of April local elections, a security official and the group said.
The arrests took place during separate raids in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, its twin city of Giza, in the northern coastal city of Alexandria, as well as in the towns of Beheira, Menoufia and Assiut, the official said.
He spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to release the information.
Most suspects were taken from their homes after dawn, according to the Brotherhood's official Web site.
The arrested include businessmen and senior Brotherhood leaders who were planning to run in the April 8 polling for 4,500 municipal councils that manage local utilities and resources in Egypt.
The latest arrests bring to about 750 the total number of Brotherhood members rounded-up by authorities since the date of the elections was announced in mid February.
So far only 60 of the group's 10,000 members have succeeded in getting their candidacies registered for the elections, which are usually dominated by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's ruling party.
The Brotherhood, which has the largest opposition bloc in parliament, has vowed to take part in the elections despite the crackdown. The group has been banned since 1954, but the government has not completely shut down the Brotherhood's activities.
Authorities have prevented the Brotherhood from forming a political party, so its members run as independents in local and national elections. The deadline for registration is Thursday.
Egypt detains 13 students belonging to Egypt's banned Muslim Brotherhood
By Pakinam Amer
Associated Press Writer
First Published: 19 Feb., 2008 15:14
Cairo - Egyptian police on Tuesday detained 13 university students affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest opposition movement, a security official said.
The students were arrested a day earlier in the coastal city of Alexandria while collecting money at the university campus to help Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and support Brotherhood candidates in upcoming local elections, said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.
Police charged the students with belonging to a banned group and collecting money without permission.
On Sunday, police rounded-up another 51 members of the group across three provinces in an ongoing crackdown which Brotherhood lawyer Abdel Moneim Abdel Maksoud believes is to prevent them from competing in the local council elections.
The Brotherhood has not yet taken a final decision whether to field candidates but that the "strikes and messages directed at the Brotherhood will not lessen our determination and political will," he said.
The Brotherhood was founded in 1928 but has been officially banned since in 1954. It is Egypt's largest opposition group with its lawmakers, who run as independents, holding more than a fifth of the seats in parliament's 454-member lower house.
Associated Press Writer
First Published: 19 Feb., 2008 15:14
Cairo - Egyptian police on Tuesday detained 13 university students affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest opposition movement, a security official said.
The students were arrested a day earlier in the coastal city of Alexandria while collecting money at the university campus to help Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and support Brotherhood candidates in upcoming local elections, said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.
Police charged the students with belonging to a banned group and collecting money without permission.
On Sunday, police rounded-up another 51 members of the group across three provinces in an ongoing crackdown which Brotherhood lawyer Abdel Moneim Abdel Maksoud believes is to prevent them from competing in the local council elections.
The Brotherhood has not yet taken a final decision whether to field candidates but that the "strikes and messages directed at the Brotherhood will not lessen our determination and political will," he said.
The Brotherhood was founded in 1928 but has been officially banned since in 1954. It is Egypt's largest opposition group with its lawmakers, who run as independents, holding more than a fifth of the seats in parliament's 454-member lower house.
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