Revolutie in Egypte #206: Flipperkastrevoluties

quote:

Aboud El-Zomor, a leading figure in the ultra-conservative Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya, says the Islamist group will not return to violence after the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohamed Morsi was toppled from the presidency last month.

Speaking to Time Magazine, El-Zomor, who spent 30 years in Egyptian prisons in connection with the 1981 assassination of former president Anwar Sadat, said: "I gave my orders to Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya and the Building and Development Party [the group’s political wing] that anyone who does not follow the peaceful way of protest, or participates in any attack on a government building or organisation, or army, or police, or church and so on, will be dismissed from Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya and the party."

"This is a final decision,” he said. “We choose the peaceful political direction as our way, even in opposition. When we are now opposing the new, illegal government, we are going to oppose it with the tools of democracy."

Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya supported Morsi during his tenure in office and has continued to do so after his overthrow by the army amid mass nationwide protests against his rule.

Unlike many speakers at the now-dispersed pro-Morsi sit-ins in Cairo, El-Zomor also lamented sectarian strife and condemned attacks on Coptic Christians.

"I have been firm in this position even in the times that I have been in prison, without anyone asking me," he said. "I made a statement saying it is against Islamic law to attack houses of prayer, and it is also against the keeping of peace and harmony in society."

Although El-Zomor stresses the importance of peaceful protests, another Al-Gamaa leader, Assem Abdel-Maged, has adopted inflammatory rhetoric since Morsi's ouster, fuelling speculation the group could revert to violence as it did under Mubarak in the1980s and 1990s.

El-Zomor’s cousin, Tarek, another of the group's leaders, has used rhetoric suggesting a return to violence. Both Abdel-Maged and Tarek are at large and face charges of inciting violence, like many other Islamist figures.

Commenting on Tarek, who also served a long sentence in prison for his involvement in Sadat's assassination, El-Zomor said he believes the charges against his cousin stem from his speech at a rally in June, when he said Islamists would “crush” the planned anti-Morsi demonstrations on 30 June.

"When he spoke about ‘crushing', he was not referring to the terms of force, of killing, but rather the numbers, that our numbers will be much higher," El-Zomor said. “We ordered him not to appear in the media and to get out of the scene, in order not to give anyone a chance to use his words as an excuse for saying that he supports the use of force."

On Abdel-Maged, El-Zomor said, "He’s not allowed to move outside. It’s a way of keeping them safe."

However, El-Zomor stressed that attacks on the police are justifiable, due to their use of excessive force and live rounds. "In my opinion, it is a natural reaction of the population against the centres of unfairness," he said, referring to the dispersal of sit-ins, which left over 600 protesters dead.

"The use of live fire against people, killing people, will not resolve the problem. It will actually escalate the problem. It will fan the flames. This is not a way to end the issue. It’s a way to start new problems."

Speaking of his support for Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, El-Zomor said the group was not totally on the same page as Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya.

"The Brotherhood were insisting on getting Morsi back. That wasn’t a point for us. We said, ‘this is not important, that Morsi come back,’ but rather we can find another way of reaching a solution," he stated.

Commenting on the release of Mubarak, he said: “My message to him is, ‘I’m not against your release, but after the lessons you learned in prison, you have tasted the bitter taste of prison, which we have tasted, the worst of it in your time. When you get out, do not try to bring back [Mubarak's political party].’”

"This is a time that passed that will never come back," El-Zomor said.

quote:

Ahmed Maher's 6 April movement helped lead the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak in 2011. With Mubarak now out of jail, he says the revolution is back to square one, and could take a generation to prevail.

After the bloodiest week in Egypt's modern history, Maher fears the consequences of the hatred that has split the country into two rival camps: the army-led state and its backers, and the Islamists they removed from power on July 3.

"Our problem is there is a wave of madness. People tell you: 'We must eradicate them'," Maher said, saying such attitudes had emerged on both sides. "There must be a third voice."

The assessment from one of Egypt's best-known activists underlines the bleak outlook for the country whose Jan. 25, 2011, uprising inspired pro-democracy revolts across the Arab world.

Maher, 32, says it may now be another generation before the goals of the revolution - freedom, social justice and dignity - are secured.

He spoke at a rundown Cairo office where the walls were covered with stickers bearing witness to non-stop activism since 2011: campaigns first against the generals who replaced Mubarak, and later against the elected Muslim Brotherhood-led government.

Protest work itself is becoming a victim of the latest bloodshed: April 6 cancelled a rally on Friday against Mubarak's release out of fears it might lead to violence.

"We view ourselves back at square one, because what is happening now could be more dangerous, more complicated than what was there before Jan. 25, 2011," Maher said.

"We don't fully understand what is happening in the new regime," he said. "There are fears of the return of the old regime, its people and methods."

"There are also extremist, radical armed groups."

Maher's 6 April was one of the youth movements that galvanised Egyptians during the 18-day uprising that ended when the army forced Mubarak aside on Feb. 11, 2011.

But like most secular groups, it failed to make much of a political mark once Mubarak was toppled - a failure that helped the Islamists win election after election, culminating with last year's presidential vote that brought Mohamed Morsi to power.

6 April backed Morsi in that vote, but later turned its countrywide activist network against him, echoing critics who said his Muslim Brotherhood was seeking to entrench its power even as it failed in government.

It gathered 2 million signatures for the Tamarod petition campaign that helped to mobilise protests against Morsi.

"When the army came to power after Jan. 25, the alternative was the Brotherhood. Then the Brotherhood came, and the alternative was the military," he said. "The problem was the two-sided equation from the start. There must be a real alternative."

Difficult to speak out

The Brotherhood is now facing one of the toughest crackdowns in its 85-year history.

Since Mursi's downfall, the security forces have killed at least 1,000 of his supporters, most of them last week when the police used force to break up their two Cairo protest camps.

Some 100 soldiers and police were also killed in bloodshed that has raised fears that an armed Islamist insurrection could ensue, even as the Brotherhood continues to disavow violence.

The police are arresting Brotherhood leaders and supporters across the country. State media say Egypt is fighting terrorism.

Maher said public hatred of the Brotherhood was now running so deep that it was difficult for activists to speak out about worrying trends such as the re-imposition of a state of emergency. "Everyone is directed towards the idea of the 'war on terror', and if there are violations, they are being ignored."

Mubarak's release on Thursday was a symbolic victory for supporters of the veteran autocrat. Though he is being retried for ordering the killing of protesters in the 2011 uprising, there are no longer any legal grounds for his detention.

"Naturally, there are fears, especially after the release of Mubarak," Maher said. "But as a revolution, we knew at the start there could be many setbacks ... We were expecting difficulties. But nobody thought it would be this complicated."

"I should be depressed, and I am depressed, but I still have hope, even with these complications, the violence, these fears. I still have confidence that one day we will see a new Egypt," he said. "My generation might not see these changes. We might be paving the way for the new generation to see these changes."

quote:

'Heimwee naar glorieus verleden is luxe die Egypte zich niet kan veroorloven'

Naast de acute politieke crisis heeft Egypte te maken met vier levensgrote structurele crises, schrijft Paul Brill. 'Overbevolking, toenemende energiekosten, problematische watervoorziening en dalende voedselproductie.'

Misschien wel de grootste crisis die Egypte bedreigt, is het dreigende tekort aan water. De beschikbare hoeveelheid water per hoofd van de bevolking is de afgelopen decennia al met meer dan 50 procent afgenomen.

Een van de scherpste en tegelijk meest ontmoedigende observaties over de huidige toestand van Egypte komt voor rekening van Thomas Friedman van The New York Times. In een column stelde hij deze week vast dat van de twee belangrijkste machtsinstituties de ene het land het liefst wil terugvoeren naar de luisterrijke beginperiode van Gamel Abdel Nassers revolutie, terwijl de andere droomt van de anti-pluralistische, door mannen gedomineerde en door de sharia gedicteerde samenleving zoals die in de eerste bloeitijd van de islam bestond. Respectievelijk zestig jaar en twaalf eeuwen geleden.

Nu komt het wel vaker voor dat politieke bewegingen, ja soms hele volkeren bevangen raken door heimwee naar een glorieus verleden (dat dan ook nog eens in hoge mate wordt geïdealiseerd). Maar het is een luxe die Egypte zich ten ene male niet kan permitteren. Het land dat zich er graag op beroemt het kloppend hart van de Arabische wereld te zijn, staat er zeer beroerd voor. Dat blijft bij alle turbulenties onderbelicht: we zijn zo gefixeerd op de dramatische handelingen van de verschillende acteurs, dat we nauwelijks nog de deplorabele staat van het decor zien.

Naast de acute politieke crisis heeft Egypte te maken met vier levensgrote structurele crises, die met elkaar samenhangen: overbevolking, toenemende energiekosten, problematische watervoorziening en dalende voedselproductie. Over de hele linie zijn de cijfers onrustbarend. Egypte telt ruim 82 miljoen inwoners, bijna drie keer zo veel als in het midden van de vorige eeuw. Al die mensen zitten op elkaars lip - nergens ter wereld is de bevolkingsdichtheid zo groot als in de Nijldelta.

quote:

Op zaterdag 24 augustus 2013 12:06 schreef Drugshond het volgende:
Na Sadat is Egypte eigenlijk al een dood paard.

quote:

Op zondag 25 augustus 2013 14:26 schreef Pietverdriet het volgende:
Is er trouwens bekend hoeveel Nederlanders er in egypte op vakantie zijn?

quote:

Op zondag 25 augustus 2013 14:27 schreef Joost-mag-het-weten het volgende:

[..]

Hier in België hebben de touroperators al meer dan een week alle reizen naar Egypte stopgezet, is dat in Nederland nog niet het geval dan ?

quote:

Op zondag 25 augustus 2013 14:26 schreef Pietverdriet het volgende:
Is er trouwens bekend hoeveel Nederlanders er in egypte op vakantie zijn?
Je kan nog steeds last minute reizen boeken. Zouden daar nog veel mensen gebruik van maken?

quote:

Megakorting op Egypte-reis
door Paul Eldering
Schiphol -

De Rode Zee Rivièra gaat komend najaar massaal in de uitverkoop. Dat zeggen reisorganisaties als TUI en Skytours.

Koopjes met wel 50% korting zullen vanaf de herfstvakantie schering en inslag zijn, voorspellen Nederlandse reisbureaus. Voorwaarde is dat Buitenlandse Zaken het reisadvies voor de Egyptische badplaatsen weer versoepelt, als het daar rustig blijft.

Volgens TUI-topman Steven van der Heijden kunnen vliegreizen naar de Rode Zee, die nu in de ban zitten, alleen met aanbiedingen opnieuw worden opgetuigd. „De zonzekere winter in Egypte is voor de reiswereld hoogseizoen, dus iedereen wil de toeristenstromen dan zo snel mogelijk op peil hebben.”

twitter:

TheBigPharaoh twitterde op vrijdag 30-08-2013 om 21:44:21 Al Jazeera America: pro-Morsi hold small rallies...Al Jazeera Arabic: pro-Morsi demos are massive. http://t.co/h2gOlAX7hc v @Kkholy reageer retweet

quote:

Op zaterdag 24 augustus 2013 11:04 schreef rakotto het volgende:
[ afbeelding ]

twitter:

TheBigPharaoh twitterde op donderdag 05-09-2013 om 10:42:17 Seems Minister of Interior was target of assisination attempt by a bomb. He survived it. Many injured. Via @ahmedsoliman reageer retweet

quote:

Op donderdag 5 september 2013 11:07 schreef rakotto het volgende:
Explosie in Cairo - Nasr City

[ afbeelding ]

twitter:

TheBigPharaoh twitterde op donderdag 05-09-2013 om 10:42:17 Seems Minister of Interior was target of assisination attempt by a bomb. He survived it. Many injured. Via @ahmedsoliman reageer retweet

quote:

Op donderdag 5 september 2013 11:46 schreef Drifter__ het volgende:
Ik vrees van wel.

quote:

Op donderdag 5 september 2013 11:10 schreef Frutsel het volgende:

[..]

Wordt dit straks het beeld van Egypte dat we vaker gaan zien?

quote:

Egypte voert druk op Moslimbroederschap op

De Egyptische politie heeft opnieuw een aantal kopstukken van de Moslimbroederschap opgepakt. Ook zijn de vermogens van 14 leiders van de beweging bevroren.

In een appartement in de Egyptische hoofdstad Caïro heeft de politie vandaag Gehad al-Haddad, de woordvoerder van de Moslimbroederschap, opgepakt samen met enkele medestanders.

Al-Haddad is een van de belangrijkste leiders van de beweging. Eerder waren ex-president Mohammed al-Mursi en andere toplui zoals Mohammed Badie en Khairat al-Shater opgepakt. Die worden op een onbekende plaats vastgehouden.

Nog vandaag heeft het gerecht de vermogens van 14 leiders van de Moslimbroederschap bevroren. De nieuwe regering voert dus blijkbaar de druk op de Moslimbroeders op, sinds dat de moslimpresident al-Mursi begin juli afgezet werd.

quote:

Egypte verbiedt Moslimbroederschap

Een rechter in Egypte heeft maandag 'alle activiteiten' van de Moslimbroederschap verboden.

Ook zijn de tegoeden van de partij van de in juli afgezette president Mursi bevroren. Onroerende goederen worden in beslag genomen. Dat meldt persbureau AP op gezag van de Egyptische staatstelevisie.

De linkse partij Tagammu had bij de rechtbank het verzoek ingediend om de broederschap te verbieden. Tegen de uitspraak kan nog in beroep worden gegaan.
Bij betogingen tegen de afzetting kostten in juli en augustus een groot aantal levens.
De Moslimbroederschap bestaat al sinds 1928, maar was decennialang verboden en bleef noodgedwongen ondergronds. De beweging werd soms wat vrijheid gegund, maar de leiders moesten vaak vrezen voor arrestatie en jarenlange hechtenis. Na de val van Hosni Mubarak in 2011 kwam de beweging aan de macht en werd Morsi president.

Ook voor Mursi's val moest zijn islamistische organisatie zich nog voortdurend voor de rechter verweren. Al haar hele bestaan is de status van de Moslimbroederschap onduidelijk. Dat nodigt tegenstanders keer op keer uit haar bestaan en handelen voor de rechter aan te vechten.
De uitspraak van maandag biedt de autoriteiten de mogelijkheid om de Moslimbroederschap alle bewegingsruimte te ontnemen.