Revolutie in Egypte #206: Flipperkastrevoluties

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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.

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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."

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'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.

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

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

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

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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 ?

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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?

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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

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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

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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

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

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

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

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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.

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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.

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Op maandag 23 september 2013 16:21 schreef Breekfast het volgende:

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Tot zover de democratie in Egypte.

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Representatives of the 'No to Military Trials for Civilians' group took part in a consultation session with the sub-committee regulating freedom and rights on behalf of the 50-member constitutional amendment committee on Monday.

Ragia Omran, a human rights lawyer and a founding member of the group, told Ahram Online that they demanded article 198 of the constitution be amended.

Article 198 of the currently dissolved 2012 constitution dictates that civilians are not to be tried before military courts, except for crimes that include direct assault on the armed forces, which are specified by law. The jurisdiction of military courts is also determined by law.

No to Military Trials are demanding that the law is altered, so that military courts are only concerned with crimes committed by members of the armed forces, a suggestion that Omran says was agreed on by some of the 20 members of the constitution committee in attendance at Monday's meeting.

“Some of the attendees agreed with our demand to prohibit military trials for civilians with no exception, however there were also others who agreed but said there should be an exception for those who attack military institutes or vehicles,” said Omran, who stressed that her group is vehemently against “exceptions,” as it is used to legitimise the military trials of civilians.

The human rights lawyer, who has been recently appointed as a member of the National Council for Human Rights, also pointed out that the controversial article was not included in the annulled 1971 constitution, and that it was added to the 2012 constitution drafted under the rule of Mohamed Morsi.

Omran added the group has requested a new article is added to the constitution to grant compensation, including the right to sue, to civilians who have faced military trial since the rule of Hosni Mubarak until today.

Several Egyptian human rights organisations have condemned the military trials of civilians, saying that around 60 convictions have been passed by army tribunals since Morsi's ouster on 3 July this year.

On 3 September a military court sentenced a Muslim Brotherhood member to life in prison for violence targeting the army in the port city of Suez last month. Forty-eight other members received sentences of between 5 to 15 years in prison.

In addition, Sinai-based reporter Ahmed Abu Deraa is currently on trial in a military court for charges of photographing the Suez Canal and other prohibited sites, in addition to trespassing on military land without a permit.

On Monday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy assured his American counterpart John Kerry that civilians arrested during recent protests across Egypt would not face military trials.

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Tientallen doden en reeks arrestaties Egypte

Zeker 34 mensen zijn zondag gedood bij botsingen tussen aanhangers van de Moslimbroederschap, die op de hand zijn van de afgezette president Mohamed Mursi, en veiligheidstroepen. Ruim 200 mensen raakten gewond.

Bovendien zijn circa 200 aanhangers van de Moslimbroederschap aangehouden, aldus de Egyptische autoriteiten.

Zowel aanhangers als tegenstanders van Mursi zijn de straat opgegaan om de Jom Kippoeroorlog tegen Israël van 1973 te herdenken.

De autoriteiten hadden vooraf aangekondigd dat ze een nieuwe confrontatie niet uit de weg zouden gaan, als de moslimbroeders de wet zouden overtreden of geweld zouden gebruiken. De meeste doden vielen in de hoofdstad Caïro.

Abdel Fattah al-Sisi
De tegenstanders van de afgezette president liepen onder meer met portretten van legerleider Abdel Fattah al-Sisi op het Tahrirplein in de hoofdstad Caïro. Aanhangers probeerden ook op het Tahrirplein te komen. De politie gebruikte traangas om de leden van de Moslimbroederschap uiteen te drijven. De aanhangers van Mursi bekogelden de ordetroepen vervolgens met stenen, aldus getuigen.

Ook in andere steden zijn mensen de straat opgegaan. In Delga, circa 300 kilometer ten zuiden van Caïro, viel een dode. Datzelfde gebeurde in Bani Suef, circa 80 kilometer van de hoofdstad.

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A subcommittee created by Egypt's constitution-amending body to resolve outstanding disagreements regarding military related articles failed to complete its task within the allocated one-week timeframe and will meet again after the Eid Al-Adha holidays.

Hoda El-Sadda, head of the Rights and Freedoms Committee, said in a press conference that representatives from the 50-member constitutional committee and the Egyptian Armed Forces failed to reach an agreement on articles dealing with military trials and the appointment of the defence minister.

Army representatives have demanded that the constitution give the military the authority to name the defence minister through the next two presidential terms.

In September, constitutional committee members proposed to remove the article that requires the approval of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) – the Egyptian military's governing body – in order to appoint a defence minister.

The thorny issue of military trials for civilians has also stalled the subcommittee's work. While the under-amendment 2012 constitution allows civilians to appear before military court, opponents within the committee are seeking to limit its clout or prohibit the practice altogether.

El-Sadda said both parties within the subcommittee are refusing to compromise, and that they have decided to continue the discussion after the Eid Al-Adha holidays this week.

Sources told Al-Ahram's Arabic website that military representatives refused a sub-committee proposal to create special civilian courts to prosecute attackers of military facilities. According to the 2012 charter, perpetrators of this crime would be tried in front of a military tribunal.

Military representatives also rejected suggestions that civilians face military trials only in the case of terrorism or direct assault on military personnel. Proposals that the constitution completely ban military trials for civilians were similarly rejected.

Representatives from the constitutional committee refused proposals by army representatives that the constitution explicitly detail potential crimes against the army. The constitutional committee representatives argued that this is unconventional in modern democratic constitutions, Al-Ahram's Arabic website reported.

Amr El-Shobaki, a member of the military-related articles subcommittee, said that the problem lies in the military's view that Egypt is facing abnormal circumstances.

The amended draft of the 2012 constitution was supposed to be completed this week, but has been postponed due to internal disagreements such as those regarding military articles.

After the popularly-backed military ouster of former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July, the interim government initiated a transitional roadmap to guide the country until presidential elections are held. The 2012 constitution, which was drawn up by an Islamist-dominated constituent assembly during Morsi's rule, is being amended as part of that roadmap.

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Negatief reisadvies voor Egypte
Nederland • Geplaatst door Redactie op 16-10-2013 @ 18:41
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Het ministerie voor Buitenlandse Zaken heeft het reisadvies voor Egypte aangescherpt. Alle reizen naar de Sinaï en naar de kust van de Rode Zee en de Golf van Akaba worden 'ten sterkste ontraden' vanwege de kans op terroristische aanslagen.

Het ministerie meldt dat er 'een reële dreiging is van terroristische aanslagen in het gehele land'. Voor wat betreft reizen naar de Sinaï geldt daarbij in het bijzonder een dreiging voor het vliegverkeer naar en van hotelresorts gelegen aan de kust van de Rode Zee en de Golf van Akaba. Ook alle niet-essentiele reizen naar Egypte met een andere bestemming dan de Sinaï worden ontraden.

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Op woensdag 16 oktober 2013 22:31 schreef Baklava95 het volgende:

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Op donderdag 17 oktober 2013 01:37 schreef Joost-mag-het-weten het volgende:

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En dat net voor de herfstvakantie ...

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Egypt's 50-member committee tasked with amending the suspended 2012 constitution adopted on Sunday a transitional article that will cancel existing restrictions regulating the building of new churches.

The committee also adopted article 47, which stipulates "absolute freedom of belief" for all Egyptian citizens and endows the state with the responsibility to ensure free practice of religion.

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Op zondag 27 oktober 2013 20:16 schreef rakotto het volgende:
Breaking: Constitution committee eliminates all barriers to building churches in Egypt

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Bron

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Op zondag 27 oktober 2013 20:49 schreef Joost-mag-het-weten het volgende:

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(maar of dat algemeen goed ontvangen zal worden in Egypte is een andere vraag natuurlijk)

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Op zondag 27 oktober 2013 20:56 schreef rakotto het volgende:

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De meeste mensen in Egypte zal het niet boeien. De enigen die er problemen mee zullen hebben zullen misschien de Salafisten en de broederschap zijn.

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Egyptische rechters stappen uit proces Moslimbroederschap

Egyptische rechters hebben zich dinsdag teruggetrokken van het proces tegen leiders van de Moslimbroederschap. Volgens een medewerker van de rechtbank voelden ze zich "ongemakkelijk".

De advocaat van Mohamed Badie, de leider van de Moslimbroederschap, zei dat de rechters onder druk stonden om het proces te voeren in de Tora-gevangenis, waar de verdachten zijn opgesloten.

"De rechters hebben dit geweigerd, maar de druk hield aan", zei advocaat Mustafa Attiya. "Dit is geen proces, maar een farce", voegde hij eraan toe.

De rechters trokken zich dinsdag terug voor de tweede zitting in het proces. Door hun stap moet het proces weer van voren af aan beginnen.

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Op zondag 24 november 2013 19:38 schreef Baklava95 het volgende:
Echt niemand reageert meer in het Egypte-topic. anders was het in zijn hoogtijdagen in juli en augustus.

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Op dinsdag 26 november 2013 17:31 schreef ZoKanIkHetOok het volgende:
.

twitter:

Farfahinne twitterde op dinsdag 26-11-2013 om 19:11:02 الشرطة مش بس بتتحرش بالبنات وبالرجالة كمان #EgyPolice #pigs sexually harass a guy after harassing women protestors https://t.co/o54CDMdcG0 reageer retweet

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Op dinsdag 26 november 2013 19:09 schreef rakotto het volgende:

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Alleen is de angst-barriere weg onder de mensen en komt deze nooit meer terug.

Mubarak, Tantawi en Morsi zijn door "veiligheid" ten onder gebracht. Als dit zo langer doorgaat, dan zal Sisi niet anders meemaken.

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Op dinsdag 26 november 2013 20:39 schreef Baklava95 het volgende:

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Het regime van Sisi komt gaat ook wel een keer vallen. De vraag is niet of maar wanneer.
Maar niet onder het mom van "veiligheid" maar door een massale opstand van Moslimbroeders en Salafisten met nog een andere grote groep Egyptenaren die ontevreden zijn geworden over het bewind van Sisi

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A huge explosion hit the Daqahliya security directorate early on Tuesday in Mansoura, Nile Delta, killing at least eight and injuring 85 in what seems to be the worst explosion yet since the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

The injury and death tolls, which are expected to soar with eyewitnesses saying causalities are still inside the damaged building, were revealed by Hisham Masoud, General Manager of Mansoura’s hospitals.

The head of Mansoura's security directorate was among the injured, Daqahliya governor Omar El-Shawadfy told Egypt's state television.

Al-Ahram’s Arabic site quoted an anonymous security source as saying that two bombs went off almost at the same time. The first bomb, he says, was planted in a higher floor in the building, the second in a car next to the security directorate.

A third bomb planted in another car was defused, the source added.

Photos of the Daqahliya security directorate were posted on Al-Ahram’s Arabic site shortly after the blast, showing the exterior walls of the building badly damaged. Vehicles parked in the area were also destroyed.

A good number of bombings have been executed across Egypt since the ouster of Islamist president Morsi on 3 July.

On 24 July, an explosive device went off at a police station near the security directorate in Mansoura, killing at least one conscript and injuring 19.

On 5 September, Egypt's Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim survived an assassination attempt when a bomb detonated near his convoy in northeast Cairo.

Numerous police stations were also attacked across the country in the immediate aftermath of the bloody crackdown on pro-Morsi sit-ins in August. Attacks are always blamed on suspected Islamists incensed at his removal.

Ansar Jerusalem, or Ansar Beit al-Maqdis as the group is known, has claimed responsibility for some of the attacks, including the attempt to assassinate the interior minister.