Year: 2009

Egyptian regime apologizes for Indonesian students arrest, torture

Posted on By 3arabawy

Was this case picked up by any of the rights watchdogs?

Egypt’s diplomatic mission in Jakarta has apologized for the wrong arrest and alleged torture of four Indonesian students at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, the Foreign Ministry said Friday.
Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said officials from the Egyptian embassy came to the ministry’s office on Tuesday to convey their regret and apology for the incident that stirred anger among Indonesians.
Investigation into the case is still underway, Faizasyah said, but added he did not know whether Cairo would take actions against those who are guilty. “The decision is on the government (in Cairo).”
During a raid on June 28, Egypt’s police arrested the four students — Faturrahman, Arzil, Tasrih Sugandi and Ahmad Yunus — for alleged involvement in an extremist network. They were released after being interrogated and detained for three days.

Egyptians see US as ‘hypocritical,’ says poll (and I agree)

Posted on By 3arabawy

Via the Daily New Egypt…

Seventy-eight percent of Egyptians believe that the US is “hypocritical” because it does not follow the international laws it promotes in other countries, a recent World Public Opinion poll showed.
The poll also showed that 62 percent of Egyptians believe that the US abuses its power to serve its own interests, leaving only 34 percent saying that the US more often treats Egypt fairly.
The World Public Opinion Organization, a collaborative research project involving research centers from around the world and managed by the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland, released the poll on July 7, 2009 and surveyed 19,923 respondents in 20 nations that comprise 62 percent of the world’s population.
While people in 13 nations say they have confidence in President Barack Obama, the US foreign policy continues to receive heavy criticism.
“The US is criticized for coercing other nations with its superior power, failing to abide by international law, and for how it is dealing with climate change,” the study said, “Overall, views are mixed on whether the US is playing a mainly positive or negative role in the world.”
In all but four nations — Egypt, Pakistan, Iraq and Turkey — a majority or plurality says that the US is “generally cooperative with other countries.”

Birdflu patients to be prosecuted!

Posted on By 3arabawy

This is from today’s Al-Masry Al-Youm, not from the Onion:

Citizens who contract Bird Flu will be prosecuted for the charge of “raising birds,” warned the Suez Governor, who has referred all patients of bird flu in the city’s fever hospital to the prosecutor’s office, accusing them of “harming themselves and others.”
“If someone tries to commit suicide and is taken to hospital,” said Governor Muhammad Seif Eddin Galal said during a meeting by Higher Committee to Combat Bird Flu in Suez, “then legal measures are taken for his attempt to kill himself. Well, the same applies to those infected with Bird Flu. They harm themselves and others. The law must be applied. They’ll be either imprisoned or fined.”
As for infected children, the governor said that Child Protection Law will be applied, penalizing the child’s family and imprisoning the father from six months to three years.