Category: Blog

Press conference: The right to organize

Posted on By 3arabawy

Egyptian NGOs will hold a press conference, Monday 12pm at the Journalists’ Syndicate, to brief reporters and bloggers about the recent attack by the authorities against civil society activists, and the closure of the Center for Trade Union and Workers’ Services.

Press Conference
Tomorrow, Monday, 14th of May 2007
12.00 a.m. at Press Syndicate
Civil Society Campaign
In Defense of Freedom of Organization
In view of the recent attack on non governmental organizations and the statements of the Minister of Social Solidarity who admitted to the interference of security authorities in the internal affairs of NGOs and the subsequent harassment of NGOs in addition to the restrictions imposed on NGOs by administrative bodies, the last of which being the illegal closure of the offices of the center of trade union and workers services (CTUWS); and since this escalation of harassment of NGOs coincides with media coverage of the Ministry of Social Solidarity’s meeting with civil society organizations in a number of governorates to discuss amendments to law 84/2002, excluding an important sector of non governmental organizations, especially those concerned with human rights and the right of citizens to access basic services;
Therefore, Non governmental organizations decided to organize a press conference on Monday, the 14th of May 2007 at 12 a.m. at the press syndicate to announce its objection to the continued security and administrative interferences in its affairs and to call for democratic principles to govern any association law in Egypt.
Press Conference Agenda
– Statement of Civil Society campaign (Read by Nawla Darwiche, New Woman Research Institution).
– Summary of recent administrative and security harassments of NGOs (Read by Mr. Tarek Khater, Association for human rights legal aid)
– Intervention by member of CTUWS
– The legislative framework of civil society according to international standards (Mr. Abdallah Khalil, UN Consultant in international law)
– Announcement of plan of action of campaign.
For more information please contact 3464901

Ten injured in sectarian clashes

Posted on By 3arabawy

From Reuters:

Hundreds of Egyptian Muslims and Christians hurled bricks and firebombs at each other in clashes on Friday south of Cairo in a dispute over building a church that erupted after Muslim prayers, security sources said.
Ten Christians were injured in the clashes that broke out in the village of Behma, about 60 km (40 miles) from the Egyptian capital, and at least 10 Christian houses and shops were set ablaze before police quelled the violence, the sources said.
Relations between Muslims and minority Coptic Christians in Egypt are generally peaceful despite sporadic violence, and restrictions on building churches have been one of the main grievances of Egypt’s mainly Coptic Christian community.
Christians comprise up to 10 percent of Egypt’s roughly 75 million people, with the remainder being primarily Sunni Muslim.
Security sources said rumors that village Christians did not have a permit for church construction had sparked anger among Muslims that turned to violence after Friday prayers when about 300 Muslims clashed with a group of about 200 Christians.
The two sides fought each other with sticks and threw bricks and firebombs, the sources said, and between 10 and 20 houses and shops were set on fire including several shops that sold wood and construction materials.
Police intervened to stop the clashes, arresting 17 people from both faiths and sealing off the village, they said.
A spokesman for Egypt’s interior ministry confirmed that around 500 Muslims had gathered after Friday prayers, and that the entrances to three homes had been set on fire. He said three people were hurt in the commotion but declined to characterise it as a clash.