Akef calls on Egyptian people to participate in relief convoys to Gaza

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CAIRO, (PIC)-- Mohamed Akef, the leader of the Muslim brotherhood, on Tuesday called on the Egyptian people to participate in relief convoys from all governorates to the besieged Gaza Strip, stressing the importance of participating in peaceful protests and pickets in solidarity with the oppressed Palestinian people.

During a press conference held by national and political forces in Egypt, Akef stated that he invites all Egyptian political parties to participate in the convoys to be organized in a timely fashion.

For his part, Dr. Mohamed Habib, the first deputy head of the Muslim brotherhood, criticized the inflammatory campaign which the PA leadership waged against the brotherhood in Egypt in an attempt to bypass its role in tightening the siege on Gaza.

Dr. Habib refuted the PA accusations against the Muslim brotherhood in Egypt of seeking to pressure the Egyptian regime in order to help Hamas, saying that the siege is not only imposed on Hamas but on all Palestinian citizens in Gaza which moves the conscience of every free human being in Egypt. He noted that the Egyptian national forces are not less keen on lifting the siege on Gaza.

In a related context, about 3,000 Egyptian students from the Zagazig university participated Tuesday in a peaceful protest in solidarity with the Gaza people, where they expressed their outrage at the Egyptian and Arab silence towards the suffocating Israeli siege imposed on Gaza.

More than 10,000 Egyptian students from the Azhar university affiliated with the Muslim brotherhood organized Tuesday evening a massive rally in protest at the ongoing Israeli siege on Gaza and the closure of the Rafah border crossing.

The students called in a statement on the Arab and Islamic decision-makers to intervene to open the Rafah crossing constantly and the other crossings in order to break the siege on Gaza.

The students carried banners condemning the Egyptian authorities for providing Israel with gas while the Gaza people die of cold and poverty.

In a statement received by the PIC, Yemeni scholars and intellectuals called on the Arab and Islamic governments to take urgent steps to end the Israeli aggression and siege on Gaza.

The statement stressed the need to establish an Arab and Islamic charity fund to finance the project of linking Gaza with the Egyptian electricity network and paying its power consumption.

The statement called on the Yemeni government to direct all official mass media to carry out a campaign highlighting the catastrophic effects of the Israeli aggression and siege on Gaza. The statement also urged the government to invite an emergency Arab summit to take and implement decisive resolutions breaking the siege on Gaza.


Egypt arrests pro-Hamas blogger

Network for Human Rights Information reports 40 officers storm home of pro-Hamas blogger showing burning US flag, pictures of Hamas fighters in blog. Egyptian interior ministry spokesman says ministry not aware of case

Reuters
Published:
Israel News

Egyptian police have arrested a blogger who criticized the government and expressed support for the Islamist Palestinian group Hamas, a human rights organization said on Tuesday.

The Cairo-based Arabic Network for Human Rights Information said 40 officers had confiscated books and CDs from blogger Mohamed Adel's house before arresting him.

An enormous security force and special forces to take into custody a young blogger who owns nothing other than a keyboard and a blog!" said Gamal Eid, director of the Network. "This is the law of the state of emergency which has ruled Egyptians for 27 years."

The group said there had been no word of or from Adel since November 20. An interior ministry spokesman said he was not aware of the case.

Egypt sentenced a blogger to four years' jail last year after finding him guilty of insulting Islam and President Hosni Mubarak.

International and local rights groups say torture is systematic in Egyptian jails and police stations. Egypt says it prosecutes policemen who torture detainees.

Adel's blog featured a picture of the founder of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, a burning American flag, and pictures of Hamas fighters.

Egypt says the Muslim Brotherhood, the country's most powerful opposition, is a banned group and police regularly arrest its members.

The Brotherhood has criticised the government for refusing to open its Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip, accusing it of participating in the punishing Israeli siege of the coastal territory.

Hamas took over Gaza last year after routing forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas holds sway in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.