Arab West Report Egyptian press summaries and media research for dialogue

Lawyers of the martyrs’ families called for applying “the severest penalty” – execution – against ousted President Husnī Mubārak, his sons Jamāl and ‘Alā’, former interior minister Habīb al-‘Ādlī and six of his top aides on charges of involvement in killing demonstrators during the January 25, 2011 upheaval. [‘Isām Milījī, Khālid Abū al-‘Iz, Samīrah ‘Alī ‘Ayyād and ‘Amr ‘Alī al-Fār, al-Shurūq al-Jadīd, Jan. 10, p. 1] read original text in Arabic

In Beheira governorate, Dr. Yāsir Burhāmī, Vice President of the Salafī Call [da'wah], confirmed the acceptance of nomination of women from inside the salafī-Nūr Party (Hizb al-Nūr) to the upcoming parliamentary elections. He states that a Muslim woman, obedient to Islam, is certainly better than a secular man who refuses the law of God. This came during the first conference that the party held, the day before yesterday (September 13, 2011) in Damanhūr. More than 6,000 people attended.

[Reviewer's note: a similar story was covered in al-Shurūq al-Jadīd, September 17, page 14, al-Ahrām, September 14, 2011. and Rose al-Yūsuf, page 15-17, September 17-23, 2011.]

Security forces in al-Beheira arrested thirty protestors who were demonstrating against the Israeli celebration of Jewish Egyptian rabbi Abu Hasīrah.

The Muslim Brotherhood, National Front for Change, and various bloggers against Abū Hasīrah called for a protest in front of the court academy in Damanhūr.

At the same time many Egyptians were protesting the celebration of Jewish Egyptian rabbi Abū Hasīrah in the delta region, many Jews are preparing themselves for the celebration of another Jewish figure with connections to Egypt. Jews celebrate the birth of Maimonides (Moses ben Maimon), who died in Egypt in 1204 AD, next March in al-Mūskī.

Lighted candles stand inside the shrine to Maimonides, while many read verses from the Old Testament.

Sahar Al-Ja'ārah writes about a Fatwá made by Shaykh Mahmūd ‘Āmir, President of Ansār al-Sunnah al-Muhammadiyyah group at Damanhūr, which calls for the slaying of Muhammad al-Barād‘ī, former president of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), for civil disobedience and incitement to disobey President Husnī Mubārak.

Al-Ja'ārah sees ‘Āmir's Fatwá as "abnormal," and a ploy that gets him closer to the ruling regime.

She added that ‘Āmir's Fatwás always justify political succession. Moreover, he addresses Egypt as if it were an ancient Islamic caliphate ruled by Sharī‘ah law.

Al-Ja'ārah questions the silence of the country for this moral terrorism.

In spite of public denunciation Jews have celebrated their annual celebration of Abū Hasīrah under restricted security precautions.

The recent strike that was planned failed to have a serious effect in the streets of the capital but there were scenes of unrest in the delta town of Mahallah al-Kubrá. Furthermore, there are conflicting stories over who was behind the strike.

The article reviews the life and the contributions of Pope Kyrillos VI, the 116^th Patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria.

Sectarian strife in Egypt has been a hot topic of contention in the media. The following article presents a synopsis of incidents that have occurred in Egypt in the recent years. The author considers the reasons behind these attacks, the similar situations that they share, that is attacks that have occurred on Fridays, and the media coverage of these incidents.

PhD student Fiona McCallum concludes that by focusing on the bishops of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Hasan provides a clear and original study of the impact of the reform movement, illustrating that the use of traditions such as Coptic martyrology combined with modernization of the administration has allowed the church to successfully affiliate Coptic cultural and political space in to its own structures.