Arab West Report Egyptian press summaries and media research for dialogue

Head of the Coptic Christian Church Pope Shenouda III today decided to cancel the celebration of his 40th year as Pope to stand in solidarity with martyrs’ families.

The Pope decided to cancel the celebration both because of the poor situation in Egypt and because the Copts recently lost 23 of their sons and daughters in the Maspiro clashes earlier this month, a source reported.
The Pope will start his therapeutic travel to the U.S. on November 20, the source added.

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[Reviewer's Note: News story was also mentioned in al-Wafd, page 1, October 31, 2011 and has no link online]

Political activists and experts rejected calls by the Social Liberal Party in a paid advertisement in a state-owned newspaper on the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) to announce martial laws.

The Court of Urgent matters in Alexandria will begin the first hearing in the case of the explosion of the Two Saints Church on September 25 against Prime Minister Essam Sharaf, the Minister of Interior, Mansour al-Essawi, and Legal Advisor Abdel Mageed Mahmoud.

State Security Prosecution asked the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss with its British counterpart to reveal the truth about what was revealed in Mamdūh Ramzī's [lawyer] report to the Public Prosecutor about the explosion of Two Saints, Pope Peter and Saint Mark Church in Alexandria.

Two German parliamentarians said Egypt and Germany’s economic relations and trade will not be affected if Islamists win in the parliamentary elections in Egypt this year. They stressing German investors did not from turn away from Egypt after the Egyptian January 25 Revolution despite the instability.

It was announced that an Islamist bloc will be established to run in Egypt's upcoming parliamentary elections, which will include three Islamist parties, including members from al-Jamā'ah al-Islāmiyyah Shaykh Karām Zuhdi, chairman, and Fu'ād al-Dawālībī, a member of the group's Shūrá (Consultative) Council.

Some old Islamist leaders have said they will establish a new party without ties to the Building and Development Party, the political wing of al-Jamā'ah al-Islāmiyyah.

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The Alexandrian courts will begin on September 25 the first hearing surrounding the Two Saints Church bombing against Prime Minister 'Isām Sharaf, Minister of Interior Mansūr al-'Isawī and Public Prosecutor 'Abd al-Majīd Mahmūd who were accused of slowing down the case.

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[Reviewer's note: A similar story was covered in al-Akhbār, September 22, 2011. There is no link available on the internet]

The head of the Military Judiciary Authority, 'Ādil Mūsá, denied that the emergency law has been abolished, saying it will remain in place until June 30.

He added that the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) did not activate the emergency law either, and it was in fact the government in 1981.

He added that it will remain active according to the constitutional announcement made on March 30.

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[Reviewer's note: a similar story was covered in al-Misry al-Yawm, September 21, 2011, the Egyptian Gazette, September 21, 2011 and al-Ahram, September 22, 2011]

Muhammad Mursī, the chairman of the Freedom and Justice Party, and Dr. Muhammad Sa‘d al-Katātnī, Secretary-General of the party, met Saudi Arabia’s ambassador

who confirmed that Saudi Arabia is prepared to play a big role in the development process, both economically and politically, in this critical transitional phase.

Al-Jazeera's Chairman Wadah Khanfar declared that he would be stepping down from his position after 8 years. There is much controversy surrounding this, as a Wikileaks cable recently released shows his cooperation with some American intelligence services.