"The ascendance of the Islamists in Arabic countries currently witnessing a change has become inevitable. The Islamist movements have always been repressed and have never been lucky in anything," Qaradāwī in an interview with the British newspaper The Financial Times. [Basant Zayn al-Dīn, al-Misrī al-Yawm, Dec. 10, p. 3] Read the original text in Arabic
Meanwhile, Dr. Sa'd al-Katātnī, the Secretary General of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, said in an interview with al-Ahrām daily that the FJP's decision inside parliament will not be up to the group's murshid (guide).
"Copts are our partners in the nation and their rights are guaranteed by the Islamic sharī'ah. Besides, we're not going to impose the hijāb on Muslims or non-Muslims. We of course would welcome any legislation in parliament guaranteeing the Copts' rights to run their own affairs in personal status matters," said Katātnī. [Amānī Mājid, al-Ahrām, Dec. 10, p. 5] Read the original text in Arabic
On the other hand, eight former MPs, six Copts and 23 women were vying for 21 seats within the second round of parliamentary elections in Sohag. [Muhammad Mutāwi', al-Ahrām, Dec. 10, p. 5] Read the original text in Arabic
In apparently irresponsible statements, Shaykh Hishām al-Najjār, the al-Nūr Party candidate in the second constituency in Abū Kabīr in al-Sharqia governorate, said it is now the Islamists' turn to deter the seculars, just as they deterred the Moguls and the Crusaders.
"Let us show God what would please Him in the ballot boxes so that we may finally implement the sharī'ah," Najjār told a massive rally held by al-Nūr in the city of Faqūs, Sharqia governorate. ['Uthmān Shihātah, al-Ahrām, Dec. 10, p. 5] Read the original text in Arabic
The prosecution ordered the arrest of eight more suspects on charges of involvement in the October 9 Maspero incidents that left 27 people killed and 350 others wounded.
The Supreme State Security Prosecution has referred 28 others to the forensic department to have the reasons of their injuries indicated.
The eight persons the prosecution ordered to have arrested are Rumānī Sāmī Salīb, Hānī al-Badrī, Joseph Nasr Allāh, Sharīf Ramzī, Tharwat Kamāl, Bahā' Sābir, Sabrī Zakhārī and Abram Lucille for involvement in assembling and assaulting security forces. [Hātim al-Jahmī, al-Shurūq al-Jadīd, Dec. 10, p. 7] Read text in Arabic
