By Ann Flower Seyse
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
CAIRO, Egypt– On August 17, thirty- eight members of the opposition Muslim brotherhood were arrested in Egypt. According to a security official, the total number of Brotherhood members in detention is four-hundred fifty.
Of those arrested on August 17, thirty members of the Muslim Brotherhood were detained in Suez when they had a meeting at a group member’s home. Another eight members were apprehended in the Nile River Delta the same day.
The Islamist Muslim Brotherhood controls almost one fifth of the seats in Egyptian Parliament, even though the party is technically banned under the Egyptian Constitution, which bans political parties based on religious or class affiliation. The Brotherhood won these seats by fielding independent candidates in the 2005 election. Many Egyptians like the party because of the social services that the group provides.
In 2007 Human Rights Watch accused Egyptian President Mubarak, and the governing National Democratic Party of using the law that bans parties based upon religious or class affiliation to maintain control of the government, holding a virtual monopoly
Also on August 17, the Islam-affiliated party Al-Wasat al-Jadid (the New Center) was rejected for a fourth time in their application to become a legally recognized political party in Egypt. Al-Wasat al-Jadid has also had their application for party status denied in 1996, 1998, and 2006. The government considers Al-Wasat al-Jadid a front for the Muslim Brotherhood.
Although the party would ban Coptic Christians or women from heading the country, their platform of peaceful rule through Islamic law is popular among many Egyptians who see the ruling National Democratic Party as corrupt.
Egypt has been cracking down on the Brotherhood, and subsequently, Al-Wasat al-Jadid. In an interview with CBS news, President Mubarak claimed that the Brotherhood has connections with Lebanese and Palestinian groups Hezbollah and Hamas .
For more information, please see:
AFP- Egypt Police Arrest 38 Islamists – 18 August 2009
Afrique en Lingue- Egypt Rejects Islamist Party – 18 August 2009
AP – Egypt Rejects Request for Moderate Islamic Party – 17 August 2009
Money Biz – Egypt Refuses to Recognize Moderate Muslim Party – 17 August 2009
