Egypt: Police Arrests 20,Including Children, After Prayers

In a bizarre incident, police randomly arrested more than 20 people in Fayoum governorate right after they finished performing Eid (Feast) Prayers. The Detainees, including several minors as youg as 14, were picked up from public places that were designated by local municipalities to perform Eid Prayers.

 

Muslim Brotherhood members of parliament from Fayoum met with police officials to protest the random arrests, when they were told that arrests are part of nationwide crackdown by security apparatus against members of the Muslim Brotherhood. It is ironical that most of the arrested individuals are not members of the Muslim Brotherhood and were just ordinary worshipers attending the Eid prayers.

 

Muslim Brotherhood routinely organizes Eid prayers in open public places where large numbers of worshipers gather to pray and listen to a speech at the end of the prayer according to the teachings of Prophet Mohamed, peace be upon him. The prayers are usually followed by festivities where gifts are distributed among children and Islamic songs are played.

 

In Cairo, police also arrested 4 members of the Muslim Brotherhood in Marg district while they were distributing holiday wishes leaflets for Mr. Magdy Ashour, MB member of parliament, following the Eid Prayers.

 

In another incident, police in Souhag governorate south Egypt arrested Farrag Abdel Mohsen, an owner of Al Andalos Islamic bookstore last Thursday and confiscated large number of books, CDs and tapes under the pretext of lacking appropriate license to sell them. The same individual was arrested during Eid el Fetr holiday last September after he posted on his store holiday wishes signs belonging to Mr. Moahmed Youssef, Muslim Brotherhood Member of Parliament.