MAS Launches Campaign Against Human Rights Abuses in Egypt

Silence by U.S. on Egyptian Human Rights & Liberties Abuses Further Deteriorates American Foreign Policy in the Region


Egypt’s continued brutal crackdown on political opposition and domestic dissent (while being the second largest recipient of U.S. aid to the tune of $2 Billion dollars annually) has prompted the Human Rights division of the Muslim American Society (MAS) Freedom Foundation to initiate a Human Rights in Egypt Campaign.


 


The goal of the campaign is to call the American people and public officials’ attention to Egypt’s retreat from a stated commitment for a more open and inclusive government. This retreat from democracy has resulted in a cruel crackdown on moderate Islamic activists, nonreligious political opposition to the Mubarak government, judges, journalists, and academicians.


 


The MAS Freedom Foundation Human Rights Division will challenge the wisdom of a U.S. foreign policy, funded by American tax dollars, that continues to turn a blind eye to the human rights abuses committed by the Egyptian regime. The Mubarak regime, in order to maintain its authoritarian rule, has engaged in an elaborate attempt to misrepresent modern Muslim opponents of the government as terrorist threats. This misrepresentation is used to justify false imprisonment, torture, and other human rights abuses committed against opponents of the regime.


 


The ultimate “blowback” of this U.S. funded dictatorial policy will only thwart efforts by elements in Egyptian society who embrace positive change by non-violent means, and increase the likelihood of nurturing and expanding the ideology of extremism and violence as the only the instrument for social change.


 


The U.S. support and funding of this flawed policy can only lead to further destabilization of an already volatile region. The refusal of the Bush administration to seriously address the human rights abuses of the Egyptian government serious threatens both domestic and international security.


 


Current human rights abuses in Egypt include:


 


The arbitrary arrest in Egypt of more than 800 members of the Muslim Brotherhood by the Mubarak government in the last year, and the systematic physical and mental abuse of some of the detainees;
 


The arrest and detention of other non-Muslim opponents of the Mubarak regime, including Coptic Christian and secular activists;
 


Refusal to allow freedom of expression and freedom of the press for opponents of the regime;
 


The dismissal of Egyptian civilian court rulings against these arrests, and the substitution of military tribunals to prosecute those arrested;
Denial of the basic right of Habeas Corpus for detainees;
 


The confiscation of the private property and businesses of some detainees without the due process of law, and Freezing the financial assets of some detainees, even though those assets were owned by individual families and not the Muslim Brotherhood.
 


While the Freedom Foundation respects the sovereignty of all nations, we support the protection of basic human rights for all people, regardless of nationality, ethnicity, or religion. This is a core principle of the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation.


 


The Freedom Foundation is the public affairs arm of the Muslim American Society (MAS), a national grassroots religious, social, and educational organization. MAS is America’s largest grassroots Muslim organization with over 50 chapters nationwide. Learn more at www.masnet.org 


MAS Freedom Foundation


1050 17th Street NW, Suite 600


Washington, DC 20036


Tel: (202) 496-1288


Fax: (202) 463-0686


URL: http://www.masnet.org/index_publicaffairs.asp


Email: [email protected]


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