Security Harassments, Political powers Support at MB’s Ramadan Banquets

Ramadan Iftars hosted by the Muslim Brotherhood in the various governorates of Egypt, is usually attended by various national social and political powers from different political parties, civil institutions and Muslim and Christian clerics. These come amid difficult circumstances for the movement including arbitrary detentions and security harassments. The movement is accustomed to holding annually large banquet Iftars during the holy month of Ramadan.

The Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Guide attending  the Iftar (Ramadan meal)  that was held in El-Sharkia Governorate, stressed in his speech that the movement’s structure has been, and will remain, intact where the detentions of several MB leading figures will not harm it.  Akef asserted that "The Brotherhood’s mission will always remain resilient and every day witnesses the birth of new, strong, capable leaders compensating the people enslaved behind the walls of tyranny and state oppression". Indicating that, the Brotherhood although did not hope for detentions, understood that imprisonment and political persecutions were an inevitable sacrifice for integrity, justice and freedom for the sake of our lands’ sacredness.

In the Egyptian Governorate of Kafr El Sheikh, the Iftar ceremony began with a speech by the MB MP Shaker Senar who slammed the fierce crackdown against leading figures of the Brotherhood, including Dr. Abdul Moneim Abul Fotouh, Secretary-General of the Arab Doctors Union. "This campaign comes in implementation of the Zionist and western agenda aimed at preventing any aid to people trapped in Gaza", he stated.

MB Parliamentary Bloc member, Dr. Mohamed Fadl emphasized that "Members of the People’s Assembly are engaged in a battle against corruption. Although the Brotherhood MPs occupy only 20% of the People’s Assembly seats, they are accountable for the success of promoting 50% of the subjects brought up for questioning during the legislative session".

The annual Brotherhood’s Ramadan Iftar ceremony in Damietta governorate witnessed a special moment as the guests of honor were the heroes of the fishermen’s village of Ezbet Al-Borg who freed themselves and escaped from their Somali pirate captors.

In the Egyptian governorate of Qalyubiyah, member of the MB Guidance Bureau Hajj Lasheen Abu Shanab said that "The movement’s youth certainly have a defined mission.  We believe they are our hope, pride and joy and through them true reform will come".

In his speech to the Egyptian people, the representative of Al-Karama party activist Mohamed Bayoumi ascertained that "The people of Egypt are capable of grabbing its legitimate rights from the ruling regime which rules through fear and violence". He called for the political powers to organize a serious movement against the regime’s attempts for sell the country. He further called for measures to be taken to prevent rigging in the forthcoming parliamentary elections including the inviting of the international supervision of elections after the abolishing of judicial supervision.

In the Egyptian governorate of Fayoum, the Brotherhood members held Iftar on the roofs of the houses due to security pressure. Many of the political and social powers attended the Iftar and called for the rapid formation of a real national front uniting all national political parties to save Egypt from the dire situation. They demanded the expelling of the ruling NDP because it is primarily formed against the country’s interests. Their policies have caused nothing but devastation, demolition and destruction of Egypt.

Ahmed Abdel Kawi Zidane, secretary-general of leftist Tagammu (Rally) Party in Fayoum, stated that since the Brotherhood is an authentic political movement, it is subjected to injustice by an authoritarian tyrant and aiming to conquer the movement. Zidane voiced his enthusiasm on accepting the Brotherhood’s invitation for the first time to unite in solidarity with them against oppression.

For his part, the Rev. Philemon Labib, pastor of St. Mina on behalf of the Priest of St.. Mina’s Church in Fayoum, called for love between member states. He claims the invitation sent to the Church to attend the Brotherhood’s Ramadan Iftar reflects love cultivated between Muslims and Christians. "True piety really is characterized by friendliness and charity of one another’s fellow countrymen", he said, adding he joins those who call for peace and national unity among the sons of the one homeland.

In the Egyptian governorate of Dakahlia, the Brotherhood’s Iftar witnessed security harassments to the extent of the confiscation of food prepared for Iftar. Despite the confiscation, the movement members were able to successfully hold their Iftar that witnessed the honoring of the families of the Dakahliya residents who were sentenced by military tribunals. At the end of the ceremony, they presented souvenirs to the family of Engineer Khairat Al-Shatter, the second deputy chairman of the Muslim Brotherhood.