Sweeping arrests. That is how the Arab Republic of Egypt handles its Islamist problem. According to a report published last week by Arabicnews.com, 36 members of the Ikhwan Al-Muslimin (Muslim Brotherhood) organization - the organization from which both PLO leader Yasser Arafat and Hamas leader Ahmed Yassin sprouted - were arrested by Egyptian authorities in one week, 23 of them in three days.
According to Arabicnews.com, “the Egyptian Organization For Human Rights said that the students were arrested for their activities during elections of students federations.... The organization criticized the detention acts, saying that they represent an extension to a routine and known phenomenon in the position of the state towards the Muslim Brother group, that are mostly linked to certain incidents such as general and local elections, or elections for the university students federation.”
While a banned group, the website explained, the Ikhwan are permitted to practice certain activities, and it is “considered the largest opposition group in Egypt. Members of the Muslim Brothers occupy 16 seats inside the Egyptian parliament which is composed of 454 seats, but they are considered independent members because activities of their groups have been banned in Egypt since 1954.”
According to Arabicnews.com, “the Egyptian Organization For Human Rights said that the students were arrested for their activities during elections of students federations.... The organization criticized the detention acts, saying that they represent an extension to a routine and known phenomenon in the position of the state towards the Muslim Brother group, that are mostly linked to certain incidents such as general and local elections, or elections for the university students federation.”
While a banned group, the website explained, the Ikhwan are permitted to practice certain activities, and it is “considered the largest opposition group in Egypt. Members of the Muslim Brothers occupy 16 seats inside the Egyptian parliament which is composed of 454 seats, but they are considered independent members because activities of their groups have been banned in Egypt since 1954.”