Protests, Arrests and Lawsuits in Egypt

The Egyptian government and the closely-aligned al-Azhar University have taken several steps recently to pull back Islamist tendencies in the country.

Egyptian police have detained 24 members of the Muslim Brotherhood, after the group hosted pro-Palestinian protests over the weekend. In addition, Hamas has recently accused the Egyptian government of torturing their spokesman, Yusef Abu Zuhri, to death in an Egyptian prison.

Meanwhile, a Muslim Brotherhood lawyer, several Egyptian MPs and the Sawaseya Center for Human Rights have filed a lawsuit against the Grand Imam of al-Azhar, Sheikh Mohammad Sayyed Tantawi, over the university’s recently announced ban on face veils.  This is not the first time Tantawi has made controversial decisions. Previous fatwas denouncing suicide bombers and condoning abortion for rape victims, as well as an infamous handshake with Israeli president Shimon Peres, have all sparked outrage amongst some Egyptians.

In related news, Freedom House has announced it will send a “high-level delegation” to Egypt next week to determine how to strengthen civil rights through both the Egyptian government and civil society. Thomas Dine will lead the delegation.