News Update: November 8, 2011

Al-Azhar Mosque

Islamist groups are calling for mass demonstrations on November 18 to protest the draft constitutional principles announced by Deputy Prime Minister Ali al-Selmi last week. Meanwhile, Sufi parties announced the formation of a coordinating committee to support Sufi candidates and their alliances in the upcoming elections, and an anonymous source close to the Church indicated that the Coptic Orthodox Church and al-Azhar have reached an agreement on a unified law for the construction of houses of worship.

PROTESTS:

Islamist groups are calling for mass demonstrations on November 18 to protest the draft constitutional principles announced by Deputy Prime Minister Ali al-Selmi last week. Salafi presidential candidate Hazem Abu Ismail has also endorsed the protests while Mamdouh Ismail, vice chairman of the Salafi Nour Party, said that the draft document is grounds for a second revolution to oust al-Selmi and others who would benefit from the implementation of the constitutional principles. Although al-Selmi agreed to amend the most controversial articles, 9 and 10, the Brotherhood and other Islamist groups reject the 22-article document in its entirety. [Al-Masry al-Youm, English, 11/8/2011] [Al-Masry al-Youm, Arabic, 11/7/2011]

The Free Lawyers Movement has called for nation-wide demonstrations on November 11 under the slogan, “Purging and Independence of the Judiciary.” Lawyers are demanding the dismissal of judges who were complicit in electoral fraud under Mubarak’s regime. Tensions have escalated between judges and lawyers following a recent statement by the Judges Association urging judges to suspend their work in courts until they receive adequate protection from what they claim are assaults by lawyers. Meanwhile, hundreds of lawyers have also been on strike over a draft law on judicial authority written by the Judges Club, which toughens penalties on lawyers in contempt of court cases. [The Daily News Egypt, English, 10/23/2011] [Al-Dostor, Arabic, 11/8/2011]

ELECTIONS:

Sufi parties announced the formation of a coordinating committee to support Sufi candidates and their alliances in the upcoming elections. The committee’s coordinator, Sheikh Mustafa Ali Zayed, claimed that 30 percent of independent candidates are Sufi-affiliated, a statistic that is reassuring to members of the Sufi community who are concerned about the rise of competing Islamist forces. [Al-Masry al-Youm, Arabic, 11/8/2011]

The Free Front for Peaceful Changed released a “black list” of fifteen candidates affiliated with the former regime, who are running as independents as well as on certain party lists. The Front plans to organize seminars and other public awareness campaigns to discourage voters from supporting NDP-affiliated candidates. [Al-Shorouk, Arabic, 11/8/2011]

CONSTITUTIONAL DEBATE:

Tourism Minister Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour stated in an interview that certain supra-constitutional principles are non-negotiable, including guarantees for human rights, equality between citizens, and citizenship rights. Meanwhile, Islamist groups refused a second invitation from Deputy Prime Minister Ali al-Selmi to discuss the draft principles issued by the interim government last week. Under intense pressure from political forces, al-Selmi agreed to amend Articles 9 and 10 of the document, dealing with the powers of the military and composition of the constituent assembly. [Al-Ahram, English, 11/8/2011]

U.S. POLICY:

Secretary of State Clinton delivered a major speech on the Arab Spring on November 7, and expressed concern that continued military rule could jeopardize the legitimacy of Egypt’s democratic transition: “If—over time—the most powerful political force in Egypt remains a roomful of unelected officials, they will have planted the seeds for future unrest, and Egyptians will have missed a historic opportunity,” Clinton said. [State Department, English, 11/8/2011]

SECTARIAN ISSUES:

A source close to the Church indicated that the Coptic Orthodox Church and al-Azhar have reached an agreement on a unified law for the construction of houses of worship. Al-Azhar’s Grand  Sheikh, Ahmed al-Tayyeb, has reportedly agreed to an amendment requested by the Church, which recognizes any place in which religious services have been conducted for an extended period of time as a church, even if it has not been granted an official government permit.  [Al-Masry al-Youm, English, 11/8/2011]

ECONOMY:

The Eid al-Adha holiday has brought a surge in tourist bookings at Egyptian resorts on the Red Sea, where many hotels are reporting 100 percent occupancy. Occupancy rates in Hurghada increased from 75 percent before the holiday to 100 percent in the first two days of Eid. [Al-Ahram, English, 11/8/2011]

Minister of Solidarity and Social Justice Gouda Abdel Khaleq announced that he will begin discussions with the federations of commerce and industry to set a 30 percent profit ceiling on the sale of certain commodities (primarily food and strategic consumer goods).  Khaleq claimed, “Determining a profit margin does not conflict with a free economy, but it is a step that the government will take within its role of market regulation.” [Al-Masry al-Youm, English, 11/8/2011]

Photo Credit: Al-Masry al-Youm

Image: Al-Azhar%20Mosque.jpg