Egypt's judicial system - Yvonne Ridley, Former Taliban Captive, Convert to Islam

Home

Articles

Egypt's judicial system

PDF

| Print |

E-mail

Written by Yvonne Ridley

Friday, 20 July 2007

Mubarak is a desperate man, clinging on to the last vestiges of power in a white knuckle drama we have seen played out so many across the globe by American-controlled dictators who have oppressed their own people without mercy.

While Israel holds the Palestinian people under military occupation and Americans under political occupation it seems they also have also seized occupation of the legal system in neighbouring Egypt.

There can be no other reasonable explanation for the latest insane actions of Egypt's leader Hosni Mubarak whose long distance relationship with democracy is only matched by his record on human rights and justice.

If evidence is needed then look no further at the 226 members of the Muslim Brotherhood who are awaiting military trial as I write this column or the 792 who have been detained without charge by the security forces since last spring.

The Muslim Brotherhood is a non-violent organisation which promotes peaceful politics and, in addition, expresses solidarity with the Palestinian people including Hamas. And that is the problem; it is the Muslim Brotherhood's attitude to Israel which has induced the US to order Mubarak to eliminate "the problem".

Hamas, as we know, is regarded as a terrorist organisation by the Bush Administration and the hugely powerful Zionist lobby in Washington.

Therefore in the simplistic, black and white world of the Busheys, anyone who shows solidarity with Hamas must be a terrorist.

As a direct result of the nursery school politics of the neo-cons, last Sunday, hidden away in the Egyptian desert, a black comedy was being played out in a military court which saw some of Egypt's finest academics and business elite in the dock.

Facing trumped up charges and a judicial system so warped and twisted by Mubarak, scores of senior members of the Muslim Brotherhood were crowded into courtroom cages.

I was denied access as a British journalist to witness the unfolding farce but as I stood outside in the burning desert sun I was not alone - the former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark and several other leading human rights campaigners had also been refused access ... may be in the daft belief if we couldn't see the injustice we might go away quietly.

Mubarak is a desperate man, clinging on to the last vestiges of power in a white knuckle drama we have seen played out so many across the globe by American-controlled dictators who have oppressed their own people without mercy.

This latest disgraceful chapter in the ruling life of Mubarak opened on January 28 in the Cairo Criminal Court when the judges ruled all charges brought by the Egyptian Government against the detained members of the Muslim Brotherhood were groundless and politically motivated.

Eager to please his US masters (America gives more dollar aid to Egypt than to any other country in the world apart from Israel) Mubarak had the whole lot re-arrested to be tried in a military court ... on exactly the same charges they had been cleared in the civilian court.

Rulings of military justice are final and can't be challenged. Well that's one way of silencing your political opponents and knocking out vocal critics of the Zionist State, isn't it?

Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and other concerned groups have condemned the actions, but what does Mubarak care?

Well actually he should care. I can smell revolution in the air on the streets of Cairo, and not just from the supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Ordinary Egyptians are fed up with the tinpot dictator who has restricted their freedoms and liberties in a bid to smother any dissenting voices.

By any peaceful means necessary, there is a growing resistance to bring down Mubarak and his brutal regime.

The youth are turning to the internet using blogs to fuel the dissent - some have even joined the Brotherhood behind bars for their work.

Others are campaigning, petitioning, marching and protesting. I turned up at one such event in central Cairo the other night and as I stared into the eyes of the military who returned the gaze from behind their crash helmets, I could see their hearts were no longer in the job of oppressing and bullying fellow citizens.

The iron-like grip Mubarak once had on his people is fast disappearing. The fear has been replaced by anger towards the injustices against every dissenting voice.

But it is Mubarak's attempt to use and abuse the courts to stop the Brotherhood advancing further into Egypt's mainstream politics which has irrepairably damaged him.

The country's strongest opposition group operates openly despite being officially banned. The Brotherhood won nearly one fifth of the seats in the lower house of parliament in 2005, its members running as independents to bypass the 53-year-old ban on the group.

Mubarak's latest actions to settle political scores and stifle freedom will be his undoing. He has called the actions of the Muslim Brotherhood a threat to national security, but it is the President himself who is the greatest liability.

As far as dictator's go Mubarak has much in common with America's other tyrants - he is not too bright, has psycho tendencies and is unable to tolerate any criticism.

I believe he has the shelf life of many US puppets ... in other words his days are numbered. Who remembers the Shah, and ofcourse we will not forget Saddam in a hurry either?

But when Mubarak does fall, and fall he will, then the Egyptian people must be allowed to take control of their own future and carve out their own style of democracy without outside interference.

And then, and only then, will the days of the Pharoahs be truly consigned to history.

Quote this article on your site | Print | E-mail

Comments (5)

1. Written by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , on 28-09-2008 07:45
Thank you. It is very interesting article.
In my view, the western world do not care about practising democracy in the underdeveloped world!! Why should they care if those nations are not willing to stand for their natural rights!!

The reality is that those western - historically- have the attitude of imperialism and exploiting the other nations. They need those nations as a supply for ore material and a market for their finished products. In the past history, this was achieved by militray occupation which was easy, but not any more!! To achieve these objectives nowadays, they need those kings and dictators to occupy or control those countries indirectly.
This practice by the western will be back firing, and sooner or later another September 11 will emerge with more sorrow and pain!

The same advise to the Isreal politicians, the more protective they are - by killing and increasing the check points, and building their wall- the more extremist they generate! It is the delima of politicians that will never end; Isreal must stop the attitude of expansionism under the cover of protectionism and security and the promised land. They must allow the palistinians back to their land, and create environment where Palistinians and Jewish could live in peace side by side ! The funding of this project should be paid by the international community (particularly the British) and saving the money to the arm dealers. I realise this is a very hard resolution to swallow nowadays by the Isrealis politicians- particularly when the balance of power is currently in their favour. But believe me it is the only natural resolution that will emerge - if we consider the fact that Palistinians and Jewish every where in the world ( US, Canada, Australia, Europe, middle East , .., etc. ) are living and dealing with each other in a peacful and in a mutually respectful way.

2. Written by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , on 25-05-2008 11:09
I say it is the western Democracies who are supporting the abuse because they support these dictators and call them friends and allies and they wine and dine them in washington and 10 downing street . Have you seen how the queen of England received the despot of saudi arabia lately. they sell them arms , torture tools (as they dont make anything not even grow their own wheat) they bribe Despots in jordan and egypt with millions of dollars so they can be guard dogs for Israel . it is a joke . if western Democracies cared about democracy , human rights , they wont have these guys as friends and allies , they would not sell them arms but put pressure on them , isolate them , until they reform and allow honest elections and respect human rights and allow transparency and accountability so they wont waste their money in Casino but use it to create jobs and encourage scientific research . I dont thinkk the western Democracies want that . it is about time people took the street and showed they are serious and took their rights because america wont give them those rights , it rather sell arms to saudi and make money and who cares about the rights of libyans or saudis or Egyptians

3. Written by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , on 09-02-2008 22:08
Dear Yvonne,

Great article. There is no justice in most Muslim countries. Most of the leaders are either dictators or from royalty who clings to power with the help of uncle sam. If there is real democracy in these countries most of the autocratic leaders would be out of power by now. Keep on revealing the truth...

4. Written by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , on 25-01-2008 02:16
Dear Yvonne Ridley,
Although I am not in agreement with the Muslims Brotherhood way of thinking and its implementation, but I do respect their achievements in some aspects of the daily life. The problem with the Muslims Brotherhood is not just because of their stance towards Israel, it is mainly in their slogan. And this problem is not just of the Egyptian regimen, but would be the same reaction of all the other regimen in Islamic country. This is simply due to the fact that if this slogan is applied, it would danger theri own existence. Check out the Islamic countires rulers, most of them are kings, others are dictators. There are no kings in Islam, nor there should be dictators, as a result, the application of the slogan would simply mean their departure, and may be even there condemning infront of law. Omar Ebn Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, was told by one of the companions "if you go astray from the right path in ruling, we will straighten you with our swords", and Omar thanked Allah that such men exist in the Islamic nation. This is how it should be, and this how they don't want it to be.
Peace

5. Written by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , on 01-01-2008 00:27
Dear Yvonne Ridley,

If u do not know the story of Om Qerfah, it is very important story in Islam . I can tell u.

Best Regards