Mais de 70 feridos noutra vaga de ataques aos cristãos do Egipto

Al menos setenta y ocho personas han resultado heridas en los últimos ataques sufridos por los cristianos coptos de Egipto en la noche del pasado sábado al domingo, según el ministerio de Salud egipcio. En un primer momento se informó también de dos muertos por arma de fuego, si bien parece que ambas se encuentran finalmente hospitalizadas, aunque en estado crítico.

Los heridos se produjeron cuando varios centenares de hombres atacaron a los manifestantes —en su mayoría cristianos, pero también algunos musulmanes— que, desde hace una semana, mantienen una acampada frente a la radiotelevisión egipcia en El Cairo, en la zona de Maspero, para protestar contra la indefensión que sufre la comunidad copta. Los motivos de los atacantes no están claros, si bien podría ser una represalia por un altercado sucedido un rato antes, cuando un motorista intentó atravesar de manera agresiva el cordón de seguridad establecido por los manifestantes, llegando a dispararles con una escopeta de perdigón. De acuerdo con algunos testimonios, el motorista habría sido atrapado por los jóvenes a cargo de la seguridad del campamento, y apaleado. [...]

Ver notícia no ABC 

Irmãos Muçulmanos em ascensão no novo Egipto

In post-revolutionary Egypt, where hope and confusion collide in the daily struggle to build a new nation, religion has emerged as a powerful political force, following an uprising that was based on secular ideals. The Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist group once banned by the state, is at the forefront, transformed into a tacit partner with the military government that many fear will thwart fundamental changes.
It is also clear that the young, educated secular activists who initially propelled the nonideological revolution are no longer the driving political force — at least not at the moment.
As the best organized and most extensive opposition movement in Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood was expected to have an edge in the contest for influence. But what surprises many is its link to a military that vilified it.
“There is evidence the Brotherhood struck some kind of a deal with the military early on,” said Elijah Zarwan, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group. “It makes sense if you are the military — you want stability and people off the street. The Brotherhood is one address where you can go to get 100,000 people off the street.”
There is a battle consuming Egypt about the direction of its revolution, and the military council that is now running the country is sending contradictory signals. On Wednesday, the council endorsed a plan to outlaw demonstrations and sit-ins. Then, a few hours later, the public prosecutor announced that the former interior minister and other security officials would be charged in the killings of hundreds during the protests.
Egyptians are searching for signs of clarity in such declarations, hoping to discern the direction of a state led by a secretive military council brought to power by a revolution based on demands for democracy, rule of law and an end to corruption.
“We are all worried,” said Amr Koura, 55, a television producer, reflecting the opinions of the secular minority. “The young people have no control of the revolution anymore. It was evident in the last few weeks when you saw a lot of bearded people taking charge. The youth are gone.”[...]

Ver notícia no New York Times

Uma quantidade de disparates sobre o Egipto

"David Cameron has criticized ‘state multiculturalism' in his first speech as prime minister on radicalization and the causes of terrorism.
 "At a security conference in Munich, he argued the U.K. needed a stronger national identity to prevent people turning to all kinds of extremism. He also signaled a tougher stance on groups promoting Islamist extremism. ... As Mr. Cameron outlined his vision, he suggested there would be greater scrutiny of some Muslim groups which get public money but do little to tackle extremism".
 ‘Ministers should refuse to share platforms or engage with such groups, which should be denied access to public funds and barred from spreading their message in universities and prisons,' he argued. ‘Frankly, we need a lot less of the passive tolerance of recent years and much more active, muscular liberalism,' the prime minister said."
For those of us who have been calling for years for the United Kingdom and Europe to become "intolerant" of the radical Islamist threat to our culture, this is a thrilling and gratifying moment.
It is the obligation of both citizen and statesman to avoid both illusion and self-delusion when considering national threats. And so it is ironic that on the same weekend that the British government finally removes the scales from its eyes and looks straight-on at the mortal threat that aggressively asserted Islamist values pose to our civilization, in Egypt - at the constant hectoring of Washington voices - the remnants of the Mubarak government begins its halting, perhaps inevitable march toward the illusion of Egyptian democracy. [...]

Ver artigo no Rear Clear Politics

Rebeldes em Armas! Cartoon de Hajjaj

A agenda Obama de ‘liberdade na Net‘ está a virar-se contra os EUA?

On Thursday, President Obama declared access to social networks to be a “universal” value, right alongside freedom of speech. But when those networks helped weaken Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak, one of the U.S.’ strongest allies in the Middle East, the Obama team demanded Mubarak turn the Egyptian Internet back on — but didn’t abandon support for him, either. Maybe this “Internet Freedom Agenda” wasn’t so well thought out?
For more than a year, the White House has been pushing the idea that online connections are a good thing — no matter what’s said using those tools. It’s a way of signaling to wired people, not just governments, that the U.S. is on their side. The Obama administration called for Twitter to stay online during 2009 protests in Iran, and U.S. cash for new social networks like Pakistan’s Humari Awaz and SMS relief webs for Haitian earthquake victims. “The very existence of social networks,” State Department tech adviser Alec Ross said, “is a net good.”
Now comes the test. The Internet Freedom Agenda may have just undermined an ugly pillar of the U.S.’ Mideast strategy — supporting dictators — without doing much to aid the discontented millions that might replace it. While Obama tepidly calls on Mubarak to let people keep tweeting, Egyptian protesters may want the U.S. ”to completely get out of the picture,” as one told al-Jazeera. “Just cut aid to Mubarak immediately and withdraw backing from him, withdraw from all Middle Eastern bases, and stop supporting the state of Israel.”

Ver artigo na Wired

Atentado contra Igreja cristã copta em Alexandria agita o espectro de violência confessional

L'Egypte redoutait dimanche une aggravation des tensions confessionnelles après l'attentat qui a fait 21 morts devant une église copte d'Alexandrie, pour lequel les autorités privilégient la piste du terrorisme international et la mouvance d'Al-Qaïda.
Des traces de sang étaient toujours visibles dimanche matin sur la façade de l'église des Saints à Alexandrie, mais le calme semblait revenu après les affrontements de la veille entre jeunes chrétiens et policiers.
L'émotion restait toutefois vive parmi les fidèles, qui ont assisté à la messe dominicale en scandant "Ô croix, nous sommes prêts à nous sacrifier pour toi". Samedi soir, les funérailles des victimes coptes avaient rassemblé plus de 5.000 personnes dans le cimetière chrétien de la deuxième ville du pays.
La presse égyptienne de tous bords exhortait chrétiens et musulmans à faire bloc, craignant que ce massacre commis dans la nuit du Nouvel An ne provoque une escalade des tensions.

Ver notícia na France 24