A Rally to Call for The Release of Reda

في الخميس ٢٠ - نوفمبر - ٢٠٠٨ ١٢:٠٠ صباحاً

A large gathering of policemen, soldiers, officers, guards and senior ranking officers inspired that an eminent terrorist attack is about to take place before the office of the Deputy General in the Supreme House of Law. But the interesting fact was that they had gathered on account of a peaceful protest by eight women calling for the release of their detained relative.

The forces’ presence was not for sake of protecting the security on the street because these women did not possess any objects that would threaten security, and eventually they were ladies. Neither did they gather to contain the protesters and muffle their shouts, because they allowed them complete freedom to call as they wish, just like they gave them ample space to stand and express their problem. Nor did they gather to prevent the journalists from covering the event because they, themselves, were offering statements to the journalists and let them talk with the protesters and photograph them as well.

In the beginning, a large number of soldiers were noticed headed by a large number of officers and guards present for no apparent reason. The other ironic matter was that the protestors were no more than eight women representing the family of the detained “Quranic” writer Reda Abdul Rahman, calling for his release or at least to know his charge or any news about him. This is in fact what “The Seventh Day” had previously published since the detention of Reda Abdel Rahman.

The policemen made a list of the newspapers present to cover the event, and recorded the banners that said: “Oh prisoner …release Reda Abdel Rahman”, “Quranics are always prosecuted..”, “opinions should be answered by opinions”, “Did you torture Reda to death?”, “No to detention…ideology should be responded to by an article…”, “Oh prisoner, prisoner… where is human rights?”. The protesters were calling for dialogue rather than detention, and the dialogue should be conducted from the part of Al Azhar as a body that specializes in religious matters as it is usually the case between Sunnis and Shiites in Egypt.

Mrs. Lawahez, the detainee’s mother, stood crying the entire time calling: “I want to know where my son has been since 25 days?”. The detainee’s youngest sister Heba said: “if my brother is a criminal, why has he not been referred to the Deputy’s office yet for a normal procedure?” Whilst the other sister Azza talked about the prosecution her family faces in their village because they are Quranics and calling for a response to their ideas with similar ideas rather than detention. She also alluded to the fact that they come from a great ancestry and it is their grandfathers, in fact, that had taught Quran to many eminent Sheikhs.
His third sister, on the other hand, mentioned how her family is always prosecuted. Whether in happy or sad occasions the police will interrupt and detain somebody, in the same way they are prosecuted by fellow people and the least example of which, is their refusal to admit her family’s children to local elementary centers for learning the Quran, accusing them of heresy because they are Quranists.

On a different note, the police have received a copy of the memorandum prepared by lawyer Adel Ramadan from the “Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights” presented to the Deputy General.

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