Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, March 2009, pages 28-29

Cairo Communiqué

Protests Against Israeli War on Gaza Strengthen Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood

By Joseph Mayton

ISRAEL’S WAR against the Gaza Strip has done more to enrage Arabs across the region than any other single event in recent years. Egypt faced the brunt of the frustration, as Cairo was seen as having been told of Israel’s intentions days before the bombing campaign began on Dec. 27. Organizing the efforts in support of Palestinians and against the regime of President Hosni Mubarak was the country’s most powerful opposition movement: the Muslim Brotherhood.

In the weeks following the air strike, the Brotherhood leadership spearheaded demonstration after demonstration, reminding the Egyptian government that they still carried much weight in the Arab world’s largest nation.

Following last summer’s massive protests in Mahalla Al Kobra, in northern Egypt—where residents were angry at low wages paid by the region’s largest textile factory and at rising costs of living—the Brotherhood lost much of its popular support because it failed to live up to expectations, largely ignoring the demonstrations.

This all changed two days after Christmas, when Israeli bombs began to fall on Palestinians in the impoverished Gaza Strip. The Brotherhood began the mobilization of its members that resulted in hundreds, sometimes thousands, of Egyptians heading to the streets to protest the Israeli offensive and the Egyptian government’s response to the war and its alleged knowledge of the attack before it occurred.

Ahmed, an activist who does not consider himself a regular Brotherhood supporter, was a prime example of what the government fears. He participated in almost every demonstration in support of Gaza and said that despite his apprehension to join the ranks of the Brotherhood, they were “by far the most organized and largest group constantly moving.”

In Ahmed’s opinion, the demonstrations had given the Brotherhood new life that is likely to continue beyond Israel’s latest war against the Palestinians.

"Whatever they [the Brotherhood] lost last summer in Mahalla, the Gaza war has given new life to the movement,” he observed, “and it will likely grow larger, especially as the average Egyptian sees the lies that the government said about the war and what they were doing.”

Essam El Arian, a leading member of the Islamic movement, believes non-Brotherhood activists were quick to join the demonstrations not only because of the organization’s structure, but also because they knew that Brotherhood action would cause a government reaction.

“Activists know that we are strong and will continue to fight against injustice wherever it is,” he said, “and this is a perfect example of when the government’s policies are not the same as what the people want. We were right to protest.”

El Arian held the Mubarak government responsible for allowing the Jewish state to continue its bombardment of “innocent civilians” and demanded that Cairo “should have intervened on behalf of its citizens’ demands to make the war end.”

According to a statement issued by Brotherhood Supreme-Guide Mehky Akef, Egypt needed to “withdraw the Egyptian ambassador to the Zionist state, dismiss the Zionist ambassador to Egypt and close both embassies, open the Rafah Crossing to allow access to all humanitarian aid and receive the injured, in addition to cutting off gas and oil supplies sent to the Zionist nation.”

Ahmed, and a number of activists who do not usually support the Brotherhood, believe the movement understood the sentiments of the country toward the war on Gaza.

“They know what people want and are able to act on it,” he argued, “so it is not suprising how many people are out supporting the Brotherhood, even if they usually do not.”

The protests were not without costs. By early January, over 300 Brotherhood members had been arrested as a result of their protests, revealing the Mubarak regime’s unease over the widespread demonstrations that have quickly turned against the president himself. Most Egyptians believe Mubarak has done little to support the Palestinians as they faced the brunt of Israel’s might.

“All he does is sit in his palace and do nothing. Why shouldn’t we be mad when he can do more than blame the war on Hamas? Hamas is not a terrorist group and they are not the ones bombing, so when we hear our president say they are responsible, this is outrageous,” said an activist at one demonstration who asked to remain anonymous due to security concerns.

Fearful that daily demonstrations would lead to violence, the government issued security warnings nationwide. Cairo began tightening security at predominantly Brotherhood-led protests, which are noticeably larger than others. Journalists were not allowed near the area, pictures were not permitted and force was employed.

“We have clear orders not to allow anyone in,” State Security officer Omar stated. “The press is not allowed. No cameras. If you take a picture, we have orders to arrest you and take the camera if we must.”

As he shoved a couple reporters away from one demonstration, he repeated, “These are my orders.”

Another example of the government’s determination to silence the opposition amid increasing fears that the Brotherhood’s power was spreading among the country’s opposition was its resort to censorship.

The independent newspaper Sout al-Ouma was barred from publishing an editorial entitled “Those Who Brought Egypt Disgrace,” written by editor-in-chief Abdel Hamid Kandil. As a result of objections by security officials, the government-owned Al Ahram press refused to publish the issue if it contained the editorial. Sout al-Ouma subsequently removed it and was on the newsstands days later.

According to Gamal Eid, director of the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI), this shows how far the government is ready to go in order to silence journalists and freedom of the press.

“Security monitoring has become common practice at Al Ahram presses,” he said, “and Al Badeel [another independent newspaper] has previously been censored on occasion, which has caused them to turn to Al Gomhoria printing house as an alternative.”

The aftershocks of the Gaza war are likely to be felt long after the reconstruction of the impoverished Palestinian land commences. One thing is certain, activists in Egypt and throughout the region argue: Israel’s war against Hamas is likely to give birth to thousands, if not millions, of new enemies of the Jewish state.

Here in Egypt, the Brotherhood’s role in protesting the actions of Israel and the Egyptian government are most certainly to increase support for the Islamic group. With parliamentary elections only a year away and a presidential election scheduled for the following year, the Brotherhood is in a prime position to create continuing problems for Mubarak and his regime—despite the attempt to stranglehold the opposition.

Joseph Mayton is a free-lance journalist based in Cairo.