Women groups denounce Brotherhood's assault

Tuesday 19-03-2013 09:56 AM
Women groups denounce Brotherhood's assault

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Women groups condemned on Sunday assaults by members of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood on a female activist in front of the Brotherhood's headquarters in Muqattam, saying they reject the targeting of women.

Footage published on Facebook displayed activist, Mervat Moussa, being slapped in the face by members of the Muslim Brotherhood outside their headquarters.

Clashes broke out on Saturday between protesters, police and the guards of the Muslim Brotherhood's guidance office when some activists attempted to draw graffiti on the walls facing the headquarters of the Islamist group.

The Egyptian Center for Women Rights issued a statement saying, "On the National Day for Women, a woman activist was hit to the ground by militant members of the Muslim Brotherhood, from which Egypt's president hails, and the ruling Freedom and Justice Party."

The center added that they denounce the recurring violence against Egyptians, saying that many journalists who were covering the event were also attacked and had their cameras smashed.

The rights center considered these assaults to be crimes against humanity, holding President Mohamed Mursi accountable for the practices of the Brotherhood.

The Center demanded the forming of a neutral judicial committee to investigate these practices against women and activists.

It also called for immediately turning in those involved in the assaults, saying that their crimes are documented by video.

"These violations are complementary to the Brotherhood's stance against women, which was evident in their recent statement that condemned the U.N. document to 'end violence against women'," said the center's statement.

Meanwhile, Fouada Watch Initiative announced its solidarity with the media persons and activists who were assaulted, saying, "We reject all forms of violence practiced by members of the Muslim Brotherhood." 

Fouada Watch expressed its severe concern for the presidency's silence towards, what it described as, the Brotherhood's grave violations of the law.

The initiative stressed that Islamists target revolutionary women and girls methodologically since Egypt's uprising in order to isolate them from effective participation in the political scene.

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