CAIRO Ñ Egypt has maintained a ban on the hiring of Muslim seminary
students in the nation's police force.
The government has rejected a call by Islamic parliamentarians to accept
high school students from the Al Azhar religious academy into the police
academy. Egypt imposed such a ban in 1975.
In a letter to parliamentarians aligned with the banned Muslim
Brotherhood, Egyptian Interior Minister Habib Adly said the ban on the Al
Azhar students does not violate the constitutional right to equality in
employment. Adly said Al Azhar graduates have been recruited into the police
academy in special capacities. He would not elaborate.
The government has been under pressure from a vocal parliamentary lobby
for changes that would benefit Islamic fundamentalists. So far, Egyptian
authorities have rejected such an effort.
Egypt has expanded its campaign against Islamic dissidents. The
London-based A-Sharq Al Awsat reported on Monday that Egyptian authorities
foiled an effort to revive the military wing of the outlawed Gamiat Islamiya
movement.
Last week, Islamic opposition sources said Egyptian authorities arrested
30 Muslim activists in the Cairo area. The sources said the detainees were
accused of being members of the outlawed insurgency group Tala'a Fateh.
Egyptian Prime Minister Atef Obeid warned that the removal of the
Brotherhood ban on political activities would undermine the country. The
Brotherhood is said to be powerful among Egyptian students and labor unions.
"The issue of giving the Islamic movement the liberty to establish a
political party is baseless and not to the benefit of society," Obeid said.
"As soon as religious identity is established, fundamentalism will emerge."
