NINE QUESTIONS FOR SARAWAK REPORT: CURRENT / #ICYMI: AL JAZEERA, ANWAR IBRAHIM AND THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD

AL JAZEERA, ANWAR IBRAHIM AND THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD

A COMPILED REPORTAGE

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CANADIAN JOURNALIST MOHAMED FAHMY SUES EMPLOYER AL JAZEERA FOR $100M

He accuses Qatar-based news agency of operating with a bias that led to Egypt jailing him and two colleagues. Al Jazeera denies the allegation.

REPORTED BY TORONTO STAR

CAIRO, May 11, 2015—

Mohamed Fahmy, the Canadian journalist on trial in Egypt on terror-related charges, has filed a lawsuit in Canadian court against his employer Al Jazeera for $100 million, accusing the Qatari news network of negligence and breach of contract.

In a case that sparked worldwide condemnation of Egypt’s government, Fahmy was jailed for more than 400 days with his two Al Jazeera English colleagues, Egyptian producer Baher Mohamed and Australian correspondent Peter Greste.

Egyptian prosecutors accused the three of spreading false news harmful to national security and of belonging to or aiding the Muslim Brotherhood, which authorities designated a terrorist group in December 2013, six months after Muslim Brotherhood-aligned president Mohammed Morsi, was overthrown.

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RELATED (1)
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[1: CURRENT / #ICYMI: AL JAZEERA, ANWAR IBRAHIM AND THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD – "The military powers that be appear to believe that this latest crackdown on the Brotherhood, following the earlier outlawing of the movement, will further weaken them. In this regard, they are gravely mistaken. History has shown that people who are pushed to the ground by perverse and prolonged acts of oppression and injustice will emerge even stronger." - Anwar Ibrahim - Anwar Ibrahim Blog, March 31, 2014]

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In January, an appeals court threw out their convictions — they had been sentenced to between seven and 10 years — and ordered retrials, which are still ongoing.

At a press conference Monday in the Cairo Four Seasons hotel, Fahmy, who has been out on bail since February, accused his employer of taking actions that helped land him in jail.

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RELATED (1)
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[1: CURRENT / #ICYMI: AL JAZEERA, ANWAR IBRAHIM AND THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD – "The fundamental liberties and human rights safeguarded under the Morsi administration are thrown the drain. Hundreds more political opponents are jailed without trial while international journalists including three from al-Jazeera, are detained without due process." - Anwar Ibrahim - Anwar Ibrahim Blog, March 31, 2014]

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Fahmy said Al Jazeera acted as “an arm of Qatar’s foreign policy” and “was not only biased towards the Muslim Brotherhood — they were sponsors of the Muslim Brotherhood.”

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RELATED (1)
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[1: CURRENT / #ICYMI: AL JAZEERA, ANWAR IBRAHIM AND THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD – "President Morsi and law makers from the Brotherhood and other political parties were slowly but surely steering the country to new directions in the path of freedom, democracy and justice." - Anwar Ibrahim - Anwar Ibrahim Blog, March 31, 2014]

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('Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy sues employer Al Jazeera for $100M.' - Toronto Star, May 11, 2015)

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RELATED: CONVICTION OF MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD MEMBERS – A DEATH SENTENCE ON JUSTICE
BY ANWAR IBRAHIM

March 31, 2014–

In the most farcical and disgraceful trial in modern history, the Egyptian military junta under Dictator General al-Sisi, on Monday sentenced to death 529 leaders and politicians of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Most of the countries in the Arab world, with the notable exception of Qatar, have neither lifted a finger nor said a word of protest against this even as the EU and the USA have at least expressed some token regret. Shamefully, the speaker of the Malaysian Parliament, no doubt taking orders from the Najib administration, refused to allow the matter to be debated in spite of vehement demands from the Opposition.

Following the military coup by al-Sisi and the scandalous sacking and arrest of democratically elected President Morsi, Egypt has gone from being the darling of the Arab Spring to undisputed pariah state of the free world.

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RELATED (1-2)
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[1: CURRENT / #ICYMI: AL JAZEERA, ANWAR IBRAHIM AND THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD – "Egyptian prosecutors accused the three [Al Jazeera reporters] of spreading false news harmful to national security and of belonging to or aiding the Muslim Brotherhood, which authorities designated a terrorist group in December 2013, six months after Muslim Brotherhood-aligned president Mohammed Morsi, was overthrown." - Toronto Star, May 11, 2015]

[2: CURRENT / #ICYMI: AL JAZEERA, ANWAR IBRAHIM AND THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD – "At a press conference Monday in the Cairo Four Seasons hotel, Fahmy, who has been out on bail since February, accused his employer [Al Jazeera] of taking actions that helped land him in jail." - Toronto Star, May 11, 2015]

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This latest act in a series of illegal, unconstitutional and morally despicable acts by the military junta since the power grab underscores the diabolical nature of the new Egyptian government set up purportedly to restore “justice, freedom and democracy” that was alleged to have been eroded under the administration of duly-elected President Morsi.

On the contrary, the new regime has demonstrated beyond the shadow of a doubt that it has no qualms about using the organs of state power such as the army, police and the judiciary to oppress and repress the Egyptian people. The fundamental liberties and human rights safeguarded under the Morsi administration are thrown the drain. Hundreds more political opponents are jailed without trial while international journalists including three from al-Jazeera, are detained without due process.

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RELATED (1)
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[1: CURRENT / #ICYMI: AL JAZEERA, ANWAR IBRAHIM AND THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD – "At a press conference Monday in the Cairo Four Seasons hotel, Fahmy, who has been out on bail since February, accused his employer [Al Jazeera] of taking actions that helped land him in jail." - Toronto Star, May 11, 2015]

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Backed by a well-orchestrated and sustained media campaign to whitewash its actions, the ruthless regime of al-Sisi has massacred its own people including women and children and unleashed other atrocities with complete impunity.

Monday’s verdict to execute 529 opponents of the coup in a summary trial that lasted less than an hour makes an utter mockery of the judicial process and leaves no one in doubt that it is justice itself which has been given the death sentence and that due process has been sent to the firing squad instead.

The Egyptian people had paved the way for the full blossoming of the Arab Spring when, with their blood, sweat and tears, they overthrew Husni Mubarak, ending four decades of military dictatorship. Voted to power via an internationally recognised electoral process, President Morsi and law makers from the Brotherhood and other political parties were slowly but surely steering the country to new directions in the path of freedom, democracy and justice.

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RELATED (1)
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Tragically, the blatant coup last July engineered by al-Sisi, working hand in glove with corrupt external powers, has turned the clock back. The military powers that be appear to believe that this latest crackdown on the Brotherhood, following the earlier outlawing of the movement, will further weaken them.

In this regard, they are gravely mistaken. History has shown that people who are pushed to the ground by perverse and prolonged acts of oppression and injustice will emerge even stronger.