Muslims charged with plotting

Press, 1 March 1984, Page 11

Muslims charged with plotting

NZPA-Reuter Cairo Screaming slogans against the United States and Israel, 170 Muslim fundamentalists went on trial in Egypt yesterday accused of plotting revolution. The mostly bearded defendants interrupted the judge at the start of the proceedings, apparently at a nod from their leader, to read out verses from the Koran.

“God is our defender, God defends the believers,” they chanted, packed in 12 cages in an exhibition hall converted into a huge courtroom. Judge Muhammad Shawki Mahmoud allocated defence counsel for each of the defendants, who are alleged to belong to the outlawed Al-Jihad (Holy Struggle) movement. The accused include a

brother of Khaled Islambouli, the Army officer who led the group which assassinated President Anwar Sadat at a military parade in October, 1981. Islambouli and four others were tried and executed in 1982. When prosecutors argued against a defence plea for all the accused to be freed from custody during the trial, many of the prisoners started screaming:

“Muslims’ blood shall never be sacrificed to the Jews, Americans and their agents” and, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, we shall return.” Others shook fists through the bars and shouted, “God is great... the Muslims are coming ...” The judge later ruled that 33 would be released pending trial and postponed the next hearing to March 21.