LETTER FROM ALEXANDRIA: RAMADAN II

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ALEXANDRIA 00548



E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR

TAGS: PINR, PGOV, PINS, EG

SUBJECT: LETTER FROM ALEXANDRIA: RAMADAN II



REF: ALEXANDRIA 535



1. (CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.)



2. SUMMARY: THE BAIRAM FEAST, WHICH FOLLOWS RAMADAN,

LASTED THREE DAYS IN EGYPT, FOLLOWED BY A WEEK-END. EARLY

NEGOTIATIONS, BETWEEN ALEXANDRIA SECURITY FORCES AND THE

MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD, MANAGED TO AVERT VIOLENCE ON THE

FIRST DAY OF THE FEAST. HOWEVER, THE LETTER, IF NOT THE

SPIRIT, OF THE GOE BAN ON RELIGIOUS DEMONSTRATIONS WAS

REPEATEDLY VIOLATED IN ALEXANDRIA, AND RIOT POLICE WERE

DEPLOYED TO ENSURE ORDER. MUSLIM BROTHER (AND MEMBER

OF THE PEOPLES ASSEMBLY, REPRESENTING THE WAFD PARTY)

MOHAMED EL MARAGHI WAS THE LEADING ACTOR IN THE FUNDA-

MENTALIST EVENTS IN ALEXANDRIA. END SUMMARY.



3. THE MONTH OF RAMADAN WAS AN UNEASY TIME IN ALEXANDRIA

(SEE REFTEL),A CITY WHICH HAS A HISTORY OF FUNDAMENTALIST

VIOLENCE. FOR EXAMPLE, IT WAS IN ALEXANDRIA THAT THE

MUSLIM BROTHERS ATTEMPTED TO ASSASSINATE PRESIDENT

NASSER IN 1954. SHAYKH HAFEZ SALAAMA'S CALL, IN CAIRO,

FOR A "GREEN" MARCH IN SUPPORT OF THE RAPID IMPLEMEN-

TATION OF SHARIA, OR KORANIC, LAW IN EGYPT (SEE CAIRO

15351, 15780 AND 15793),AND THE MINISTER OF INTERIOR'S

SUBSEQUENT JUNE 12 DECREE BANNING PUBLIC MARCHES,

UNDOUBTEDLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE ATMOSPHERE IN ALEXANDRIA:

ALL LEAVES FOR SECURITY OFFICERS FOR THE DURATION OF THE

FEAST AFTER RAMADAN WERE CANCELLED, AND POLICE WERE PUT

ON ALERT STATUS. WHILE THE MINISTER'S DECREE, IN FACT,

WAS VIOLATED IN ALEXANDRIA, INTENSIVE NEGOTIATIONS

BETWEEN THE FUNDAMENTALISTS AND THE SECRET POLICE--AS

WELL AS THE MASSIVE STREET PRESENCE OF RIOT POLICE ON

THE FIRST DAY OF THE FEAST--MANAGED TO AVERT VIOLENCE.

THIS IS A SUBJECT ON WHICH IT WILL BE FOREVER DIFFICULT

FOR FOREIGNERS TO MAKE TOO MANY INQUIRIES IN EGYPT. WHAT

FOLLOWS IS WHAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE EITHER TO OBSERVE, OR

TO OBTAIN FROM SECURITY AND OTHER SOURCES. OUR CONTACT

WITH FUNDAMENTALIST CLERICS IN ALEXANDRIA REMAINS LIMITED.



4. PRAYERS IN THE STADIUM: DURING PRESIDENT SADAT'S TIME

THERE WERE INAUGURATED,IN CAIRO AND IN ALEXANDRIA,

MASSIVE MORNING PRAYER SESSIONS IN PUBLIC STADIA ON

TBE FIRST DAY OF THE BAIRAM FEAST WHICH FOLLOWS RAMADAN.

THIS YEAR IN ALEXANDRIA, STATE SECURITY AND THE MUSLIM

BROTHERS, LED BY MOHAMED AL MARAGHI, UNDERTOOK EARLY

DISCUSSIONS ON HOW THESE PRAYERS WOULD PROCEED. STATE

SECURITY FELT, PROBABLY, CORRECTLY, THAT THE OUTCOME OF

THE EVENT WOULD BE DECIDED LARGELY BY THE TONE SET BY

THE SHAYKH LEADING THE PRAYERS. THEY PROPOSED THAT THE

GOE MINISTRY OF THE AWQAF REPRESENTATIVE IN ALEXANDRIA

(TECHNICALLY THE SENIOR IMAM IN THE CITY) LEAD THE

PRAYERS. THE MB'S INSISTED ON SHAYKH MEHALAWI--A

CHARISMATIC SHAYKH WHO BECAME A PARTICULAR TARGET OF

PRESIDENT SADAT IN THE FORMER PRESIDENT'S LAST MONTHS.

(SHAYKH MEHALAWI WAS JAILED BY SADAT AND WE HAD HEARD

NOTHING ELSE ABOUT HIM UNTIL HE CAME INTO THE CONSULATE

GENERAL LAST YEAR, ESCORTED BY A BRIGADIER FROM STATE

SECURITY, TO OBTAIN A VISA FOR TRAVEL TO THE U.S. SEE

84 ALEXANDRIA 329.) THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR,

ACCORDING TO OUR ALEXANDRIA SECURITY SOURCES, CONTINUED

TO INSIST ON THE GOVERNMENT MAN. THEREFORE, THE STADIUM

PRAYER NEVER TOOK PLACE.



5. PRAYERS AT SIDI GABER: SIDI GABER IS A PUBLIC SQUARE

LOCATED ON AVENUE EL HORREYA, THE CITY'S MAIN THOROUGH-

FARE, IN THE CITY'S AFFLUENT EASTERN SUBURBS. THERE IS

A SMALL MOSQUE LOCATED NEXT TO THE SUBURBAN TRAIN STATION

ON THE SQUARE. OUR STATE SECURITY CONTACTS TELL US THAT

THE MUSLIM BROTHERS CHOSE THIS MOSQUE FOR THEIR MORNING

PRAYERS JUNE 18. OTHERS HAVE TOLD US THAT THIS IS THE

TRADITIONAL PLACE FROM WHICH THE BAIRAM MARCH TO THE

CITY STADIUM BEGINS, AND THAT THE SHAYKH AT THE NEARBY

MOSQUE IS A MB (SHAYKH MEHALAWI TRADITIONALLY HOLDS

FORTH AT THE IBRAHIM MOSQUE, WHICH IS LOCATED DOWNTOWN

AT RAMLEH STATION). WHATEVER THE REASON FOR THE SITE

SELECTION--VICE ONE OF THE MAJOR MOSQUES DOWNTOWN--

SUNRISE ON THE FIRST DAY OF BAIRAM SAW APPROXIMATELY

FIFTEEN THOUSAND FUNDAMENTALISTS GATHERED IN THE STREET,

SURROUNDED BY AN ESTIMATED ONE THOUSAND POLICE IN FULL

RIOT GEAR, COMPLETE WITH SHIELDS AND BATONS. COMMENT:

BOTH THOSE FIGURES COME FROM POLICE SOURCES. AN

EGYPTIAN BUSINESSMAN, AND CONGEN CONTACT, WHO HAPPENED

TO BE IN THE AREA AT THE TIME, HOWEVER, TELLS US THAT

THERE WERE "AT LEAST" THREE THOUSAND RIOT POLICE. "I

BECAME VERY SCARED," HE SAID. END COMMENT. TRAFFIC

(WHICH IS LIGHT AT THAT EARLY HOUR) WAS TOTALLY BLOCKED,

BUT THERE WAS NO VIOLENCE, ACCORDING TO BOTH WESTERN

OBSERVERS AND STATE SECURITY SOURCES. THE CONSULATE

GENERAL'S POLITICAL ASSISTANT (A MUSLIM) LIVES ON THE

SQUARE, AND REPORTED BEING "FRIGHTENED" BY WHAT SHE

OBSERVED, INCLUDING NUMEROUS WOMEN IN FULL VEIL--THE

ENTIRE FACE COVERED (AS IN THE GULF). SHE FURTHER

REPORTED THAT THE PRAYER WAS EXTREMELY WELL-ORGANIZED,

WITH LEADERS DRESSED IN DISTINGUISHING GARB. IT

APPEARS THAT THERE WERE INTENSIVE NEGOTIATIONS AT THE

SCENE, BETWEEN SECURITY OFFICIALS AND ORGANIZERS, AND

THAT THOSE PARTICIPATING DID NOT ATTEMPT TO MARCH, BUT

DISPERSED IN AN ORDERLY FASHION AFTER THE PRAYER AND

SERMON. SHE ALSO REPORTS THAT THE SERMON, BY MB MOHAMED

EL MARAGHI, CONTAINED DENUNCIATIONS OF THE GOE, CALLED

"TYRANNICAL" AT ONE POINT. BY APPARENT AGREEMENT

BETWEEN THE SECURITY FORCES AND THE FUNDAMENTALIST

ORGANIZERS, THE CROWD WAS ENJOINED BY THE SPEAKER NOT

TO RESPOND TO VARIOUS, REPEATED JIBES HE MADE AT THE

GOVERNMENT. REITERATING HER POINT ABOUT THEIR DISCIPLINE,

OUR OBSERVER NOTED THAT THE GROUP OBEYED THIS REQUEST,

ALBEIT WITH RELUCTANCE. COMMENT: MUSLIM BROTHER

MOHAMED EL MARAGHI WAS ELECTED TO THE PEOPLES ASSEMBLY

(WAFD) IN THE HUY EHOIR ELECTIONS, REPRESENTING ALEXAN-

DRIAACXDCENTRAL DISTRICT. WE HAVEKMET WITHRWIM ONCE

(SEE ALEX QIIN PARA 21). END COMMENT.



6. SMALLER MARCHES. THERE WERE UNDOUBTEDLY SMALLER

MARCHES, TRADITIONAL ON THE FIRST DAY OF BAIRAM, AT

OTHER LOCATIONS (WE SUSPECT THAT THE SECURITY FORCES

HAD INSTRUCTIONS TO PROHIBIT ONLY "GREEN" MARCHES)--

IN CONTRAVENTION OF MINISTER ROUCHDY'S DECREE. ONE

OCCURRED IN FRONT OF THE OFFICIAL RESIDENCE, AND

INCLUDED APPROXIMATELY A HUNDRED MEN (ONLY),MOST IN

TYPICAL MB DRESS--WHITE GALLEBEYA, SKULL CAP--AND

BEARDED, CHANTING THE TRADITIONAL BAIRAM PRAYER. THE

SECURITY FORCES STATIONED AT THE RESIDENCE DID NOT

INTERFERE AS THE MEN MARCHED PAST IN A HIGHLY-DISCIPLINED,

ALMOST MILITARY FASHION. WE EARLIER REPORTED A DEMONSTRA-

TION ON JUNE 17, THE LAST DAY OF RAMADAN, IN FRONT OF

THE POLICE STATION IN THE WORKING CLASS DISTRICT OF

MOHARREM BEY (SEE CAIRO 16037, PARA 8). THIFDMARCH, OF

APPRTMIMALELY 300#$034 9, , WE HAVE SINCE LEARNED WAS

NOT A "GREEN" 76-4:#, BUT A TACTIC USED TO FORCE EYEN

GOVERNMENT TO PERMIT PUBLIC PRAYERS THE FIRST DAY OF

BAIRAM. WE HAVE HEARD OF SIMILAR DEMONSTRATIONS AT

OTHER POLICE STATIONS AROUND THE CITY, FOR THE SAME

PURPOSE.



7. POLICE-MUSLIM BROTHER "COOPERATION:" AS WE BELIEVE

IS DEMONSTRATED BY THE EVENTS IN ALEXANDRIA, THE

SECURITY FORCES ARE IN DIALOGUE WITH MB LEADERS HERE:

THE NEGOTIATIONS ATNSTATE SECURITY, FOR EXAMPLE, WERE

CONDUCTED DIRECTLY BETWEEN GENERAL ABDEL HADI SAYED AND

MOHAMED EL MARAGHI. WE ALSO SURMISE THAT THE FORCES

COUNTED ON THE ORGANIZATIONAL PROWESS, AND THE WELL-KNOWN

DISCIPLINE, OF THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD TO HELP THEM KEEP

ORDER. WE NEVERTHELESS FIND THIS COOPERATION BETWEEN

THE GOE AND A STILL-BANNED ORGANIZATION CURIOUS. IN

CONVERSATIONS ON THIS RATHER FINE POINT WITH EGYPTIAN

CONTACTS WE HAVE HEARD TWO COMPLEMENTARY RATIONALES FOR

THIS COOPERATION. ALEX NDP PARTY CHIEF, MOHAMED ABDELLAH,

IN COMMENTS REMINISCENT OF REMARKS ONE HEARS ABOUT THE

CPUSA, INDICATED THAT THE MB MOVEMENT IN EGYPT IS

THOROUGHLY PENETRATED, CONSISTS LARGELY OF OLDER

FUNDAMENTALISTS AND IS NEITHER A DYNAMIC, NOR A

DANGEROUS FORCE IN THE COUNTRY. THE BUSINESSMAN QUOTED

ABOVE (PARA 5),WHO HAS GOOD CONTACTS INSIDE THE SECURITY

SERVICES, CLAIMS THAT THE MB'S ARE "QUIET" NOW

(RELATIVE TO PAST TIMES, ONE PRESUMES). HE FURTHER

REPORTS THAT IT IS IN GOE INTEREST TO KEEP THE ORGANI-

ZATION BANNED, AS THAT ALLOWS THE SECURITY FORCES TO

MAINTAIN CLOSE TABS ON THE MOVEMENT. COMMENT: WE HAVE

HEARD RUMORS THAT THE BAN ON THE BROTHERHOOD MIGHT BE

LIFTED--BUT ALSO WORRIES EXPRESSED THAT THAT WOULD

SEND THE WRONG SIGNAL TO BOTH THE RADICAL MUSLIMS AND

THE GENERAL POPULATION. WE IMAGINE THAT THE SECURITY

CONCERNS NOTED HERE MUST WEIGH HEAVILY IN GOE CALCULA-

TIONS ON THIS ISSUE. END COMMENT.



8. "ISLAMIC GROUPS:" WHAT DOES CONCERN THESE SAME TWO

SOURCES IS "AL-GAMIAT AL-ISLAMIYYA" (ISLAMIC GROUPS),

THE SHADOWY, RADICAL UNDERGROUND GROUPS WHICH OPERATE

ON A CELL SYSTEM, ACCORDING TO ABDELLAH. ABDELLAH

SAYS THAT THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT KNOW WHO THEY ARE, OR

WHO LEADS THEM. THE BUSINESSMAN SAYS THAT IT IS THESE

GROUPS WHICH, AMONG OTHER THINGS, PUT THEIR FEMALES INTO

FULL-FACE VEILS, AS NOTED ABOVE. HE ALSO CLAIMS THAT

THE GROUPS ARE COMPOSED OF THE URBAN POOR, UNABLE TO

COMPETE IN THE DIFFICULT ENVIRONMENT OF CONTEMPORARY

EGYPT.



9. COMMENT: WE DO NOT WANT TO EXAGGERATE THE IMPORTANCE

OF A GATHERING OF FIFTEEN THOUSAND PEOPLE IN A CITY OF

THREE MILLION. (THE ONLY MEDIA COVERAGE OF THIS EVENT

WAS IN AN OPPOSITION NEWSPAPER, WHICH ALSO PUBLISHED TWO

PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE GATHERING. A COPY HAS BEEN POUCHED

TO INR AND NEA/EGY). NOR CAN WE EXPLAIN WHY SUCH A

MASSIVE DEFIANCE OF MINISTRY ROUCHDY'S DECREE OCCURRED

ONLY IN ALEXANDRIA, NOT IN CAIRO (OR ELSEWHERE IN EGYPT,

TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE). WE SURMISE THAT, AT

LEAST AS REGARDS ALEXANDRIA, THE SECURITY FORCES CAME

TO BELIEVE THAT A CONTROLLED GATHERING--EVEN ONE WHICH

COMPLETELY BLOCKED ALEXANDRIA'S MAIN STREET--WAS

PREFERABLE TO A POTENTIALLY VIOLENT, UNCONTROLLED EVENT,

WHATEVER THE LEGAL TECHNICALITIES. IN THIS REGARD,

THE MB'S BOTH SERVED GOE PURPOSES AND PROVIDED A VENUE

FOR AL-GAMIAT AL-ISLAMIYYA--WHICH THEY WOULD HPXVE NEVER

BEEN ABLE TO OBTAIN THEMSELVES FROM THE GOVERNMENT.

DESPITE THE EARLY HOUR OF THE SIDI GABER GATHERING, THE

FACT OF ITS OCCURRENCE IS KNOWN THROUGHOUT THE CITY,

AND HAS PROVOKED WORRIED COMMENTS FROM SOME OF OUR

CONTACTS--USUALLY ALONG THE LINES THAT, "THE GOVERNMENT

SHOULD CRACK-DOWN ON THESE PEOPLE." WITHIN THE LIMITS OF

RATHER SEVERE PERSONNEL CONSTRAINTS, WE SHALL ATTEMPT

TO EXPAND OUR REPORTING ON FUNDAMENTALISM IN EGYPT'S

SECOND CITY. END COMMENT.





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