(HRinfo/IFEX) – The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (HRinfo) is highly concerned by the resolution of the Qalubia governor to close the Ahalina Centre for Egyptian Family Support and Development (Ahalina). The governor’s resolution is an act of revenge on Ahalina, which had disclosed the falseness of his mid-November statements that all slum areas […]
(HRinfo/IFEX) – The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (HRinfo) is highly concerned by the resolution of the Qalubia governor to close the Ahalina Centre for Egyptian Family Support and Development (Ahalina). The governor’s resolution is an act of revenge on Ahalina, which had disclosed the falseness of his mid-November statements that all slum areas in the Qalubia governorate are completely supplied with utilities. Ahalina reported that many areas in the governorate are still lacking the minimum humanitarian requirements for life.
On 24 December 2006, employees from Shubra Al-Khima municipality, accompanied by police officers, stormed into Ahalina’s headquarters and attempted to close and seal it with red wax, following the Qalubia governor’s resolution. The governor claimed that Ahalina is “inciting riots”. Examples include submitting more than 11 complaints signed by residents of slums and deprived areas to the governor’s office. In addition, Ahalina issued a press release in response to the governor’s false statements that the governorate has no slums or areas lacking utilities.
Ahalina was founded in early 2006 to provide tangible health, environmental, legal, educational, and other services for children, women and men in Shubra Al-Khima, which lacks many basic utilities. Ahalina’s work is mainly based on volunteers, donors and self-help. However, it seems that such activities – particularly after the centre succeeded in unmasking the governor’s false statements – disturbed the governor and security forces to the extent that they decided to close it.
“This revengeful resolution to close the Ahalina Centre is considered a severe violation of basic standards of human rights. Qalubia’s governor may be held accountable for misusing his power against an active civil society organisation,” HRinfo said.
HRinfo calls upon the civil community to defend Ahalina against unjust harassment, which clearly reveals the continuous conflict between the Egyptian government on one hand and civil society activists and organizations on the other.
To read Ahalina’s press release (in Arabic) in response to the Qalubia governor’s statements, visit: http://www.hrinfo.net/egypt/ahlyna/2006/pr1211.shtml
For the Ahalina section on HRinfo’s website (in Arabic), visit: http://www.hrinfo.net/egypt/ahlyna/
