When members of the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafist groups which support President Mohamed Morsi and his besieged minister of culture, Alaa Abdel-Aziz, moved against protesters staging a sit-in at the minister's Zamalek office their actions served only to garner sympathy for the protesting artists and intellectuals. Hamed Seddik, described as a researcher, has filed a complaint with the prosecutor-general against 31 artists, writers, filmmakers, intellectuals and political activists for occupying the Ministry of Culture and suspending work. Writers Sakina Fouad, Bahaa Taher, Fathia Al-Assal, poet Sayed Hegab, visual artist Mohamed Abla and actor Nabil Al-Halafawi are among those accused by Seddik of libel, denigrating state symbols and institutions, threatening national security and inconveniencing the public by occupying the minister's office. A defiant Abdel-Aziz announced that he is not the minister of culture for a small group of intellectuals but of all Egyptians. He denigrated his critics as an “uncultured elite” and claimed many younger intellectuals were engaged in more important work but lacked the opportunity to come to the public's attention. Members of the board of the Supreme Council of Culture (SCC) and the heads of artistic, science and culture committees held an urgent meeting on Sunday to discuss the escalating dispute between Egypt's cultural community and the new minister. During the meeting some members of the SCC announced their intention to file complaints with the prosecutor-general against Abdel-Aziz whose repeated but unsubstantiated accusations of corruption against prominent cultural figures, they say, constitute libel. It was also suggested at the meeting that the SCC cease to recognise Abdel-Aziz as its president. Said Tawfik, former chairman of the SCC, told the meeting he had resigned his post in opposition to the minister's assault on Egypt's cultural identity. In contriving to freeze the activities of the SCC, warned Tawfik, Abdel-Aziz was manouevring to cancel this year's state awards. Winners must be selected before 20 June in order for the prizes, worth LE7 million, to go ahead. The Egyptian Writers' Union (EWU) has announced its full support for the protest at the ministry. EWU head Mohamed Salmawy condemned last week's attack on protesters as “a barbarian assault against a peaceful sit-in” and symptomatic of the regime's failure in handling critical issues. He described the sit-in as a model of civil resistance to the regime's attempts to Brotherhoodise Egypt. Salmawy called for an urgent meeting of the EWU's board to discuss withdrawing confidence from President Morsi. The call was supported by celebrated novelist Gamal Al-Ghitany. As the sit-in entered its 15th day, a growing number of intellectuals, journalists, writers, politicians and activists have expressed their support. They include Tahrir Square Imam Mazhar Shahine, journalist Farida Al-Shoubasi, judge and vice president of the Supreme Constitutional Court Tahani Al-Gebali, head of the Dostour Party Mohamed Al-Baradei and former MP Amr Hamzawy. Whilst visiting the sit-in, Al-Baradei told participants that it was an honour to support Egypt's artists and intellectuals as they pursued freedom of expression in the face of a regime that appeared determined to embrace tyranny, ignorance and failure. “The revolution is not yet over and we cannot go backward. Our strength is in unity and peaceful protest,” said Al-Baradei. “After the Islamists' attack our protest is no longer about the resignation of the minister. Now our opposition is directed at the regime he represents,” said director Maher Awad. “We are here until 30 June.” Egypt's culture, warned Al-Gebali, is now being destroyed by Islamist bulldozers. “With an identity accumulated over seven millennia we now need to live with modernity, in a modern constitutional system. We need to continue developing a modern republic. We cannot regress.”
