Denouncing harassment “ANY act of sexual harassment, whether a sign, verbal or physical, is religiously prohibited and is considered deviant behaviour,” said a statement issued by the highest Sunni Muslim authority on Monday. “The criminalisation of harassment must be absolute and devoid of any condition or context.” The move follows a spate of stories reporting sexual harassment on social media networks. Al-Azhar blasted attempts to blame victims of sexual harassment of responsibility because of the clothes they wore. “Justifying harassment because of the victims' behaviour or clothes reflects a wrong understanding. Sexual harassment is an assault on a woman's privacy, freedom and dignity,” said Al-Azhar. The statement went on to cite examples from Quran and the life of Prophet Mohamed on how women should be treated to feel safe in their public and private life. Seeking justice THE TRIAL of six teenagers, charged with assaulting Egyptian student Mariam Mustafa in London last February, opens at Nottingham magistrates' court on 27 September. The arrest warrant against the assailants was issued last Thursday, said Emad Abu Hussein, lawyer of the dead student's family. Mustafa, 18, was left in a coma after being attacked on 20 February during a confrontation with a gang of women in Parliament Street, Nottingham. Mustafa was reportedly punched several times by the assailants. Mustafa was initially discharged from hospital only to be rushed back. She died in hospital on 14 March after suffering a stroke. “The government of Egypt and the embassy have been closely following the circumstances of this vicious attack with the relevant British authorities and expressed the need for those responsible to be brought to justice swiftly,” said a statement issued by the Egyptian Embassy in London following Mustafa's death. It said the Egyptian government was keen “to support and assist Mariam's grieving family whose life has been shattered by their traumatic loss.” After Mustafa's death Yultan Mellor, vice principal at Nottingham College where Mustafa was studying, said “Mariam was an aspiring engineering student who was well-loved and regarded by her friends, peers and all those who knew her.” Rising death toll THE HEALTH Ministry issued a statement on Tuesday announcing that the death toll among Egyptian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia had risen to 54. The pilgrimage medical mission is coordinating with the concerned Saudi authorities to issue death certificates for all Egyptians who have died during the pilgrimage season. Pending investigations ON MONDAY State Security prosecutors ordered the release of Faisal Hatem and Marwan Shura, members of Ahli football club's fan group Ultras Ahlawi, and issued 15-day detention orders for four other members of the group pending further investigations into what has become known as the Cairo Stadium events case. Four other members of Ultras Ahlawi being held in the same case received 45-day detention orders by the North Cairo court. Following clashes with security forces at Cairo Stadium in March the fans were held on charges of vandalising public property, possession of fireworks, assaulting police personnel and joining or leading a terrorist group.
