When former football player and Ahli club coach tried to go to Saudi Arabia for a religious pilgrimage, authorities there detained him instead. Inas Mazhar investigates Earlier this week, an Ahli club delegation met Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit to discuss the club's former football player and coach 's continuing detention in Saudi Arabia. The delegation comprised the club's vice president Ibrahim El- Moalem, popular former footballer Mahmoud El-Khatib, the club's treasurer, in addition to Abdel-Shafie's younger brother Abdel-Aziz. The latter, Ahli's under-20 football coach, is also known as Zizo. Abdel-Shafie, who became the club's head coach after playing for Ahli in the 60s and 70s, was detained by Saudi Arabia nearly 10 months ago, along with two of his employees, Mohamed Fouad and Ibrahim Abdel-Samei. "The only information we have is that Abdel-Shafie was detained in Saudi Arabia while he was doing the umrah (lesser pilgrimage). Why? We don't know," El-Khatib said. "Abdel-Shafie is one of the club's sons, and we as a club -- members and board -- are concerned and worried about him. And since we can't negotiate, or seek the assistance of Saudi Arabian officials, we had to go through the right channels. We asked to meet the Egyptian foreign affairs minister and he agreed and welcomed us warmly. We presented him with a memo, and he promised to look into it and start moving towards solving the issue as soon as possible," El-Khatib said. At the same time, El-Khatib added, Abul-Gheit "didn't tell us what he was going to do. We have no statements to offer on that issue. The minister said he would follow the issue and solve it, but as for how and when, we have no idea." Abdel-Shafie's younger brother "Zizo" told the Weekly he wanted "to make it clear to everyone that [Abdel-Shafie] was not arrested by Saudi officials, but only detained -- because he is allowed to call us twice a week, and no prisoner would be allowed that." Zizo also claimed that Abdel-Shafie was granted a release order last January. "Why hasn't it been executed? All we know is that he and the others are being detained as witnesses on a certain case. But does that require detention?" According to Zizo, Abdel-Shafie served as an air force officer in both the 1967 and 1973 wars. "He was a pioneering air force instructor, as well as a former Ahli and national team player, head coach of the Saudi Club Al-Shabab, and a public figure -- that's why he definitely wouldn't be involved in dangerous or political issues." Zizo also said his brother's three daughters -- the eldest is an American University in Cairo student, while the youngest is still in primary school -- "miss him so much. He has been away for 10 months now, and though he calls twice a week, he sounds upset and depressed. They can't stand it, and cry every time, and that makes him more depressed. It's so hard. He is a kind and loving father, and has always been so for them, and nobody knows how long this is going to take us." Zizo and others concerned with Abdel-Shafie's case have attempted to secure assistance from various officials in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Requests have also been submitted to Egyptian Intelligence, the National Council of Human Rights, and to various newspaper editors. "We want everybody to show interest in this case, involving as it does such a prominent figure, one who has been a real example to sportsmen and businessmen alike," Zizo said.
