Around 100 journalists from Qatar-based news website Islam Online (IOL) protested in front of the the Qatari Embassy in Cairo's Mohandeseen district on Wednesday to deliver a statement to Qatar's ambassador to Egypt that included specific demands. "The main problem is that we're being prevented from working and that workers are being laid off out of spite," said Kawthat el-Khouli, editor of the website's social section. "That's why we're here today--to deliver a statement to the Qatari ambassador that we demand our rights as workers and that our belated salaries be paid." Fathi Abu Hatab, editor of the site's "Muslim in Europe" section, explained: "Our open-ended strike began on 15 March at IOL offices in 6th of October city against the Media International Company, which decided to move the entire operation to Doha without informing us. We had a feeling they were planning to do this. Only 79 journalists have been paid; the rest have not. We demand withheld payments and April salaries." Abu Hatab went on to point out that Wednesday's protest was the first since the dispute began in March to be staged outside IOL's offices. The crisis first erupted when the website's Cairo staff was locked out of the site's computer servers and subject to "investigations" by the Qatar-based management. According to a subsequent agreement between the Qatari administration and the Egyptian Ministry of Manpower on 28 March, unpaid salaries were to be paid and severance payments offered to those wishing to resign. On Wednesday afternoon, disgruntled workers were bussed to the embassy, outside of which they proceeded to stage protests that lasted almost two hours. "Why is the Qatari government silent about what happens to Islam Online?" their banners read. "Is it a conspiracy against Islamic media?" They also chanted: "Oh God, may whoever violate my rights go to hell!" Police, meanwhile--no doubt used to far rowdier crowds--asked protesters to keep their demonstration within a fenced-off area in front the embassy. Adel el-Qadi, deputy chief editor at IOL's Cairo office, read out a letter addressed to the Qatari ambassador in which he condemned the the pay delays and described the situation as "the destruction of a model [IOL] that had succeeded in painting a moderate image of Islam." "We hope this protest will yield good results," el-Qadi told Al-Masry Al-Youm. "If it they continue ignoring us, we will continue our protests." The Qatari ambassador, meanwhile, refused to comment on the issue, according to protesters. "'No comment' is the only answer we have heard from him since the crisis began," said el-Qadi. Workers say that another protest--this time in front of the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate--has been called for Sunday.
