CAIRO: An Egyptian security source said on Tuesday that Shiite activist leader Mohamed al-Dereny was among those who were arrested during Ashurrah celebrations on Monday outside the Hussien Mosque in Cairo. The source said the police arrested 7 Shiites on Monday after they failed to show proper papers allowing them to be there. The Egyptian Shiite were celebrating the day of Ashurah, the day when al-Hussien, the grandson of the prophet Mohamed's was killed in a political scheme. Shiite have claimed responsibility for his death, celebrating the day every year around the world. The source added that that around 4,000 Shiite came to the mosque to celebrate, but they lacked the appropriate permits. This highlights the ways in which Shiite celebrations have been muted and banned in the country for decades. Dereny is a promemnat Shiite leader who advocates for the rights of the Egyptian Shiite minority. Dereny was imprisioned by the former regime for over a year because of his activism. He claims that he was tourtured at the hands of state security during his imprisonment. A report by the United States on religious freedoms estimates that 750,000 Shiites live in Egypt, yet Dereny says the number is much larger than this. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/l9dhk Tags: featured, Shiite Section: Egypt, Latest News
